Hair Color Removers and The Puzzle Surrounding Them

I am kind of known for my various techniques of hair color removal, I have the expensive technique's and I receive many questions about that knowledge.

I get this same question many many times from you, and I think it will be better to just answer it here as opposed to many, many email responses. The question?

Why is it that more Stylists don't use Vanish (hair color remover) when switching hair colors ?

The Quick Answer:: Most Stylists did not go to a Sassoon Academy, there are only 2 in the world. Santa Monica, California & London, in the United Kingdom. Sassoon has these very very high standards that are not matched anywhere. They are very small schools, they limit the people enrolling, they cost a small fortune, their nickname?: the "Harvard" of hair schools, many people have not heard of it, but mostly I have noticed that many stylists just think its going to be fun and games and dress-up when they work in a Salon or Salon world and SASSOON is run like a boot camp and they are British and not very nice, to be perfectly frank. 
So if young people do interview there and they tell you the attendance rule...if you miss more than 6 times --Your OUT-- NO REFUND either ! ! ! Well, that pretty much scares screw-ups off. I almost didn't make it. I hated the regimen and I had never had anyone order me around like that - shit I was born in Santa Monica California the same city I was going to be in to go to this very mean school. It used to be a dump, now Arnold Schwarzenegger owned the entire street we were on .

   Sassoon is the only place that really trains you the proper way. The number one thing they teach you is to take care of the HEALTH OF THE HAIR - - FIRST. Then figure out what you will offer or talk them into. Sound familiar? That's where it was drilled into me and that is why I drill it into you. Its the key to having that hair you've always wanted. If there is one thing I stand for on this BLOG it is the truth. I will not sell you a product just to make a buck if it isn't right for you. I won't give you guidance unless its simple, but never hair color formula's unless I know the history of your hair. THESE SUBJECTS & FACTS ARE SO IMPORTANT.
                                     

The reason hair stylists don't use Vanish is
(in my mind one of these reasons):

• It takes a super long time to do it correctly.  I worked in Malibu & Hollywood - people didn't come to me with $$ problems ( I was lucky).... but I'm based in reality... no one wants to pay a fortune for hair color removal. So most won't pay for what it costs ( and that is because a full service can take 8 hours of 1 day, think about how many people most stylists see in 1 day) if they are doing your hair all day.... well guess who has to pay for all that time? It makes sense and for those of you who have done this at home, I know you all will back me up on this. VANISH is the #1 safest + healthiest and least harmful method for removing old hair color ...too dark hair color....or screwed up hair color  - PERIOD!.................yep even better than the Shampoo Train I came up with to satisfy all those who cannot afford it. The Shampoo Train is not as healthy on your hair - BY FAR than VANISH. 
• You hardly ever need 1 box, you always need more. 1 Box is 2 applications. 2 Applications : done correctly can take minimum 3-4 hours. Most people need 3-4-5 boxes. If you have level 1-5, you will never do it correctly with less than 3 boxes which = 6 applications !I will never forget selling this one lady about 6-7 years ago when I was the only one doing this ..........11 Boxes of Vanish, I shit you not. She had bra-strap length thick fuzzy trashed hair that she had been putting black BOXED color on for 20 years. Her complaint : "I can't tell the difference between my broom and my hair when I touch them."....Boxed hair color is the absolute worst hair color in the world to get out of hair. It also ruins the hair more than any other color on planet earth I would love to see the formula they use to make that crap , because CRAP IT IS!
• They've never heard of it - - Stylists don't take it well When YOU know something THEY DON'T! .........Its almost like Doctors nowadays, we all look everything up on GOOGLE before we go in there and are loaded with correct & incorrect info. we batter them with questions with and they try to run out the door before we have a chance to debate the info. When you tell people you found it on the web - used to be a joke. NOT ANYMORE! Just like doctors, when you tell Stylists you found it on the web - they think AMAZON --& think Bullshit because half their color is counterfeit. But half or maybe a little more of our customers are Certified Stylists, so chances are nowadays - more of your Stylists are not going to be so perplexed by the word Color REMOVER "VANISH" !
• #1 Reason its EXPENSIVE and Time consuming........PERIOD.  But if you do it yourself, you can save a shitload of money and then if that is all you want to do at home, THEN have your hair colored Professional, to start on another healthy hair path!

  DO NOT USE BLEACH TO REMOVE COLOR, BLEACH IS A HAIR LIGHTENER NOT A COLOR REMOVER AND I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS, IF YOUR HAIR HEALTH IS MARGINAL, IT WILL END UP TRASHED.

 BITE THE BULLET - BUY IT FROM US, WE GIVE YOU MY PERSONAL INSTRUCTIONS, DO IT YOURSELF AND BEGIN WITH A DAY OR TWO OF THE SHAMPOO TRAIN. Save that dough and go forth.

( remember on this Blog there is a SEARCH BAR @ the top of the page, just put in there the topic you want to research and the Posts will pop up - its run by GOOGLE and works like a charm!)

Any good - I mean REALLY GOOD Salon is nothing like fun and games. You are solving major problems and your goal is always : Perfection.

Or at least mine is ! 

BURST - Colored Conditioner  + BOOST Color Tinted Shampoo

VANISH - Our Awesome Hair Color Remover & Exactly How To USE:CORRECTLY !

Color Removal is an art ....a Science and a MUST for most you who visit our site. Over 50 % of you come to Killerstrands when you have exhausted all other choices. Somehow

GOOGLE ends up sending all people to us after they have tried all the big advertisers and companies that pump money into their advertising budgets. I understand that, we cannot afford to advertise so we just go on the good graces that eventually GOOGLE will send all of you who are desperate to my Blog and Store.

Over 100 times a week I receive "THANKS" for "finding" our website. I sure wish everyone of you would tell 1 or 2 people per day about us.............so that we could help each other out. Just think if you could help 1 or 2 people prevent having to go through the horrific story you have been through, to finally end up here and to see that my #1 goal is to help you learn how to repair your hair and take control over the color YOURSELF.

IF YOU SPEND THE TIME LEARNING HOW TO APPLY HAIR COLOR IN THE CORRECT METHOD . . . . THEN AND ONLY THEN IF IT IS SCREWED UP AT LEAST IT WAS DONE BY YOUR OWN HANDS, that is what sooooooooooo many of you tell me you would rather have happen. No one cares about your hair LIKE YOU DO< > therefore the reading of the rules and laws of hair coloring 101 will be read by you - (mostly) over and over until you completely understand them. UNLIKE the people who go to a cheap - uncaring - uneducated Hair Academy that spends not one day teaching their students HOW TO FORMULATE HAIR COLOR  ! ! ! !

THEY DON'T CARE  - - - - ->> BUT YOU DO . So read this Blog, read it and keep reading it and if that isn't enough spend the money to get a consultation about your hair color.....because once that is done - -you will have the correct directions on how to color your hair ! ! ! 

Readers Submissions: 

Thank you so much for your blog. I am so depressed about my expensive green (humiliating) highlights. I'm traveling to San Antonio, TX and have a salon I hope can fix them. My question, is it okay if they are Paul Mitchell trained colorists? Is there a big difference between Paul Mitchell and Vidal Sassoon trained? Thanks so much. Posting as anonymous because I don't want to hurt my hairdressers feelings, but when she does three clients at once, this is what happens. The color sat on my hair (not under a dryer) while she styled the other lady's hair. I didn't want her hurrying through the other lady's hair, but the 30 minutes she initially said we would wait for the color to sit came and went two times. :-( ???????????????

--> I have colored my hair for several years, and use Medium Golden Brown (I am totally gray). I also then have my hair highlighted afterwards. I changed beauticians, and the new one was using 20 volume to bleach the highlights. I told her I have always used 40, (I&#39;m not a beautician), and ask her why 20. She told me since I double process my hair that she felt using 20 would be easier on my hair. BUT, I also sat under a dryer for over 1 hr waiting for my hair to lighten. My question is this, if I use 40, and it takes shorter time, isn&#39;t that better on my hair than leaving the 20 volume on for over 1 hr? She fried my bangs, and I&#39;ve never had that problem before. I am using Argon Oil, and will keep it up to get my bangs back in order. Would you please respond back, and let me know? Thank you.....B. ??????????????

--> My mom suggested I dye my hair a light golden brown, BIG MISTAKE. It turned out dark brown with brassy roots. So then a hair dresser told me to dye it a light ash blonde which turned it a medium to light brown with orange/brassy roots. So I went and got a box of L&#39;Oreal 11.21 ultra pearl blonde. Question: Should I apply it to my roots first and if so about how long should I leave it on before doing the rest of my hair or should I do it vise/versa? Thank you in advance????????????

--> Can you please explain this...How do I check with 10 volume that all color has been removed after using the shampoo train and Vanish? VANISH or DE-CAP. Or finally use Vanish or DeCap to remove unwanted color in the fastest/best manner (altho is pricey) this is the number 1 way to remove hair color with ZERO damage to hair ! BE SURE TO CHECK WITH 10Volume - IF ALL COLOR has been REMOVED ???????

--> When using either vanish or Malibu CPR, is ALL of the deposit removed such that a 20 volume developer would be able to provide lift afterward, or would there still be some deposit left which prevents anything other than bleach from being able to provide lift? Basically, I'm aware that color won't lift color and wanted to know if a color remover alleviates that situation????

..............and this just a super small sample of the endless requests for help from poor people who have been led down the wrong road and no matter what these people have not been able to fix, have repaired or solve on their hair color problems - - there is not enough time in a day for me to answer them all.

The reason I am writing this is to tell all of you who write into the Blog and very kindly "ask-for-help" ....again, I just don't have the time to answer them all anymore. But all the answers are ALREADY IN MY BLOG ! ! ! 

So, what I want to do is to nicely encourage you all to take the time to read the Blog. I know it sounds boring and no one reads anymore. But, you are missing out in life by NOT READING. You truly are. I have written an entire -easy-to-relate to............... - EASY-TO UNDERSTAND mini Cosmetology course on the Blog. If you don't want to read it all at once -- read it as the topics come up.

For example: everyone seems to have a question about "how you check to see if all the color is out, AFTER YOU HAVE USED VANISH. " ???

The #1 most asked question this month ( there are more)....! ! ! ! 

If you read the directions it tells you to take the 10 Volume Developer ( that comes in THE KIT, but if you have not bought the kit you MUST purchase or find a 1-4 ounce bottle of 10 Volume developer. So..........
Say you have the Shampoo Train complete.................then you spend a couple hours running your hair through the Vanish Treatment - 2 seperate times. {within one box of VANISH there are 2 APPLICATIONS of Vanish for the hair } . 

It is very important that VANISH be applied in the 2 separate applications, if you want to study how hair color molecules work then you will see and understand 'why'...But the hair needs a break in between both applications in order for the VANISH to work to its utmost potential. 

YES, VANISH is Pricey, BUT.....there is ZERO I can do about that, as it is a miraculous process ..........so most things considered miraculous -- simply -- are not cheap. If you don't want to have to pay for something expensive then don't get your hair into predicaments like this. I don't have any miraculous answer for the price of VANISH.....EVERY time I buy it - to sell to you I give the guy 150 miles of SHIT, because I feel the same way. BUT NO ONE has duplicated this process, so its a ONE-OF-A-KIND product.

Do you know 15 years ago when I was doing VANISH treatments in the Salon the price started .......S-T-A-R-T-E-D.........at $500. ......................but most times it would end up in the $700.-$800.00 Range ....the person sits in the Salon for 8 hours 1 day to remopve the color correctly. That is a lot of time to take from 1 Hair Colorist............and up until I brought this product to the INTERNET, no one in public was able to purchase VANISH.  Its a professional product only.....YOU ARE ALL LOOKING AT IT THE COMPLETE WRONG WAY.
You have the directions from someone who has performed thousands of VANISH Color removals over the years and she has taught you every single trick she knows in how to use it correctly....AND
AND.................has even come up with a little trick called the Shampoo Train which eliminates 1 box of VANISH on many people.



But, still.................many many orders leave here with only purchasing 1 box of VANISH....and I shake my head just thinking, ''what a waste''

If you are going to use it.................

• #1: Search the Blog for "VANISH"  and for "Color Removal" and read every single Post on the subject. BE absolutely sure you have at least a 2 ounce bottle of clear 10 Volume developer to apply to the hair after all your REMOVAL Processes...(just our it on the lengths in the front where you can really see the results. .if the hair darkens................. AT ALL............then you must apply another box of VANISH and the 2 treatments AGAIN. 
• Remember this should not be something you do more than once, so you must get over the price, its a 1 time deal - so who cares. If you cannot afford it, then change your plans - as there is no other way of OLD HAIR COLOR REMOVAL, that does NOT damage the hair at all.

'' 50 Shades Of BACK to Gray '' OR ... How To Return to My Virgin Hair Color (Silver) ?

 Well, this is A common question this week. . . and while I admire every single one of you for wanting to return to your Natural SILVER Roots - it is not as easy as you may think to have a healthy shiny outcome.

A lot has to be put into your plan to return to your silver hair and there is just no simple way to do it. Many of you are asking for short-cuts ...... from me. I think you need to read more of my Blog. I will never-EVER recommend short--cuts in hair color. This whole Blog and store is built on the mistakes of others - WHO ALL TAKE SHORT CUTS - while applying hair color or hair color removal. The Art & application of Hair Color Removal is just as important as Hair Color. If you perform it incorrectly you will damage your hair more than an improper hair color ! So think about that sentence for a couple minutes.

NO.......you cannot just grab hair color you have sitting around the house, because it is convenient. THAT IS HOW YOU END UP NEEDING my E.R.Hair Phone call, which is a new Emergency 5-10 minute phone call with me. Think about the fact that I even have to offer something like that. This is only for emergencies if you feel you cannot get it fixed in your town. Its something I suggest you do before running to a Salon and having them perform a Corrective color procedure (many I hear are incorrect). The reason that is all I hear about is because people with proper color are not looking on the Internet about how to "fix-their-hair color". . . it's already FIXED ! Nothing was ever wrong .... so they are all shopping on Bloomingdale's instead ! ! 
There is no smooth transition on this procedure ...if you were in my chair it would still be challenging.
Why?
If you have Level 1 thru 7 hair color on the hair, that means until the date you decided to turn around and show your silver hair you have been spending a lot of money and/or time on trying to cover it up, so therefore, it will not be easy to remove that color and the very last thing you should use is Bleach. Why? Bleach will alter your virgin hair forever/permanently and in that case the only way out is by GROWING YOUR HAIR OUT& a careful balance of BURST Silver Bullet.

If you have Level 8 thru 12 hair color :
Everyone of you has a different set of statistics...but if you have blonde or bleached hair, you will have to give that up immediately. Bleach removes all color from the hair and Leaves a very big line of demarcation.....even if you have silver hair there is still a very small amount of color in there. The goal is to have grown out EVENLY colored hair. If you want to do that you must work on getting it there using the PROPER techniques and products, your goal should NEVER be: SHORTCUTS.... Because if it is. . . .  you will have something GO Wrong I promise you.
So you will now want to begin using a combo ( like I said) of applying Kenra in 8SM permanently ( unless of course you have found another one to work better as they have 6 SILVER colors now !) and Silver BOOST & BURST.. The thing about BOOST & BURST is, you may shampoo - - towel dry and then apply BURST all over, the very first time only let it process a few minutes, after that you will most like be like others who leave it on 20-30 minutes once a week, then use it once or twice a week while you let it grow out....

VANISH (Color Remover) & Shampoo Train (Google it) are your only plans of attack for those with darker color on.... you want to get all the color out as gently as possible and those 2 methods are your only choice. 
Begin now and don't stop until the color is GONE ! ! !
Once the color is gone you may begin with a combination of KENRA's Silver Metallic color and I have a swatch Test completed which shows you that using 8SM in Permanent and using 10 or 13 Volume gives you the best color by far .... of all of them. That and by using BOOST & BURST in either Silver Brass Bullet ( for those with some brass) OR SILVER BULLET for those with no brass. That is the only way to go from Blonde to SILVER ....safely.  
Everyone also is asking me how to apply BOOST & BURST during this process which the next Post will deal with exactly and in more detail....as this one needed to be first written so stay tuned for that. 

 

As your hair grows out to its natural phase, its going to be completely different hair, you may never get those "special curls" you described again....it all has to to do with the texture change. Bleach blows out the cuticle and makes the texture of hair feel and respond completely different than in its normal state.

Also, Remember every single state that I have heard of has terrible water you will always need to use Chlorine and mineral removing agents....which means : A) a shower filter + 2) Malibu 200 UN DOO GO Shampoo - use at least once a week - when you DO use it....leave it on hair for minimum 4-5 minutes 10 is best,That will remove almost all green. C) Hard Water packets by Malibu 2000 once a week. When water is bad you must do everything possible to remove the never-ending minerals that are in our water ( bad & good). They deposit on the the hair in odd colors, so you must just factor that into your weekly hair color, unless you get your hair water permanently Reverse Osmosis treated you will continue to have the problems which will ALWAYS ALWAYS effect The Color SILVER as well.

How To Get Yourself Out Of A Panic Hair Color Mess

Here is a perfect example of a problem I hear about 20 - 40 times a day.... everyday. This is a true story and I have just changed the name

I just want an example of what you should do  - - so you do not end up with an even worse mess by "covering up" a hair color GONE WRONG.

I think this is 1 point I have never talked about before, but the last thing you should do when you have a mistake on your hands in regards to your hair color, is....DO NOT COVER IT UP WITH ANOTHER HAIR COLOR. That just adds another coat of paint to an already wrong color underneath. Layers of bad color just make things worse. The idea to recovery? 
Bad Hair Color Removal

Question by a Blog reader:

I really need to know of a box color that is the equivalent of ION 8N & 8G. Sally's gave me horrible advice and gave me Wella color charm T18 toner. However instead of a nice blonde I have completely gray hair! I have a ton of coupons for box color because I have so much hair it takes 2 HELP PLEASE

Now here is my answer - to her - to YOU - to EVERYONE.
Please Do NOT PANIC and cover it up, nothing could be worse.....and when I hear people say , can I use "this" color - just because they have it o"ON-HAND"....it just makes me want to cry.
WHY? Because there is a reason you have it just sitting around and that reason is BECAUSE its a BAD HAIR COLOR otherwise you would have used it up by now.  Stop and think about what I have said, because its the truth. 

I have met tens of thousands of people in my hair coloring career and I have learned 1 thing from talking to people who have more money than GOD and people who live paycheck to paycheck.....
EVERY SINGLE PERSON CARES MORE ABOUT THEIR HAIR THAN THEY DO ABOUT their own GROCERIES. If I give them the option of scrimping on their groceries for a couple weeks over having shitty hair color...... they all choose : scrimping on their own groceries for a couple weeks !  
 People choose having beautiful hair color over almost everything....
So, if that is the case, why are you willing to use a $9 box of hair color that will for sure, 
trash your hair beyond belief ? 
I know this because I have spent my career removing boxed hair color.
The very first thing people tell me when box hair color comes out?

" omg my hair feels like "my hair" again...
Thank you sooo MUCH"

 I'm sorry, I do not mean to be harsh but I want you to stop and think before you get in more trouble than you already are....anf if I am nice and kind and don't use some of the words I am using - I feel I will lose your attention....if I haven't already!
but I would never in my life recommend box hair color for anyone........for A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G.  I receive hundreds of complaints about boxed hair color every single day of every single month month of every single year for the past 16 years....


Its why I started a Petition to BAN BOX HAIR COLOR from being sold.
 Most Hair Stylists like the fact that you have to come to them to get your hair color fixed, because Hair Color Correction is the most expensive service on our LIST OF SERVICES !  

But for me. . . . IT BREAKS MY HEART . . . to hear these stories. To listen to so many people so sad and so frantic to find a solution - ANY SOLUTION.... Read the question at the top again . . . see how frantic people become and she is is mild compared to many, It breaks my heart that so many people are so distraught about their hair color being ruined by Sally's or BOXED color I don't know which one is worse. But being as Sally's is a billion dollar company, I'm sure it is going NO-where - so I felt if maybe I brought attention to the fact that boxed hair color is the wrong answer - maybe somebody would listen to me.


 Any color system that has no choice gives the purchaser less than a 30% chance of the color being correct. That is not very high. There is a way to sell hair color to the masses, but people would be required to read a page of directions. . you MUST be able to choose the hair color and the Volume of the developer for YOUR hair situation or you will for sure end up in a giant mess. You have to read directions to put your vacuum cleaner together or even  a piece of furniture from IKEA.......... why can't people be required to read a page of directions before they purchase a hair color system? So they have a 80% chance of the color coming out correctly.????
 
What I am trying to do is help people get OUT of messes.
 Now for what you have right now, covering it up with boxed hair color is not how you get out of that mess. . .

That is what gets people in messes where they end up having to go to the Salon for very expensive "COLOR CORRECTION" procedures, i KNOW ..........I used to do them... Now that I am on this end of the problem I see exactly how people end up in these situations, which many times I did not understand before.

 So, if you could please just take a few breaths and just do some reading here it will get you out of your mess without having to create more of one.
If you really hate the color you have please begin doing a process called the shampoo train. If you put another color on top you have a high percentage of creating an even larger disaster.

In the Salon when someone comes to us with a Color Correction issue, the first thing we do is use a Color REMOVER - which is called VANISH and we sell it in our store if you want to purchase some, one box has 2 applications and no it is not a cheap product but what it is --- is a MIRACLE product. It reverses the way the hair got inside of your hair strands, without bleach + without peroxide + without one thing that damages the hair. It truly is a miracle product. As it shrinks the hair color molecules ..... they go back  OUT OF THE HAIR STRANDS, and go down the drain.
WITH ABSOLUTELY NO DAMAGE INCURRED.
As a matter of fact your hair will feel more like your hair USED to, people tell me all the time.
So I would truly think about making that investment.

Because having trashed hair is the #1 worst thing to have in my book.....and according to all the questions I have asked my clients along the way every single one of you agrees with me!

When its trashed...... everyone can see it, every-single-day of your life. So, before you run out there and create more problems for yourself, please consider my suggestion.
Then while you are waiting for VANISH to ARRIVE AT YOUR DOOR.....

You may begin with the Shampoo Train.Which is a series of repetitive shampooing with the crappiest shampoo you can find. WHY you ask? Because Shampoo with sulfates will not damage your hair, what it will do is REMOVE HAIR COLOR which is why we don't use it to begin with but everyone has one bottle of shitty shampoo under their sink...if not borrow some...

Shampoo with LOTS of shampoo create a giant lather and rub the hair and shampoo between the hands really hard, then put more shampoo on make a gigantic suds ball pile it on top of your head, put a plastic cap - shower cap- or some type of cap and leave it there

overnight even.

While you are waiting for VANISH the Shampoo Train is something I invented when I used to do hair models hair and they had to switch colors all the time but they weren't in the same city as me.....so until they got to me I had them do the shampoo train to loosen the color molecules so when they finallyu got back to LA I found many times I would only need 1 box of VANISH when I normally needed 2. What it did for me was SAVE ME TIME! !
But, what it does for youa? ? ? ? ?  Is SAVE YOU MONEY ! ! !
Some people ( most people need more than 1 box of VANISH) 

 If you have layers of hair color on your hair, you will need at least 2 boxes which is 4 applications. 
The idea?
Is to get the lousy color out, begin reading this BLOG so you can learn HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR HAIR COLOR THE CORRECT METHOD and then never need it again.

Then While you are waiting for your VANISH read every Post about the hair color you are trying to become, my best suggestion once again? Read the Blog from cover to cover.....you get a FREE MINI Cosmetology class and learn how to properly color your hair- which is my MISSION with this BLog and My Store.

Hairway to Heaven : Remove, Renew & Begin Again (Killerstrands method : Remove Old Hair Color)

Removing Old Hair Color, for one of many reasons:

• lighten hair
• have used boxed (yukky) hair color & desire good quality color
• hair is unhealthy & damaged for one of many reasons
• color hair lighter than current color (the one & only way)

At Killerstrands we recommend a 2 step method to remove old hair color we call:
Remove, Renew & Begin Again.
Spring is the Time of the Year When Everyone comes out wanting to start anew with hair color and cut. 

Remember, VANISH & the Shampoo Train are the one & only Hair Color Removers that do not damage the hair ! 





Having noticed a huge increase in VANISH sales of late - -  which always happens in the SPRING/Summer of every year….it seemed a good time to revisit the process and some of the finer points. While I realize many of you may fear the procedure…I am always so happy to see that many of you are ‘going for it’ and are giving it a try. Let me assure you that I do not sell any products in our store that I feel need any type of super-duper special education to properly apply. I just would not and will not  - -  ever do that to any of you… or your hair.

Once I got into writing this BLOG and analyzing some of the procedures we do as professional Hair stylists: I began realizing how so much of what we do is very plain............ simple........... and it runs very close to cooking which is Chemistry as well.  I always compare concocting hair and hair color products to the same as following a Recipe and cooking a meal. cooking. If you follow the proper directions and theories you will have a good outcome or a poor one – how good the outcome is, always depends on -- how well you have followed the recipe or directions. Yes, its true there can be bad recipes --just like there can be bad formulations for hair color....and it takes time and practice in order to become a good Colorist. 

But to become a decent and qualified Crib Colorist is not that hard, you know why? Because all you have to learn is YOUR own hair................. as a General Colorist in a Salon we must learn how to deal with thousands of types of hair and hair color. Along with millions of different problems and hair combinations and disasters.

All that each of you have to do, to have a great little hobby in Hair Coloring, is to learn your own hair and what to do to YOUR hair, not one other person. I have explained in this Blog the entire method we learned at the best hair school in the country, all you have to do is to study what I have written and I have taught it in a simple manner I promise.

Yes, I guess with so many of you having such poor experiences with bad Hair Stylists  you could have some doubts when you first find us…… On April 15 was our 8th year Anniversary this year !  I doubt we would be around that long if I was a poor Stylist or more importantly a poor teacher. I try very hard in listening to as many of your requests as I can and responding in teaching accordingly. So just know that.

 Same with hair, which is why I do encourage you purchase all options with us that include directions. . . If you follow the directions I give in many of these Posts with the hair color you purchase from us, you will have good results. Unfortunately, there is a lot of counterfeit hair color out there and I just cannot endorse any color you don't get from us. I continue to have people complain to me when they decide to try to save a few bucks.  So, remember that first.

I only have 2 complaints, that is one and the other is  the "timing". All directions in every single color line tells you to leave it on 20 minutes………they never suggest a “long enough processing time! Remember....... It should be 65- 85 minutes for blonding and 45-55 minutes for processing time for any color darker.

     I’m very happy that many of you are taking the proper steps to properly color your hair. VANISH is the one and only hair color remover that works without damaging the hair. The manner in which it works  > > still fascinates me. . . as it truly reverses the way in which the hair color goes into your hair in the first place. No bleaches, no peroxide………….it’s a bizarre process to explain but hopefully as you repeatedly read about it will begin to sink in.

We now have 2 separate types of hair color removers.......Vanish And now De-Cap. Why the new one? Vanish does NOT remove Direct Dyes or Crazy Colors but - De-Cap removes it all ! Which makes it a wonderful addition to the hair color removing category especially being as it works on the same principal as VANISH and does NOT damage the hair AT ALL. It too, shrinks the color molecules of all 3 types of hair color and wipes it right out of the air with ZERO damage. I would suggest purchasing the application sponge at least, because you get a lot more coverage with it.

 

 One of our staffers just applied 6 applications of VANISH, which reminded me I forgot to tell her about the 1st Step which would have saved her a whole lot of time, and headache. 

 I was freshly reminded of the persistence one needs to approach hair color removal. Even yesterday I had the clerk at the supply house ask me what did she do wrong when she just applied Vanish and then her hair turn dark again. What I want to be sure to point out to you, is  - - the first part we call the "SHAMPOO TRAIN.

The Hair Color Removal procedure is not a breeze, so I don’t want to mislead anyone. The good part? It’s not complicated, The Bad?  (once you read directions)…….it IS ‘time-consuming’ and pricey. But nothing.............I mean N-O-T-H-I-N-G beats how advantageous this procedure is for the HEALTH of the hair. The Shampoo Train is a necessity to begin with in order to make the Vanish Steps easier and work better. 

The longer you perform each step on my direction sheet the more successful your outcome. Just like anything in LIFE, ‘precisely navigating the steps as long as you are going to take the procedure ‘on’ you might 

as well do the best you can.

I mean not only did we have to apply 6 (common) separate applications – a step I worry many of you may be shorting yourself on – (remember there are 2 applications per box).

 Our staffer – Cassy - - had what is a very common issue I bet many of you are dealing with. She had highlights under her Level 2-3 DARK BROWN hair color… Black .. basically. Now, that type of situation will many times take a minimum of 2 boxes, 3 is more likely and 4 is not out of the question…just FYI. The reason I want you to know is hopefully you will only perform this procedure of hair color removal ONCE in your life.

 Now. . . after this you will have read through the BLOG, learn the 10,000HEADS :14 STEPS and study your color wheel and the Level System. So you will learn clearly how to care for your hair in a new and unique method.



The number 1 mistake most people make in removing their color is: they do not apply enough applications of VANISH. I don’t think in all these years I have ever gotten all the color out in 2 applications… it would be nice if you could…but almost always people are trying to get BOXED hair color out of their hair which is this ‘thicky syrupy gunk’. 

Professional hair color comes out of the the hair much faster/easier than boxed color. Why? because it is not made to color ANY color of hair it is properly formulated for your hair! . Formulating is done by the professional (or you) so the color that was used was the “proper” color for the situation. Boxed hair color is made so it works on any hair without any formulating knowledge necessary. Otherwise why would they be selling it every store in America to A N Y O N E  that wants to purchase it. The color in boxed color kits….uses the E X A C T same coloring process and formula that professional hair color does. There is not one hair color formulation for boxed hair color and another for professional hair color….they are made the same way only 1 has better ingredients (quality).

The difference? You (or your stylist) is taking the answers to the KILLER 14 questions and calculating the proper color to use. When that is done…the color process is done correctly and therefore REVERSING the process works flawlessly. Most people that are looking to remove color here @ Killerstrands, I find, are boxed hair color removal. Which I am very sorry to say is going to be minimum of 4 applications. . . . and upwards of 8 or 10. I had Cassy our staffer, working on the Shampoo Train and using the COLOR PREP and COLOR CORRECTOR packets every couple days (by Malibu 2000) for 5 weeks prior to our 2 days of VANISH applications. . .which completely helped. . .we would have had to do at least 8 apps. if we had not done that…. as it was we did “5” !!   I know - - I know, just keep in mind: this is a one time project….hopefully to never be done again. She had highlights underneath (which btw she neglected to mention until about 1/2 way through) – I was really becoming puzzled by the fact that the procedure was not working very well {after 10 million of these, you truly get a feel for how they should work}.

Malibu 2000Has now come out with a new packet called CPR - or Color Pigment Reducer, so I highliy recommend purchasing a couple packets of this. If you are removing your color once and trying to recolor, that simply will not work, you either to either go ALL IN or forget it. So many people try to take short-cuts, when that simply will not work in hair color. Remember its a science and the rules and laws must be followed in order for the result to come out correctly.

Then I asked her, “ did you have any blond underneath this black? The truth came out about her wanting to get rid of the highlights so she got a box of color from Target and slapped it on, then she did it again and again and again for a year… She will never do that again, and neither should you!ONE BIG TIP HERE: When applying new color ( of any type) you must only color the “NEW GROWTH”……the “ROOTS”………..the “BASE” – coloring over the lengths that have already been colored will do nothing but damage the hair, whether going lighter, the same Level and especially going DARKER…. see this photo . . . the color is applied on the root area and the “lengths” are left out….that way you are not coloring on top of color….it IS NOT NECESSARY, & I promise you is one of the biggest mistakes hair stylists make.



How does hair color get in the hair and stay there >>>??? The molecules of “color’ shrink, then they go in the hair strand through the cuticle…then they EXPAND while in there - - which locks them in there – they can’t leave because they grow and become too large to get out the way they came ‘in’.. Thus, the hair is now the color of those color molecules. VANISH works by reversing that process. VANISH shrinks those molecules that are locked into those hair strands The reason we have a VANISH KIT versus just the VANISH Box?? You need 7 odd little things to complete the application properly plus my personal directions assure you of a perfect application. 




The single most important fact of beginning and ending the VANISHING technique? Making sure the old color is all the way out. With the Kit comes the one trick of a way of checking if all the color is out of the hair or not, that way you will KNOW - - you will have a gauge of when you can stop and be assured that all the color is out.

Now in our little Vanishing escapade… I discovered 2 new wonder-products we recently added to the store I thought I’d point out to you…. (the new Portable Bonnet Cap BLOW dryer system - -  that I was completely impressed with, btw) she had been using it all month long with the COLOR PREP and COLOR CORRECTION packets. What she forgot to tell me was how well it worked. I guess I thought the dryer would blow-up . . . WRONG…. or that it would either be too hot or too cold….WRONG again!. She brought it back and we put it on her ends as we had put pastel colors in her drips for EASTER… OK – YES, it looks goofy, but who cares… it works so well, that just doesn’t matter…..I mean don’t look at yourself.  . . . and the price is sooooooo reasonable. Ours are black, is the only difference. The most goofy looking new tool  - - - and the most EFFECTIVE….LOVE IT!



LOVE IT

The second great discovery is…………really silly but supremely effective and I wished I would’ve had for my entire career. Truly. I’ve already had it posted in the store but getting these posts on here are getting harder and harder for me…I try - - I promise you  - - I try. This little item is an applicator sponge….and as goofy as that sounds…let me explain…….
 

Above is a shot of the little devil . . . One of the problems with VANISH, Malibu 2000 Packets and all those types of products . . . is, the product itself is expensive….even to me VANISH is expensive. So we all want to use every last drop of the product, which is why all Colorists use tube “keys” - - to get every last drop out of the tube. 

Same with VANISH…every little drop of liquid should be used. Over the years I have tried 6 different types of applicators: make-up sponges, kitchen sponges…and most lately I had found these sponge “cloths”… I cut them up and thought that was my final answer to the issue. NOPE! I don’t know why but it must be the density of this particular foam that its absorption and application of the liquid was just awesome. 

You see if you have not used Vanish before: there are 2 bottles inside, Bottle 1 and Bottle 2 - -To look in each bottle you would think you were looking at water. When you get ready to use,  you mix 1/2 the bottle of #1 and 1/2 the bottle of #2 for 1 application. Then tighten both bottles immediately – tight. Use a spoon to mix thoroughly, at this point you would reach for this handy dandy applicator brush. Not even expecting a thing I decided to give this new little contraption a go . . . now our staffer has hair a couple inches past her shoulders – so long-ish. Her hair was completely drenched after applying only 1/2 of the total VANISH liquid..in the bowl….( or 1/4 of the total liquid in 1 box ). That would have never happened using all my other contraptions I had been experimenting with. Plus with VANISH the more you douse the hair with the liquid, the better. 

This little wonder – brush wins my vote for “Tool – of -- the- month”  - - if not the year. But…..this little sponge for some reason holds the right amount of liquid and then disperses every last drop onto the hair strands….why? I have no idea  - - but I was just star struck. Cassy kept making fun of me and my enthusiasm for something so silly. . .
But I love finding a GREAT tool . . .especially at a great price .
That’s probably why Killerstrands has turned into the success it has. . . because I DO care about every little product I bring you . 
Once again - - thank you for your support . 
KillerChemist