Can toner make your hair darker?

Author: Dagmar Bosco  |  Last update: Wednesday, April 16, 2025

You don't have to worry about toner changing the general color of your hair if you're blonde, and if you have brown, dark auburn, or black hair, toner is not an effective product to use in order to make your hair darker.

Why does toner make my hair darker?

The longer the toner sits, the more pigment it'll deposit. When it's depositing ash pigment it'll make the hair appear about one shade darker.

Does hair get darker the longer you leave toner on?

Some toners will make your hair appear darker but not for long because they fade rather quickly even ones labeled ``permanent''. You can use actual hair color to tone out unwanted colors but again if your using a transparent color it will fade, otherwise you're simply just coloring your hair a darker color.

Can toner change your hair color?

Hair toner changes your hair's brassy undertones, lifting your colour and adding ashy, beigey colours.

What to do if your hair is toned too dark?

Use a clarifying shampoo to help strip some of the unwanted color. This may help lighten the grey tone slightly. Follow up with a good conditioner to avoid excessive dryness. Use a Purple or Blue Shampoo: These products can neutralize unwanted yellow or brassy tones.

Help, my hair color got too dark !!

What happens if you tone your hair too much?

Some toners contain harsh chemicals or high levels of ammonia or peroxide, which can strip the hair of its natural oils and cause damage if used incorrectly or excessively.

How long does it take for toner to fade?

This depends on how often you wash your hair. The less frequently you wash your locks, the longer your colour stays in, but you can increase the longevity of your colour by using professional hair care. Depending on you hair type and hair condition, toner can last between 2-to-6 weeks.

Will hair lighten after toner?

Although it might seem like it can lighten, toner has no lifting ability. Toner simply cancels out unwanted tones.

How many washes does toner last?

In-salon toners will last on average 3-4 weeks while at-home toners will need to be refreshed once a week, but the answer really depends on the amount of pigments in your chosen toner and how often you wash your hair. Factors that affect how long your toner lasts include: Sun exposure.

Do you apply toner to wet or dry hair?

You want the hair cuticle to be open for toning. Towel-dry hair to about 65 - 75% dry then start toning. Usually color & bleach is on dry hair, even toners and colors that do not require developer; however toner that uses developer is recommended on towel dried hair.

Do you use purple shampoo after toner?

Those undertones come out when the colorist applies a toner, but you may find they start to appear between color services as the toner fades. This is where the need for purple shampoo comes in—to adjust your tone at home!

How to correct over toned hair?

Hydrogen Peroxide. Lastly, diluted hydrogen peroxide will strip those unwanted shades from your over toned hair. This is very stripping and harsh on your hair, so it is imperative you indulge your hair in a few conditioning treatments after this process. To remove the toner, dilute with water and spray onto your hair.

Does leaving toner on longer make it darker?

For highly porous hair that absorbs products quickly, leave the toner for less than 20 minutes. Highly porous hair can overtone easily and turn dark or dull. To prevent such an outcome, check your hair every 5 minutes and wash it right when your notice the desired tone.

Can you remove toner from hair?

A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and anti-dandruff shampoo can be very effective in removing toner from your hair. First, mix 100 mL of hydrogen peroxide and anti-dandruff shampoo together.

Does purple toner darken hair?

It's important to note that the pigment in purple shampoo isn't a lightener or hair dye but a gentle toner that works overtime. So it can't darken your hair or make it any lighter. For this reason, if your hair tone is too dark, it won't make it any brighter.

Can toner make the hair darker?

Depending on the toners you use, they can brighten hair or add darker pigments. As well as pushing your existing hair colour in the right direction, toners can add a subtle veil of colour to hair, too. Josh Wood created his Shade Shot Gloss (£19) to refresh hair colour vibrancy, shine and condition between colouring.

Will my hair go back to normal after a toner?

If you want to re-tone your hair, wait at least 2 weeks. The more you shampoo, the sooner the toner will fade. If you don't wash your hair frequently, you can go back after 8 to do some tress maintenance, and you'll be right back to being your perfect shade of blonde.

Can toner cover grey hair?

Tresch also suggests using a gloss or toner like John Frieda Colour Refreshing Gloss or dpHUE Color Boosting GLOSS+ Deep Conditioning Treatment to easily camouflage sparse gray hairs.

What happens if you put too much toner in your hair?

Purple toner is a life-saver when you need to get rid of those pesky yellow tones in your blonde hair, but using too much can cause another problem—purple hair! This is very common and, in most cases, it's super easy to solve.

Is toner worse than hair dye?

Yes, as studies show, toner is significantly safer for your hair than permanent dye.

Is using toner everyday bad?

In other words, toning is a non-essential component in a skincare regimen, the key steps being cleansing, moisturizing, exfoliating and applying sunscreen. However, if you'd still like to incorporate a toner into your skincare routine, using it once a day—either in the morning or evening is sufficient, tells Dr.

How to fix toner that is too dark?

Another option: wash out the toner with strong shampoo or even dishwasher detergent like Dawn. Some people do this with several washes to get the unwanted toner or too dark dye out. After you really really need to condition with a deep, leave-in conditioner overnight.

Does hair toner wash out completely?

Yes, hair toner gradually fades with each wash. The duration can vary based on factors like the toner type, your hair's porosity, and your washing frequency.

What does a toner do to hair?

Hair toner is a product used on hair after it has been subject to strong chemical bleaching and lightening processes in order to get rid of brassy hair tones. The toner works most noticeably on light hair as it does not lift or permanently alter the color of hair, but rather adds a tone over it.

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