How to tone Luxy Hair extensions
Updated
by
Aleksandra
So, you have a beautiful hair color that doesn't quite match? No stress! Luxy Hair extensions are made of 100% Remy human hair and, therefore, can be toned by a professional hair colorist.
Kindly note, since our Seamless extensions are made with silicone at the base to ensure that they are thin and flat, this material does not take to dye. If you dye your Seamless extensions, the silicone strip will remain its original color after dyeing. Alternatively, our Classic extensions have a fabric base which can be dyed as it will take to the color.
So what does Remy human hair mean?
Remy hair is considered to be the finest quality of human hair because the cuticles are kept intact and not stripped, like in most other non-Remy hair extensions. Preserving the cuticles of the hair and aligning them in a unidirectional fashion creates extensions that are completely natural in appearance. This process ensures that the hair remains super soft, shiny, silky and completely tangle-free throughout its lifetime.
Luxy Hair extensions use only the finest quality of Remy human hair, which means that the hair has been carefully sorted at collection to ensure all the cuticles are of the same length. It is by far the best quality of clip-in human hair extensions on the market because of the care that is required and the time it takes to sort the hair so meticulously. Click here to see how and where our products are made.
What's the best way to tone my extensions?
Being super careful with how your hair extensions are toned is very important to ensuring the quality of your set is preserved. Naturally, dyeing or toning hair extensions can alter the quality of the set slightly, however, we'll provide you with the most important do's and don't's of toning your extensions to ensure your set lives a long and healthy life.
Do's
- Always do a test strand prior to dyeing the full set
To do this, mix some of the color and apply it to a small section on one of the one-clip wefts. This will ensure you're satisfied with the results before moving on to the full set. If you don't like the result, you can then make adjustments to the formula or processing time and test it again.
- Pre-wash with sulfate & alcohol-free shampoo before toning
Luxy Hair extensions come pre-conditioned and this silky coating needs to be removed in order for the color to absorb evenly. Plug your sink and fill it up with lukewarm water. Then, add 2-3 dollops of shampoo into the water, and swish the product around in the water so it's nice and soapy. We recommend washing your hair extensions one weft at a time (1-clip wefts can be collected into one bundle). Hold the weft with one hand at the top, submerge it into the water, and gently wash the hair. Avoid rubbing and be very careful to not tangle the hair. Once you are done, air-dry your Luxies and then you are ready for the color application!
- Have a professional hair colorist tone your extensions
Ideally, have someone who has had previous experience working with clip-in hair extensions to ensure the color goes as intended. We always recommend using professional-quality brands for the best results.
- Always apply the professional toner to both sides of the weft and in one direction
Doing this will ensure thorough saturation and that the result is even and not patchy. Remember, it's always better to use more color than far too little. When applying the color, only apply it in a downwards direction. Start from the base of the weft moving downwards towards the ends, following the natural fall of the hair. Applying the color upwards can damage your extensions, and will likely leave them frizzy and tangled.
- Maintain a moisturizing care schedule
It's always important to keep the hair moisturized, however, color-treated hair will need extra care. We recommend doing a sulfate-free deep conditioning treatment on the extensions after dyeing to ensure that any lost moisture and nourishment is added back into the hair. If possible, leave this on overnight for the best results. We also recommend deep conditioning your Luxies bi-weekly (or as needed) and using products that are specifically formulated for dry and damaged hair, as they will help keep the strands healthy and nourished. Also, look for products that add moisture to the hair like argan oil, coconut oil, castor oil and so on.
Don't's
- Tone the entire set altogether
This can cause tangling and it also means that you have less control over how the hair soaks up the color. Tone each weft at a time so you have complete control over the outcome.
- Use any bleach
We do not recommend bleaching your Luxies as they have already been dyed during the manufacturing process, and forcing bleach on hair that has already been dyed can be difficult. Bleaching is a damaging process that will alter the quality and integrity of your set. Increasing the concentration of bleach or leaving it in longer to soak will only lead to damaged hair.
- Use products that contain sulfates or alcohol
These ingredients strip the hair of its natural oils and will affect their integrity. This, in turn, makes the hair drier and more prone to tangling or matting. Another downside is that these products will fade your hair color quicker. Always be sure to check the ingredient listing on the back of the product to ensure you don’t see the words: SLS, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Alcohol denat, Ethanol, SD alcohol 40, Propanol, Isopropyl, and Propyl.
- Try to tone them yourself at home or use over-the-counter toners
Taking the extra step to have a professional work on your extensions will be a worthwhile investment. The ratio of peroxide to pigment requires a specific balance. Doing this incorrectly can very easily leave hair dry and damaged.
- Apply purple shampoo directly to the hair
Keep in mind Luxies have already been color treated and, therefore, will likely be a lot more porous (this means they will absorb and hold a lot more moisture). As a result, certain areas of hair will soak up more of the shampoo, and therefore, we recommend to avoid rubbing the purple shampoo directly onto the hair as this can create patchiness and tangling. Instead, we recommend diluting the shampoo in a bowl of warm water and running each weft through one by one.
Can I tone them myself with purple shampoo?
Although many of our customers have used color depositing products with much success, we always recommend having a professional hair colorist who has had experience with extensions custom tone your Luxies using a professional toner.
If you wanted to tone your set yourself with purple shampoo, please keep in mind that it will balance out the golden undertones from the Ash Blonde and Bleach Blonde shades and make it cooler, however, depending on your tone of blonde, this may not be the best alternative to making your extensions match better to your hair color. Since there are many different variations of cool-toned blonde shades, this is why we recommend having your set professionally toned to achieve a more seamless match. Also, we don’t recommend purple shampooing the Dirty Blonde shade as it will most likely not create a fully cool-toned medium blonde color. Instead, it may remove some of the brassiness. If you are looking for a dramatic difference, we recommend having this shade professionally toned.
What's the best way to tone my extensions with purple shampoo?
What you will need
- Sulfate-free & alcohol-free purple shampoo
- A sink or deep bowl/container
- Sulfate-free & alcohol-free conditioner
Pre-wash with sulfate-free & alcohol-free shampoo before toning
Plug your sink and fill it up with lukewarm water. Then, add 2-3 dollops of sulfate-free and alcohol-free shampoo into the water, and swish the product around in the water so it's nice and soapy. We recommend washing your hair extensions one weft at a time (1-clip wefts can be collected into one bundle). Hold the weft with one hand at the top, submerge it into the water, and gently wash the hair. Avoid rubbing and be very careful to not tangle the hair. Once you are done, air-dry your Luxies and then you are ready for the color application! Click here to view our blog post which will walk you through step-by-step on how to wash your Luxies.
To prevent staining, fill a deep bowl or sink up with warm water and dilute the shampoo
This temperature of water will help your extensions soak up the water and pigments into the cuticle and hold onto the color better. This will also ensure your wefts are evenly soaking up the color. Next, dilute some purple shampoo into the water until you achieve a vibrant purple color (making sure all of the shampoo is dissolved).
Test a 1-clip weft prior to toning the full set to see how ashy you want your Luxies
Start with a pre-washed and air dryed 1-clip weft. Dip the weft into the water completely letting it soak for a couple of seconds to a minute. Then, take it out and gently squeeze the remaining water out (starting at the base of the weft and slowly squeezing down towards the ends) into the sink/deep bowl. After doing this once, you can see how much of the color the weft has soaked up.
If you still feel that the weft could be ashier, we recommend repeating this process of putting the weft in water and squeezing the remaining water out several times. The more you do this, the ashier the hair will get, however, keep in mind that you do not want your hair to start turning a lilac shade. After you are satisfied with your 1-clip weft, we recommend to rinse it with cold water to seal the hair cuticle and make it silky and soft. Then, apply sulfate-free and alcohol-free conditioner and let soak for 5 minutes. Lastly, rinse again with cold water.We recommend letting this weft air dry and seeing the results before continuing with this process to the rest of the wefts. This way, you will be able to see the end result and you will have a better idea of how many times to let it soak up the purple color.
Continue the same process for the rest of the wefts
Once you are satisfied with your 1-clip weft, repeat the same process for the remainder of the wefts and set them aside once done (no need to rinse them yet yet).
Re-add water/purple shampoo once the water is less vibrant
Please note that you will start seeing the deep purple tone of the water lightening up once the wefts start soaking up the color. You may also end up with less water. When you notice this, simply add more water and shampoo, dilute it again and then continue on.
Rinse with cold water, condition, & air-dry
After you are done toning all of the wefts, rinse each weft with cold water to seal the hair cuticle and make it silky and soft. Then, apply sulfate and alcohol-free conditioner and let soak for 15 minutes. You can then rinse them again with cold water and you are all done!
Lay out all of the wefts on a flat surface and gently pat the excess moisture from the hair. Ensure that you don’t brush the hair until it is 90% dry. This is because the hair is at its weakest point when it's wet. Instead, use your fingers to gently loosen any tangles. A trick to preventing any frizz once the hair dries is to apply a small amount of hair oil to each weft to ensure the hair remains manageable and silky smooth.
What can I do if I over-toned my extensions and they are patchy?
You can use a clarifying shampoo on the extensions to help remove any patchiness. Keep in mind that a clarifying shampoo is very strong and may make the hair coarse and dry so apply a good deep conditioning mask afterward for 5-6 minutes (or even overnight).
An additional option to remove staining is to crush about 30 vitamin C tablets (more or less depending on the hair length and how much staining there is) or use vitamin C powder to mix with your shampoo. Apply it directly to the hair in downward motions (to not cause tangling or frizziness) and then wrap it in cling wrap. You can leave it on for a couple of hours and then rinse it off. Afterward, we recommend doing a sulfate-free deep conditioning treatment on the extensions to ensure that any lost moisture and nourishment is added back into the hair.
Need to see it to believe it?
And Finally!
For more customer transformations, please check out our @luxyhairlove Instagram account. Have some questions that weren't answered here? Email us at info@luxyhair.com – we're happy to help!
