Have you ever left the salon with perfect icy blonde locks only to find your hair slowly turned brown? Why did the toner turn my blonde hair brown? This frustrating yet common hair nightmare leaves your expensive highlights and babylights looking like subtle (or sometimes not-so-subtle) ombre.
The unfortunate reality about blonding is that it requires a lot of upkeep to fight against inevitable brassy tones. Most colourists utilize toner after lightening services to neutralize this warmth and brighten up your look. But in certain situations, toner can be overdeposited leading to muddy brown lowlights.
The good news is that reasons exist why toner turns blonde hair brown unexpectedly. And by understanding where things commonly go wrong, simple tweaks can prevent you from spending big bucks re-lifting darkened strands again.
Read on to learn why your hair suddenly has brownish sections after toning and foolproof ways to preserve that precious blonde investment.
Why Does Toner Turn Blonde Hair Brown?
There are a few key reasons why toner designed to freshen up your brights can sometimes end up skewing overly dark instead:
1. Wrong Developer Strength
Most toners require mixing with peroxide developer before applying to pre-lightened hair. Developers come in different volumes that determine how much they lift your natural underlying pigment. Using one that is too high – like 30 or 40 volume – can lead to the toner depositing more pigment than needed. Over time this turns blonde hair brown.
To avoid this, always opt for a volume 10 or 20 cream developer to mix your chosen toner. This will gently open the cuticle enough for ideal toner results without causing over-depositing leading to muddied strands.
2. Using Toner as Dye
Toners are designed to enhance colour and cancel unwanted tones by depositing missing pigment into porous spots. They cannot achieve an all-over colour change. However, some stylists and clients attempt to use hair toner-like dye to take blonde hair darker into light brown territory.
Using a toner this way often backfires turning hair a deeper brown than envisioned once the cuticle closes and oxidation occurs. Always keep in mind – toner is not permanent hair colour. Don’t expect lasting or impactful shade changes from glossing services.
3. Processing Too Long
Another common reason why toners turn blonde hair brown relates to overprocessing time. To avoid this, carefully follow the exact timing guidelines for the particular toner chosen. Never leave any mix on for longer even if locks still seem quite yellow.
Setting a timer is key. The maximum toning duration needed is 30 minutes. Excess time leads to uneven results with subtle underlying warmth becoming brownish spots interspersed with paler sections.
4. Uneven Mixing Ratios
Pay close attention to mixing directions when combining your toner and developer. Using incorrect proportions can mean splotchy results with darker lowlights and brighter pieces competing. Uneven mixing also causes darker toner spots to show up weeks later as colour continues to oxidize.
To avoid a mismatched blonde hue, carefully measure out the exact toner-to-developer ratio stated by product guidelines. Never eyeball proportions. Thoroughly combine ingredients before brushing evenly through damp strands from roots to ends.
How to Prevent Toner From Turning Blonde Hair Brown
Luckily preventing well-intentioned toners from unexpectedly darkening your locks is simple. Just follow these foolproof rules:
1. Choose the Correct Developer
As explained above, always opt for a volume 10 or 20 cream developer to mix any toner. This lifts minimal underlying pigment allowing the right amount of toner deposit for maximum brightening without skewing overly cool, ashy or discolored.
Steer clear of higher 30 and 40-volume developers with toners. While these work well to lighten hair, they cause too much lifting for simple toning purposes making results unpredictable.
2. Avoid Over-Processing
No matter how yellow your hair may seem, don’t leave the toner on for longer than 30 minutes absolute max. Set a phone timer and don’t allow stylist distraction. Uneven processing times lead to splotchiness with accidental brown lowlights.
Pale hair also requires less time to benefit from toning so watch the clock closely. One round of even toning is all that’s needed for fresh bright locks. Don’t overdo it thinking more is better.
3. Use Professional Quality Toners
Drugstore box kit toners lead to all kinds of disasters down the road. Batch-to-batch inconsistencies mean results turn out differently each time – and that’s if you don’t experience immediate browning. Spend a little extra on salon brand toners for predictable depositing power.
Wella, Redken, Joico, Schwarzkopf and Matrix make excellent toners that can be customized to any level of lightness needed. They won’t accidentally darken blonde hair weeks later. Invest in protecting spendy highlighting and baby lighting.
What If My Hair Turned Brown From Toner?
Don’t panic! If a toner application has led to unwanted darkening or overcooling tones, the good news is it can be reversed. Avoid attempting to re-tone hair at home as this will worsen the issue requiring more chemical correction down the line.
Instead, book a clarifying and conditioning salon treatment. Once the residue is properly removed from the strands, a colour correction can safely return your hair to its former bright glory!
In severe cases where hair has turned quite dark, lightening with bleach may be required to strip underlying pigment before re-toning to your ideal shade. To limit further damage, request conditioning Olaplex or bonding treatments in tandem. This leaves overly porous strands strengthened and ready to be freshened up.
How Long Does it Take for Toner to Fade If Too Dark?
When toner has accidentally darkened your blonde hair more than preferred, it will begin fading back to a lighter shade after subsequent washes. However, the speed of this process depends on your unique hair makeup and density.
For most, ashy or brownish toner tones begin noticeably lifting within 4 to 6 weeks. Using a clarifying shampoo weekly can help gently accelerate and remove excess artificial pigment quickly.
Just beware of over-washing hair too frequently. Damaging already compromised strands and overdrying causes more issues down the line requiring further salon correction.
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FAQ’s
1. Can I use a toner meant for dark hair on my blonde locks if I want to go darker?
No, always choose a toner formulated specifically for lightened and highlighted hair otherwise you risk unpredictable results.
2. What volume developer should be used with toners for blonde hair?
A volume 10 or 20 cream developer is best for mixing any blonde toner to allow gentle enough lifting to refresh without skewing overly dark.
3. Does it matter which brand of toner I use on my color-treated hair?
Yes, professional salon-quality toners like Wella and Redken give reliably consistent results while box dyes vary wildly in their depositing abilities.
Conclusion
To summarize why your blonde hair unexpectedly gets darkened by well-intentioned toner – it all comes down to the misuse of overly porous strands. But now you can avoid common mishaps and expensive color correction appointments.
Carefully choose the right developer, steer clear of box dyes, stick closely to timing guidelines and evenly mix products. Your stylist also plays a huge role so discuss toner concerns ahead of appointments.
Follow these tips and soon you’ll be rocking salon-perfect creamy dreamy blonde locks that stay fresh, and bright and never accidentally turn brown after toning sessions.
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