Hair colour questions
The questions that decide whether a colour is a good idea, and the ones about keeping it once it is done.
Do I need a patch test, and when?
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Yes for new guests, for anyone who has not been coloured in a long while, and for anyone with any reaction history — and it has to be done in advance rather than at the start of the appointment, because it needs time to be meaningful. It is a small piece of colour applied behind the ear or on the inner arm and left for the required period. If you have ever reacted to hair colour or to a temporary tattoo, tell us at the consultation and speak to your doctor before booking.
How well will greys be covered?
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That depends on how much grey there is, how resistant it is, and whether you want it fully covered or softened. Coarse, wiry grey resists pigment and often needs a longer processing time or a pre-treatment, which is why it is applied first. Full opaque coverage gives the most uniform result and shows regrowth most clearly; blending greys into a shade close to your natural depth covers less absolutely but grows out far more gracefully. Which trade-off you prefer is asked before the formulation is chosen.
I have used henna. Can I still have my hair coloured?
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Tell us at the consultation, always, even if it was a long time ago and even if you cannot see it. Henna — particularly the compound varieties with metallic salts — can react unpredictably with professional colour and especially with lightener, and the result can be heat, unexpected tone, or damage. A strand test on hennaed hair is done before anything else, and where the reading is not clean, we will decline the service rather than take the risk.
Can I go blonde from dark hair in one appointment?
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Usually not, and the reason is chemistry rather than time. Lifting dark hair passes through warm underlying tones, and taking it far enough in one session to reach a cool blonde asks more of the hair than it can safely give. What is offered instead is a staged plan — sessions spaced apart with conditioning in between — or a shade that is reachable now and genuinely suits you. If the ends cannot take the lift at all, that is said clearly.
My hair is already bleached and I want to go platinum. Is that possible?
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That depends entirely on what is left in the hair, and it is the one conversation here that regularly runs to twenty minutes. Hair that has already been lightened more than once has spent most of what it had; asking it for platinum on top of that is asking a fibre with no reserve to survive another lift. Rather than argue the point, a wet strand of your own hair is stretched in front of you — hair with something left gives and springs back, and hair without it stretches and stays where it was pulled. Guests who arrived certain have changed their minds watching that, because it is their own hair answering rather than an opinion. Where it fails, what is offered is repair work with a timeline and a shade that is genuinely reachable in the meantime.
Can you fix a home colour that went wrong?
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Frequently yes, and it is treated as correction work rather than as a colour appointment — a different length of booking and a different plan. What is possible depends on what was used, how many times, and what state the hair is in now, so bring the box or a photograph of it if you still have it. Correction is often staged across more than one visit, because the fastest route is usually the one that costs the hair most.
Why does my colour fade so quickly?
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Most often the wash routine: sulphate shampoo, hot water and frequent washing between them account for the majority of lost tone. Porosity is the other factor — hair that has been lightened or chemically smoothed holds pigment less well, so the same colour on the same head fades faster than it used to. Fade speed also varies by tone, with reds and coppers going first. All three are discussed before the shade is chosen so the maintenance plan is realistic.
Colour and a smoothing treatment — which comes first?
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Generally colour first, then a gap, then the smoothing treatment, because a sealing or smoothing process can shift a freshly deposited tone slightly and it is easier to account for that than to colour hair that has just been sealed. The exact order and gap depend on which smoothing service it is and on your hair's condition, which is why they are planned together as one sequence at the consultation rather than booked as two separate appointments.
How often will I need to come back?
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Root work is decided by your growth rate and by how much contrast there is between your natural colour and the shade — a deep colour close to your own may go a long while before it reads as regrowth, while a strong lift shows within weeks. Toning tends to be needed on a different, usually shorter, cycle. Both intervals are given to you as ranges at the appointment, and the honest way to book is by looking at the hair rather than by the date.
