Colour correction: what to expect
A colour correction starts with Tara seeing your hair in person and knowing everything it has had. The plan and the price are agreed before anything begins. Smaller fixes can often be done in one visit, while bigger changes usually take 2 to 3 visits, 4 to 8 weeks apart.
What counts as a colour correction
Any colour that fixes a result you are unhappy with, rather than starting fresh. Common reasons include blonde that has turned brassy or orange, patchy or banded colour, box dye that went darker than expected, or wanting to go back towards your natural shade.
Why it starts with photos and your history
Previously coloured hair behaves less predictably than untouched hair, and what it has had changes what is possible. Box dye, henna, keratin or smoothing treatments, and recent lightening can all change what is possible in one visit and what is kind to your hair.
That is why Tara asks for a photo of your hair now and one of the colour you want when you send an enquiry, along with your colour history, including roughly how long ago each treatment was. Why a consultation matters ›
Why it is priced at consultation
Two corrections that look similar in a photo can need very different amounts of time and product. Rather than quote a price that might change, Tara sees your hair in person and confirms the plan and the price before any colour goes on. If your correction will take more than one visit, the consultation is where the number of visits and the cost of each are worked out, so there are no surprises along the way.
How long it takes
A correction appointment usually takes around 3 to 5 hours, and long or thick hair, or a big change in colour, can take longer. Allow for a full morning or afternoon.
How many visits it takes depends on what needs fixing:
- Brassy or uneven tone can often be corrected in a single visit.
- Patchy or banded colour may take one visit or two, depending on how strong the bands are.
- Box dye, colour that went too dark, or going much lighter usually takes 2 to 3 visits, and sometimes more when there are several layers of old colour.
Where more than one visit is needed, they are usually spaced 4 to 8 weeks apart. Lifting colour out in stages, with time to recover in between, is what keeps hair strong enough to reach the result you want. Very dark or previously coloured hair in particular may need a longer appointment, or a second visit, to lift safely.
Looking after your hair through it
Tara uses premium colour from brands like Kevin.Murphy and Redken Shades EQ. A strengthening treatment can be added to protect condition further, and going in stages means your hair is never pushed further in one visit than it can take.
Between visits, the same care that keeps any colour looking fresh applies: wash less often in cool water, use a sulphate-free system, and protect your hair from heat, sun and chlorine. Coloured hair in Brisbane’s humidity ›
Getting started
Send your photos and colour history through the enquiry form, or message Tara on Instagram. She replies by email as soon as she can. Colour correction with Tara ›