Welcome A New Member of Our Team and a New Writer - Who Will Join In the EDUCATION Process As well ! Yahooeyy! !

KC here 
I have 2 things to announce today........... 
1 you will love, the other I'm not sure about !
I have hired a fellow Crib Colorist to help me with social media/education Posts for Blog, she has been a long time Crib Colorist and is quite enthusiastic about the job, as am I - with her. 

I need some help and she sounds perfect, here is what she has written to introduce herself and she has a lot of great ideas, for both Blog & Store.  Plus she is a writer and she actually studied & basically consumed the Blog and is very smart about Color Theory, all from reading the Blog only ........... if she can can learn an entire Cosmetology course from our Blog - so can you ! 

She solved all of her hair problems and was a Level 2-3 and you should see her beautiful blonde (brass-free) hair. It is truly beautiful....truly I don't even believe what she has accomplished ( I will make her Post some photos - so you can see what she has done and you can see with a little reading and old fashioned studying...........you can have the most beautiful hair of your life. SHE DOES! 
I think its going to help having her viewpoint for some of you, as soon as she gets settled I will have her respond to her own Posts to you. But we had to go to war with Facebook as I joined when they were brand new and I couldn't get her on it(I feel so old sometimes in this whole e.commerce world!) But, we won that war and she will be tied directly to you as of now via both Facebook and especially Pinterest.

Her hair is amazing for how dark she is.....naturally....simply amazing.

Take it away CG. . . .

Let me introduce myself

I am a long time Crib Colorist, I cannot reveal my age… but I am definitely on the wrong side of 30. I have four awesome children, the youngest is going to kindergarten and the oldest is college bound, the other two are somewhere in between…so yeah, I’m not really a planner. Anyway, I found KC about three years ago after a box color disaster that resulted in a neon orange halo around my head.  At that time, I did not realize that you could not use color to lighten color… I know, I know, but this is truly a difficult concept for most people to understand and I learned it the hard way.  Since I’m always so busy with my family and life in general, I’ve never had the time to sit in a salon and pay hundreds of dollars for something that I didn’t ask for.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve asked for Mariah Carey and have gotten Carrot Top.

              

I was ecstatic when I discovered Killerstrands blog and store and learned that I could control what happened to my hair with actual professional hair products…. I mean, it’s my hair and I want what I want.

Finally, there is someone out there that wants to help us!!! I’ve made mistakes along the way, so I suggest that you read and read carefully. If you are new to this wonderful website and store, welcome, and please know that good hair and patience are one in the same.

I’ll see you around!

Crib Colorist

CG

She wrote a wonderful little Post on going Blonde and  being as it IS #ATOMICBLONDE week ..... I may as well Post it Now.. . . . it reveals the pitfalls in getting to (brass-free)  blonde and I can tell from what she wrote she made a few mistakes in getting there ! 
I think many of you will appreciate and relate to it. . . .

 

Going Blonde?

Here are some Tips for the Crib Colorist… from a Crib Colorist

1.       If you have damage….STOP!!!

If you have next level damage, using a lightener or bleach will just #highlight the damage and your hair will end up like straw when dry and gummy when wet.

2.       Choose the Lightener or Bleach for your level of experience

I find that cream lighteners like Killerstrands very own Creamy Oil Bleach Kit, give you a little bit more working time because they do not dry out as quickly and are gentler. Remember, once the bleach is dry…it is no longer working, meaning all it is doing is drying out the hair which leads to damage. Whatever you do, please do not buy drugstore lightener, lightener from Sally’s or shopping sites like Amazon because you will almost always pay for it later.

3.       Make sure that you have everything you need at hand

Nothing ruins your day like finding out that you do not have everything you need to go blonde. Order weeks in advance and don’t forget your toner!

4.       Do not use cheap brushes!!!

Invest in good quality brushes. Low quality brushes will pull and snag your hair…remember, you want to be as gentle as possible when doing any kind of process to your hair.

5.       Do not bleach squeaky clean hair.

Wait at least for third day hair…longer if possible, letting those natural oils build up to protect you hair, especially if you plan on using lightener or bleach on or near the scalp.

6.       Know what is in your water

Depending on where you live, you may want to consider investing in a shower filter. Minerals metallics, chlorine and even some medications can cause a chemical reaction with the lightener, which can sometimes cause the hair to smoke or even melt.

7.       Don’t be Basic!

#atomicblonde

CG

Its BAD ASS Bitches Week :Celebrate Opening of "ATOMIC BLONDE" :15% OFF - All Lighteners & Bleaches - 1 Week !

Welcome to BAD ASS BITCHES WEEK

 to Celebrate the First Female Bad Ass 

In a major Feature Film

 Say Hello to Charlize Theron as the

ATOMIC BLONDE

in celebration of this achievement Killerstrands will have a 1 week Sale on All products under our

Lighteners Collection = 15%OFF

from 7/28 - 8/4 . . . 

Use Killerstrands own 

Creamy Oil bleach Kit : which is tinted Violet/Blue to help fight brass

you too can be a BAD ASS BITCH !

All Instructions are here on this Blog 

just put 3 terms in Search bar:

• Blonde hair
• bleach & tone 
• Platinum Demo 

PLUS w/ Every Order placed for this week You Will

 receive 1 FREE Product:
 Please choose 1 out of the 3 selections:

1. Wrap Cap (love these for deep conditioner or oil treatments) 
2. Tester Size of one of our Own Products - THRIVEN, Gleam, INTENSIVE, thriven-lite
3. Shower Cap 

Please Add what you would like to "notes" section as you check out !

Support the movie if you can 

women should be celebrated as BAD ASSES as well ! 

I have a new girl starting to help with the massive job of trying to keep everyone motivated and educated on the proper way to color and care for hair. . . . 

 her name is Courtney 

. . . . . she is a well educated Crib Colorist and will be contributing writing new Posts here on the Blog, moderating on all of our Social Media hubs as well - which I am very excited about

Be the Baddest Bitch You Can Be ! 

KC

What happens When Hair Is Bleached ? ?

CHEMISTRY AND THE EFFECTS OF BLEACHING THE HAIR
Lets review what happens when bleaching the hair.

Everyone talks about it, but no one really understands what happens both chemically and aesthetically 
Bleach must go through the OXIDATION process in order for the hair strands on top of the head to have the color be removed from them.
By REMOVING the hair color that is in the hair strands it removes the "virgin color" and leaves a color that has become what we all know as the word "BLONDE".
That is why many times, I try to say that the color Blonde...is really not a color that we deposit onto the strands of hair..........we do NOT put BLONDE......."IN"......... in the strands, 
what happens chemically and aesthetically is :
Blonde is what is remaining............
once we remove the virgin hair color you were born with.

Oxidation in the de-colorizing process means the hydrogen peroxide is mixed with an alkaline product such as bleach. 
Once activated, the de-colorizing mixture changes melanosome structure and lightens the color of the hair. It does this by breaking the melanin into tiny fragments which are no longer able to absorb light to the same degree as before. The melanin does not immediately lose its color when oxidized. The hair goes through relatively predictable color changes as the pigment disperses and lightens the hair to a new level.
( these stages are Brown-----brown/Red-----Red-----Red/Orange------orange----orange-------yellow-----Gold----Yellow------Brass------Pale Yellow)
  The following table lists each level of hair color with its corresponding undertone, as well as shades that are achievable at each level.

Chemistry and Effect of Bleaching the Hair
 
Undertone
Level  Achievable Shades

Pale Yellow 
10 
platinum blonde silver ash blonde ultra pale pastel blonde

Yellow
 9
strawberry blonde beige blonde tan blonde taupe blonde

Yellow/Orange
8 
honey blonde light copper blonde dark strawberry blonde dark beige blonde

Orange/YellowOrange
7/6
copper redfire red dark blonde

Red/OrangeRed
5 /4
mahogany burgundy

There are no established times for de-colorizing the hair to any given level. 
 Processing time always varies, depending on:

• strength of the decolorizing mixture, 
• use of heat
• texture
• condition
• porosity
• type and 
• density of natural pigmentation. 

The best way to determine processing time is to perform a strand test and to follow manufacturer's directions.
TYPES OF DE-COLORIZER

There are three general classifications of de-colorizers used in the salon: oil, creme, and powder. Each performs a specific function, and has unique characteristics.

OIL DE-COLORIZER

These are frequently used for on-scalp applications when a mild lightening action is desired. Oil de-colorizers are part of a 3-component system including powder activator(s) and hydrogen peroxide developer. Oil de-colorizers have a pH of approximately 10.

CREME DE-COLORIZER
De-colorizers also include developers and may also include powder activator(s). They are formulated to stay moist during processing in a no-drip consistency. They are popular for their versatile application techniques and are used in both on and off-scalp methods.

POWDER DE-COLORIZER
 Powder de-colorizer are often selected when lighter blonde results are desired on darker natural hair colors. Most powder de-colorizer are for off-scalp techniques, although some do provide the flexibility for on-scalp applications. The pH of powder de-colorizer is approximately 10.5.

There are two basic classifications:
1. On-scalp: Used on-scalp for double processing and off-scalp in highlighting and creative color techniques.
2. Off-scalp: This type of bleach is usually stronger and faster-acting than on-scalp bleaches due to the higher pH and stronger peroxide activity. 

Off-scalp is considered highlights, Balayage, etc.. type, techniques.

Please check-out our Violet/Blue based Oil-Bleach Kit in the store..... it is a one-of a kind. There is NO Violet/blue tinted Oil Bleach in the world, ONLY at Killerstrands and I developed this to fight the brass I hear so many of you complain about and I am prideful that it is my single most unique and effective product out of the 10 products I have developed.

Soon we will have a 'Salon Version' of the Oil Bleach Kit it should be ready for photos and on the website in about 1-2 weeks so pay attention !

Reachin for Bleachin' - Why Is My Hair Yellow & Not Beige-Blonde ??

How light is "white"
when bleaching the hair the only answer is "WHITE"like you see in this photo - everyone can achieve this.You MUST use an oil bleach to protect the hair from damage though!

Lighteners / Decolorizing

Lighteners are the chemical compounds that lighten hair by decolorizing the natural hair pigment. I try to explain hair color education in as many ways as I can possibly think of to help everyone understand the theory behind it.

 I like you to understand so it helps you learn how to get yourself out of problem situations. I listen to how distraught everyone is and it really breaks my heart, so the more I teach the more I want you to do your part and READ ! ! 

In order for me to explain what "blonde hair" IS.... I need you to think of hair strands as tubes..... Picture color in tubes, and lets just say the tubes are hair strands.....those hair strands (or tubes are filled up with hair color or pigment that IS your hair naturally, or if its  colored then you have put in there by applying some of your old hair color applications....

 Make sense so far?

Then here comes the Tint brush with the lightener and developer mixed with it to be applied to those tubes....or hair strands.....as soon as the lightener formula (powder or liquid) is mixed with the hydrogen peroxide, it begins to release oxygen. This process is known as oxidation, they call permanent hair color of ANY type ....OXIDATIVE hair coloring.....because of that process that takes place at just that moment.... and it is permanent.......because it occurs within the cortex of the hair shaft.

Hair lighteners are used to create a very light blonde shade that is not achievable with permanent hair color and it is referred to as Bleach. Bleach means lighten if you look the word up up in the dictionary....it does not mean all the terrible things everyone has conjured up in your minds. The one and only reason you have terrible things conjured up is beCAUSE some damn hairstylist has applied bleach and then done what you are not supposed to do she OVERLAPS it the next time she gives you a re-touch..... 

...........and having lightened hair means you are NOT supposed to lighten it on top of the already lightened part AGAIN ! ! ! You are only supposed to lighten the dark part...... and THAT is what gives you a bad feeling about Bleach. Its the Hair Stylist who applied it incorrectly. It actually is thought of as our most useful and loved tool by all top colorists. It just needs a person properly educated to use it. All you need to know is in our Blog, just put the words "blond, bleach, lightener" in the SEARCH Bar and you will learn everything you've always wanted to know!


Otherwise bleach is the single most useful and most handy product in a Colorists arsenal for changing hair color - PERIOD !

The lightest color one can achieve using hair color is with the type of color called HIGH LIFT BLONDING. Every line has their own version of HIGH LIFT blonde tones that ‘claim' to lift 4-5 Levels by using this tube of color plus a double dose of 40 Volume Developer.
Something I have found not to be true.....
 

...So there are 2 ways of going very blonde.....

#1) High lift Blonde's ( which you will NOT find in a HAIR COLOR KIT) these must be purchased as a tube of color and the developer SEPARATELY.

or

#2) Bleach or Lightener : In Powder, Creme, Liquid or Oil form.

As a seasoned colorist I have learned that very few of them actually do lift that much color, especially when you are dealing with the entire head or large sections of hair.. When doing something small like highlights most likely you can get the 4 -5 levels of lift (lightening) as you are using foils ( which add HEAT > Heat helps color work faster - and more intensely - altho it is tougher on the condition of the hair) …it all depends on the texture and porosity as well ...just like in all lightening procedures.

THE DECOLORIZING PROCESS, which in common terms is bleaching!

The hair goes through different stages of color as it lightens as you can see in FIGURE 16-19. The amount of change depends on :

· how much pigment the hair has ( how light or dark)
· the strength of the lightening product
· the length of time it was processed
- the texture of the hair
- the porosity of the hair.....etc....

During the process of decolorizing ( Bleaching), natural hair can go through as many as 10 stages FIGURE 16-20. The most common problem? would be when you see yellow hair..which would mean what? Check the stages....

As the hair is lightened....it works its way up the chart... if it stops at "gold"level 7 or even "yellow/gold"level 8...

it means whatever lightener has been used  has not been left on long enough....

Most people do not understand that....I think I have 20 questions alone just today (1/26/2016 )  about why their hair is yellow and what should they do about it.....

Be very careful . . I am not promoting everyone going out and leaving bleach on for hours and hours...or putting it on 2-3 times - like I do.

It takes constant monitoring...it needs to be washed off the minute it hits level 9 or 10 if you can.
If you have dark brown hair the color will go from brown to orange quickly.
BUT, then going from orange to Pale yellow will take multiple applications.....that is the only way to achieve properly lightened hair.

This chart show the levels

 But the answer to those with gold hair and why is it  yellow or gold? 
9 times out of 10, the hair stylist PANIC - stricken ....took the bleach off....then frantically tried to cover it up with a toner....so for a couple days you have"OK" hair color ( I use that term VERY VERY LOOSELY ! ! ! !)
Then you shampoo it a 3rd or 4th time and you think YOU did something wrong when all along it was a badly trained hair stylist. 

From my point of view 2 out of 10 Hair Stylists know how to color correctly. I worked in 2 very cool Salons in Malibu. In both of them they had over 20 hair stylists but in each there was me and 1 other person I would trust to color my hair and that is the average in LA. where we have the top school in the world. ! ! !

Not all hair will go through all 10 degrees of decolorization. Each natural hair color starts the decolorization process at a different stage. Remember, the goal is to create the correct degree of contributing pigment as the foundation for the final haircolor result.

The hair is never safely lifted past the ‘pale yellow stage’ to ‘white’ with lightener. Going that light with bleach even oil bleach causes excessive damage to the hair strands. One must be a seasoned hair colorist when going into the light blond range....we know how far we can go and be safe...and its nothing you can really 'teach'...... its simply experience!

10,000 HEADS of hair I had colored 1 year before I was diagnosed.
 Here is a chart I made so you can see what I am talking about......
It shows the color of hair and the arrows indicate each application of bleach to the hair!

I can tell by clearing the color off of a strand of hair EXACTLY what stage its at, so that prevents me from leaving the color on too long. 
Now the problem with most bleaching or lightenings you see on the street are done at home? 
The main problem all of you who have contacted me today is you need another application of OIL LIGHTENER>>>> which we sell kits AND i KEEP THE PRICE DOWN BECAUSE OF ALL THE PEOPLE i HEAR THAT NEED THEM......

WHEN YOU ONLY  bleach the hair once.....look at the chart above.... the color leaves the hair REALLY REALLY fast on the first APPLICATION as you can see it dips almost 3 full levels.....THEN, it gets stuck and that is where the majority of America gets stuck .... see where the arrow is after application #1 its on 5. ORANGE!!!.....some of you get lucky and it passes orange and lands on what we call BLORANGE... the chart calls it orange/Gold....I don't care what you call it.......
its hideous.
The only way to get out of this mess is to keep lightening the hair. 
I promise you.
What keeps people in these horrific golds & BRASS is FEAR from using  the lightener again. But when I lighten hair I can't wait to use the next application because the next application will get the hair color OUT of this crappie color.

Big shot Colorist's trick?

> use our OIL BLEACH Kit  !

> apply it twice . . . . sometimes 3 times - yep . . .in the same day -- the trick is...in knowing when to stop.

> OIL Bleach continues to work for 3 hours. Each hour the speed at which it works slows down. Therefore, the first hour the bleach is jamming & working quickly, then depending on costs - timing - etc...is how we determine if we are going to wash it out and reapply a new fresh batch or leave it in and let the speed diminish.

Sometimes that will be the best answer.

MY usual protocol : I apply our Oil bleach and 30 volume > 1 inch FROM ROOTS and thru ends.... (apply to roots as very last step).. for last 45-50 minutes.

RINSE

Reapply - new batch of oil bleach on ends and in the last 1/2 hour apply to roots.

Being very careful to use very small sections to apply the product.

Many many moons ago (16 years ago) when I did my very first RADical hair color ( I still have the photos).I took an ASIAN gal (PITCH BLACK hair) gave her a Halo around her face of 1 inch -- surrounding her hairline of WHITE hair.... my mentor wanted me to learn how to get to "white" on the most difficult of hair. Asian hair is the toughest to work on because of its 'texture' (its coarse) and its porosity ( it has none)...But, when you have completed either colour or a dynamic cut on it, it also looks better than any other hair.

So its worth the effort -- if you think that way!

It took from 7:00 AM in the morning to 7:00 at night. But it was a pure snow white HALO with JET black Base that I actually made a BLUE-BLACK so the most extreme contrast possible.

That was the day I knew I wanted to master the art of HAIR COLOUR.... and I never looked back.

It was a very sweet ride and I can honestly and proudly say. . . . I can do do ANYTHING in the art of hair color...anything and everything.

Even ended up making up some procedures like "tattooing" hair....

I would bleach white the hair and then paint a Tattoo on the back of the head at the base this was 15 years ago so very early on tin the world.

Back in the day I was not so into computers... so i didn't take photos of all my crazy work when i should have
 I thought I would be doing hair forever I never knew something like this woud take me down....I always thought I'll take photos the next time......I could always re-do it...never thinking this would happen...of course...

as a matter of fact computers are the opposite of hair color....so I understand why many of the TOP colorists are not ONLINE, I would have never done this . . .

had I not gotten sick.
Doing hair is working with people and talking to people so sitting working with and ON computers was the absolute very last thing I thought I would have to do in my life......

here is one guy I had some shots of

- lousy photos -

-but you get the idea . . . . He's hispanic so black hair again...

see what color a bleach should be?

WHITE!

He wanted flames to match the flames he had a car painter > paint on his jacket....

for PROM at MALIBU HIGH - -

- - of course!

It kicked ass


I hope you get the idea with what the problem is when you have brass gold or orange in your hair. Invest in our OIL bleach kit, you will be so glad you did, it doesn't damage the hair at all!

Remember once you have bleached white hair using BOOST & BURST can be one of life's better pleasures. 

Why Is It That So Many People Want Blonde Hair, & What Happens When You Do?

From the Mouths of A Colorist . . . .

The single most important concept to understand to be able to Color Hair successfully is Color Theory.
 
1% of people have Red Hair and 1% have Blonde - Everyone else has Brown and Black is the number 1 Color. 
So that is why, I feel, everyone tries to head to blonde and now Red is making a roaring comeback - because they don't have it! 



 














Not one Stylist thinks this and not one Instructor or School  teaches this.  Which I m guessing: explains why there are many unqualified hair Colorists in the USA. My plan is to teach Color Theory more thoroughly here on the Killer Strands Blog, than it has ever been taught before  - - - anywhere. That way you will now have the tools you need – the education at hand, to color your hair successfully. No excuses. If you don’t grasp it at first…remember – repetition breeds education. Just keep repeating it.




The 3 primaries, when mixed in unequal amounts, make brown. If there is more yellow than red or blue, the brown will be light, even beige.  If there is more red than the other 2 primaries, the brown will be warm, and if there is more blue than yellow or red, the brown will be dark and cooler looking.   

 


Complementary colors turn a brown of some shade of either when mixed. When complementary colors are mixed, they create the presence of the 3 primaries in uneven  amounts.
for example:
when yellow mixes with blue + red which equals violet  ---  violet – we achieve a shade of brown . . . .the stronger shade will dominate the formula. 





All virgin hair is a shade of brown; it contains all 3 primaries. Whether the hair is dark brown with black being the darkest  (the bluest brown, Levels 1-4), auburn (the most warm brown, levels 5 –7), or blonde, ( the most yellow or lightest brown. levels 8-10), the color is an uneven combination of the 3 primary colors.
Equal amounts of yellow + red + blue = black, gray, or platinum  . . . depending on the level.




Extensive Lab tests have actually broken down melanin molecules and in all types of virgin hair, regardless of race, color or texture, unequal amounts of yellow, red and blue are found in each – which of course turns brown.
If you want, or you can simply trust me, you can test this theory very simply… just head down to your local Michaels or Toys R Us purchase some PLAY DOH and with that, hold your own experiments. Mixing the various colors. Mix a little Red and Yellow Play Doh together which will eventually turn out as orange… add a little blue - - yep you  get one shade of brown. In addition - - try all the other variations so you can check out all of these experiments demonstrate that primaries when mixed in uneven amounts equal brown.


BALANCED Color comes when all 3 primaries are present.
I would say one of the biggest and most prolific problems within the hair color world comes from ‘lightening’ and the uneven balance that is just the inevitable result from the imbalance of the 3 colors as color is taken out.  It is learning how to deal with this, which will make you a decent and qualified Colorist.

Very blond hair is brown hair with a dominance of yellow
Red Hair is Brown hair with a dominant of Red
Black Hair is the Bluest Brown
A simple example of the composition of hair color molecules







Try to remember when you are lightening hair color, you are not  really dealing with Brown, you are dealing with DURP (dominant underlying remaining pigment)………….which is reds….oranges….golds…(brass!!)  and yellows.






When you go to lighten hair as you head towards Blonde
The first pigment to leave the hair is blue.
If you begin with the blackest most coarse hair and apply bleach to it, the change will occur immediately…blue will again leave the hair quickest and head to the red zone ( also one of the most difficult to leave)….

I still feel that level 7(orange) is the most difficult level to get past ( thus the problems with brassy colors that plague our country – some people worry about politics – me - - I worry about brassy hair and how to rid the country of it !!    We all have our priorities ! ) 

For those of you truly interested in learning color theory I would encourage you to purchase a pack or two of the human hair swatches you will find at this link in our Killer Strands online Store  
Do some testing with bleach, we have both 1 oz & 3 oz. containers of Blondor bleach that you can use to do some experimenting. It will truly begin opening your eyes to how hair color truly  - - - basically - - - works….which then benefits you as you work on your own hair color. I promise light bulbs will begin to clink on all over your work, all over your thought bubbles in thinking about your next color project, whether on yourself, your kids, your girlfriend or your dog.



A lot more to come on Color Theory, along with many other color topics.
Happy Holidays one and all
Killer Chemist

Becoming a Brilliant Crib Colorist - Blonding & Its Warnings

PIC 20-40

Crib Coloring

In an attempt to stay interesting and not bore you, I am going from “hair” theory back to “color” theory and back again. It’s an odd of way teaching the info but am assuming we have no closet Cosmetology students out there and it will be OK.

D.ominant U.nderlying R.emaining P.igment      
Contribution or
DURP
Its very important to understand DURP. 
 Primary, secondary and tertiary colors can be found at any level of natural hair color ( See Pic 20-40) .Remaining pigment contribution is the color that will be left in the hair after the lifting process. Lifting is the term used for lightening basically. 
Knowing the colors that will be present at a given level of color ensures that you will select the proper base color formulation to either neutralize or enhance to achieve the desired color.

A huge problem you will face is that most color swatch charts display color selections on “white hair” swatches, another weird move on the hair color manufacturers’ part… My complaint with Boxed Hair Color is how they do not take into count what color the hair is underneath when selling them. It matters, as much as they like to pretend it doesn’t, when new colorists ( like you) are just learning how to do this, that can really throw them off. 

It irks me that the damn companies cannot just make the charts right to begin with. It wouldn’t cost a penny more, but it would be correct, therefore eliminating all the improper color on women in those first few years of learning hair color and when buying hair color “kits”. Hair color is a science and does not have to be “guess work” which is what these companies make it , by supplying the wrong information. By the way, the charts are just as messed up for us in the professional world as well, so they are not prejudice, we all get screwed up with improper color charts and information.

Can’t they just spread that technology so all the companies can benefit ? Like I said..its not rocket science.The entire problem with both Boxed Kits and their charts boils down to them not taking into consideration the pigment contributed from the natural hair UNDERNEATH that will remain during the lifting cycle.

( Figure 20-40 is just a rule of thumb there is no way to make charts like this on every line for every company)

Contribution of DURP
Decolorizing the hair’s natural melanin pigment allows the colorist to create the exact degree of contributing pigment needed for the final result. First, the hair is decolorized (bleached) to the appropriate level. Then the new color is applied to deposit the desired color. The natural pigment that remains in the hair contributes to the artificial color that is added. Lightening the hair to the correct stage is essential to become a beautiful, controlled, final hair coloring result. 

Many times you see people walking around with just awful “yellow” hair, for a Colorist there is nothing worse to see “yellow” or “orange” that is a mistake by not lightening the hair enough times or leaving the lightener on the hair long enough. You must always reapply lightener as it stops work after 65-70 minutes. So taking it off and re-applying is the best way to achieve that brass-free blond you desire ! Sometimes with very resistant hair…you may need to do it one more time the next day. The point is Stylists that leave hair this way, don't need to, it might take a while but ALL hair is fixable in my mind. My mentor taught me that as I watched her many times work for 1 or 2 full days on a tough case. She would be proud, I have spent many a long night in that same spot.

Toners are semi permanent or demi-permanent hair colors that are used primarily on pre-lightened hair to achieve pale and delicate colors. They are applied to the lightest degree of contributing pigment that remains after the decolorization (bleaching) process.

Toners are one of my passions…there was a time when I had hundreds of toners on hand at all times…one can perform magic with them. If you like to be blond – becoming a Picasso of Toners is a suggestion of mine you can vary the color of your hair with something as simple as a Toner application every other week & using the proper brand can also lend a tremendous amount of shine and strength to your strands. One of my favorite’s - I call it MAUVE - CREME -

 it’s a very soft-rose-cream color…use Maroon BURST maybe to achieve it (having a platinum base). This is a Color Top Colorists strive for constantly....why? Because it is next to impossible to achieve!

TEN DEGREES OF DECOLORIZATION
See the 10 degrees of decolorization? Those are the stages the hair goes thru as it loses its color or as the color is taken out with lighteners…bleach, etc. Not all hair will go through the 10 degrees, each natural hair color starts the decolorization process at a different stage. Remember, the goal is to create the correct degree of contributing pigment as the foundation for the final hair color result . See figure 16-20





BLEACHING POINTERS

In my opinion there is only one way to lighten hair this light, safely… and that is with oil bleach. Here at Killerstrands we offer an amazing Oil Bleach Kit, check it out on our website!

The hair needs to be very carefully taken care of when lifting past the yellow stage to white with lightener. 

• Don't let people put you under a dryer when you have Bleach on your hair that will surely cause damage, 
• it is absolutely WRONG to use heat with Bleach. Stylists do this sometimes in an effort to buy themselves some 'time' when they are busy. 
• Just kindly say to your stylist: "No Thank You, I would prefer not be under a dryer"- I don't mind waiting. 
• DO NOT RUSH LIGHTENING THE HAIR................
• Another Red Flag is :  Overlapping. If you have previously lightened hair and you re-touch....... you must apply the next batch of lightener 3/4 " away from your previous bleach line....because bleach EXPANDS as it develops and many people are unaware of this fact.The extreme diffusion of color necessary to give hair a white appearance causes excessive damage to the hair strand. 
• The result is the hair feels a bit “mushy” and will stretch without returning to its original length. When dry, the hair is harsh and brittle usually suffers breakage and will not accept a toner correctly.Treat hair like expensive crystal at this stage. Gleam & THRIVEN can save your hair at this point. I have had to repair so many other Stylists hair...that I have seen - everything, pretty much.

The way to that beautiful “baby blond” or “Marilyn Blond” ?...it can be carefully achieved by lightening the hair to pale yellow and then neutralizing the unwanted undertone (contributing pigment) with a toner.



Look at the 10 degrees on this chart
If hair is dark brown & you want to go blond check out the long route the hair must transition.
Check out where #1.is...you apply lightener and then the hair begins to lighten going up 1 Level at a time on This chart 16-20 to the right here....

So it starts at Brown and then goes to dark red-brown first ( you notice a fast change in the beginning) and at the beginning 20 ,minutes you will notice the hair lightening pretty quickly - heading up the levels from #1 to #2 ...to #3...to #4... to #5... to #6 at Level 6 it gets stuck and sits there for about the last 25 minutes. The GOLD molecule is very difficult to lift, which is why so many of you end up with Gold/Blorange/Brass hair !

 This photo is after 1 bleach application.

At this point you must take the initial application of Oil lightener off Rinsing with cool water...for 5-10 minutes. Then a very light quick shampoo, then rinsiing again. Dry the hair and re-apply for application # 2.

 Mix Oil Bleach Up Again Re-Apply for a 2nd and most times a 3rd application. But checking for health and strength after each application . Crib Colorists - ALWAYS ALWAYS have a set of helpings hands with you. Never Lighten alone.
 

 See in this photo the virgin Brown hair color ???? The gold piece underneath is 2 bleaching's and the section on top is done, we call it the color of frozen butter when wet as a guide for what to look for . When its finished it does NOT LOOK WHITE, it still appears a bit brassy. So make note of that.


These are levels hair must go through in that climb (the most common complaint I hear is "Blorange" hair)
 Basically that comes from the fear of leaving lightener on too long. Or not applying the lightener enough times. But if you really want to master this and get your timing down. Buy a swatch of your hair color (some extensions) and do a practice run at home. If I receive enough request for TEST strips I will be happy to carry them. 
Send us an email: Killerstrands.info@gmail.com

Check out all the colors of Blonde, which is your favorite?