Can You Put Toner On Dry Hair? 

Toners are undoubtedly familiar to anyone who routinely lightens hair. Only a toner may provide natural platinum blonde hair. This product also functions as a secret component, assisting you in neutralizing undesirable warm undertones and correcting the final color tone.

However, many people were perplexed as to whether using toner on wet or dry is the most effective.

Fortunately, we have spent time conducting the research. So, you will find the solution to this issue and far more by the end of this post. Let’s have a look!

Can You Put Toner On Dry Hair?

It is not advisable to apply toner on totally dry hair. In ideal circumstances, your hair should be around 70 percent dry before using a hair toner.

The toner may readily permeate the hair and distribute up and down your hair shaft effectively at this degree of dryness.

Furthermore, while your hair is slightly damp, the cuticles are more receptive to the hair toner than once it is totally dry.

You will get more outstanding results if you apply toner to hair that is not dripping wet or fully dry. A little damp hair seems more porous, so it spreads the toner more efficiently and allows it to function more effectively.

What Will Happen If You Put Toner On Totally Wet Or Dry Hair?

Totally dry hair

Hair toner does not work well with totally dry hair. The reason is that dry hair seems not receptive to hair toner.

When you put toner on dry hair, it will be distributed unevenly, giving the hair a dull, black appearance and creating patchy color spots.

As a result, toner effectiveness on totally dry hair may be poor, or color results may be transient.

Totally wet hair

Toning wet hair might cause the hair toner to get diluted, reducing its effectiveness. In other words, applying hair toner to wet hair may lead to inconsistent change in color or possibly no color change at all.

One more reason to avoid using toner on totally damp hair is that the hair toner may slip down your hair when you use it. It is more likely if the hair is dripping wet.

For these reasons, you should not try to put toner on dripping wet hair.

How To Tone Your Hair For The Best Result?

Not many people know how to use the hair toner properly to gain the best result. Especially if you are a newcomer, follow these steps carefully:

Begin with 70 percent dry hair

To remove any excess moisture from your hair after you have washed it after coloring or bleaching it, towel dry it using a microfiber towel.

If your hair is too dry to start with, simply spray little water onto it using a spray bottle before combing it through.

You can touch your hair using your finger to see if it is dry enough; you may feel a bit damp.

Mix your toner with the developer

Here you should prepare your toner.

To achieve a permanent finish, you may be told to combine the toning product in a 1:2 ratio together with a 20-volume developer. In addition, you may mix it with a 10-volume developer in the same proportion for a semi-permanent outcome.

If your hair extends several inches above your shoulders, you may need a whole bottle of hair toner. Begin to fill the toner bottle twice with the hair developer and place it in the same dish with the hair toner.

If your hair is past your shoulders or a little below, you may need half a bottle of hair toner and twice as much developer.

Apply your toner

Put the toner to the portion of hair you wish to use it on. Do not stress if you apply it on the darker hair strands by accident since the toner will also not impact them.

• You may clip away the upper bits of the hair with hair ties or a clip so that they do not get in the way once you are toning the hair at the bottom.
• Brush the toner into your hair using an applicator brush. Apply the toner as evenly as you can, beginning at the root and making your way to the tip. If the hair toner is fully applied, the hair should appear darker and wetter.
• To ensure accuracy, you should work on one part at a time. Once you are finished with the first part, remove more hair from the hair tie or clip.
• Repeat the technique when you turn your head upward.
• Scrunch any remaining toner-developer mixture through the hair with your gloved hands. We suggest concentrating on the roots and the back of your head for this.

Let the toner stay in your hair

Enable the toner to settle for about 20 minutes or till you observe the desired change in color. To examine the outcomes while toning, simply wipe the hair toner off a portion of your hair and look at the outcome.

If you believe it requires more time, you can reapply and let it sit for more time.

Rinse your hair

After the exposure time passes, rinse your hair well with water. The toner’s chemicals are not designed to be left on your hair.

Wash your hair with lukewarm, then lock hair cuticles with cold water since hot water may also wash off toner tints.

Condition your hair

Condition your hair after rinsing it to moisture and rebuild hair fiber. Massage the conditioner into the hair from the roots to the ends.

Furthermore, you should use conditioner and other hair care products such as hair serum, leave-in conditioner, and others to preserve and enhance hair recovery.

We highly recommend you watch this video for more specific information about how to tone your hair the right way:

What Is The Ideal Time To Tone Your Hair?

Toning your hair immediately after bleaching it might create double the harm. If you can, avoid the temptation to use toner shortly after bleaching.

Instead, you should use a toner on the hair within 8 weeks of bleaching it for the best result.

The reason is that your roots will grow significantly after 8 weeks of bleaching, making it challenging to tone without color banding. It refers to color blending in your hair, which is not a nice look.

Therefore, you should tone your hair within 8 weeks after your last bleach treatment to prevent having to spend extra money at the salon to color-correct the banding issue.

How Long May A Hair Toner Last?

A hair toner’s effects typically last around 2 to 6 weeks.

Nevertheless, it also relies on the hair condition and type. Specifically, hair that has already been colored may retain toners for far less time than hair that has only been colored once; thus, it will necessitate more frequent toning.

Furthermore, it is determined by how frequently you wash your hair. The fewer you rinse your hair, the longer the color lasts.

Besides, several external factors may affect the longevity of your tonings, such as hard water, pollution, chlorine, and others.

What Can You Do To Make Your Toner Last Longer?

Use toning shampoo

After putting toner on your hair, you should follow with toning shampoo. As the name implies, it functions similarly to a toner in your shampoo.

When you wash your hair using a toning shampoo, pigment is deposited virtually as you use a toner.

Also, it signifies that toning shampoo can refresh the color. This product is available for all hair colors, including dark colors, red, brown, grey, blond, and purple for golden or gray hair.

Keep the sun and pollution out of your hair

People are becoming increasingly conscious of the harm that UV rays may cause to their skin and have begun to recognize the importance of products with a high SPF.

Unfortunately, the sun’s intense UV rays may also harm your hair, causing brassiness, dryness, split ends, and others.

Similarly, free radicals from air pollution may easily harm your hair.

They are powerful reactive molecules that damage cells. Once they arrive from outside sources, they may interact with the chemically colored hair and cause it to respond unexpectedly.

For these reasons, wearing a hat or minimizing your time in direct sunlight might help protect your hair from sun damage and air pollution.

Avoid washing your hair too frequently

Washing frequently and using parabens and sulfates-containing products is a lethal mix for your toner and bleach. By washing your hair daily, you are basically removing not only the properties of the products but also your hair’s natural oils, which enable it to stay in place.

To help your toner remain longer, establish a nice balance in the washing routine. It is suggested that you wash your hair twice a week.

Use hair conditioner

Conditioning involves sealing the hair strand to ensure that no water escapes and that the moisturizing elements remain inside.

Unless you are used to using conditioner after shampooing, now would be the time to start. Your toner can last longer as a result of your foresight and perseverance.

Protect hair from heat styling 

Aside from the sun, continuous use of heating devices may also cause your toner to fade and reduce the effectiveness of your toner.

So, avoid style techniques that demand a lot of heat and strain on your hair. Furthermore, if you utilize heat, remember to use a heat-protectant to protect it.

Use cold water to rinse hair

Indeed, hot water is not ideal for protecting hair integrity, so give your hair a last cold rinse before stepping out of the shower.

Cold water can assist in closing the pores, flattening the cuticle, sealing in moisture, and extending the life of your toner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put Wella toner on dry hair?

If you used to bleach your hair, you have probably heard about Wella hair’s products. It is a top hair brand in the market for toners, has a wide range of colors, and is quite reasonable.

The best way to use Wella toner on your hair is to put it on damp, towel-dried hair, not dripping wet or dry. Doing so will prevent the toner from grabbing at some regions of your hair, which may result in uneven toning.

Notably, if you want the most remarkable effects, you can put the Wella toner shortly after you have bleached it. Just remember to use shampoo to remove the bleach, but do not apply conditioner yet.

What will happen if you put the toner in for longer than 30 minutes?

Putting toner on the hair for longer than recommended will not increase or extend the results.

In general, if you keep it on for more than 30 minutes, you may wind up with a deeper shade than you anticipated since the toner’s chemicals may react with the hair’s natural pigment, causing it to change color.

But bear in mind that a lot relies on the toner’s color you are using.

Even worse, the toner may strip away the hair’s natural oils, making it dry and brittle. Also, hair that was once vivid might become flat, dull, and lifeless.

Should you shampoo or condition your hair before toning it?

In a nutshell, do not use shampoo or conditioner on the hair before putting on a toner. Here we will tell you the reason why.

Toner is typically used in conjunction with a 20-volume developer, which is hydrogen peroxide,  an unpleasant chemical causing skin burns and injuries.

When you shampoo right before using toner, you will eliminate that layer of oil, revealing your scalp’s surface. The toner’s developer may then irritate your skin if applied. Even if you have overly sensitive skin, it may result in burns that linger for days.

Similarly, conditioner includes moisturizing ingredients or hydrolyzed oils, including argan or coconut oil, that keep toner from sitting on the hair.

The toner’s pigments may not penetrate that thin layer of moisturizing ingredients if you put it on your hair before toning. Perhaps they will but in an unequal manner.

Hence, using the conditioner is strictly prohibited if you want an even hue after the toner.

How long should you shampoo your hair after toning?

Remember not to shampoo your hair shortly after toning it because you may risk dragging the toner pigments out. Instead, wait for 1 to 2 days to shampoo.

In addition, you had better use a gentle shampoo to avoid early fading, such as a sulfate-free shampoo, as sulfates can take away too much hydration, making the hair unhealthy and dry.

Bottom Line

For the optimum toning results, your hair should be 70 percent dry.

Your hair shouldn’t be too wet and it shouldn’t be too dry either. Toning completely dry or wet hair is not recommended. Doing so will ensure optimal toner penetration and product dispersion ease.

Also, always follow the manufacturer’s directions before using a new product. Unless you are sure, visit your hairdresser and have them conduct the initial toning for you.