Whether discreetly adding more pepper to salt-and-pepper hair or going full throttle with day-glo hues — coloring hair is common, mainstream, and even expected today among people of all ages, walks of life, genders, lifestyles, and professions.
As commonplace as it is, coloring your hair is not a process to take lightly. Do-it-yourself hair color abounds — and is one of the quickest and easiest ways to wreck your locks. You may think you’re saving a few bucks buying a box of color at Duane Reade, but we can vouch that DIY hair color fiascos happen all the time … and professional color correction services are never cheap nor easy.
In-salon hair color services are a different ballgame. In the hands of a hair color expert using a high-quality color line, your tresses take on new life with rich, vibrant tones that bring out your skin and eye color, with artfully placed highlights that play up your best features, in customized shades created for you. We see every day the lift and excitement that fresh hair color brings to our guests.
Color by Jose, Scott J Upper East Side
The main reason people are leery of trying hair color is they fear damage to their hair from harsh chemicals. For this reason, we use and love plant-based Aveda Color. It’s 97 percent naturally derived and essentially damage free … actually leaving hair softer and shinier after use. Because no two people are alike – and their hair color shouldn’t be, either – Aveda Color’s rich hues and dimensional colors are customizable for everyone.
If you have yet to experience the thrill of looking in the mirror and loving your updated hair, we want you to join the club! If you have questions about hair color, we gathered the seven most common questions people want to ask our colorists. Their responses are below. We’re also extending our most generous hair color offer yet: 30% off your very first color service at Scott J.
Thinking about taking the plunge? Read on … then give us a call.
Color by Jessina, Scott J Upper East Side
Color by Karina, Scott J Upper East Side
Color by Alyssa, Scott J Morningside Heights
1. I’m dying to try a fashion hair color like turquoise or pink. What’s the process of that? What’s the maintenance and upkeep like? Is it more complicated to maintain if it’s a multi-color look?
“Fashion colors are double processes, requiring that you bleach the hair to a very light blonde before you apply the final fashion color. Maintenance is high, as fashion colors fade fast, so be prepared to not only pay for the initial bleaching and toning, but toning to refresh the fashion color every few weeks. Also, healthy hair holds color better, so Botanical Therapy treatments are helpful. If you want to keep your hair color vibrant, say goodbye to your drugstore shampoo and conditioner and invest in a color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
“It is absolutely harder to maintain a multi-colored look. The more colors and smaller sections of each color you have, the harder it is to touch up, and the more expensive the maintenance will be. “ — Alyssa Gallo, Senior Stylist, Morningside Heights
“The process of pre-lightening the hair alone can take up to a few hours. Next, you color the hair the desired fashion color, which can be an additional hour. In general, fashion colors fade fast so they need to be retouched more often, like every 2-4 weeks.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
The process of transitioning to fashion colors. Color by Pam, Scott J Upper West Side
Fashion colors by Kaitlin, Scott J Brooklyn Heights
Our senior stylist & educator, Michael, rocking pink Aveda Color.
You don’t get fashion colors like these from a box! Color inspiration & formulations by Brittney, Scott J Upper East Side
2. I burnt my hair off at home, leaving color on the ends too long. Now I am feeing color shy, but the grey roots are starting to show. What’s a gal to do?
“If only the ends are overprocessed, color to ends should not add to the damage. Put conditioner on the ends to add extra protection.” — Steve Royster, Master Stylist/ Educator/ Aveda Pure-fessional, Upper East Side
“Aveda has an amazing ammonia-free color line called Full Spectrum Deposit Only. It is non-damaging and is a great substitute to permanent hair color to nurse your hair back to health. It will not cover your grey completely; however, we can blend in for a more natural look until your hair is ready to take permanent color again.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side Color by Crystal Ann, Scott J Upper West Side
3. How do you know how light is too light to color your hair while still having the new look complement your skin tone? I’ve always wanted to go platinum blonde, but nervous to take the leap.
“A face-to-face consultation is needed so your colorist could suggest what would be appropriate for your skin tone. This would also help ascertain if platinum would even be an achievable result with your natural hair color. If you get the green light that it is possible, I recommend that you see if you like the look by going to a wig store and trying on a few different colors. The worst-case scenario is that you go blonde and don’t like it, and in that case, going back darker is no problem at all.” — Kristen Glynn, Senior Stylist, Upper West Side
“As hairdressers, we take into account many factors of your features to create the right color just for you. Your skin tone, eye color and natural hair color all play a role in our decision. Aveda Color has the advantage because it is the only fully customizable hair color line on the market. There are many shades of blonde. Let us create the best shade for you.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
Platinum blonde by Mikaela, Scott J Upper West Side
Golden blonde by Brittney, Scott J Upper East Side
4. How can I keep my ends from looking dull and fading after coloring?
“A color balance every other single process will add shine and moisture to your hair and prevent fading.” — Bree Tuzzolino, Stylist, Upper West Side
“Dullness and fading comes from wear and tear of your color. This can be prevented during your color service by asking your stylist for a gloss to refresh the color. At home, I love to use Aveda’s Color Conserve Daily Color Protect. Putting this leave-in treatment in your hair before you blow dry or style will improve the luminosity of your hair on a daily basis.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
Color by Sal, Scott J Upper East Side
5. I want to go from my natural dark color to a much lighter color. What’s the best way to do that?
“There is a host of variables depending on factors such as: darkness of the natural hair, hair color history, integrity of the hair, desired result, and how often you can commit to maintenance. Services ranging from high-lift color to double-process blonding to foils or balayage are all appropriate under different circumstances. The best way to go lighter when you’re dark is to have a complementary consultation with one of our stylists so that they can personalize a game plan to achieve the ideal end result.” — Dan Duffey, Guest Services Manager, Upper East Side
“The best way of going lighter from a natural dark color is to do highlights. If your hair is virgin (hasn’t been colored before) then you can get up to four shades lighter without using bleach. If you want to lighter than that, or you have color on your hair, bleach is the only option. To keep the integrity of your hair, highlights are the best option.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
Want to transition into a new color? Highlights are the way to go.
6. I use henna because it’s natural. How natural is Aveda Color?
“I would recommend a strand test first. Henna can sometimes have undesirable reactions with permanent hair color.” — Dawn Schenk, Master Stylist, Upper East Side
“Aveda Color is at least 97 percent plant derived. This means it is as natural as natural can get to permanently cover grey. Henna contains ingredients that do not mix well with most color lines and can chemically damage your hair. Most people with sensitivity issues to major color lines prefer Aveda Color.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
Color by Brittney, Scott J Upper East Side
7. I don’t want to see any red in my hair. Can you get the red out?
“People see red (or warm tones) because it is a natural remaining pigment of the hair. The Aveda Color line is fully customizable, so I can add as much tone that is needed to disguise all those warm pigments that you may see.” — Andrew Levine, Stylist, Upper West Side
Color by Avery, Scott J Upper East Side
There’s no better time to try Aveda Color. Take 30% off your first color service with one of Scott J’s talented, educated color experts. You’ll wonder what took you so long!