Can I dye my hair after using a toner? How long should I wait to do it?

 

As you can see, it definitely is possible to dye your hair if you toned it, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

For example: How did you tone your hair? Did you use a toner or a purple shampoo?

 

Because those two products work totally differently in your hair.

And to explain these differences, I say that we take a little blast to the past, to the exact moment you toned your hair.

 

You probably did it because you bleached your hair or because the color of your dye was fading. And so, some unwanted tones must have appeared in your hair, like orange, red, and chicken yellow.

What decision did you make at that moment?

 

You decided to tone your hair.

And to do that, you had two options: toner or toning shampoo.

Which did you choose?

 

If you used toner, you decided to use a permanent dye that alters your hair color’s structure, thus neutralizing those unwanted colors.

Yes, toner is a dye because it contains ammonia, and you apply it using peroxide, just like any blonde, brown, or black dye. The only difference is that the colors in the toner are there to cancel out other colors.

 

And every color has an opposite that cancels it out: green neutralizes red, purple neutralizes yellow and blue, orange.

 This solution for neutralizing unwanted colors is a permanent one, unlike purple shampoo, which doesn’t alter the structure of your hair color. 

 

Purple shampoo deposits color pigments, cancelling out the unwanted colors. But, when you stop using it, your hair will go back to the same color it was before you started toning it with the shampoo.

 

Alright, now let’s return to the present. As I said initially, if you toned your hair using either a toner or a toning shampoo, you can dye your hair.

But, in each situation, you’ll need to act differently.

So, let’s take a trip to the future, and on the way, I’ll tell you:

 

How to dye your hair after toning it with toner

The first thing you’ll need to do before using the dye is waiting until the toner fades. But, don’t worry, the wait won’t be forever long.

Because the toner has a short lifespan, meaning that it fades quickly, and after 3-4 washes, there won’t be any remnants of the toner left in your hair.

Why do you have to wait until the toner fades?

 

Because after toning your hair, your color will have changed.

For example, if your hair was reddish and used a green toner on it, your hair will be an ashy color after the toner disappears.

So, it’s vital to know what base color you end up with after using the toner.

 

A light golden blonde 6.3 is not the same as a light ashy blonde 6.1.

You should always choose the same tone that the toner left in your hair.

What do I mean by that?

 

I’ll explain by giving you a few examples:

 

For example:

 

Once the toner disappears, you will be able to see the exact color the toning process left, and that way, you can choose the color you want to dye your hair. And then, all you have left is the easy part: using that dye on your hair.

 

Now, what if you toned your hair using blue or purple shampoo?

Things change a little, but don’t worry because you can still dye your hair.

 

How to dye your hair after toning it with a purple or blue shampoo

Purple or blue shampoo is very different from toner because it tones your hair gradually. That means that it works to neutralize those unwanted tones with every wash, and so you don’t need to wait to use the dye.

I mean that you can use the dye as soon as you stop using the shampoo.  Now, I recommend using a dye with the same tone as the shampoo you were using. 

 

Because just as with toner, you can find shampoos in different colors.

Just so we’re clear:

 

That way, you’ll keep the same tone you were getting with the shampoo. And remember that when you choose the dye, you can choose the color you like most without changing its tone.

Because you’ll have the color you love in your hair, and the unwanted tones won’t appear. You just need to always stick with the same tone as the toning shampoo you’ve been using.

 

Conclusions

It’s always possible to dye-toned hair. You just need to keep in mind what kind of toner you used and which tone is right for the new dye.

 

And remember that the new dye you choose should have the same tone as the one you’d been using on your hair with the toner.