Had a client last week who completely changed how I approach gray coverage

I had this older woman in her 70s with really resistant grays around her temples. She told me straight up that my previous color job left her with a weird orangey halo after two weeks. I was so embarrassed. She suggested I pre-soften those areas with a 20 volume developer before applying the color. Tried it on her this time and the result was night and day. No brassy tones, even coverage. Has anyone else used this trick for stubborn grays?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_richard5d ago

Gotta point out that 20 volume is pretty strong for pre-softening and can damage finer hair, usually a 10 volume works better for that step.

leo_fisher5d ago

Wait, have you actually tried 20 volume on finer hair for pre-softening or are you just going off the general rule? Because I do this all the time with fine hair and I've never had damage issues as long as I keep the timing tight. The whole point of pre-softening is to open up the cuticle so color can penetrate, and 10 volume barely does that on resistant hair even if it's fine. I've had way more success with 20 volume at like 15 minutes max, then rinsing, then applying my color with 10 volume for processing. A lot of stylists I know are moving away from that ultra-cautious approach because they end up with splotchy results from under-lifting the natural pigment.