When you finally decide on your new hair colour after hours of painstakingly scrolling Instagram, canvassing friends in your group chat and debating with your mum, the fear begins to set in. What if the bleach destroys my hair? What if it looks great until a month in, then it goes all brassy? Will I still get taken seriously at work? There’s a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to hair colour, from the technique to the upkeep – so we decided to enlist a woman truly in the know. Issie Churcher is a Wella Master Colour Expert – and if that wasn’t enough, she also heads up a training programme for over 600 staff at HOB Salons. She’s worked her magic on more heads of hair than you’ve had hot dinners, and is fanatical about precise, flattering colour for every lady lucky enough to go under her foils.
Most of us know that we should always leave hair colouring, especially dramatic transformations, to the professionals, yet there’s still a lot of question marks. A quick straw poll of Team Treatwell showed that our primary hair colour concerns centred around a feeling of not being able to maintain the shade we’ve been given, or what the colouring process would do to our hair. We put all these questions (and more) to Issie for a little myth-busting Q&A…
By Daniela Morosini
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1 It takes several hours to have your hair colour done - true or false?
‘False!’ said Issie. Yep, that image of sitting in a salon for hours while someone paints every last hair on your head? It really doesn’t have to be that way. ‘Some processes obviously do take a lot longer, like a whole head of highlights. But a root touch up, balayage or quick colour boost can be a lot quicker,’ explained Issie.
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2 Hair colour damages your hair - true or false?
‘Again, false. There are lots of factors that cause damage to your hair – including just going outside! The environment we live in and pollution can have damaging effects on your hair. Also, just like the sun’s not good for your skin, it’s not good for your hair either,’ explained Issie. ‘Colour does not damage your hair – it’s more about how it’s used or applied. For example, dying repeatedly over colour isn’t kind on the hair. A good colourist will only dye where necessary. Also, hair colour innovation has progressed hugely over the decades and professional hair colour products contain lots of ingredients to protect and nourish the hair.’
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3 You can only have highlights and balayage if you're blonde - true or false?
Californian, sun-kissed hair is always popular. There aren't many people that don’t look at a photo of Gisele and sigh (for many reasons, but let’s think about hair right now). But is it just for blondes? ‘Highlights and balayage are hair colouring techniques,’ said Issie. ‘These techniques can be used on any colour of hair, it all depends on your desired look. I use both these techniques on all hair colours, whether I'm adding soft brunette, warm copper, light blonde or playful and bright pastel shades.'
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4 Fun colours such as pastel and rose gold can't look glamorous and chic - true or false?
‘Of course they can!’ laughed Issie. 'It all depends on the finished result: how the colours are used, do they look seamless and transcend into softer shades gradually? We have been seeing and doing a lot of pastel and rose gold shades in the salon,’ added Issie. That’s right – those styles you’ve been double-tapping on Instagram can work IRL – just make sure you have a proper consultation with your colourist first about how much impact you’re looking to make.
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5 Washing your hair makes your hair colour change - true or false?
It’s a chicken and egg problem – the ultimate question – is it the water or the shampoo that makes colour fade? Issie gave us the scoop: ‘Washing your hair shouldn’t cause your colour to fade. If you’re noticing colour fade, you’re probably not using the right products. Speak to your colourist and see what they advise – there’s a reason salons sell products! Get the regime right and your hair colour can look as good as the first day it was done.’
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6 Grey hair is frumpy looking - true or false?
Icy-grey tones took ahold of the hair world about a year ago, and they’ve only got more and more popular in that time. But can you pull it off if you’re not a superstar blogger with a ring light around you permanently? Issie broke it down: ‘Not everyone suits their natural grey/white hair colour. It’s about how well it complements them. If someone’s thinking about grey, whether that’s tweaking their natural grey or going for grey as a style statement, we take into consideration during our consultation with our clients their natural skin tone, eye colour and current hair colour to check for the right shades that are going to complement them. This is why a great consultation is key!’ Hear, hear.
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