How often can you tone your hair? Can you tone your hair twice in a row?

How long should you wait before you tone your hair again?

Can you tone your hair twice in a row?

How often should you tone your hair without damaging it?

The answer to this question depends on what type of toning product you are using exactly.

Read on...

BULLET POINT SUMMARY: HOW OFTEN CAN YOU TONE YOUR HAIR?

It all depends on what type of toning products you are using.

• If you are using high-lift permanent toners, you can use them once or twice on the hair. 
• If you are using regular permanent toners, you can use them every 4-6 weeks.
• If you are using demis. then you can use them every 3-4 weeks.
• And if you are using purple shampoos and masks, you can use them every day.

More details below...

What exactly is a hair toner?

Orange-yellow undertones. This hair needs lifting and toning.

A hair toner helps to remove orange-yellow, yellow-orange, yellow and other brassy undertones.

In order to get rid of this undertone and get your hair to a colder blonde or an ashier blonde, you need to use a hair toner.

Now here is where it gets interesting.

There are in fact 4 totally different types of toner available.

You need to choose the right type of toner depending on what color your hair is exactly.

And how often you can re-tone this hair depends on which type of hair toner you are using.

What are the different types of toner out there and how often should you use them?

There are 4 major types of toning products.

High Lift Permanent Toners

Our first group of toners contain a special "boost" ingredient which lift the hair by one level in addition to toning the hair.

That's why they are known as "intense" toners.

Only Ugly Duckling makes these.

If your hair is really very brassy (orange-yellow, in other words), you need to use this type of toner.

Also if you wish to take hair to totally white ash blonde color.

These toners are cream based, and you generally use them with 20 Vol developer.

They are pretty powerful and achieve their result in around 15-20 minutes.

Intense Silver Blonde Toner 100B

Intense Pearl Blonde Toner 100V

How often should you use High Lift Permanent Toners?

High Lift toners are very powerful products and they work exceptionally well at extracting yellow and lifting.

We recommend that you use them only once or twice in the lifetime of the hair. 

Of course, if you have a regrowth, that hair is virgin hair.

So by all means bleach that part, and then tone it with a high lift permanent toner.

That is what it's there for.

But when doing so, only apply on the lengths for a quick 5 minute refresh operation.

Don't over tone previously toned hair.

And don't re-tone it with a high lift toner on a regular basis.

Watch video of a High Lift Permanent Toner in use:

Regular Permanent Toners

Ugly Duckling also sells regular permanent toners.

These are also heavily pigmented, but they don't contain that "boost".

We would recommend that you use these for most regular full-head toning situations.

Also to be used in around 15-20 minutes.

Also to be used with 20 Vol developer.

Silver Blonde Toner 10B

Pearl Blonde Toner 10V

Extra Light Cool Blonde 10.2 - violet based blonde toning

Extra Light Cold Ash Blonde 10.1b - blue based ash blonde

How often should you use Regular Permanent Toners?

You can use regular permanent toners for repeat toning operations.

Allow 4-6 weeks between 2 toning operations with regular permanent toners.

By the time 4-6 weeks have come around, you will have a regrowth. 

So it's a good time to refresh the color of the hair in any case.

When doing a repeat toning operation, depending on the hair, feel free to reduce the processing time.

And you can go with 10 Vol developer, not 20 Vol developer.

Above all, don't forget that different parts of the hair will need different amounts of toning.

The ends will have been toned many many times in their life. So you don't overtone there.

Whereas at the mid-lengths hair will be thicker, will be younger hair and could be yellower or even orange.

So you may need to re-tone there to make everything consistent.

4-6 weeks is the right interval for re-toning this hair when using regular permanent toners.

Watch video of a Regular Permanent Toner in use:

Demi-Permanent Toners 

Ugly Duckling's Blondify toners are demis.

They are ammonia-free, and liquid based.

These toners also do a great job in toning yellow hair with great speed.

They don't lift, and can be used with either 10 or 20 Vol developer.

Because they are ammonia-free, they open the cuticle a little less.

They also contain Bond Protect, which helps to condition and strengthen the hair during the toning process.

10 minutes processing time only for these toners.

Because these are liquid toners, you can mix them in an applicator bottle and just pour and rub into the hair.

10 minutes processing time only.

Hair stylists really appreciate the convenience and the speed of these products.

Blondify Natural Ash Blonde 010A

Blondify Natural Violet Blonde 010V

How often should you use Demi-Permanent toners?

You can re-tone with demis more frequently than other categories of oxidizing toners.

We would suggest an interval of 3-4 weeks between each toning when using an Ugly Duckling demi.

Watch video of a Demi-Permanent Toner in action:

Toning Shampoos and Masks

Before and After Toning with Purple Shampoo & Mask

Our last categories of toners are purple shampoos and masks. 

These products tone by depositing color pigments on the surface of the hair.

There is no opening of the hair cuticle at all. 

How often can you use Toning Shampoos and Masks on your hair?

Because these products deposit pigments on the surface of the hair cuticle, you can use these products as often as you like. 

This is especially true if you are using Ugly Duckling's Purple shampoos and masks, as they are sulfate-free and acid based formulas.

Sulfate-free means no build up in the hair.

And acid based means that they will tend to close the hair cuticle and reduce frizz and split ends.

We would recommend that you use the Ugly Duckling Purple Shampoo every other day.

And the purple mask once or twice a week.

Watch Ugly Duckling Purple Shampoo and Mask in Action: