Color Correction

Colour correction is the work of fixing colour that has gone wrong — a box dye that turned muddy, bands of different shades down the hair, orange tones that won't shift, a result far darker or brighter than intended, or a grown-out mess of several old colours layered on top of each other.

It's the most technical service we offer, because your stylist is working with unknown chemistry already sitting in your hair. Every case is genuinely different, which is why it always begins with a consultation and can't be priced in advance.

The realistic part matters: correction sometimes takes more than one appointment, spaced out to protect your hair's condition. Your stylist will tell you honestly what's achievable, in what timeframe, before anything starts.

• A full consultation covering your hair's colour history and current condition
• An honest assessment of what's achievable and how many sessions it needs
• A written or clearly explained plan and price before work begins
• Corrective colour work — lifting, filling, toning or depth as your hair needs
• Conditioning or bond-building treatment through the process
• Blow-dry finish and a detailed home care plan

Allow four hours or more, and be prepared for the possibility of a second appointment.

Your stylist starts by going through your hair's history in detail — every colour, when, and what product — and assessing the condition strand by strand. They may test a small section to see how it responds before committing.

The correction itself is done in stages, monitored closely and stopped if your hair's condition demands it. Protecting your hair takes priority over reaching the end result in one sitting.

Anyone unhappy with a colour result, whether it was done at home or elsewhere — including banding, brassiness, uneven coverage, colour that's too dark, or years of layered colour that needs unpicking. If your hair feels compromised, bring it in and let your stylist assess before deciding anything.

Corrected hair usually needs a period of gentle treatment. Follow your stylist's plan closely — that generally means sulphate-free shampoo, regular conditioning or bond-building masks, cooler washing, minimal heat styling and no home colour at all until your stylist says otherwise.

Applying box dye over corrected colour is the fastest way back to where you started.

• Book the consultation before you do anything else — and don't try to fix it yourself first
• Bring every detail you have: product names, boxes, dates, what your previous stylist used
• Bring photos of both the current problem and your goal
• Accept that more than one session may be needed; rushing it costs hair
• Don't use box dye or colour removers in the meantime — they make correction harder
• Ask about conditioning treatments to support your hair through the process