Color Hacks for Babe Hair

Coloring jobs can be intimidating, especially when they’re being performed on human hair extensions. Fortunately, Babe has many resources, tips, and tricks to conquer any coloring exploit with Babe hair. Here, we’ve featured some of our best color hacks for your next color transformation.

Blending existing color shades
One way to update a client’s hair color involves the use of hair extensions alone—no color and no developer, nothing other than pure and simple Babe hair. Select shades from our available collection, then use the hair extensions to simulate the desired look. For example, though Babe may not offer the exact shade of red your client is looking for, you can mix strands of 30/33 (Ruby) and 27/613 (Bridget) to produce the same effect as a single, multi-dimensional red color. This is our traditional extension color method, and it’s a favorite among clients seeking highlights, lowlights, balayages, and even ombres without any color processing.

Coloring extensions to desired level
Custom color can be used to explore the terrain outside of Babe’s existing color collection, making any and every color available to clients. Whether you’re mixing for pastel hair, mermaid-esque locks, an icy silver ‘do, or even the perfect match to your client’s natural hair color, the possibilities of color are basically limitless. The only rules to keep in mind are:
- Use professional, semi or demi-permanent colors, only
- Do not lighten or bleach the hair—only darken
- Perform a strand test first
- Pre-wash extensions with sulfate-free shampoo before coloring them
- Color extensions before installing them
- Stay within two shades of the extension base color (unless you’re working with #60 (Patsy) hair)
- Always flip extensions to color both sides
- Go with the direction of the hair’s cuticle when coloring extensions
- Remove all tape from Tape-In extensions before coloring them
- Use only color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner on color-treated hair

Warm-to-warm, cool-to-cool
One tip that we’ve found particularly helpful in the coloring process (though it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, per se) is to stick with the same tone of hair. That means that, if your desired end color is a warm blond, select a warm-colored extension in a lighter shade. Similarly, if your desired end color is a cool medium brown, select a cool light brown to color, so as to preserve the tone of the hair extension. This will produce particularly vivid results.

#60 (Patsy) as an ideal base
When performing more drastic (or imaginative) color transformations, it might be necessary to start with a blank canvas. For Babe, that means choosing our #60 (Patsy) extensions. This shade is one of our lightest and most neutral, making it versatile enough to use in just about any color transformation. It will not have the same staying power as color jobs performed on shades within 2 steps of the end color, but it will have magnificently saturated results! This quality lends itself especially well to pastel, emerald, and fantasy-color jobs.

When in doubt, Color Swatch
If ever you feel uncertain about a color selection, or about the interaction between a color formula and an extension hue, refer to the Babe Color Swatch. It’s a great reference for extension colors, and can be used in a multitude of different ways to facilitate your color job. This March-April, we’re featuring a special Babe Tag promotion with our Color Swatch: get 3 colorful discounts and a free Quick Pick Hair Parter with your purchase of the Color Swatch. Discounts include: a free marketing kit, a free intro DvD, and 10% off your next order. Visit your local distributor to take advantage of the deal!

Did you try any of these tips in your salon? How did it go? Share pictures of your color transformations with us on Babe’s Instagram!