How do salons fix hot roots?

Author: Velda Heathcote  |  Last update: Saturday, November 22, 2025

Toning is the process of canceling out warm and brassy tones — like orange — in your hair. This works especially well for blonde hair where the roots are slightly brassier or lighter than the rest of the hair. The right toner can help even out the color, but not all toners are made for the same hair color.

How do hairdressers fix hot roots?

On dark hair, hot roots can be corrected by using a darker shade to balance the color at your roots. If you are blonde and have hot roots, you are most likely not getting the amount of lift you need to get past the warmth that is exposed in the natural stages of lifting.

Are hot roots fixable?

Comments Section This absolutely could and should be fixed in the salon because it sounds like they didn't do it right the first time. Hot roots don't fix themselves and don't go away. You'll need to have a darker color applied to the roots to make them match.

What gets rid of hot roots?

Often bleaching just one time to remove the brassiness is much better for your hair than trying to colour over and over to get rid of the hot roots. Alternatively, you can colour or tone your roots in a slightly darker shade than your lengths. This is sometimes called a root smudge or a root melt.

How do you color correct hot roots?

Change to a cool based colour. Cool tones will counter-balance and correct unwanted warmth. Try using a toner, which will deposit cool tones only to balance unwanted warmth.

correcting hot roots & redken shades eq: everything you need to know

Can you dye over hot roots?

You should be able to dye over hot roots. However, we recommend toning your hair first to eliminate brassiness and avoid any unwanted color interactions. Also keep in mind that if your roots are lighter than the rest of your hair before dyeing, they may still be lighter after.

Can purple shampoo fix hot roots?

If you have blonde hair, then you may want to try using a purple shampoo to help neutralize the brassiness of your hot roots.

What is the point of hot roots?

When someone has hot roots, it means that the heat from their own scalp has intensified the lightening or coloring process, leaving their roots with a different and usually warmer color than the rest of the hair.

Why are my roots still orange after toning?

There's two reasons why your hair is still brassy after toning or colouring. Either the undertone of the toner/colour is wrong, or the product is too light for you.

What developer prevents hot roots?

Aura Friedman, colorist at New York's Sally Hershberger salon, has her own method of madness for avoiding hot roots. "I always use double 10-volume developer instead of 20-volume developer," she says. "It drives the tone in the cortex and doesn't expose as much of the natural undertones like 20-volume developer does."

How to fix orange roots on brown hair?

Just as a purple shampoo neutralises brassy tones on blondes, using a blue shampoo on brown hair neutralises orange and red tones for brunettes.

Why does my hair go ginger when I dye it brown?

To avoid it going ginger or red then you must check what shade you are using. For example if the colour says golden, chocolate, mahogany, red, warm brown etc, these will all look 'ginger'. To achieve a rich colour, a basic shade must be added to create the depth (how dark it is).

Why is toner not working on my roots?

And secondly, as a blonde, your previously bleached lengths (even those close to your roots) are likely quite porous. This means they will soak the toner up quicker. Your roots, on the other hand, will be much less porous and therefore will not soak up as much of the toner.

How do salons fix damaged hair?

What is the best treatment for dry and damaged hair in a salon? Popular treatments include keratin treatments, deep conditioning treatments, bond fusion treatments, and hot oil treatments. Consult your stylist for the best option for your hair type.

How do you fix hot roots with darker color on brown hair?

It's the result of the body temperature heating up the colour painted closer to the scalp to increase the lift and brightness of the hair colour. How to Fix it for Brunette Tints – this is probably the easiest one to fix. You will just need to paint more brown on the root area.

Why does my hair look ginger in the light?

And because those UV rays are stronger in summer compared to other times of the year, some strands will turn a copper red colour due to the underlying warmer tones in your brunette hair being revealed as it's bleached by the light. Suffice it to say, until new hair grows through, the reddish tint will remain.

What color brown will cover orange hair?

Orange hair to light brown: Try using a medium ash blonde hair dye, as it can help neutralize the orange tone and achieve a cool light brown hue. Another option is to wait for the orange tones to fade and apply a light brown hair dye over it, making sure to choose a shade with ash undertones to neutralize the orange.

What happens if you put blonde dye on grey hair?

Blonde blends better with grey

Grey hair in blonde hair or grey roots in blonde hair blends better than with darker hair. So blonde is a good choice if you want to make your grey hair or grey roots less noticeable.

Can I bleach my roots again if they are orange?

Yes, it can. To re-bleach orange roots, it's best to use foils so you get an adequate separation of each section. Also, I'd suggest using a color that's about a half-shade darker blonde than what you have on the rest of your hair to create a shadow root.

Will blue shampoo fix hot roots?

Take a good look at your roots in natural light and if they are really orange get a color with a blue base to neutralize it. If its more of a yellow get something with a violet base, or if your roots are closer to a red color get something with an ash base.

Can I buy a toner for my hair?

Palladino adds that toners aren't one specific product, and you can't go out and just buy a “toner.” Demi-permanent colors, glosses, tinted shampoos, and conditioners can all be considered toners because they all contain pigments that adjust the tone of your hair.

How to fix roots lighter than rest of hair?

As for those lighter roots? A root touch-up kit (you can use one with permanent color—or temporary dye) will help deepen the shade until it's time to color again in six or so weeks.

How long to leave purple shampoo on orange roots?

You'll leave the shampoo on for 5-15 minutes before rinsing with cool water if your colored hair has been recently dyed or is discolored. If it's your first time trying purple shampoo, experiment with leaving it on for only 5-10 minutes before washing it out.

How to fix orange roots after toner?

If your hair's turned orange, you'll need a blue toning shampoo to tone the brassiness and get rid of the orange.
  1. Use a hair glaze or glossing colour.
  2. Dye your hair darker.
  3. Lighten your orange hair at the salon.
  4. Use an apple cider vinegar toning rinse.

How long does a root smudge take?

Unlike a normal head of foils, you do not need to worry about overgrowth quite so much. After all, darker roots are part of the look! You can expect your root smudge to last up to two to three months without a touch-up.

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