With blonde and gray hair, it’s typically yellow or gold tones that begin to show when your hair becomes brassy. Depending on what shade of blonde your hair is, orange, copper, or red tones may appear when your color starts go brassy. Dark hair with highlights can start to look a brassy orange or red. If you are not sure what tones you have in your hair, ask a professional hair stylist.

If you hair has gold or yellow tones that you wish to neutralize, look for a violet or purple shampoo. If your hair has golden coppery tones that you wish to neutralize, choose a blue-violet or blue-purple shampoo. If you hair has copper or orange tones that you wish to neutralize, go with a blue shampoo. If you hair has red copper or red-orange tones that you wish to neutralize, opt for a blue-green shampoo. If you hair has red tones that you wish to neutralize, search for a green shampoo.

Keep in mind that if you have fine or thin hair, you may actually be better off with a toning shampoo that’s lighter in color or not as pigmented. Formulas that are richer in pigment can actually tint your hair if you use them daily. For example, if you use a deep, dark purple toning shampoo every day, your hair may wind up a light purple shade. However, using the shampoo once per week should not tint your hair.

If you have short hair, use approximately a nickel size (1. 5 cm circle) amount of the shampoo. For hair that ends between the chin and shoulders, use approximately a quarter size (2. 5 cm circle) amount of the shampoo. If you have long hair past the shoulders, use approximately a half dollar size (4 cm circle) amount of the shampoo.

If you have fine or thin hair, you may not want to leave the toning shampoo on for the full time recommended because it may tint your hair if you leave it on too long. [8] X Research source www. refinery29. com/purple-shampoo

Many companies that make toning shampoos sell conditioners in the same color to further help the toning process. You can use one of these color correcting conditioners after the toning shampoo or opt for your regular conditioner. If you wind up with tinted hair after using the toning shampoo, the color will lessen with repeated washings. You can hurry the process along by using a clarifying shampoo the next time you wash.

You should be more generous with the shampoo that you would be if you were applying it to wet hair. Use enough to thoroughly coat all of your hair. Keep in mind that the shampoo will not lather as much as it does when it is wet. Using toning shampoo on dry hair can produce more dramatic results because there’s no added water to dilute the pigments. As a result, it can sometimes tint hair, so you want not want to try the treatment if you have fine or thin hair.

The thicker and coarser your hair is, the longer you can leave the shampoo on. It’s best to err on the side of caution, though, and start with a shorter amount of time to see how your hair reacts.