My mentor's bleach timing advice was dead wrong for my clients

My old instructor swore by 45 minutes max for any bleach session, no exceptions. I followed that rule for two years in Nashville until a client with stubborn lifted color came back with banding three days later. She told me her previous stylist used a slower developer and left it on longer, so I tried 25 volume and an hour with sectioning, and it came out even. Now I test strand every time and ignore the clock, I watch the actual tone shift. That one change cut my redos from about four a month down to zero last month. Any other stylists thrown off by outdated salon school rules that just don't fit real hair?

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charles67825d ago

Damn, that hits hard. School rules are just starting points, not gospel. I had the same wake up call with porosity, some hair just drinks up developer and needs way more babysitting than a textbook says. Now I check the strand every ten minutes and adjust as I go, even if it means going past what I planned. The clock is just a guide, the hair tells you the real story every time.