Hair Q&A with Jo Hansford

Jo Hansford has been titled 'the First Lady of Colour' by Marie Claire and simply 'the best tinter on the planet' by American Vogue. High praise indeed for this talented colourist which is why we just had to have her advice on all your hair colour dilemmas on handbag.com...

Jo has coloured the locks of many a celeb including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Liz Hurley. Her reputation as colourist extraordinaire has led to her participating in seminars and shows around the world.

Back in 1993 her consisted of just eight staff, nowadays Jo boasts a team of over 40 highly skilled colourist, stylists and assistants, all personally trained by Jo herself, so you know you're always in good hands in her salon.

Hi Jo

 

I am so confused about what to do about my hair. I know that the best way to determine a good hair colour for your skin tone is to work out if you are a warm or cool skin tone, but it would seem that I have traits of both. I have green eyes with specs of blue in them, I have naturally dark blonde hair and my skin tone is not pale but not olive, but somewhere in between.

 

I have light blonde hair at the minute and fancy a change but I don't know what colour to go? Can you help point me in the right direction?

 

Many Thanks.

Gemma

 

Hi Gemma

This is really difficult to comment on without seeing you in person. It could be that you suit most colours so it would be more a case of you deciding what you prefer! You are lucky to have green/blue eyes because they will really stand out with darker shades. The best thing you can do is look through some magazines and get an idea of which shades and colours you like on other people. Then have a thorough consultation with your hairdresser to discuss the options in detail and other issues such as affordability and maintenance etc. Consultations are always essential when thinking of changing colour and always go to a reputable salon who has a colour expert if possible.

 

Hi Jo

 

My hairdresser dyed my hair the wrong colour!  In an effort to correct the mistake, parts of my hair have now had five lots of permanent dye (by the salon)!  My hair is now really light, almost white, but yellow. It is hideous and I feel too embarrassed to leave the house.  I want to take it back to my natural dark ash blonde colour, without wrecking my hair any further. Would repeated use of a temporary colour, until it grows out, be a safe way to go, or do I have to risk another permanent hair colour?

 

Regards

Sarah

 

Hi Sarah

It sounds like you have had a pretty horrific experience at your hairdressers. Your hair will probably be very over processed now so the first thing you should be doing is trying to get the condition and moisture back in to it. Try using the Jo Hansford masques which are specifically formulated for colour treated hair and will nurture and help to rebuild the damage. It's very doubtful that a temporary colour will hold on your hair so permanent tint is probably the only option. I would suggest consulting a hair colour specialist rather than staying with your old hairdresser as you really need to make sure you have an expert to get your colour right this time and prevent any more damage.

 

Hi Jo

 

I need help with my bleached blonde hair. I'm a natural strawberry blonde and my hairdresser says that because of the red pigment in my hair I have only two hair colour options - bleached blonde or a very dark level 3 - 4 brown.

 

I love being blonde as my hair was blonde when I was younger, but as I get older my roots have begun to get a mousey red colour so the regrowth is more noticeable.  

I would like to introduce some darker blonde shades to make my blonde hair a more sophisticated look, ideally a few honey and caramel slices just to tone it down a bit.

 

My hairdresser says these kind of shades won't stick to my hair but I see pictures of natural red heads like Nicole Kidman and Lindsay Lohan with different blonde shades in their hair, so is it possible - how do they do it? Please help I'm stuck in a rut!

 

Thanks

Lucy

 

Hi Lucy

It is definitely possible to have more variation in your hair. Natural redheads should make the most of their colour and not completely cover it up but adding different tones can add some definition to the hair and make it more interesting. We never suggest adding too many different shades as it can end up looking ‘muddy' but there is no reason why you cannot have some honey and caramel slices.

 

Hi Jo

 

I've been colouring my longish hair quite dark for the last nine months, but am desperate to get it a really rich reddish auburny brown, but the problem I'm having is that after letting it grow out for a few inches each time the hairdresser colours it, it only really takes on my roots which are now really ginger. What do you suggest? Do I need to get it all chopped off? Or would bleaching it help? It's quite fine, so I don't want to damage it too much, also if it was bleached, wouldn't I still have the same two tone problem with it bleaching the roots more?

 

Thank you, any help is much appreciated!

 

To get the colour you are looking for you would really need to have a ‘colour change' and remove as much of the original colour as possible. You cannot keep putting tint on top of tint as it will always leave a bar in the hair if you are trying to change the colour. Using a colour remover will leave a better and more even base to work over and then your hair can be coloured to the shade you require. If the colour on the roots at the moment is not suitable then your hairdresser is not using the correct colour choice and shades and this is something you will need to speak to them about.

 

Hi Jo

 

I have just had my hair coloured dark brown with deep red running through it. Although I like the colour - on my skin tone I just look washed out and much older.

Any advice as to whether having some caramel or similar highlights in sections put through my hair could possibly take the starkness away, would it be better for my fair skin tone. I have short very thick, coarse hair. My eye colour is blue - the colour of my hair is definitely showing my eye colour up more, however I would rather look younger again, and less washed out! Help, what do you think?

 

Thanks

Jackie

 

Hi Jackie

It sounds like the tones in your hair are not suitable for your skin colour. Red tones do not suit many people and it is very tricky to get the perfect shade for the individual. It will be hard to just add highlights to your base colour as it may not lift to the required shade. Caramel and red really does not work together and your hair could end up a big mess if you start adding more colours and tones which do not work well together. It may be better to think about toning down the red or having a colour change (colour remover) to get the hair back to a softer brown which you could then add some caramel highlights too. Always seek a professional colourist when doing this, it is worth paying extra to have someone who is an expert.

To make an appointment with Jo or one of her talented team at the salon in Mayfair , call 0207 495 7774, johansford.com.   

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