In this video tutorial I am going to show you how to fill blonde hair! Spoiler, we went from light blonde hair to a rich and dark brunette!
In my salon, so many girls are done with their summer blonde and are ready for a change. Many are ready to go to the dark side, so in this video tutorial, I am going to show you how to fill blonde hair to go brunette.
The Process
After assessing that my clients natural base color is a level 4, I decided to fill her with a 6GG and a 6C. I went in with a 6 because on the level finder, it clearly tells me that copper and gold were lifted out during the lightening process. It is a MUST to fill the hair of the lost pigment, otherwise the hair will look flat and muddy.
After mixing my filler formula 1:1 with 9 volume developer, on dry hair I start from the bottom and work my way up. It is important to not take huge sections and you also want to comb through with a medium to fine tooth comb. Make sure every hair is saturated!
After processing her for 20 minutes room temperature I am going to take 2 separate chocolate brown formulas to make the end result more dimensional. Taking zig zag sections, I am doing a mixture of 4N in Demi permanent and 5B in permanent. This will give the hair a lot of light reflection.
As I reach the top section, I am using my favorite Framar weaving comb! Its super cool because it separates and weaves the hair for you, saving you a lot of time. After taking a Framar foil, I am blending the 4n right into 5B. I chose to add some weaves because we are going to be adding some extensions! The weave will help blend the extensions in.
I continue this technique all the way to the front, where her money piece is. With the money piece section, I created
a slight root tap and blended it right into the 5B! I will let it process for 30 minutes and wash and style!
Why do you need to fill the hair?
When you lighten the hair, you essentially strip the hair of all of its natural pigment. As determined, my model has level 4 hair. That means I need to replace all of the pigments that were stripped out. Taking a look at the level finder, we can see that the yellow and the orange were removed.
My final formula for the filler was 6GG and 6C, gold and copper, to replace those lost pigments. Even if you wanted a more ashy brown, you still want to fill the hair otherwise the hair will look muddy and green. Not cute! If you are scared of copper, just fill the hair with gold.
If you are just going down 1-2 shades, there is no need to fill the hair. However, if you are going down 4 or 5 shades, you need to fill the hair.
What happens if I don’t fill the hair?
If you don’t fill the hair, multiple things could happen. For one, the color will appear dull. The warmer undertones help reflect light, so without that, it will look flat. Second, the color will fade. Probably in about 6-8 weeks, the color will be a lot lighter than what you originally put on it. The color will have nothing to grip to so it will wash out a lot faster than if you did use a filler formula.
How do I know what to fill the hair with?
Overall, you’re going to want to fill the hair with gold, copper, or red. But, there are dozens of shades your client could want over another! For example, what happens if your client comes in wanting a 4NuA with a blue or violet reflection from a level 10 blonde? No warmth at all?
I would recommend filling with a gold. In your final formula, I would definitely include a violet booster because violet has red in it! That will also help fill the hair and make it super reflective.
Products to maintain your color!
Kenra Color Charge Spray Serum– This product is the ultimate protection against environmental stressors & heat up to 450°F. It is enriched with Fade-Fighting Technology and it helps retain the color pigments inside the cuticle for a long-lasting shine. This product also provides maximum color retention during & after styling!
Kenra Color Charge Shampoo and Conditioner – This color elongating shampoo and conditioner duo help recharge brilliance, vibrancy, & longevity of hair color up to 50 shampoos! Similar to the Spray serum this duo is enriched with Fade-Fighting Technology and locks color pigments inside the hair’s cuticle for maximum color retention. Another plus is that these products are ideal for all hair types & colors.
Moroccanoil Protect and Prevent – I love this product as a leave in after I wash my hair. This collection helps your hair color last longer between appointments, preserving the sense of confidence you gain from salon-fresh color. Protect & Prevent Spray helps keep hair color from fading or becoming brassy by protecting it from daily environmental factors that weaken the hair.
Moroccanoil Perfect Defense – Moroccanoil Perfect Defense is a weightless, dry aerosol, heat protective spray. This nourishing, argan oil and vitamin-fueled formula re-hydrates the hair while protecting against the damaging effects of heat styling up to 450⁰F/230⁰C.
Final Formula
Filler – 6GG with 6C 1:1 9 vol developer
Highlight – 5B permanent with 1:1 10vol
Lowlight 4N 1:1 with 9 vol developer
To learn more about filling hair, click here!
For this model, I took her over-processed, bleached hair, and filled her hair with Demi-Permanent. Demi is ammonia-free and this is the BEST option when dealing with compromised hair.
