When we say “ash,” it's a tone of a colour and not a colour itself. That's why you'll hear “ash brown hair,” “ash blonde hair” and so on. If your hair is brown or brunette and you feel your colour needs an update, then consider a new hue instead of a new colour entirely. Here's the good news: you don't need a salon appointment or an expert colourist hovering over your hair to get that new look when you can do it on your own!
What Exactly Is Ash Colour?
Ash hair colours are grey, blue or green undertones that counter warmer tones like yellow or orange. Ever done bleaching your hair and yellow or orange tones are quite a number on your hair? Ash undertones neutralise these effects, but that's not all it does. While brassy hair can be fixed with ash undertones, hair can also become too ashy. When that happens, you may notice that instead of your hair turning brown with a brown hair dye, it is green.
Things to Consider Before Choosing That Ash Hair Colour
Ash hair colour isn't “one shade fits all” and so knowing whether that ash shade you saw during your Instagram scroll is compatible with your skin tone will be very helpful. Here are a few considerations to make:
Your Skin Tone - Not every shade of ash will work for everyone. Remember, a new hair colour or hue is more than just changing your hair colour; it's about embracing a new you. So, even if it's just a small shift in shade, it's a spice and as such, gives you a new look. When you do an ash blonde colour, for example, your stylist may have to make some adjustments to the tone in order to flatter your look.
Your Starting Colour - Achieving any shade of ash is not as simple as it may seem. It all depends on your starting colour. So, if someone says they DIYed the process and it was difficult, it doesn't mean you'll have the same experience. Say your hair is originally dark, lightening must be significant to at least reach the ash blonde shade before you now apply your dye. In this case, you may have many lightening sessions, but you should space them out.
The Level of Maintenance You're Willing To Commit - You will be doing the maintenance, and so, what level of maintenance you can give your new hue will determine which to go by. Ash brown colour may not fade as quickly as ash blonde because ash blonde hair is cooler than its brown counterpart.
However, a purple shampoo such as GK Hair's Silver Bombshell Shampoo can help neutralise warmth or brass that may creep in.
Your Desired Shade of Ash - Ash comes in a range of shades from ash blonde to ash brown. Even ash blonde itself comes in light and dark ash blonde hair. This makes it easy to choose and own your look precisely. We recommend that you at least have personalised sessions of consultations with your stylist or colourist before settling on a shade. If you have inspiration from somewhere, take pictures as that can help a lot.
How to Bleach at Home Without Damaging Your Hair
Almost every new colour demands that you first bleach off the existing colour. This makes bleaching fundamental in the colouring process. Gone are the days when every bleaching and dye job was done in the salon. Today, many people now know how best to safely bleach their hair without hurting a strand. Since you can't get the perfect ash colour without lightening, let's show you how:
Check Your Hair's Health First
It's always important to check with your hair before bleaching. If it feels dry or breaks easily, spend at least one or two weeks constantly deep conditioning. Preparing your hair for uneven lifting and damage, and that's why GK Hair's Deep Conditioner is a must-have on your shelf.
Gather the Right Products
Bleaching your hair may go smoothly until some parts of your hair feel like they're about to break or detach. What are the right products? Be careful to use a quality bleach powder like GK Hair's Lightening Powder, a cream developer and a purple or blue toner. Get a pair of gloves and an application brush to even out the bleach across your hair.
Take It Slow
We've been there: the excitement of a new hair colour or new hue. However, you should never feel pressured to rush the process. Sectioning your hair may feel very tasking but you'll realise it's worth it in the end. You should also pause and monitor your hair when lifting because with ash shades, what you need is pale yellow, not white.
Looking to experiment with blonde hair shades? Read: How to Get Blonde Hair the Right Way and Keep It Looking Fresh
How to Get Ash Blonde Hair
Ash blonde comes in several shades. The likes of light ash, dark ash, icy ash, ombré, and silver ash blonde colours. Transitioning to ash blonde requires patience and expertise, otherwise a guide from a professional stylist is needed. Ash blonde hair colour isn't only for blondes, even brunettes and redheads can get ash blonde hair. The only difference is the lightening process.
Brunettes would have to bleach to reach the desired lightness before toning, while redheads may have to use a colour corrector after bleaching because red or orange tones may still be visible afterwards.
Step 1: Bleach
Even if your starting colour is blonde, you'll have to lift your hair till it looks light yellow. No matter how far your base colour is, we advise that you shouldn't lift more than 2-3 times at a go. What this means is that you'll have many sessions of bleaching if your hair was originally very dark. This process may overstretch but it's all necessary so as not to damage your hair.
Step 2: Tone
Once that pale yellow look is achieved, tone your hair. Usually, a toner will deposit blue or green pigments that neutralise yellow or orange undertones. Use GK Hair's Ultra Blonde Bombshell Masque to add colour depth to your hair and bring it alive again.
Step 3: Apply Your Dye
Before anything, do a patch test on some non-visible parts of your hair. If your skin or hair reacts negatively, then you shouldn't continue.
How to Get Ash Brown Hair Colour
Getting ash brown is not so far-fetched from ash blonde. However, we'd like you to ask a professional colourist to do it for you on two grounds: you're switching colours dramatically or you want a technique you're unfamiliar with. For instance, balayage is a technique that requires expertise and patience. All the same, you can have light ash blonde, ash blonde, dark ash and medium ash hair with your GK Hair's Ash Colour Cream and Cream Developer.
Wrap Up: Getting Satisfied With Your Ash-Coloured Hair Look
Aftercare is important for maintaining the shine and health of your ash blonde or ash brown colour. You'll need to incorporate products that take care of each situation your hair is going through. If it is dry, simply indulge in moisture treatments or get our Intense Moisture Pack. When some of your strands have uneven tone, an Ultra Blonde Bombshell Masque is to the rescue!
