Toner, overlays. What?

July 19 2019

     You've heard the words, "I'm just going to mix up your toner, I'll be right back"  and bit of panic starts to settle in. "What is a toner? I didn't have this done at my last salon. What is she doing?" Fear not! The word toner goes by many names, overlay, gloss, demiperment color, glaze, shine treatment and all of these descriptions basically do or mean the same thing. A toner is a demipermaent color usually placed over prelightened hair to create desired tones that the hair does not naturally contain.

     Why didn't you have a toner at your last salon? There are few reasons a toner was not used before. Maybe you didn't need it, maybe you and the hairdresser decided in the consultation that you wanted bright raw bleach results. Here, at 5th Avenue, we use toners/overlays frequently. Why? Well, more often than not, client's bring us pictures from Instagram and Pintrest that are just not attainable without them.

     The beautiful results toners can provide are not the only benefits. When the hair is bleached the cuticle on the hair is open,which means your hair is more susceptible to your environment. The hair will start to turn yellow from oils on the scalp, sweat, or even smoke and pollution in the air. By putting a toner on the bleached highlights or balayage, you close the cuticle making hair softer, stonger, and more sleek and silky looking.

     The line of demipermant color we use to tone is Redken Shades EQ, their tag line is "Shades, a color that thinks it's a conditioner." Your highlights will be sealed, smoothed and a beautiful cool or beige blonde for weeks on end. You can expect to pay anywhere from $21-40 for a toner depending on length of time left on the hair and amount of product needed for your hair.

     Now you know if you're going to bring a beautiful blonde picture to the salon with any kind of white,silver or beige tones you're going to need and WANT a toner.