What Is a Metal Detox Hair Treatment and Why You Need It Before Coloring
If you’ve ever struggled with fading, brassiness, or unexpected breakage after a color appointment, metal buildup in your hair may be the reason. A metal detox hair treatment is a professional salon service designed to remove metal particles from the hair before coloring, helping prevent damage and improve color results.
Although there are at-home steps you can take to preserve your color’s integrity for as long as possible, some factors that degrade color quality will never be completely avoidable.
One of these factors that you may not know about is the accumulation of metal particles in your hair fibers—metal particles that lead to both more breakage when applying color and less predictable color results after application.
The good news is that these issues led to the invention of one of the latest advancements in hair color technology: the Metal Detox treatment. It’s effective, adds no extra time to your color application, and will help your color come out more clearly and stay on for longer, meaning that you’ll also be getting a better quality service for cost.
We’ll break down exactly how metal gets into hair, why it’s a problem, and how the detoxification treatment works.
What Causes Metal Buildup in Hair?
The primary way that metal builds up on your hair fibers is through the water that your hair comes into contact with. Hard water in particular is a major culprit for metallic hair, but water does not need to be hard to leave metal particles on your hair fibers. This is because trace amounts of metal enter your water supply from your pipes. The more you wash your hair, the more that the metal from the water you wash with can accumulate on it.
This is a problem because the metal particles interact with oxidants in color and lighteners, creating a chemical reaction. The main issues that this reaction poses are breakage and unreliable color.
How Does A Metal Detox Treatment Work?
The L’Oreal Professional Metal Detox treatment works by utilizing glicoamine to trap and neutralize metal particles inside the hair-–after seven years of research at Ioannina University, glicoamine was identified as the only molecule small enough to do this effectively. It also has this same beneficial neutralizing effect on minerals that can build up on the hair from hard water.
Although the detox treatment was developed by L’Oreal, it is completely compatible with all brands and types of hair dye. It has been proven to cause 87% less breakage with color application and more reliable color results. Stylists and clients have noted improvements in tonal clarity, ability of the hair to hold onto fragile reflects like strawberry blonde, and reductions of brassy yellows in blondes.
Signs You Need a Metal Detox Before Hair Color
- Your blonde turns brassy quickly
- Your color fades fast
- You have hard water at home
- Your hair feels dry after coloring
- You experience breakage during lightening
What is the Process of Getting the Detox Treatment Like?
Although the research that went into developing the Metal Detox treatment was complex, application in the salon is simple.
The first step is before washing, in which your stylist will spray the pre-treatment onto your dry hair. The spray will then air-dry as your stylist preps their color formulas and does not need to be rinsed out, adding no extra time to your visit.
Your stylist will then use the sulfate-free Metal Detox shampoo during your wash, followed by the Metal Detox conditioner or mask best suited for your hair type. You’ll then proceed to get your usual styling—and head home with stronger, healthier hair and even color that lasts longer, making your color service a better quality for the price.
The next time you go for a touch-up, ask your colorist about this science-backed method to improve the integrity of your hair and its color. Where attention to the health and strength of your hair goes, lustrous shine and beautiful tones will follow.
At our SoHo NYC salon, we include Metal Detox treatments as an add-on to all major color services to ensure stronger, longer-lasting results.
