Am I the only one who was over-processing hair by holding the color for the full box time, no matter what?

A client in Austin with level 5 virgin hair asked me to stop after 25 minutes because her scalp was burning, and when I rinsed it, the color was already perfectly deposited, which made me question every 45-minute process I'd ever done.

3 comments

3 Comments

parker_price13d ago

Honestly, that box time is more of a suggestion than a law. Been doing this for years and I still get surprised sometimes. You watch that color take and you just know. Makes you feel like a bit of a fool for all those times you just set a timer and walked away. That client did you a favor by speaking up, even if it was just from discomfort. Live and learn, right? Sometimes the best lessons come from a little scalp burn.

troysmith13d ago

Yeah, "a little scalp burn" is one way to put it. That's the kind of lesson that really gets under your skin.

terryw6713d ago

Man, a buddy of mine had the same wake-up call. He was coloring his sister's hair, a level 6, and she started complaining about heat at maybe twenty minutes in. He rinsed it off just to check and it was completely done, like a perfect match. He said he just stood there staring at the bowl, realizing he'd probably been frying everyone's hair for months following the clock. That box time is really just for the worst-case scenario, like the most stubborn gray.