"A hair gloss adds shine and smoothes down the cuticle of the hair, but it can also add or remove tone from the hair as part of the color process," explains Lauren Miller, hairstylist at Nashville's Element Salon.
Hair gloss can also help combat sun damage in the form of brassiness, and it can add volume and texture due to the cuticle being raised when a coloring treatment is applied.
How Often Should You Get A Gloss? Hair gloss will save you major time and money, but since these formulas aren't permanent, you'll still need a refresh every few weeks (six to eight, depending on how often you wash your hair) to keep your strands from looking dull and your salon color vibrant and toned.
The process is pretty simple: Your colorist will apply gloss to your hair after it's shampooed, conditioned, and towel-dried. Then, they'll let it sit for about 10-20 minutes before rinsing. After a gloss treatment, your hair will be super rich and shiny for the first few weeks.
Gloss treatments usually last about four to six weeks before washing and fading out on their own, so they're perfect for the darling who can't commit. For best results, use sulfate-free products that are made for colored hair.
When applying a gloss at home, Ionato says to make sure your hair is damp, and towel-dried - not wet. "Don't apply anything to soaking wet hair to avoid diluting the formula," says the expert. Then, leave the gloss on for 15-20 minutes before washing it out.
A gentler form of hair color, a gloss is a low commitment hair color service that provides hair with high shine and a subtle wash of color while improving the look and feel of hair. Hair glosses help give you richness, depth, and dimension you never knew was missing from your strands.
Acid-based toners can add shine to natural hair and won't affect the colour. By reflecting the light, this gives hair a super glossy varnish-like effect which we call 'glossing'." Ask in salons for a Redken Shades EQ hair gloss.
However, if a gloss is left on too long, it can alter your shade and get too dark. Fortunately, glosses are temporary and will lighten up with shampooing, says Tardo. The more you shampoo, the faster it will lighten, so don't worry too much.
Is Hair Gloss Damaging? Hair gloss seals hair cuticles and conditions your hair, and is far less damaging than regular hair colours. Regular hair colours contain ammonia and hydrogen peroxide that open up the cuticle layer, allowing the dye to penetrate the hair shaft.
Wait to wash
As a general rule, the less you wash your hair, the longer your color will last, but the first day or two after a service is an important time, as the strands absorb color, toner, or gloss. If you need to wash your hair, try a cold-water rinse instead, skipping the shampoo altogether.
What Is A Hair Toner or “Gloss” Treatment? A toner is a semi-permanent color treatment applied in the salon (usually at the shampoo bowl). It is applied after highlights or as a standalone service and then rinsed out. Glosses last about four to six weeks and can be applied as a tinted color or in clear.
Helps Smooth Frizz and Flyaway Hairs
Gloss treatments provide a boost of intense conditioning for your hair by closing tightly around the hair shaft and cuticle. The result is smoother hair with less frizz, fewer flyaway hairs and touchable smoothness, making your hair more manageable and easier to style.
Sebum is the natural oil that makes your hair easier to maintain and, when you have the right amount, shiny. Too much sebum leads to a greasy hair appearance.
Both glossing and glazing are safer than permanent color, says Lumzy. If you're looking for the gentler alternative, a hair glaze is the way to go. But, if you're looking for more color or to cover grays, head to the salon for a hair gloss.
Hair gloss is meant for when your natural hair color is a little dull or needs some vibrance. It doesn't lift color like permanent hair color does, it just adds a nice sparkle to your hair.”
Wash and Condition Your Hair
The toning gloss is made to be used on clean, damp hair, so add it right after your shampoo and conditioner routine. If you're swapping out your regular shampoo to fight brass in color-treated blonde hair, light brown hair or gray hair you can still use the hair gloss.
“I use the Extra Shine Spray — this is my little secret,” Appleton spilled. “I saturate the shine spray all over the hair and then I use a flattening iron.” He recommends pulling a comb through each strand with the straightener to help “separate it” and keep things “smooth.”
"A hair gloss adds shine and smoothes down the cuticle of the hair, but it can also add or remove tone from the hair as part of the color process," explains Lauren Miller, hairstylist at Nashville's Element Salon.
After a few washes, dullness can start to set in. If you want the impact of a just done dye job without the commitment, a hair gloss is your best bet.
Korab says a DIY hair gloss treatment could result in a darker color than you want, but if you really must get the job done at home, start off with clear gloss, so that color mishaps can be avoided. That said, you'll likely get the best results from a salon.
Apply two full coats of your chosen gloss or eggshell paint allowing each one to dry in-between.
Glaze, gloss, and toner are all basically the same thing. “Toner” is and older term for a process that was simply used to counter-act unwanted hues. Today, we say “Glaze” for a process that is similar, but is used more for enhancing color or as a color treatment on its own.