Since salons across Canada reopened after the latest lockdowns, experts say that there have been a variety of key industry insights to focus on and learn from. Among them: The fact that the colouring world is much different than it was pre-pandemic. “Almost everyone has some sort of colour correction now,” says Reema Jaber, owner of Hair by Reema in Mississauga, Ont., and member of Schwarzkopf Professional’s #SKPCANSquad. “Their appointment is longer and we have to charge more now because things have gotten more expensive. We’re also more educated after all the training we did during the lockdown. Clients understand that this is our business; it’s how we make our income.” We spoke with colourists across the country to find out how they’re maximizing their colour corrections and services, and asked them for their takes on the latest trends emerging from the pandemic.
Setting The Tone
Some colourists may dread the idea of colour corrections due to the extra time, effort and commitment they require, but the experience doesn’t have to be difficult. “Colour corrections are so fun! I’ve seen some crazy things throughout the pandemic, including people using box dye and doing their own bleach- and-tones. It’s a challenge to fix, but I love a challenge,” says Jaber. “What makes it difficult is when someone has very damaged hair—that’s the scariest thing to work with when it comes to colour corrections. Otherwise, everything else is pretty fixable.” “I find that it’s more of a schedule problem than a work problem,” says Nadia Abouwaked, a hairstylist and colourist at Effusion Artiste Coiffeur in Montreal, and ambassador for L’Oréal Professionnel. “A colour correction takes time to do properly, which means the client has to wait a long time, or you have to do it in two appointments.” To help manage your clients’ expectations, it’s important to be clear about the details during the consultation.
“Underpromise and overquote,” says Telesa Brown, a Calgary-based colour specialist and educator for Joico. “As a stylist, we sometimes forget that our clients don’t understand the process, so it’s important to explain what to expect. If you can lift the hair better or lighter than you originally said, you’ll look like a hero. But even if you don’t, at least it’s what they were expecting.”
PRO TIP
WHEN PRICING COLOUR CORRECTIONS, ABOUWAKED SAYS A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS TO NOT ONLY BASE IT ON THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES, BUT ALSO THE AMOUNT OF HAIR THE CLIENT HAS, AND THE AMOUNT OF PRODUCT USED.
Doing Your Part
In addition to the consultation, making time to do a strand test can help you assess the hair’s porosity to see how it will react and determine your timing, which can be helpful for all colourists—no matter how much experience you have. Strand tests are also critical for clients with multiple colours in their hair that’s resulted in banding. Jaber suggests using a “low and slow” approach and adjusting as you work. “Start with 20-volume,” she says. “You’ll definitely need to reapply, but you have to give it time. Sometimes on the regrowth you’ll have to use 7-volume and 15-volume on the ends—or 30-volume if they have years of buildup.”
Trend Forecast
While some major colour trends emerged from last year’s lockdown, things have already begun to shift. “People are moving away from money pieces,” says Jaber. “Now there’s less of a face-frame and more darkness on top. They want something more subtle in the front.” “We’re doing more contouring around the face and babylights for a sun-kissed effect,” adds Abouwaked. “Or a half-balayage—they just do the front and a bit at the top every three months.” “It’s an interesting time to do hair because anything goes,” says Brown. “I’m finding that more colour blocks are starting to come back—bold colour and highlights right to the scalp with blonde services every six to eight weeks, which is great because it means more work for us.”
PRO TIP
FOR CLIENTS WITH BANDING, JABER SUGGESTS USING COTTON TO SEPARATE THE SECTIONS TO PREVENT LIGHTENER FROM BLEEDING ON THE REST OF THE HAIR
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Tips for elevating your take-home product game.
Seizing the Opportunity
“I feel like more people have wanted to take care of themselves during the pandemic because they had more time for things like hair masks and treatments. Many clients who’ve never purchased products in the salon are more open to trying professional products since they weren’t spending money on services during the lockdowns. For us, it starts with the consultation. They don’t want to come in to do their hair and not be able to keep up with it; it’s an investment. Also, at the end of the service is a good time because by the time you’re done with the service, they love their hair, are happy and they trust you.” — Reema Jaber, owner of Hair by Reema, Mississauga, Ont.
Sharing is Caring
“I find that clients with long hair often don’t realize that their hair can be eight years old or more. That’s years of them brushing it and applying heat, so if they don’t take care of it, it’s not going to be magically healthy. You need to help them be engaged with taking care of their hair. For a colour correction, clients need to be aware of all the products they need to buy to rebuild the hydration and keep their hair strong and healthy.” — Nadia Abouwaked, hairstylist and colourist at Effusion Artiste Coiffeur, Montreal
“WITH SO MUCH ONLINE EDUCATION AVAILABLE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT PEOPLE LEARNING FORMULAS BUT IT’S ALSO ABOUT UNDERSTANDING PLACEMENT AND HOW IT WILL GIVE YOUR CLIENT THE DIMENSION THEY WANT.”
— TELESA BROWN, COLOUR SPECIALIST AND JOICO EDUCATOR, CALGARY
Joico Defy Damage ProSeries 1 and 2
This bond-building duo is used before and during colour and lightening services to repair and protect hair.
L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox
This three-step, in-salon system transforms colour services by removing metal particles from hair for more consistent colour results and less breakage.
Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe
This revamped care and colour line offers versatile options for all types of blondes and features 3D Bond Creation Technology to strengthen hair from the inside out.
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