hair color, explained.
looking for the best hair color in nashville? great color starts with knowing what's possible for your hair. here's the science behind going blonde, box dye, grey coverage, vivid color and damaged hair, straight from our master colorist, so you know what to expect before you sit in the chair at the walden. in east nashville or springfield, tn.
going blonde from dark: how lightener works
lightener has a booster in it called a persulfate. think of persulfates as little pac-men: they travel into your hair and break down your melanin, the pigment that gives your hair its color. that's how lightener lightens.
the catch: every bite also wears on your keratin, the protein that makes your hair strong. if your hair has been colored before, there's artificial pigment in there too, and it's much harder for lightener to break down. so it takes more lifting, and more wear on your keratin, to get light. at some point the hair can't take any more, and that's the limit on how light previously colored dark hair can go before it breaks.
the warmth hiding in your hair
there's also underlying pigment. it's the warmth hiding in your natural hair, and in hair color too. as hair lightens, it moves through it: levels 1 to 5 show red, 6 to 7 orange, 8 yellow-orange, 9 to 10 yellow.
an illustration, not a promise. every head of hair lifts differently, which is why we strand test before any big change.
what about box dye? color correction in nashville
it really depends on the box dye you used. not all box dyes are created equal, and the truth is they aren't all bad. (gasp, i know. a hairstylist saying box color isn't bad.) but hear me out: science is science. the same chemical reaction has to happen whether you color at home or i color you in the salon.
with that said, professional color uses higher quality ingredients and dyes, which usually makes it easier and more predictable to lift out later. the other big factor is how long you've been putting permanent box dye on all of your hair.
in the salon we use different products on your roots and your ends, and some of them are designed to release from the hair a little, so you keep the option of going lighter later. when permanent color gets packed on top of itself over and over, it gets harder to lift.
so let's throw out the myth that box color is bad. it's a tool, and in the hands of someone without the training to use it, it usually gets used the wrong way. you only know what you know, and we'll never judge you for finally wanting to color your hair professionally. we can handle it, and we'll tell you what to expect along the way.
grey hair, your way: coverage, blending + shading
there are so many nuances to grey hair. everyone has it, and some people don't mind it! we take an approach that keeps you in mind. there are so many options for grey hair, and it's really just about how you want to feel.
we are happy to help.
vivid hair color: made to fade
vivid color uses non-oxidative pigments. they stain the hair instead of going in and oxidizing like a permanent or demi-permanent color does. that's why the porosity of your hair, how easily it takes in water, plays a big part in how we formulate your vivid and how long it lasts.
vivids aren't made to last. they're made to fade and have fun with. so rather than a full 180 change in color, we recommend shifting your color as it fades.
here's an example. purple is made from red and blue. the red usually washes out first, so you're left with blue. we put purple on a level 8 or 9 to get that bright, vibrant purple, and the underlying pigment at that level is yellow. when you mix blue and yellow, you get green. ever had a purple fade green? from there we can shift it to a blue, add pink to cancel the green, or go back to blonde and start a new color. there are so many options besides bleaching your hair over and over again.
dark hair can be vivid too. how light your hair can get decides which colors you can choose from. vivids are custom color, so they always start with a consultation, where we strand test your hair to see how light it can safely go before we choose your colors together.
- wash with cold water.
- use our oribe or innersense shampoo.
- never let it air dry. dry it every time you wash, with a heat protectant.
- if your hair is dripping water, it's dripping color. drying it right away keeps multiple colors from bleeding into each other.
damaged hair: when to lighten, and when to repair first
what's important to know is the structure of your hair: what the cuticle is, where it is and what it does.
the cuticle isn't like a door that can be shut. once it's damaged, it stays damaged. so sometimes the answer, unfortunately, is that you can't go any lighter, because your hair is damaged past a certain point.
we have options to make damaged hair look healthier, like a brazilian blowout, which coats your hair in repairing amino acids and helps smooth and seal the cuticle down tighter. but lightening is sometimes just too dangerous.
remember that healthy hair is pretty hair. if you follow our recommendations, we can give you the hair of your dreams, but sometimes that means we go on a journey together to repair your hair before we touch it with lightener.
frizz-free hair in nashville humidity
our go-to services for frizz are our brazilian blowout services and keratin treatments by keratin complex.
brazilian blowout is an amino acid treatment that adds shine, helps your color last longer, eliminates frizz and gives you healthier looking and feeling hair. keratin complex does the same, with keratin. the process is a little different for each, and your stylist will choose the method based on what your hair needs at that time.
fine or thinning hair: volume + the best extensions in nashville
we have several products for volume.
oribeshampoo for magnificent volume$49
oribeconditioner for magnificent volume$52
oribegrandiose hair plumping mousse$42
oribemaximista thickening spray$42
oribedry texturizing spray$52
oribeswept up volume powder spray$44
oribeserene scalp densifying treatment spray$76
innersensei create lift volumizing foam$28
innersensei create volume$28we also have more advanced solutions, like extensions. we do weft and k-tip extensions.
k-tips
- great for an active lifestyle
- 360 degree movement
- virtually undetectable
wefts
- made for bigger transformations and more volume
- wefts live on a hinge, so they can go up into a pony
- a little more limited for styling
either option is a great one, which is why we offer both at the walden. if you want the best extensions in nashville, with hair that doesn't look like you bought it, the walden. is the place to be.
curly hair in nashville: every texture, every time
we are all equipped to work with all textures of hair. we believe being a hairdresser means being able to service every hair type and texture. we know that isn't how it's been in the past, but we strive to make that change.
- cut dryin your natural curl pattern, so we see exactly how each curl falls
- wash + steamcleanse, then a steam treatment so the moisture soaks in
- stylewe style it out for you
- leave finishedyou walk out with a finished, dry style
we steam treat every guest, but especially our curly guests, because most curls need water. here's the science: the heat from the steam swells your hair strand so any treatment can soak in, and the water from the steam gets pushed in too. a lot of our curly clients notice their hair looks darker when they leave, because it's fully hydrated!
if we have to take extra time to detangle your hair, we may run into the appointment after yours, and we'd hate to be rude to our next guest. for that reason, there is a $50 prep fee if we have to prep your hair before your cut.
highlights vs balayage: which is right for you?
always placed right up to the root, for brightness from top to bottom.
book: full or medium highlighthand-painted highlights that typically don't reach all the way to the root. usually a warmer tone, and it can cover more surface area.
book: full or medium balayage
dark natural hair with light, bright blonde that looks blended is highlights with a root smudge and color melt.
book: custom color (consultation first)highlights always go to the root. balayage is a method of hand-painted highlights, and it typically doesn't reach all the way to the root. if you're seeing high contrast, with dark natural hair and light, bright blonde that looks blended, that's highlights with a root smudge and color melt, which falls into our custom color category.
balayage is typically a warmer tone because of its open-air processing method, and it can cover more surface area. so if you want to lighten up all over, a balayage may be a reasonable first step.
tap one and i'll point you to the right service.
how often should i get my hair done?
here's how long each service keeps looking its best before your next visit. tap a group to focus on it.
every head of hair is different, so your stylist will fine-tune your timing at your appointment.
blonde toner: why cool tones look darker
these two swatches started as the exact same lifted hair. the only difference is the toner. cool tones cancel warmth by adding pigment, and added pigment soaks up light, so the hair reads darker. warm tones work with the warmth that's already there, so the hair reflects more light and stays brighter.
your first visit to the walden.
there's never a wrong answer to anything we ask. we don't judge you, we just listen and give you honest options for what we can do to give you the best hair color, extensions or haircut you've ever had.
parking is available for free at both locations.
don't be afraid to ask. we're here to take care of you.
no silly questions and no judgment. just good hair.
nashville's hair color specialists
the walden. is a full-spectrum hair salon in east nashville and springfield, tn, known for blonding, grey blending, vivid color, color correction, extensions and curls. every color service includes built-in time to consult with your stylist. custom color, including vivids and big blonde transformations, starts with an in-person consultation ($25, paid when you book, non-refundable) so we can strand test your hair and plan your timing.
east nashville: 209 s. 17th st, 615-807-0386 · springfield: 108 w 6th ave, 615-576-3403