Color Melting by Jacki
Looking for something new and beautiful to do with your hair? Or perhaps you are thinking of growing out your bleach blonde, or current permanent color? While many opt to go straight to all over color, or bleaching to create a blank slate, color melting is the latest craze that gives a newer, cooler option for changing up your current do!

Color melting is basically a seamless blending of a few different colors into the hair. Think of three colors of paint melting down a canvas and melting into each other perfectly. In other processes such as highlighting, balayage, and ombre show more clear lines, and less blending between colors, while the color melt melds the tones of the hair together creating a more natural progression between colors. If you love the ombre look, but want a more natural movement between colors, color melting into a lighter color can achieve this without as harsh a contrast as the traditional ombre.

Aside from giving an artfully beautiful blend of color to one’s crowning glory, the color melt is also a fantastic option for growing out a bleach or dye job you no longer wish to wear. By melting colors together and blending them with new regrowth, one is able to give a more natural feel to the hair when growing out virgin color instead of suffering through the hard line where the last bleach or color was processed. In addition, it’s a healthier option than attempting a full double process of bleach and new color over already processed hair. I can blend current, and virgin hair seamlessly as means of assisting you toward your ultimate hair goals! With the color melt you can gradually reach hair goals while looking chic in the in the process.

Unlike the bold transitional color that ombre brings, and the strategically placed highlights balayage creates, color melting is all about a smoother process that creates a more gradual and natural blending effect. So gradual, in fact, you can't even tell where one color begins and another ends from roots to end.

The difference between this and regular highlights is that you use multiple shades to create the ‘melted’ effect. Instead of creating that ombré look with normal highlights, melting uses an assortment of hues close in tone to create a blurring (or melting) effect. This makes any hair color appear as if it grew naturally out of your scalp. I'm getting many referrals this year using this technique. It's becoming very popular in Las Vegas.

---

​There are a few similarities and differences of ombre, colormelt and sombre:

Similarities of all techniques:
* Low maintenance
* Versatile
* Worn best on long, wavy or curled hair but can be customized for any length of hair
* Great for all textures
* May take two or more sessions to achieve
* Easily changed when look is achieved
* Can be dramatic, fashion forward or natural

Ombrè Characteristics:
* Little to no highlights at the root
* Dark roots to light ends
* Desired goal is natural, low maintenance and has natural tones
* Consists of a base color, background color & highlight color

Sombré Characteristics:
* Lighter version of ombrè on all levels
* Highlights feather off the root make sombrè softer than ombrè and color melt
* Softer transition from dark to light
* Highlights frame the face then gradually feather farther and farther off the root to create a “round color placement”

Color Melt Characteristics:
* Made up of 3 or more colors
* Can be achieved using dark to light or light to dark
* Colors used must be in similar or the same color families to achieve maximum blending
* Colors are overlapped so they create seamless flow
* You cant tell where one color begins and ends

Maintenance: Ombrè and Sombrè are generally low maintenance, but remember to discuss tones that are close to what is present in your client's hair. Many people ask for dark roots and lighter ends, but forget they have an ashy level 7 growing in, which makes ombrè high maintenance instead!

Desired Tones VS Reality:
Arguably the most important point when consulting with a client: Reality VS “The Picture”
Remember that the tones in the pic you bring in may not go well with the complexion you have. 80% of the time my clients ask for ash and then say their hair is too dark – they don’t understand that warm colors are more reflective than cooler tones. It drives me NUTS, but it just makes me better at consulting

Color Corrections:
If you had previous color, box color or an all over dark brown-black shade, prepare for a color correction. Ombrè, Sombrè and color melt require multi dimensional blending application to be achieved.  This means that there needs to be a base color, background color and a highlight to be achieved. It usually will take bleaching/color removal, and multiple sessions. Be patient, the end result is worth the wait, for both of us!

The bottom line......Consultation first and foremost.
Average starting price $150 on top of service