How To Choose The Right Toner For Highlighted Hair

It can be difficult to choose the right toner for your highlights. Are you a recent hair-coloring novice who regrets it? Are you looking for a way to brighten up your faded hair color without making it look dull and lifeless? The truth is that not every color is the best. All you need to do is use a good toner. Select the right toner for your hair to prevent unnatural looking highlights. This is exactly what we will be discussing in this article.

Types Of Toners

There are three types: semi-permanent, permanent, and demi-permanent hair toners.

Permanent Toner

Toners that are permanent can be used to completely cover any hair color. Permanent toners can change the color of your hair without affecting it. Permanent toners are most commonly used because of their lasting effects. Be careful when choosing a permanent toner, as it can alter your hair's natural texture.

Semi-Permanent Toner

If you want the color to last temporarily, semi-permanent canners are available. A semi-permanent color toner will last for about 10-12 washes.

Demi-Permanent Toner

Semi-permanent toners are less effective and last twice as long as semi-permanent ones. All ammonia-based hair toners are semi-permanent. A demi-permanent hair toner can cause damage to the hair shaft structure.

How It Works

Every product you use to treat your hair chemically will cause a chemical reaction. We won't take you back to high school Chemistry. However, understanding how toner works can help you decide whether to tone your hair.

Why you need toner

If your hair changes from a darker color to a lighter shade, you might still have some Brassiness from the previous color. On the scale from darkest to most lightest, hair shades can range between 1-10. A level 10 blonde is platinum, while a level 5 blonde is medium brown and a 1 brunette is black-hued. Ask your stylist about the level of color they used on your hair when you have it highlighted. This will help you decide how strong of a toner to use. Consider how many highlights are you wearing. Do they cover your entire head or are there just a few? Some highlights only require a monthly touch up, while others need to be treated daily or weekly. Tones may be needed for those with naturally warm undertones who want to have cool-toned highlights or neutral ones. Your highlights will not blend well with the natural warmth of your hair. If your hair is dark and not toned, brassy highlights will stick out and make your hair look orange.

How Hair Toner Highlights

Toners for hair are usually purple or blue. However, some salon-grade toners can be made clearer if you have platinum highlights. Toners are purple and blue as they are opposites of orange or yellow on the color wheel. Toner can be applied to highlights to revive the original color. Drab, brassy blondes become ashy and cool-toned. Older, more dreary browns turn into a fresh honey-hued caramel, while platinum turns from yellow to pearly-white. Toner can be applied to highlights to refresh your look for a fraction of the cost of a new dye job. You don't damage your hair as much as intense hair dyes. Tones can change the color of your highlights, but they are not permanent.

Salon-Grade Toners

Toners are used by stylists to enhance, revive, and adjust highlights. These toners are stronger and gentler than traditional hair dyes, but they are still stronger than shampoos. Salon toners won't change the color of your hair at its roots. They neutralize unwanted tones and brassy spots that highlight foils might have missed. Toners can be an added-on so if your highlights don't absorb the toner quickly, you might end up spending more time in the salon.

Shampoos

Toners that are available in the most popular colors are blue and purple shampoos. These products can be found in supermarkets, drugstores, and cosmetic shops. Toning shampoos are convenient, but they can sometimes be too expensive for highlights. Highlights don't cover all of your head so it can be difficult to apply your toning cream to the right place. This could lead to uneven highlights or even no results. This can be fixed by keeping a mirror and a toothbrush in your shower. You can then apply the shampoo directly on your highlights. Not all purple shampoos are the same. Some formulas have pure purple pigments added with water. Others have traditional shampoo feel and lather when they are exposed to water. Highlights with blonde or white highlights work well with pigment-heavy toners.

Toning Products : Masks, Mists, and Other Tones

Hair marks can be a lifesaver if your hair becomes brassy after washing. Toning masks can be stronger than shampoos, and should be applied to your hair for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Masks can also be applied after shampoo. Get out of the shower and apply your mask. Then, get back in the shower when your highlights look perfect. You can also use mists or leave-in products, but they are usually not as effective. A mist will give you the perfect toning of your highlights. Leave-in products can be applied easily and will keep your hair hydrated between washes.

What are the risks of using toner on highlights?

Toner for highlights is not a problem for most people, regardless of the formulation. It is not a good idea to apply a bright purple shampoo or mask every single day. Toners can be gentler than dyes but your highlights may quickly dry out if you continue to use them and expose to toning chemicals. Test it behind your ear before you buy a new product. Allow it to sit for at least a few minutes, and then check for irritation. Do not use it if you feel any irritation or itching. Contact your stylist to get product recommendations.