For the past few salon visits I have been leaving with a ginger tinge to my hair, why is this?

Hello,

I have naturally light brown hair which I have been colouring blonde for as long as I can remember, always in a salon. The past four or five times I have visited the salon I have left with a ginger tinge to my hair.

This time it happened the hairdresser tried to assure me it wasn’t ginger but my partner tells me the base of my hair is more golden than the rest. I also get highlights and lowlights each time I go, it’s very frustrating that she is telling me there is no ginger when I can clearly see there is.

Why would this be happening and what can I do or should I just change salons?

Thank you,

Anon, Ireland

When dark hair is lifted blonde the natural warm tone that is present in hair is sometimes exposed. This should be neutralised by the type of colour that is applied and that is down to the colourist choosing the correct shade.

The warmth you are seeing could be corrected by using an ash or mauve ash based blonde colour that should be processed for the full development time.

If you feel like you want to chat to someone else other than your own hairdresser who is insisting that there is no ginger/yellow present, that is a good idea as they will see your hair with a new pair of eyes.

John Clark, Head of Colour at Brooks+Brooks, London 

Hi,

There are a number of reasons why this could be happening and I am sure if you talk to your hairdresser you will come to a conclusion, also as we get older our hair can change colour slightly. It could be that over the last few years your hair has started to darken and so now the tint and level of peroxide is not getting to the right level of lift so it’s creating a copper tinge.

My other option would be to ask your hairdresser to stop using the lowlights which are causing the golden/copper colour and to just do highlights instead. However, if it continues to happen maybe you should see a new colourist. At Joseph Koniak we often encourage group consultations to allow for other opinions, it might be an idea to get some of the other team from the salon involved should you want to stay there.

Joseph Koniak, Artistic Director of Joseph Koniak and Eleven Hair, London

Hi there in Ireland,

Definitely change salons, or at least get a second opinion from another good salon. It sounds to me that the colour they use is not left on long enough or the peroxide they are using has lost its strength.

I do hope you get your ginger golden blonde roots sorted soon and are a happy blonde again!

Pierre Alexandre of Pierre Alexandre, Manchester