The hair color product is applied in a very specific way so as not to over-run lines of demarcation, peripheral borders, and the like. 

Color formulas are designed and customized for all specific hair types including 'Not-Chemically Treated/Virgin Hair', 'Previously Colored Hair', 'Resistant Gray Hair', 'Bleached and Highlighted Hair', 'Permed, (curly or straight), Hair', ect. In some instances a client may have a need for more than one formula to be applied to her hair so that the end result will be uniform and well penetrated with pigment. These various formulas may be made up of different pigment combinations and/or different strengths of developer. In all cases the integrity of the hair shaft condition is the primary concern since a hair shaft with poor structural integrity will not support a superior haircolor result. 

It is important that the hair color client understand a few things about hair coloring:

• The hair color manufacturers require a Patch Test be performed at-least 24hrs in advance of every hair color application for any client, to check for sensitivity/allergic reactions to most hair color products. Even if you've been having your hair colored with the same product for many years, you are still required to have the Patch Test administered 24hrs before each application. Most people waive this Patch Test requirement if they are told about it and most hairdressers don't mention the Patch Test requirement to the clients. It all comes down to convenience, most clients find it very inconvenient to stop in at the salon for a Patch Test a day before their appointment and most hairdressers find it inconvenient to mention the Patch Test requirement to their clients. No-one is asking what the legal ramifications of refusing to do the Patch Test are. The Patch Test consists of having a pill size spot of raw/unactivated haircolor of the type that will be used on your hair to be applied to the sensitive skin of the bend in your elbow or behind your ear, allow 24hours to see if there is an adverse reaction such as reddening of the skin. If there is, you may be sensitive to the product and the application of it may have to be kept away from your skin or in extreme cases you may need to forgo haircolor application altogether. Although rare, there are people who have had severe reactions to haircolor even to the stage of being taken to emergency care centers.

The hair color service is finished with specific products designed by the haircolor manufacturer to remove residual product, close the cuticle of the hair shaft, and impart a smoothness, shine, and long lasting result.  This attention to detail results in the rich color deposit, shine, healthy feel, and long lasting nature of high quality European Hair-Color products and the hair that has been treated with them.  

There are various haircoloring and bleaching products available to create effects which produce the contrasting results.  The tools used in this work, (foils, caps, brushes, bottles, etc.) also vary accordingly, depending on the desired end result. 

Highlighting the hair often involves bleaching strands of hair until very light then Toner is applied to the hair shaft.  The Toner is a most important step after any bleaching process for two major reasons:              

1. It deposits a color that controls unwanted Yellow, Copper, Gold, Red or other tones that are the ordinary, but unsightly, end result of bleaching. 
2. The toner also deposits conditioners in the hairshaft that will seal and smooth the hair shaft.  

Bleaching the hair is typically very damaging to the hair shaft and to the skin so protecting the hair and producing a beautiful color and shinny finish is what the Toner is made to do. If Toner is not used the hair will slowly darken to undesirable shades called "Brassy".  The hair shaft will always be more porous, less shinny, dry feeling, frizzy.  The bleached hair that has no Toner will develop split ends sooner than hair that has had the product applied.

On hair that is naturally a light color level there are additional options in a highlighting product choice. High-Lift Blonde is a product hair color manufacturers make available for various uses on light hair. High-Lift Blonde colors come in various tones to produce a wide range of results on light blonde and light red hair. The benefits of using High-Lift Blonde Hair Color are: Greatly reduced damage to the hair shaft. In fact with a high quality product and lower lift strength developer the damage factor is nil. For highlighting a single application color takes less time to complete whereas a bleach and tone service is typically a two part process. Like Toner, the High-Lift Blonde hair color product from a top quality manufacturer will leave the hair protected against environmental damage with conditioners and finishing agents that smooth the hair shaft and impart softness and shine in a beautiful long-lasting result.