Fixing bad highlights on brown hair often involves neutralizing unwanted tones like brassiness or uneven color. A common and effective way to correct brassy (orange) highlights is by using a color-depositing product.
Addressing Brassiness in Brown Highlights
One of the most frequent complaints about highlights on brown hair is the emergence of warm, orange, or reddish tones, often referred to as brassiness. This happens when the underlying warm pigments in the hair are exposed during the lightening process.
According to one method, you can try replacing your conditioner with a cool-toned shade of Color Therapy, a color-depositing hair mask, to add cool tones and balance out brassiness.
Here's how this approach works:
- Identify the Unwanted Tone: For dark brown hair with highlights that have turned orange, you need a product designed to neutralize orange.
- Choose the Right Shade: The reference suggests you try the Caffé shade to neutralize orange tones in dark brown hair. Color-depositing masks come in various shades; cool tones like ash brown or specifically formulated 'anti-orange' or 'anti-brass' shades are key for brown hair.
- Replace Your Conditioner: Use the color-depositing mask in place of your regular conditioner during your shower routine.
- Apply and Process: Follow the product instructions for application and processing time. The mask deposits cool pigments onto the hair strands, counteracting the unwanted warm (orange) tones.
- Rinse: Rinse thoroughly once the processing time is complete.
This method is a temporary fix that helps maintain cooler tones and combat brassiness between salon visits.
Why This Works
Color theory is applied here: colors opposite each other on the color wheel cancel each other out. For orange, the opposite color is blue. Cool-toned masks designed for brown hair often contain blue or ash pigments to neutralize orange tones.
- Orange Tones (Brassiness) are neutralized by Blue/Ash Tones.
Other Ways to Potentially Fix Bad Highlights
While using a color-depositing mask is a great at-home option for brassiness, other issues or more severe corrections might require different solutions:
- Toning Gloss/Glaze: A salon service or at-home product that adds a sheer layer of color to adjust the tone. This can help correct overly ash or brassy highlights.
- Color Correction at a Salon: For uneven highlights, highlights that are too light, or severe brassiness, a professional colorist can assess the damage and apply corrective measures like lowlights, re-toning, or blending techniques.
- Adding Lowlights: If the highlights are too bright or stripey, adding darker strands (lowlights) that match your base color can create dimension and soften the overall look.
Remember that chemical processes can impact hair health. It's wise to consult with a professional stylist, especially for significant corrections.
