Missy Peterson Reveals Tips to Transform At-Home Color

When a client walks in with unflattering at-home hair color, the colorist has to walk a fine line—create a flattering, professional hue, without insulting the client’s coloring attempts. The good news: After you correct the color, they’ll appreciate your work and become regular customers. Here, Missy Peterson, Malibu C master colorist, reveals her best tips for transforming at-home hair color.

  • Get the story. Ask the normal “When was the last time you’ve colored your hair?” and “Do you know what color was used?” questions, but keep in mind, at-home color clients tend not to share the full story. Look for definitive clues: uneven color (especially in the back of the head), a distinct line of demarcation and damage from overlapping color.
  • Damage control. Many store-bought colors are more damaging than salon colors—particularly ones with metallic salts in them. And, at-home color clients often get distracted when applying color, leading to over-processing. In the salon, check the hair’s porosity before adding another chemical. If the hair isn’t properly prepared, there could be a chemical reaction. CPR Color Pigment Remover by Malibu C is specifically designed for use on oxidative hair color, so it’s always my go-to for color removal without the damage. 
  • Work smart. Adding a protective treatment to your color process gives you more choices in the tools you can use—meaning you don’t always need harsh chemicals and increased processing time. It’s a matter of working smarter instead of harder. Malibu C Crystal Gel Wellness Remedy takes the fear out of a color correction service because it serves as a primer, preparing your canvas for any chemical processes.
  • Leave ‘em happy.  As colorists, we can’t help what’s already been done to the hair, but we can make sure moving forward that we provide the best possible results. Share with clients the benefits of having their hair professionally colored by a licensed colorist. And, if you ‘wow’ the client—without making them feel bad about their at-home attempts—they won’t want to do their own hair color again.