Services
What Is Toning and Why Does Your Hair Colour Need It? | Abingdon | Didcot | Wantage | Oxford
Opening in 2018, our space is now one of the busiest. Our creative team are celebrated for their signature haircuts, hair colour, perms, blowdries and more.
CALL: 01235 534705
EMAIL: bookings@wisteriaavenue.co.uk
4 EAST ST. HELEN STREET, OX14 5EA
Hair Salon Opening Times
Tuesday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Wednesday-Thursday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Friday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Saturday
First Appointment:
Last Appointment:
10 am
3:30 pm
11:30 am
7:30 pm
10 am
6 pm
9 am
4:30 pm
What Is Toning and When would you need it?
If you’ve ever left a salon with perfect colour and watched it gradually turn brassy, yellow, or dull over the following weeks, toning is the answer to your problem. It’s one of the most important steps in any colour service and one of the least understood by clients. Most people know their hairdresser applies something at the end of a colour appointment but aren’t entirely sure what it does or why it matters.
This blog explains exactly what toning is, how it works, and why it makes such a significant difference to the quality and longevity of your hair colour.
Toning FAQ's
What Is a Toner?
The first thing most clients notice after their initial fitting is that the system is lighter than they expected. Modern bases are ultra-thin and the hair itself sits naturally, so the overall sensation is nothing like the heavy, obvious hairpieces people might be imagining from decades past.
There is an adjustment period in the first few days. Your scalp is aware that something is there, in the same way you might be aware of a new pair of glasses or a watch you’ve just started wearing. It isn’t uncomfortable, just noticeable to you in a way that it won’t be to anyone else.
For most clients, this awareness fades within a week. By the second week, the vast majority of our clients report that they’ve stopped thinking about it entirely. Still unsure if you need to book a toner?
Is Toning the Same as Colouring?
Not exactly. Toning and colouring are related but different processes. A standard hair colour, whether a tint or a bleach, works by lifting or depositing pigment at a deeper level within the hair structure. Toning works on the surface of the hair shaft, depositing pigment more gently and temporarily.
Because toning is a surface level process, it is also gentler on the hair than lifting or bleaching. It adds little to no additional damage, which makes it a safe and practical way to maintain and refine colour between full appointments.
The trade off is that toners are not permanent. Depending on your hair’s porosity, how frequently you wash your hair, and the products you use at home, a toner typically lasts between four and eight weeks before it begins to fade and the underlying warm tones start to reappear.
Why Does Lightened Hair Need Toning?
When hair is lightened, the bleaching process removes the natural colour pigment from the hair shaft. This lifting process doesn’t remove all pigment evenly. Instead it works through layers of underlying tone, from black through red, orange, yellow and finally to pale yellow at the lightest end. Most lightening processes stop somewhere along this spectrum before reaching the palest yellow, which means there is almost always some residual warm tone left in the hair after bleaching.
Without a toner, this residual warmth is visible in the finished result. Hair that was intended to be ash blonde can look golden or brassy. Platinum that should be cool and icy can appear yellow. Toning addresses this directly, neutralising the residual warmth and delivering the cooler, cleaner result that was the goal from the start.
Does Everyone Who Gets Their Hair Lightened Need a Toner?
Almost always yes, though the type of toner and how much correction is needed varies depending on your starting colour, how light you’re going, and the specific shade you’re trying to achieve. A client going from light brown to a warm golden blonde may need minimal toning. A client going from dark brown to a cool, ashy blonde will need a more significant toning step to counteract the considerable underlying warmth that lifting from a darker base exposes. In order to go much, much lighter, this is how.
At Wisteria Avenue, toning is a standard part of every colour appointment where it’s needed rather than an optional extra. It’s built into the process because the alternative, leaving without toning, consistently produces a result that starts to look wrong within a matter of weeks.
What About Home Toning? Purple Shampoo and Similar Products?
Purple shampoo and toning conditioners are a popular way to maintain tone between salon appointments and they do work to a degree. They deposit a small amount of violet pigment onto the hair shaft during washing, which helps counteract yellow tones and extend the life of your salon toner.
The honest caveat is that home toning products are maintenance tools rather than replacements for a professional toner. They work best when there is already a good toner in place from a recent salon appointment. Used on their own on significantly warm or brassy hair, they typically don’t have enough pigment to make a meaningful difference and can in some cases deposit unevenly, leaving patchy or purple tinged results.
Used correctly as part of a regular home care routine, one to two times per week rather than every wash, purple shampoo is a genuinely useful product. We’re always happy to advise on which products are appropriate for your specific colour at your appointment.
How Often Will I Need a Toner?
This depends on several factors including how porous your hair is, how frequently you wash it, and whether you’re using colour safe products at home. As a general guide, most clients with lightened hair benefit from a standalone toning appointment every six to eight weeks, between their full colour appointments.
Sulphate free shampoo significantly extends the life of a toner. Sulphates are the cleansing agents in many standard shampoos that strip colour along with oil and dirt. Switching to a sulphate free alternative is one of the most effective things you can do to keep your toner looking fresh for longer.
Toning at Wisteria Avenue, Abingdon
At Wisteria Avenue in Abingdon, we offer standalone toning appointments for clients who want to refresh their colour between full colour sessions. It’s a straightforward appointment that makes a significant visual difference, and it’s considerably quicker and more affordable than a full colour treatment.
If your colour is looking warmer or duller than it should, or if you want to understand more about how toning could improve your current colour result, come in for a free consultation and we’ll talk you through your options honestly.
Opening in 2018, our space is now one of the busiest. Our creative team are celebrated for their signature haircuts, hair colour, perms, blowdries and more.
CALL: 01235 534705 EMAIL: bookings@wisteriaavenue.co.uk 4 EAST ST. HELEN STREET, OX14 5EA
Opening Times
Tuesday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Wednesday-Thursday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Friday
First Appointment
Last Appointment
Saturday
First Appointment:
Last Appointment:
10 am
3:30 pm
11:30 am
7:30 pm
10 am
6 pm
9 am
4:30 pm
Want to know more about how toners can be used?
Complete the below and a staff member will contact you at the earliest opportunity with further information about how we can help you with your hair appointment. Any questions, call or send a WhatsApp to the salon on 01235 534705 or book your appointment online.
Want to know more about the benefit of toning?
As one of the best hairdressers for toning in Oxfordshire, we would love to discuss your plans with you! To book your hair appointment or consultation, get in touch with Wisteria Avenue Hair Salon by booking online or calling us on 01235 534705.
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