Does Hair Toner Wash Out? A Complete Guide

Hair toner is a popular product used to alter the shade of color-treated hair and cancel out brassy undertones. But since toner helps adjust your hair color, an important question is does it wash out eventually?

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explain what toner does, whether it washes out of hair, how long it lasts, and tips for removing toner.

What is Hair Toner?

Hair toner is a deposit-only semi-permanent hair color designed to tone and enhance hair that has been lightened or pre-bleached. Here’s a quick overview:

• Toner is applied after bleaching to neutralize unwanted warm undertones and brassiness.

• It adds cool, ashy tones to freshly lightened hair and helps even out color.

• Works as a gloss or glaze that stains the hair strand without penetrating the cuticle.

• Designed to enhance lightened blond, silver, pastel or gray shades.

• Available in shades like blue, violet, green and silver to counteract yellow tones.

• Also comes in beige, gold and red hues to add warmth to hair.

• Lasts around 4-6 weeks with proper care.

• Can be done professionally at salons or applied at home.

So in essence, toner acts as a color filter to help pre-lightened hair better match your desired shade. Now let’s look at whether it washes out over time.

Does Hair Toner Wash Out?

Hair toner will eventually fade and wash out of bleached hair after repeated washing and exposure to environmental elements. However, the duration depends on several factors:

• Your hair type – Porous or damaged hair will hold onto toner longer than smooth, healthy strands.

• Toner shade – Dark toner shades like ash brown cling better than lighter ones like icy blonde.

• Toner formula – Salon toners with oxidative pigments last longer than semi-permanent types.

• Frequency of washing/swimming – Frequent washing and swimming cause faster fading.

• Sun exposure – The sun’s UV rays speed up fading of hair toner.

• Water temperature – Hot water removes toner quicker than lukewarm water.

• Shampooing method – Vigorous shampooing lifts out toner faster than gentle cleansing.

So while toner isn’t permanent, it does not wash out after just one shampoo. With proper care, toner can last 4-6 weeks depending on your individual hair and lifestyle factors.

How Long Does Hair Toner Last?

On average, you can expect hair toner to last around 4-6 weeks. However, the longevity depends on several variables:

• Permanent vs. semi-permanent toner – Salon permanent toners using oxidative dyes last longer than semi-permanent ones.

• Your hair porosity – Highly porous hair better absorbs and retains toner. For dense, smooth hair, it fades faster.

• Toner shade – Light pastel toner shades like platinum and baby blonde tend to fade quicker than darker ash shades.

• Frequency of washing – Toner lasts longer if you shampoo less often, around twice a week. Frequent washing causes faster fading.

• Heat styling – Excessive heat styling and hot tools lead to quicker fading of toner.

• UV exposure – Direct sun exposure and tanning speeds up the fading process.

• Water temperature – Washing with very hot water removes toner faster than lukewarm water.

• Product buildup – Too much hair product buildup prevents toner from bonding properly to strands.

With the right maintenance regimen, you can make your salon toner or at-home toner last 5-6 weeks. Use a sulfate-free shampoo, limit washing, and avoid heat styling to keep your toner vivid.

Tips to Make Hair Toner Last Longer

Here are some handy methods to help your hair toner last longer between applications:

• Use a sulfate-free shampoo and lukewarm water to gently cleanse hair. Avoid hot water.

• Wash less frequently, around twice a week, to prolong toner. Overwashing causes faster fading.

• Rinse with cool water at the end of a shower for extra toning deposit.

• Apply a leave-in conditioner or hair mask to boost moisture and prevent dryness.

• Let your hair air dry instead of blow drying to minimize heat damage and color loss.

• Avoid chlorinated pools and saltwater to limit fading from chemicals/sun.

• Use a UV protection spray before going in the sun to prevent damage from rays.

• Get a gloss treatment done midway through to refresh tone and boost shine.

• Use a toning shampoo once a week to help deposit color in between full applications.

How to Remove Hair Toner at Home

If you want to purposefully remove hair toner, here are some simple at-home methods:

• Clarifying shampoo – Lather twice with a clarifying shampoo then rinse well.

• Baking soda – Make a paste with water. Gently scrub into hair. Rinse after 5 minutes.

• Apple cider vinegar – Dilute with water 1:1. Rinse through clean hair. Leave for 2-3 minutes before washing out.

• Vitamin C powder – Mix with shampoo. Massage into hair. Leave for 20 minutes then rinse thoroughly.

• Dish soap – Work a quarter-size amount of blue dawn dish soap into wet hair. Rinse completely.

• Crushed vitamin C tablets – Add tablet contents to conditioner. Apply to towel-dried hair. Leave on for 30 minutes then wash out.

• Lemon juice – Squeeze juice from 2 lemons into a bowl. Apply juice to hair wearing gloves. Rinse after 15 minutes.

Always shampoo twice after using home removers to eliminate residue. Follow up with a good conditioner.

Can a Professional Remove Hair Toner?

Professional hair stylists have access to stronger decolorizing products and removers that can lift out toner more effectively than at-home options. Salon removal methods include:

• Color remover solution – Applied and rinsed out after 20 minutes. Helps strip artificial pigments.

• Bleach bath – Lightens hair very gently to help pull out toner molecules.

• Malic acid – Removes mineral deposits to help correct discoloration from toner.

• Sodium persulfate – Lightener that removes artificial color when mixed with water and applied to pre-shampooed hair.

• Full bleaching – Fully strips hair color but very damaging. Used as a last resort.

Many salons offer toner removal or color correction services since they have professional-grade products. This yields better results than DIY methods.

Can You Re-tone Hair After Washing Out?

Yes, you can safely re-tone your hair after washing out or removing previous toner. However, to help the new toner last and avoid damage:

• Wait 1-2 weeks between toner applications.

• Deep condition hair for moisture and strength.

• Use a clarifying shampoo to remove product buildup.

• Opt for semi-permanent or demi-permanent toners which are gentler.

• Do a strand test to check results before applying to full hair.

• Leave the new toner on for less time than before.

Following correct aftercare between toner applications allows you to maintain your desired hair color while keeping hair healthy.

Things to Consider Before Using Toner

While hair toner offers many benefits, keep these considerations in mind before using it:

• It won’t lighten or darken natural hair color, only enhances pre-lightened shades.

• Works best on bleached light blonde, white and gray hair where warmth is more visible.

• Requires an understanding of color theory to pick a toner that neutralizes unwanted undertones.

• Semi-permanent and demi-permanent toners wash out fully over time. Permanent toners don’t wash out.

• Toner should enhance your hair, not look unnatural if aiming for a natural hair shade.

• Can dry out and damage hair if overused. Deep condition regularly to prevent this.

• Removing it fully takes time and repeated washing if you don’t want it anymore.

Overall, hair toner is a useful product for maintaining and personalizing bleached hair color. Understanding that it eventually washes away allows you to use it to your best advantage.

Summary

• Hair toner is a deposit-only semi-permanent glaze or gloss designed to tone pre-lightened hair.

• It enhances bleached shades by counteracting brassiness and adding cool, ashy tones.

• Toner does gradually wash