What Causes Blonde Hair Extensions To Turn Pink/Orange?

When it comes to blonde hair, many of us are familiar with the idea of chlorine turning our lovely hair green, but what is the cause of hair extensions turning pink/orange? If this has ever happened to you, you may have been concerned as to how this could have happened, however the answer is surprisingly simple. Blonde hair extensions turning orange or pink is the exact same chemical process as when blonde hair turns brassy a few weeks after it has been coloured. It is a chemical reaction this causes discolouration in human hair that has been processed to blonde.

Why Do Hair Extensions Turn Brassy?

It all comes down to violet and ash pigments. When blonde hair is coloured, violet and ash pigments are added to the hair to balance any warm tones to result in a beautiful ashy blonde. As demonstrated in the chart to the right, the darker your natural hair, the more warm pigments you will have, which is why those of us who are natural brunettes find it hard to achieve a platinum blonde in comparison to those lucky enough to have naturally light or mousey brown hair. When hair is freshly coloured, the violet and ash pigments are added to the hair to mask the warm tones, and you leave the salon with the perfect colour. For the weeks after your appointment, as you wash your hair you will slowly begin to lift the violet and ash pigments, which over time will begin to reveal your natural pigment. As your natural pigments are warm, this will lead to your blonde hair looking more and more brassy. Fortunately, this process is generally pretty slow, so by the time you are due a hair appointment to touch up your roots, a toner can be applied, or you can use a weekly silver shampoo treatment to keep the colour at bay. There are however exceptions to this rule which can acc