Coloring Your Hair Extensions

Coloring hair extensions is a delicate art that involves a lot of precision and prep work. You want to make sure that the color you’re concocting will read well on the color you’re working with, and that the finished result will blend into your client’s hair! To help you through the process, Donna Bella has compiled a treasure trove of hair extension coloring tricks, tutorials, and more—all available at our brand new Color Takeover Portal. So check out these details of what you need to know before coloring, then head over to the portal to read more:

  • Use professional-quality colors, only. Generic box color is formulated with more developer than we’d recommend for extensions, and it will compromise the condition of the hair (let alone the color!). Stick to professional-quality brands for your best results, and use only direct, demi or semi-permanent colors.
  • Color before installation. This will help you avoid getting color on the bonds (which can compromise them), and on irregular patches of your client’s head.
  • Strand test first. Make sure the color you’ve concocted turns out the way you want it to by coloring a section of hair before doing the whole thing. This will ultimately spare you and the hair extensions from wasted time and damage.
  • Note the processing time. Since Donna Bella hair extensions are pre-colored, they will process color differently than your client’s natural hair. Be prepared to watch the color develop more quickly, and be sure to keep an eye on the extensions so they don’t become over-processed!
  • Deposit, don’t lift. If you know you’re going to need to color your extensions, order a shade or two lighter and add color. Never lift color. Since the hair extensions have already gone through a coloring process, lifting color will almost certainly damage them.
  • Stay within 2 shades. We recommend going no more than 2 shades darker than the original extension color to maximize color integrity (unless applying vivid or pastel color to #60 or #1001 extensions).
  • Exercise care. Treat the colored extensions like you would your own color-treated hair. Don’t wash them for the first 24 hours, use sulfate-free and color-safe products to maintain them, and avoid chlorinated water.

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