How salons can use semi-permanent to create customer loyalty.
Since the first synthetic hair colour was invented in the early 1900’s, hair colouring has been a booming industry, and over the decades there has been a significant evolution in colour techniques and trends. Colouring our hair allows us to express our personality and individuality, contributing significantly to our overall look and how we feel about ourselves. These days being able to change our hair colour on a whim means we can re-invent ourselves as regularly as we choose, particularly as semi-permanent colour pallets offer more choice than ever before.
It’s a great time for stylists to really embrace semi-permanent hair colour services, as there are many colour chameleon clients who are prepared to invest regularly in their ever-changing image. But to ensure your business benefits from this you need to be one step ahead so that you can offer your clients the latest colour trends, as well as knowing the top tips in order to get the best results so that they keep coming back.
Keeping Up With Trends.
The want for pretty pastels, bright and bold, and jewel toned ombre’s have featured heavily across social media, amongst celebrities and on catwalks, so it’s fairly easy nowadays to discover what’s hot in the world of fashion colour. Clients are turning ever more to Instagram and Pinterest for ideas, so using these social platforms yourself to follow what the biggest influencers in hair are doing, is a great way to keep on top of what’s gaining popularity. Also a quick hashtag search is a brilliant way of getting inspiration for colour formulation and technique, as well as finding out if a trend is catching on, for example #pinkhair on Instagram has over 4 million posts linked with video and imagery. Who knew there were so many shades of pink?
Getting the Best Results.
We all know that semi-permanent means temporary, but did you know that how long they last is largely determined by the condition of your clients’ hair? When we create beautiful fashion colours for our clients using semi-permanent hair colour, 80% of the time we are doing so on pre-lightened hair. But, when we lighten the hair it loses protein which is integral to the structure of the hair and essential for helping the semi-permanent colour hold. Although our clients expect that their semi-permanent colour will fade out over a period time, they don’t expect to leave the salon with a gorgeous pastel peach or bright fuchsia, only for it to dramatically fade out after the first wash. It’s therefore essential that before anything you put the condition of your clients’ hair first and that you ensure your client is prepared to do the same.
Here’s our top tips on how you can be sure you get the best results for your client when using semi-permanent hair colour:
- Always pre-treat your client’s hair before you apply colour, especially if you have pre-lightened it. This creates the best hair canvass by preparing it to accept and retain colour. Organic Colour Systems PowerBuild range of treatments have been specially formulated using protein rich natural and certified organic ingredients, which replenish the protein lost in the hair as a result of pre-lightening, over processing and over styling.
- Pick a really good semi-permanent hair colour to work with. The best semi-permanent hair colours condition the hair and avoid harsh chemicals which can damage it. For example Organic Colour Systems No Limits range of semi-permanent hair colours are free from ingredients like ammonia, resorcinol and parabens and are also free from oxidative pigments like PPD & PTD. The 12 shades in the range are fully intermixable, allowing you to create hundreds of beautiful, bespoke colours, plus they healthier for you and your clients because they don’t contain the harsh chemical ingredients you may have come across with other colours before. Another great benefit of the No Limits range is that it features a natural conditioning and protein rich base, which helps to replenish that all important protein during the colouring process, helping to maintain colour longer.
- Application! Application! Application! – Take time to apply colour in sections and really work the colour in. Remember to monitor the colour development so that you get it off as it hits the right shade. The great thing about the Organic Colour Systems No Limits range is that the colour you mix in the bowl is what you get on head, so you can really work with your client before you colour, to get to a shade they will love.
- Recommend a protein based, at home care regime such as Organic Colour Systems PowerBuild Shampoo, Treatment and Conditioner. Encourage your client to treat their hair at least once a week, to ensure it stays in tip top condition.
- Ensure your client uses a heat protection spray when using heat styling tools as they will cause rapid colour fade. Organic Colour Systems, Thermal 2 Twenty Heat Protection Spray is great for semi-permanent coloured hair as it protects the up to 220°c and is non-aerosol.
By doing all of this, you will be able to confidently offer fashion colour services to your clients that they are sure to return for, time and time again.
See what our Mentors think about No Limits.
“I love No Limits because its intermixable to the eye and when making pastel shades, is mixed with treatment so you’re treating the hair at the same time. There are NO PPD or PTD making it safer to use on anyone even children which is becoming ever-more popular.”
- Rebecca Barnes – UK Salon Mentor
“ No Limits is perfect for trends. They can create silver grey to violet without the commitment or damage!”
- Renee Emanuele – North American Salon Mentor
“No Limits allow my inner artist to create rainbow colours and on trend unicorn hair”
- Stefanie Kaufman – North American Salon Mentor
“ No Limits were named perfectly! They really do have no limits you can use them for everything from toners, pastel shades and colour corrections! These are the most versatile Semi-Permanent colours I have used!”
- Alyssa Housh – North American Salon Mentor