10 Hair Coloring Mistakes to Avoid

Whether you’re coloring your hair at home or visiting a salon, avoiding these common mistakes can help you achieve long-lasting, healthy, and vibrant color.

1. Choosing the Wrong Shade for Your Skin Tone

Many people select a hair color based on a picture rather than considering their skin undertone.

✅ Cool undertones: Work best with ash blondes, cool browns, and icy tones.

✅ Warm undertones: Suit golden blondes, warm reds, and rich chocolate browns.

✅ Neutral undertones: Can wear both warm and cool shades.

2. Skipping a Strand Test

This will depend if your testing for allergies or testing for hair integrity.

✅ Always do a strand test to check how the color develops and ensure you like the result.

3. Overlapping Color on Previously Colored Hair

Applying permanent dye over previously colored hair each time can lead to over-processing, damage, and uneven color to dark .

✅ Touch up only the roots and use a gloss or toner to refresh faded ends instead of full reapplication not knowing what developer to use.

4. Ignoring Hair Porosity

Porous hair absorbs color quickly, leading to darker or uneven results.

✅ Use keratin conditioning treatments before coloring to restore porosity.

✅ Opt for a colorist who understands hair chemistry to adjust processing times accordingly.

5. Using the Wrong Developer Strength

Developers come in different volumes (10, 20, 30, 40), and using the wrong one can cause ineffective color results or damage.

✅ 10 Vol: Deposit-only, best for toning or slight darkening.

✅ 20 Vol: Standard for gray coverage and subtle lifts.

✅ 30 Vol: For lifting hair 2-3 levels the higher the volume the more damage

✅ 40 Vol: High lift (can be very damaging if not used properly).

6. Not Using a proper Toner

Skipping toner after lightening hair can lead to brassy, yellow, or orange tones.

✅ Always tone blonde or highlighted hair to achieve the right shade (ash, beige, platinum, etc.).

7. Leaving Hair Color On for Too Long or Too Short

Washing out color too soon results in uneven results, while leaving it on too long can cause damage and overly dark color.

✅ Follow the processing time on the product and adjust based on hair thickness and condition.

8. Coloring Hair That’s Too Dirty always remove salts and apply on Clean hair.

Hair that is too dirty will prevent good color results

✅ For best results, wash hair before coloring hair.

9. Overlooking Aftercare Products

Using sulfate-based shampoos and treatments

✅ Use sulfate-free, color-safe shampoos.

✅ Avoid excessive heat styling or use a heat protectant.

10. DIY Color Corrections Without Professional Help

Trying to fix color mistakes at home—like going from dark to light too quickly—can lead to severe damage and unwanted tones.

✅ Always consult a professional for major color corrections.

Hair colorist Martin Rodriguez with over 40 years experience

https://Martinrodriguez.com

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