Preventing Brassiness: Balayage Tips for Brassy Brunette Hair

Brunettes with Balayage often face the challenge of maintaining a vibrant, cool-toned color without unwanted brassiness. Luckily, we are here to help! Read on as we provide top tips on preventing brassy brunette hair, so you can help your clients keep their Balayage looking fresh and fabulous until their next visit.

What Is Brassy Brown Hair?

Brassy brunette hair refers to the appearance of unwanted orange and red tones in color-treated or natural brown hair. Brassy brunette hair occurs when the natural pigments in the hair begin to fade or are revealed during the lightening process. Over time, factors like sun exposure, heat styling, color fading and product buildup can exacerbate this brassiness, making the hair look dull and lackluster.

 

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Why Does Brown Hair Turn Brassy?

Unfortunately, freshly colored brunette hair is prone to fading due to several factors. Brassy tones often result from the hair bleaching or lightening process, where darker pigments are removed, exposing underlying red and orange tones. This can be exacerbated when warmer-toned colors fade out over time. Additionally, brassy tones can develop in non-lightened hair due to environmental factors such as UV rays, exposure to metals, pollutants, hard water, and frequent use of heat styling tools. All hair has warmer undertones, so seeing red and orange tones is somewhat inevitable unless steps are taken to neutralize these during the coloring session. Empower your team and clients by teaching them how to maintain their results with pro tips and a tailored home care routine!

Consultation and Client Expectations

Setting realistic expectations with clients is key to helping them to prevent brassiness. Have a consultation to discuss the maintenance required to keep their Balayage looking fresh. Make sure your clients understand that regular upkeep, including using the right products and minimizing damaging practices, is essential for helping them maintain stunning, long-lasting color.

Use Neutral-Toned Hair Dyes

For the perfect brunette color, choose shades with cool or neutral undertones. This will help extend the longevity of the color by reducing the visibility of brassy hues as it fades and also eliminate existing or naturally warm tones in brown hair. Blue and green undertones in hair dye can help shield against natural red and copper pigments in dark base colors. Our pro tip is to add bespoke Mixers by Revlonissimo Colorsmetique™ to your colors to further counteract brassiness. 

Try adding a dash of 700 to counteract red, or for a softer result, use 017 for added ash with a touch of green. These pure and metallic hair colors can help you create personalized and long-lasting color results and are intermixable with all Revlonissimo Colorsmetique™ shades.

 

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Use a Blue or Purple Toning Shampoo

Apart from an in-salon color treatment or a refresh with Nutri Color™ Filters, using blue or purple toning shampoos is an effective way to counteract brassiness in brunette hair. While purple shampoos are primarily used by blondes to neutralize yellow tones, they can also benefit brunettes with brassiness. The purple pigments counteract yellow and some orange tones, helping to maintain a cooler hair color. Although blue shampoo is technically more effective at eliminating overall brassy tones in brunette hair, we recommend opting for purple shampoo as a safer alternative. Leave it on for a few minutes to work its magic, but be sure you don’t overuse it to prevent a purple tinge on your Balayage pieces, especially if the hair has a mix of lighter and darker sections.

When your client washes their hair, these pigments are deposited onto the strands, helping to counteract brassy tones and reveal cooler-toned brown hair. We also love the RE/START™ Color Anti-Brassiness Purple Drops, which allow your client to customize usage depending on the level of brassiness in their hair. To use, simply press the dosing button all the way down to dispense individual drops. The number of purple drops needed will depend on your client’s hair shade and the level of neutralization required. Mix the drops with shampoo, conditioner, or a mask and apply.

 

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Application Methods and Placement

Tailor your Balayage techniques to each client’s hair type and natural color. Placement is key—strategically placing lighter sections under the parting and towards the mids and ends (and away from direct sunlight) can help maintain a balanced, natural look without revealing too many warm undertones.

Apply your chosen Magnet™ pre lightener depending on the level of lift required to optimize dimension and movement. To avoid unnecessary lifting of the surrounding brunette hair, opt for an acidic color after lifting. This helps prevent any unwanted lift on your client’s darker hair in between.

Color Excel Gloss – 10 Minute hair gloss treatment is perfect for this, offering no lift with a patent-pending technology that reverses damage from chemical processes and rebuilds the hair’s natural structure. We also recommend using cotton wool between Balayage sections if freehanding with an open-air technique or opting for foilayage to achieve a seamless blend. This approach focuses on precision to minimize potential uneven color and brassiness.

Toning and Color Correction

A professional toning gloss treatment can help maintain the desired shade by neutralizing brassy tones and adding shine. These treatments can be done in-salon or at home with the right products. In as little as 10 minutes, they can enhance hair color and tone, boost shine, and deeply condition. Regular toning is key to maintaining the desired hair color. Schedule toning sessions with your client based on their hair type and how quickly their color tends to fade.

Our dark and refreshing shades by Nutri Color™ Filters elevate deep brown shades to a new cool level by instantly neutralizing warmth and eliminating brassiness. These are perfect for both in-salon use and for refreshing and toning home.

Aftercare and Maintenance

Educate clients on the importance of aftercare by recommending a hair care routine that includes color-safe products such as our RE/START™ Color range, regular deep conditioning treatments, and limited use of heat styling tools. UV rays can also fade hair color and make brassiness more prominent so advise clients to wear hats or using UV protection sprays such as REVLON PROFESSIONAL EQUAVE™ COLOR VIBRANCY INSTANT DETANGLING CONDITIONER. This powerful detangler with UV protection will help lock in color and hydrate while sealing the cuticles.

Ready for more inspiration? Head to our educational platform, #AlwaysOn (for salon professionals only), for 24/7 access to trends and styling tips. Use it to elevate your hairstyling game and boost your creativity! You can also shop online for your favorite professional products at Revlon ProShop.