Salon’s are officially back open, and it must feel great to see your colleagues and familiar clients once again, along with new faces. You were probably expecting to be inundated with overgrown roots – but instead, you’ve been welcomed with clients who have their hair drenched in box dye.
It’s a professional’s worst nightmare to see the client you worked so hard on to achieve the perfect white blonde, come back into the salon with jet black box dye. We also know how hard it can be to manage the expectations clients have in this scenario.
Understanding Box Dye and Your Client
Box Dye has certainly seen a rise in popularity over the last year, with salons being closed due to lockdown.
Box Dye is designed as a blanket product to cover all types of hair. This is problematic because hair types can vary dramatically, which means that it is safe to suggest that if the levels of peroxide in the hair dye are too high – your hair can quite literally break off. In addition to this, box dye wears off much quicker than salon-colored hair, but the damage can be very difficult to reverse.
Although there are many chemicals, a couple to be wary of are Hydrogen peroxide and Resorcinol. Because Box Dye is so concentrated, these two chemicals alone can cause your client’s hair to completely change structure, which can lead to dry, brittle, hair which is prone to breakage. These chemicals can also lead to irritation of the scalp or cause burns if not handled properly.
The Removal Process and What to Consider
Although it may not be fair, clients expect practitioners to have all the answers. Even professionals can sometimes feel clueless on how to approach a situation like this, which is why it is important to be informed about products that can help with the dreaded removal of box dye. Here are some steps we suggest you take when faced with a similar situation:
Step 1
Before you do anything, thoroughly assess the client’s hair, as this will help with determining what appropriate action to take. Box dye hair can vary in damage and some cases will be worse than others. In most cases, what you will be faced with is an uneven distribution of colour and weak, damaged hair. A quick tip on how to assess the damage to the hair in question – hold a strand of the client’s hair between your fingers and lightly pull both ends of the hair. If the strand remains stretched or snaps from being gently pulled, the client likely has insufficient protein left in the hair, along with dryness. Determining the overall impact of the Box Dye will make it easier and clearer when approaching the best course of action to achieve the desired result.
Step 2
Manage your client’s expectations with caution. You are the practitioner, and all of the brilliant work you do for clients allows you to develop a thriving reputation in the industry.
Even the most highly skilled professionals cannot perform miracles if the hair they are working with is extremely damaged. As every case is different, some Box Dye jobs will be reversible with minimal excess damage. Other cases will require time and patience for the hair to heal and grow before restyling. This will depend on your professional opinion. If you believe that the client needs to allow more time before a recolour, it is recommended to communicate this in a consultation prior to the appointment.
Step 3
Use reputable, professional products. There are many on the market, an example being Pulp Riot Blank Canvas. This product is great for practitioners as the color remover is designed to remove anything from semi-permanent to even direct colour dyes without further compromise to your client’s hair.
Pulp Riot Blank Canvas can be a great tool for practitioners when tackling the removal of Box Dye. This is because the product is designed to not cause any further damage. This means that moisture in the hair will be prioritised by preserving and protecting what remains in your client’s hair, along with additional nourishment. Furthermore, the product consistency allows a professional to choose from many different methods of application such as foils, targeted isolated areas, or freehand as the consistency is made up of a creamy texture and completely dripless.
A little welcomed bonus is that this product is also vegan! So, for all the professional practitioners out there who like the products they use to be full of natural, cruelty-free ingredients like argan oil and sorbitol, this is the product for you to use.
Expert opinions
We thought you’d be interested to know what the experts had to say. Here’s what Harriet Stokes (renowned hairdresser and educator) had to say on Pulp Riot:
“Blank Canvas allows me as an artist to have so much more creative freedom when colouring, I’m now able to explore lots of different colours with my clients without having to worry about colours not coming out and staining the hair. Blank Canvas is my go-to product for when I’m dealing with colour corrections and colour changes”
View this post on Instagram
Here’s what Douglas Reid (owner of RANDRHAIRANDBEAUTY) had to say on Blank Canvas:
“As a salon owner, I love blank canvas because it removed colour without any compromise. You can even see the pigment come out right before your eyes! It allowed us to be more confident and creative with colour than ever before”
View this post on Instagram
Shop PULP RIOT BLANK CANVAS at Salons Direct now.
Read more hair advice on the Salons Direct blog…
Why Box Dye is So Bad & How to Deal With it as a Professional | Pulp Riot hair color launches in the UK as Salons Direct! | Top 5 Bright Semi Permanent Hair Dyes for Vivid Colours!
