PRESENT AND CORRECT

Patchy, brassy or too yellow - here’s what to do when your client’s hair colour needs correcting

PULPRIOT

Sometimes you don’t always get the result you were hoping for. So, how do you recover both your client’s hair and your relationship?

Communication and transparency are key. “The best solution is to not panic,” says Conor Doyle, Redken Advocate and Colour Educator. “It's a fine balance between honesty and turning a client off a colour result that they actually might like. Speak your mind, but safeguarded with something like 'I may want to re-tone this, but I’m going to let you have a look first'.” That way, you’re giving the client the chance to speak their mind first. Farah Naz, owner of Farah Naz Hairdressing and #SKPCollective Member agrees: “If it still looks great, then they may be happy with it. If not, address it and either offer to re-do that day if you have time, or book back in as soon as you can.”

“ITS IMPORTANT TO KNOW THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE PROCESS, MORE SO THAN THE APPLICATION OF PRODUCT.”

Preparing what to say when colour doesn’t go to plan is essential. Taylor Anthony, owner of Taylor’d Creations Hair Studio, a Directions hair salon, has a key phrase that’s worth remembering. “You could say ‘I understand the colour hasn’t come out to its full potential. Do you have additional time today/ tomorrow/next week so I can correct this?’”, he says. That way you are coming up with a solution to a potential problem. Taylor continues: “I would then reflect on why it didn’t come out as planned. Was the formula wrong, did you factor in the undertone, did you consider the porosity, could there have been a better placement?” Denman Ambassador, Georgia Bell of Society Hair, agrees that investigating what went wrong is vital. “For me it’s not about a colour going wrong, what’s important is the steps you take to put it right,” she explains. “That’s why it's important to know the science behind the process, more so than the application of product even.”

It's daunting for clients to have their colour not turn out as expected. Paul Watts, JOICO European Colour Design Team Member says setting out a clear plan on how to move forward is key: “For client’s it’s scary. They will look to you for advice and a suggestion on how you will rectify the issue.” It is important to gain as much information as possible about your client’s hair history. Karine Jackson, owner of Karine Jackson Sustainable Salon, London says: “Personally, my first move would be to review the formula used on Vish and compare it to previous formulas to help understand what went wrong. If the formula isn’t the problem, then I’d review my consultation – what did I miss? What didn’t the client mention?” Shu-Lan Cheung, Technical Educator at FFOR stresses that often there can be multiple factors at play: “Sometimes hair reacts differently due to illness, medication or hormones.”

In conclusion, often it’s your colour consultation that will inform the whole process, either resulting in a successful colour or providing the answer to what may have gone wrong. Pulp Riot Artist Christabel Legrand explains: “Use your hands and look at the hair to check the condition. Always perform a strand test. This is going to help you work out condition, strength and if a chemical service is advised.” Trust is an essential part of the hairstylist/ client relationship, so maintaining communication and belief in your ability to recover will help you navigate your way through hair colour rescues.