6 Tips to Share with Clients Who Want Pastel Hair

We're more than halfway through 2017 and its easy to see that it's been the year of iridescent, holographic and fantasy-inspired hair. Unicorn hair, in particular, is still having it's well-deserved moment in the spotlight. The pastel shades and glitter-happy aesthetic are taking over Instagram feeds and chances are, your clients are eyeing the magical-color trend. But, do they know everything involved in making the mystical colors come to life? It's not as simple as it may seem. 

Pulp Riot Educator Shurie (@shurie) is here with six insider tips to share with your clients before they make the pastel plunge. 

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Whether your client's hair is blonde, naturally dark or colored dark, it's important to let them know it will take multiple processes to get them to they color they want. This may be alarming to some, but, Shurie says there is always a middle ground that can be met. For example, tell your client, "If you want to be a lavender, we can start you at a darker violet and slowly make you lighter." 

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Make sure your client allots enough time for the transformation. Between extracting previous color, lightening the hair, applying a new color, cutting and drying, your client should expect to be in the salon for three to eight hours.

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Every step in the styling process costs you time and money. Be sure to let your client know that they are going to get what they pay for. If they can only spend a certain amount, tell them that you will do as much as possible to get them to a color that fits in their budget. 

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You know it and I know it, but it's likely that your client is unaware of the damage that comes from coloring hair—especially lightening hair. It's crucial to recommend a good product for your client's hair and emphasize the importance of religiously using that product. Because money is a universally valuable asset, remind them that they need to protect their colored hair as an investment. 

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Because fashion colors are direct dyes and not oxidative tints, they stain the cuticle of the hair rather than opening the cuticle and permanently changing the hair's pigment. Remind your client that temporary hair colors last four to eight weeks and proper aftercare is essential to a longer life. 

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Consistency is key. Always stress the importance of timely appointments, aftercare and staying away from store brand product. It only takes a couple of days to strip the color and fill the hair cuticle with wax. Also worth noting, suggest that your client picks a color they feel comfortable sticking with. Constantly changing color will result in more money, time and faster color fading. 
 
About: Pulp Riot burst on to the scene with a brand that empowers stylists to think of themselves as artists, while providing them with superior paint to create their masterpieces. David Thurston, the founder of Pulp Riot, is also the founder of Butterfly Loft salon and Ubungalows Luxury Salon Suites, that combined make up a 10,000 square foot salon and spa located in Los Angeles, California.  He is also the founder of Butterfly Circus, a touring education team made up of some of the most recognizable stylists in the world, who collaborate to put on large hair shows. David is also the co-founder of Butterfly Loft Academy, a hands-on education company that teaches the latest Balayage, color melt, and vivid/pastel coloring techniques. Follow Butterfly Loft on Instagram.