colour correction
Colour correction in Calgary
$80 an hour, before GST
Box dye gone orange, bleach that's gone patchy, a colour that never matched what you asked for. Colour correction is the appointment where I work out what's actually in your hair and fix it properly, from my chair inside Logix Hair Salon in Marda Loop, Calgary.
What colour correction actually involves
Most colour correction starts the same way: something was done at home or somewhere else, and the result isn't what anyone wanted. Box dye that's turned orange as it faded. Bleach that lifted unevenly and left bands. A colour that was supposed to be ash and came out warm, or the other way around.
The work is diagnostic before it's anything else. I need to know what's actually sitting in your hair, whether that's layers of box dye, a metallic dye that reacts badly with lightener, or just uneven porosity from previous damage, before I can choose the right corrective tone or decide whether lightening is safe at all.
Every strand of hair in a correction can be at a different stage of damage or lift, which is why correction is priced by the hour instead of a flat rate. Some corrections are one long appointment. Others need to be spread across two or three visits so your hair has time to recover between them.
How the appointment goes
- Consultation and strand check. I look at your hair's colour history in as much detail as you can give me, and often test a small strand before committing the rest of your head to a plan.
- The plan. I tell you honestly whether this is a one-visit fix, a multi-visit correction, or something that needs a cut first because the ends are too damaged to colour safely.
- The work. Depending on what your hair needs, that might mean a colour fill, targeted lightening, or a corrective toner. K18 goes in wherever we're pushing the hair hard.
- Toning and finish. The last step is matching the tone to what you actually asked for, then a blowout so you see the real result before you leave.
Price
Prices are before 5% GST. Correction is billed hourly rather than as a flat fee because the amount of work varies so much from one head to the next. Most corrections run two to five hours in the chair, which usually lands the total between $160 and $400. You get an exact estimate after the consultation and strand check, not a guess over text or Instagram DM.
Where I say no
I will not promise a full correction in one visit if your hair cannot safely take that much processing at once. If a strand test shows your hair is already compromised past a safe point, I'll tell you plainly, and we'll agree on a realistic plan across two or three appointments instead of one that risks breakage.
I also will not colour over hair that needs a cut first. If the ends are too damaged to hold colour evenly, I'll say so before we start, even if that means booking a separate appointment before the correction can begin.
Aftercare
- Wait 48 hours before your first wash to let the corrective tone settle properly.
- Switch to a sulfate-free shampoo. Correction work is often more fragile than a standard colour service, and regular shampoo strips it faster.
- Book a toner refresh every six to eight weeks if your correction included lightening, to hold the tone before it turns brassy again.
- Ask about cold hair restoration at your next visit if the correction involved heavy lightening. It rebuilds strength from the inside rather than sitting on top of the hair.
Questions
How much does colour correction cost?
Colour correction is $80 an hour. Most corrections run two to five hours depending on how many colours are already in your hair and how much lift is needed to get past them, so the total is usually somewhere between $160 and $400 before GST.
Can you fix box dye in one visit?
Sometimes. It depends on how many boxes of dye are stacked in your hair and how dark they were. If one visit would mean over-processing your hair to get there, I will say so at the consultation and split the correction into two appointments spaced a few weeks apart instead.
What causes brassy or orange hair after a box dye?
Box dye lightens hair without accounting for its natural underlying pigment, so as the colour fades, the orange or yellow warmth underneath shows through. Correcting it means neutralizing that underlying tone with the right corrective colour before applying anything else.
Will you always be able to fully correct my hair?
No. If your hair has already been chemically compromised past what a correction can safely fix in a reasonable number of visits, I will tell you honestly at the consultation, and we will talk about what a realistic result looks like instead of promising something your hair cannot deliver.
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