How Long To Leave Toner In Hair – What to Avoid

Depending on the results you want, you can leave it for up to 45 minutes. Check it frequently during the developing process to ensure that your hair doesn’t turn too dark!

If your hair is too long or too short, it will be too dark or too warm and brassy. We created this simple beginner’s guide for that reason.

How Long to Leave Toner on Hair?

You’re not the only one who has ever pondered how long you ought to let your hair sit with toner in it.

Whether you’re using a home or salon toner and how light your hair is will determine this. Your toner needs to be applied for less time if your hair is lighter.

It also depends on the brand you’re using, the color you want, and the condition of your hair.

In general, you should aim for a processing time of between five and forty-five minutes for the toner.

Start with ten minutes and observe the color’s appearance as a general rule.

Do not leave the toner on for longer than 45 minutes.

What is Hair Toner?

This color-correcting item is used to change the tone of your hair.

You can choose the perfect shade for your hair color because it comes in a variety of tones.

Toners work by removing the brassy yellow or orange undertones in your hair.

They are necessary to maintain the brightness of blonde and bleached hair.

They can also be used to conceal gray hair, which can help your hair regain its shine.

They are available as professional toners, glosses, and color-correcting shampoos.

What Type of Toner Do I Need?

Using blue toning products is necessary if you’ve dyed your hair brunette. Brassiness and orange tones are lessened by blue toner.

Using purple or silver toning products is necessary if you’ve dyed your hair blonde. Brassiness and yellow tones are diminished by purple or silver toner.

But if you want to make a really big change, you might need a toner that’s even more potent; in that case, you’ll need to use an ammonia-based toner.

When to Use Hair Toner.

• If your hair has unwanted warmth to it
• You have gray hair that you want to cover up
• if your hair feels dull and dry.
• if the color of your hair appears to have faded somewhat.
• if your hair is very light blonde or has been bleached.
• in order to maintain cool, ashy hair tones.

How to Use Hair Toner

These wonderful color fresheners can be used in a variety of ways. We have a fantastic step-by-step tutorial for toning hair.

The most typical method is to use it on your hair after shampooing and conditioning it.

To prevent over-toning your hair, be sure to closely adhere to the instructions on the packaging.

Another way to use them is to mix it with your shampoo or conditioner.

Any brassy yellow or orange tones in your hair will be reduced with this.

It can also be used as a root touch-up.

You can conceal roots that are a different color from the rest of your hair if you have any. (The coverage won’t be as good as hair dye, though.)

Simply brush it through after applying it to your roots!

A stronger formula might be required if your hair has been bleached. The most common justification for toning hair is that bleached hair naturally absorbs heat.

It is best to seek professional advice in this situation so that you can obtain the proper product and dosage.

How Does Toner Work With Bleach?

If you go to a salon and need to bleach your hair, your stylist will decide how much bleach you need based on the starting hair color and how light you want to go.

On a scale of one to ten, this is typically based.

You will undoubtedly need toner if your stylist plans to lighten your hair beyond a level eight.

This will counteract any warm tones that are inherently present in darker hair, lessen any brassiness, and enhance the shine and luster of your freshly colored locks.

Additionally, it will make your newly blonde hair look more natural and less yellow or even orange.

Benefits of Hair Toner

It Provides Shine

If your toner has an acidic base, it will reflect light, giving the appearance of glossy, shiny hair.

Toner Ads Volume

Similar to conditioner, toner helps your hair gain body and volume.

This is accomplished by thickening your hair cuticle, making it fuller, and giving your locks more volume. Your hair will shine because it also seals the cuticle.

Toner Enhances Hair Color

If you don’t use toner, your dye won’t do much.

Depending on how you’re dying your hair, toner can make your locks warmer or cooler by giving them more depth.

Additionally, it eliminates any unwanted tones and helps to combat brassiness in the hair.

Toner Can Strengthen Hair

Your strands’ resilience can be increased by toner. In addition to helping to balance the overall porosity of your hair, it forms a shield around them that will temporarily fend off environmental stressors.

The Difference Between Home and Professional Toners

Inevitably, there is a difference between at-home and professional toners:

Salon Toners

Your stylist will customize the toner and color for you when you visit a salon.

They are professionally trained to make sure you leave with the best appearance possible, working to bring out either warm or cool tones depending on the color you choose, and correcting any colors that don’t complement you.

Salon toners aren’t pre-formulated; rather, your stylist will make them specifically for you based on the look you want.

Because they will likely be stronger as a result, they shouldn’t be left on your hair for more than 20 minutes.

At Home Toners

As previously mentioned, items such as purple, silver, or blue shampoos and conditioners are considered at-home toners.

Between dye treatments, they reduce or neutralize unwelcome tones in your hair.

To add a little toning maintenance to your daily routine, you may be able to buy toning drops that can be incorporated into the haircare products you already use.

Although you can buy some salon toners to use at home, we don’t advise it unless you have experience bleaching, dying, and toning your hair.

You might end up with hair that is streaky, patchy, or even severely damaged if any of these steps are not followed correctly. Also keep in mind that you should always patch test.

What Happens If You Leave Toner in Your Hair for Too Long?

When using toner, you must pay attention to the timer. If you wear it too long, you might unintentionally end up with blue, silver, or purple hair.

When Should You Use a Toner?

You must always use a toner when bleaching your hair to bring out the desired colors and cancel out pigmentation in the yellow, red, and orange spectrums.

Your roots or highlights can be done with toner. When using toner, it’s crucial to keep these recommendations in mind.

Neutralizing Brassiness

You need a blue toner with lighter, ashy tones if your main goal is to eliminate any unsightly brassiness or orange tones.

Lightening Hair

You need ice white tones in your toner to achieve that cool-as-ice look, and you should then use a purple shampoo to reduce any straw-like yellow or orange colors that may have leaked through.

How Should You Use Toner?

Remember, depending on the condition of your hair, its initial color, and the color you want to achieve, we advise researching the type of toner that would be most appropriate for your situation.

Otherwise, these are the steps for using toner:

1. Toner and developer should be combined in a 1:2 ratio.

2. Work this mixture through your hair, paying close attention to any areas where you’ve noticed brassiness or unfavorable tones. An applicator brush can be helpful.

3. Before rinsing out, wait up to 45 minutes. Apply a deep conditioner next to replenish moisture.

How Often Should You Use Toner?

Blonde hair will eventually begin to take on brassy tones due to color fade, which is natural.

The frequency of your hair washes will determine how often you should use toner; if you wash your hair too often, the color will fade more quickly, necessitating more frequent use of toner.

Utilize a toner every six to eight weeks, ideally.

How Do You Know Which Type of Toner to Use?

The color wheel, which we briefly mentioned above, is crucial to understanding which toner is best for you.

To balance things out, use a toner that is on the other side of the wheel from the tone you’re trying to remove.

Red is countered by green, orange by blue, and yellow by purple.

Do not forget that you might require an ammonia-based toner.

These should only be used if you are well-versed in color theory and toner usage.

Otherwise, you might end up with completely incorrectly colored hair, like an awful green, for example.

Maintaining Toned Hair

Your new look may change colors as a result of a variety of factors.

While color will inevitably fade with time, other environmental factors like UV exposure, chlorine or saltwater exposure, air pollution, and water hardness will also have an impact on how you appear.

There are ways to maintain toner hair, however:

Use Haircare for Color Treated Hair

It kind of goes without saying that this. Utilize maintenance-focused products to extend the life of your new color.

For hair that has been dyed blonde, purple or silver shampoos and conditioners are essential, while blue-tinted haircare items are crucial for hair that has been dyed brunette.

Use a UV-Protectant

Sun protection is necessary for more than just your skin. Your color will fade in direct sunlight, but using a UV spray made specifically for hair can help to minimize this.

Avoid Swimming

Your toned and colored hair will react with chlorine and saltwater, which could result in streakiness or color fading. Blonde hair can actually turn green when exposed to chlorine.

Reduce color fading by not swimming. If you enjoy swimming, don’t forget to wear a swim cap. Although they may not be glamorous, your hair will appreciate it.

Avoid Heating Tools

Yes, we also enjoy using a curling iron and a flat iron, but if they are used improperly, heating tools can seriously harm hair and cause serious color fading.

Prior to using your tool, use a heat protectant, at the very least, to reduce fade or other damage.

Conclusion

How long should you leave a hair toner in? Toner should be applied to newly lightened hair for 30 to 45 minutes. To correct the tones and restore the fresh, glossy look of your colored hair, 5 to 20 minutes of toning is sufficient.

Frequently Asked Questions