Fixing box dye: what color correction can and can't do

Color correction at Hair Shak Salon Miami is priced at a free consultation, after Shak has seen your hair. That isn't us being vague. Two people describing the same "orange" can need completely different work, and the only way to know which is to look.

Why box dye is hard to undo

Box dye is made to work on anyone's hair, so it's strong, and it stacks. Every time it goes on over the last round, the ends get another coat of pigment. Lightening through that is slower and less predictable than lightening hair that has never been colored, and the ends usually fight hardest.

Tell your stylist everything

The most useful thing you can do before a correction is to tell us what has been on your hair over the last couple of years, even if you don't remember the brand. Box dye counts, so does a gloss, a keratin treatment, or that color you tried at home and regretted the next morning. Henna is worth mentioning on its own, because some store-bought henna reacts badly with lightener.

What's realistic

Some corrections take one appointment. Going lighter through layers of dark box dye can take more than one, with time in between so the hair holds up. If you're going from black to brown, we do a test strand first.

If your ends are already fragile, Shak may tell you to deal with that before adding more color, usually with a protein treatment. It's slower, and it's the reason the hair is still on your head at the end.

What we won't do is promise a result before seeing your hair. If a salon does that over the phone, it's fair to ask how they know.

What it costs

Corrective color is priced at the consultation, and the consultation is free. For reference, single process color starts at $130 and balayage at $585, but a correction can land anywhere depending on what's on your hair now.

Before you come in

Take two photos: your hair as it is, in daylight, and a picture of where you want to end up. Bring both. Then call +1 305-494-7128, or leave your details on the color page and we call you back. The salon is at 300 Alton Road in South Beach, with free parking for clients.