Toner is great if you want to enhance the color of your hair or eliminate brassy tones. But can you tone your hair twice? This article will answer the question and arm you with other useful tips and advice.
To avoid putting your hair color in danger, you should avoid using toner twice on the same day, or even the same month. Applying a toner to your hair twice in a short time frame can lead to damaging the hair.
Can You Tone Your Hair Twice?
You may have dyed your hair and the color hasn’t come out quite right. So, you reach for the toner. This can tweak your color by balancing out the tones.
Or perhaps you have dyed your hair a cool shade of blonde but after a few weeks the color changes and it becomes yellow.
Again, toner can be your friend. It will combat the yellow tones. It can even soften your hair and reduce the appearance of split ends.
Celebrity hair colorist, George Papanikolas, makes the comparison to pantyhose, ‘It’s a sheer, translucent color that helps balance out and neutralize unwanted tones, or helps enhance the desired tone.’
However, if, after applying toner, your hair still isn’t the desired color, you will have to wait before applying a second toner.
What Is the Ideal Amount of Time to Wait Before Toning Your Hair Again?
If you already applied toner and the results aren’t what you hoped for, you need to wait for at least four weeks or one month before toning again.
If your hair is damaged and vulnerable, it will need a longer period to recover before you tone it again. This will take about 7 to 8 weeks.
Another option to consider is using purple or blue toning shampoos and conditioners as part of your hair care routine.
These products refresh your color and tone down brassiness. However, they should only be used a maximum of twice a week.
Also Read: How To Wash Toner Out Of Hair (6 Easy Ways)
What Happens If You Tone Your Hair Twice In One Day?
Dying your hair and then applying a toner means your hair is saturated with chemicals.
To add a second toner means saturating your already processed hair with more chemicals. This can result in fragile weak hair which is susceptible to breakage.
Your scalp can also become irritated from the cocktail of chemicals, leading to itching, discomfort, and in some cases, more severe allergic reactions.
How To Tone Hair at Home
Toners are known for enriching and enhancing our hair color.
Over time, hair color oxidises which means you are no longer left with the beautiful color you left the salon with.
Blondes can turn a brassy, yellow tone, while red or orange tones can develop on brunette hair. Using a well-chosen toner can help neutralize unwanted tones, bringing back a color you can revel in.
Before taking matters into your own hands, you should consult your colorist.
They may be able to provide product suggestions and also talk you through the process so you can avoid any negative interference with your dye job.
Make sure you do a strand test. Bear in mind that the color result will depend on the porosity of your hair.
If you’ve got very fine hair or experience hair fall, you should be extra cautious about the process as the chemicals may be too harsh for your strands. If in doubt, consult a haircare professional.
Salon Level Toner
You will need:
- Toner
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Towel
- Gloves
- Brush (suitable for toner application)
Instructions:
- Shampoo your hair.
- Gently, towel dry your hair and out on the gloves.
- Mix the toner with the develop it came with in a 1:2 ratio.
- Use a brush to apply the toner, focusing on the areas you want to correct.
- Leave the toner to work for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse out with a moisturising shampoo.
- Next, use a nourishing conditioner to replenish lost moisture.
Alternatively, you could choose an at-home shampoo and conditioner or mask which has toner incorporated within the formula.
This helps prolong color and will refresh your hair each time you wash it.
For these products, it’s a matter of rubbing the product on the parts you are most unhappy with first and then working it through the rest of the hair.
How to Prepare Your Hair for The Second Toning Process
The successful application of toner second time round depends on evening out the layers of porosity of the hair.
If this isn’t leveled out, the toner won’t be absorbed evenly, and pieces of hair can come out in different colors.
The secret to doing this is a deep conditioning treatment using a coconut oil hair mask. It is recommended that you do this every other day between the first and second toner treatments.
You will need:
- Organic coconut oil
- Saucepan and hob
- Shower cap
Instructions:
- Put a dollop of coconut oil in the pan and gently warm it until it becomes a liquid consistency.
- Distribute this through the hair uniformly, from roots to ends.
- When your hair has been covered with oil, pop on a shower cap and leave for an hour.
- After an hour rinse your hair and leave to dry naturally.
The night before toner application, it is advised to do a deep moisturizing treatment, leaving the coconut oil on your hair all night.
The next morning, you will be ready to rinse your hair and apply the toner. It is also recommended that you use sulfate-free shampoo during these interim days.
Also Read: 10 Best Blue Toners For Orange Hair in 2021
8 Things to Bear in Mind Before You Tone Your Hair at Home
There are a few pointers to keep in mind before you proceed with toning your hair at home.
Choose Carefully
Most toners you’ll find at the drugstore are specifically formulated for blonde hair.
If your hair is lighter, this can work fine for you.
But if you have darker hair, it is a good idea to seek advice and recommendations from your colorist before undertaking the treatment.
Avoid Ruining Your Overall Color
If you go away from your ‘hair color family’ you run the risk of ruining your overall color.
If you need extensive color correction, a toner may not be enough to help with this issue. A toner is less powerful and less pigmented than products used at a salon.
If you are inexperienced in the application of toners or unfamiliar with the color wheel, it might be worth going to a professional.
Toners Add Shine
Toners are great for adding shine to hair. They usually come in a gloss or gel-like formula and are great for injecting a little gloss into your locks.
Toners Cannot Lighten Your Color
You need to remember that toners are not bleach which removes pigment from your hair so the dye can be deposited.
This means it is best not to rely on toners and glosses when your hair color is fading.
There is a vast difference between coloring your hair and tweaking the tone to a cooler or warmer hue. For the toner to take effect, your hair must have been dyed or lightened previously.
Overly Drying
When a colorist applies your toner at the salon, the toner has been customized to meet the needs of your hair. However, toners found at the drugstore can lead to hair that is dry and brittle, especially if you choose the wrong one.
Moreover, it can be easy to overuse toning drops which are frequently mixed with hair products.
Toning Shampoos
Toning shampoos are different from toners but they work in a similar way.
Opting for blue or purple shampoos when you are aiming to neutralize brassiness can be effective, and also less damaging than a toner used at a salon.
These shampoos and conditioners can adjust the tone of your hair and the effect can last as long as a month.
Timing
Generally, a toner should not be left in for longer than the 20-minute mark. If you are keen to check on how your shade is progressing, wash a small section of your hair to check.
You could do this in increments of 5 minutes, but not exceeding 20 minutes.
Professional Help
At-home toners may have come a long way, but if you aren’t sure how to use them effectively, you could do more harm than good.
If you’re a novice and need to extensively correct your color then it might be best to seek the help of a professional.
A colorist knows best and can get the exact shade you desire-or very close.
So, there you have it: you can tone your hair twice. But not on the same day, and preferably not even within the month.
By following our advice on timings and hair preparation prior to toning, you should end up with healthy hair the color and shade you want.
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