My Blonde Hair Extensions are Changing Colour!

You have just invested in a brand new set of extensions. You went to your consult and she colour matched you to a tee, yet you notice something odd a couple of weeks later – they are turning orange/pink! How could this happen?! Fear not – there isn’t an issue with the hair extensions and the reason why it has happened is surprisingly simple.

Why do they change colour?

When blonde hair extensions turn pinkish/orange it is from a chemical reaction – it’s the same chemical reaction that causes blonde hair to go dull and brassy after a while.

It all comes down to violet and/or ash pigments.

When blonde hair is coloured, violet and ash pigments are added to balance out the warm tones, and you leave the salon with that perfect bombshell blonde you’ve been dreaming of. Slowly, as you clean your hair over the weeks, you will begin to wash away the violet and ash pigments. If your natural pigments are warm, this will result in your blonde hair looking more, and more, brassy.

This process is pretty slow, so normally by the time you are due back to the salon for a touch up, a toner can be applied, or you can use a purple shampoo to keep your blonde looking cool.

There are factors that can accelerate the “brassy” process. Hair extensions do not start their life out as platinum blonde. Naturally the hair extensions will be made up of warmer pigments and will require the violet and ash tones to develop the lighter ashier shades available within the industry.

Chlorine from swimming pool water, minerals from shower water, salt water, exposure to sun (both natural as well is in the tanning beds), all have the ability to strip away those violet and ash pigments.

When exposed to the above mentioned elements, the violet and ash pigments will gradually be removed, (just as it would from the non-extensioned hair, only at an accelerated pace) leaving an orangey/pink tone by revealing the natural warm tones.

So all of this being said, if you find your hair extensions have changed in colour, it’s not as serious an issue as you probably thought. It’s more or less the exact same problem anyone with blonde hair has encountered when preventing brassiness, the process has just been sped up from the higher level of natural warm pigment.

All you need to do is use a toner (professionals only) or some purple shampoo to help redeposit some violet and ash pigments.

Another common problem is the overuse of purple shampoo on extensions which can cause hair extensions to turn too grey or purple. See what Purple shampoo can do to your extensions by reading Purple Shampoo and your blonde hair extensions.