Have you heard of color banding? It seems like one of those things that doesn’t get paid much thought until it’s there—and believe us, once it’s there, it’s really there. Color banding can be aesthetically disappointing, confidence lowering, and also a bit challenging to fix. But what are color bands and how do they happen? And perhaps more importantly, how can they be avoided? Zack’s filling us in on the details so we can all have happier hair experiences.
What is color banding?
Simply put, color banding is a noticeable ring of color circling your head that is slightly (or very) off from the rest of your hair’s color. Sometimes they are stark and obvious, other times, they are slight variations.
How does it happen?
Color banding can happen if you wait an extra-long time between hair services, and while it can happen with any color, this is especially true for folks who bleach their hair. The hair closest to your scalp is naturally warmer than the rest of it, and because of this, it responds to color treatments more quickly, causing the color to appear uneven across the length of new growth.
One can appear from past coloring experiences when using lightener (this is typically more likely with box color, though it can happen with professional color as well), or when new color has been applied to the root as well as over old color.
It’s also commonly seen when folks visit different stylists at different hair salons frequently. Without access to formula notes, your stylist has to create an entirely new formula to match your roots to your old color. If they don’t match it perfectly, this can lead to slight variations in your hair color, and over time, can actually result in multiple color bands occurring.
How can it be avoided?
You can avoid color banding by making sure you’re coming in regularly for maintenance appointments—for bleach, this is typically every 4-6 weeks, but your stylist will let you know what your personal schedule should be—and by finding a stylist you love (who keeps formula notes!) and working primarily with them.
If you’ve found yourself with a color band of your very own, don’t fret! Schedule a consultation with one of our Ginger & Maude stylists ASAP and we’ll figure out how to fix it.
P.S. Great news: We always keep formula notes.