My hair styling cycle runs thus: have my hair cut slightly too short and highlighted slightly too close to my roots; get creative with grips and texturing sprays as it grows; explode with joy and let it do its own thing when it finally hits peak length/colour; enjoy that phase for about a fortnight; suddenly realise it looks shockingly damaged and unkempt, book in for next round.
Earlier this month, I got to the penultimate stage – ragged, frayed, shapeless hair – and decided it would be a perfect opportunity to trial the Splash colour technique Hari’s are pioneering. Splash is a colour maintenance technique whereby colour is applied to damp hair with the concentration of colour going on the roots. Doing it this way will blend regrown roots with the dyed ends and also cover greys between longer colouring sessions. The wet bit is strategic, acting as a barrier between the tint and hair to reduce damage. The best bit? The whole thing only takes 15 minutes.
Unfortunately, once sat in their Colour Director Salvadore’s chair in the Parsons Green branch, he told me that I wasn’t the ideal candidate for just Splash colour: ‘you’re going to need a little highlighting I call Burnt – I’ll coat the roots in a semi-permanent colour to keep the health of your hair intact for when you decide to do something more pronounced with your colour, and I’ll weave a little bit of blonde into the ombre to refresh the overall colour. Finally, at the sink, I’ll add a touch of Splash colour to add a bit of life.’
A touch baffled – but quite certain I was in good hands – I let him do his thing. An hour and a half later I emerged with hair that I felt was just right – not too short (bar my fringe, which I always have cut just a shade too much to avoid having to have it trimmed too often), not too blonde or processed. Perhaps I need to hit the hairdresser for more ‘refresh’ treatments rather than the usual thrice-yearly whopper appointments…
Here’s the before and after:
