I want my clients to know what a toner is. Sometimes I get asked: “Will I need a toner?” I have also heard: “Does a toner cost extra?” The later leaves me feeling like the client may think I am going to try to “upsell” her or “supersize” her colour appointment. If after reading this, you are comfortable enough engaging about whether you require a toner during a hair colouring consultation I have achieved my goal!
I like to think of toner like a liquid make up or a mineral powder foundation you may use to cover your face. Think about why you would wear a cover up liquid or powder….
You either want to:
A.: Cover up/ Neutralize what you do not want to see. It may be to neutralize unwanted red, orange, or yellow.
B.: To enhance what you would like to see. After lightening darker hair, you may want to add some gold or red to it to emulate being kissed by the sun or to add some dramatic reds or vivid to the look.
Typically, after either a full bleach out or a classic/modern day highlight/balayage/ombre; your hair is made several levels lighter than it is naturally. In this process your hair is left with an underlying tone you may not like such as “brassy orange” or “yellow”. In this case, we would use a toner mentioned in A. To Cover up/ Neutralize what you do not want to see.
You may have dark or black hair to start and wish to B. Enhance or add a lighter very warm, chocolate brown or a red tone to the look; typically, the modern balayage or ombre style.
Maybe even a colour melt where the hair is first made a little lighter to be toned at the scalp dark, painted down to the middle of the hair with a medium, ending with the lightest toner on the ends. Hair must be “Pre-lightened” to use a colour that is a few shades lighter than it currently is.
The desired result will determine whether one will require a toner. When the natural or previously dyed hair is lightened, a toner will balance it out to create a more even or flowing colour. It will have a “seamless” appearance to the highlight for the one who does not want to see any lines or stripes in the highlight (especially on the sides), but mostly for eliminating the warm tones after lifting hair to a lighter colour. Note that ALL drugstore colours basically require a toner. You simply cannot colour your own hair in between a Professional and expect it to fall right back into excellence. *sorry
Do not mistake a toner your Professional Hair colourist will do at the salon for any services you may do yourself at home. The Professional Hair colourist has many years experience and hours of education to support that experience. We understand the Colour Wheel, the Underlying Pigments and what to do with them, and we understand all fundamentals of the hair structure and what happens both physically and chemically with the hair during the process and after, ensuring that one leaves with the products to maintain their colour with at home.
We all feel great after a little change. Perhaps the next time you feel like having your hair bleached out or highlighted you take into consideration a new tone to it. Perhaps you are currently an icy or cool blonde…try some gold or lovely rose gold to bring some warmth to the hair. If you are already a warm or golden blonde, why not try some cool shades of blonde, think platinum or silvery and see what happens. Either way, I sincerely hope that this gives you some insight into what a toner is.
