Full Color

Written and reviewed by Karen Botelho, 17 years behind the chair, whose specialty is block color and seamless gray coverage.

Updated September 3, 2026

What Full Color Is Good At

An all over color gives you something highlights cannot: a clean, uniform canvas. Every strand ends up the same shade, which is why it photographs so glossy and why it is the right call for a few specific goals.

• Going darker. Adding depth back after a long blonde stretch, or shifting a few levels down for the season.
• Solid gray coverage. Highlights blend gray, an all over color covers it. If you want it gone rather than softened, this is the service.
• Coming home to your natural. Growing out highlights takes years. Coloring back to your own depth takes one appointment.
• Evening out a patchy history. Old color that has faded at different rates gets pulled back to one tone.

How the Appointment Runs

Your stylist looks at what is already in your hair first, because previous color decides everything about the formula. Roots are usually painted first since they process fastest against the scalp, then the mid lengths and ends. Porous, previously lightened ends drink color and can grab darker than the root, so those often get their own formula or go on last.

We formulate with Goldwell and the salon is Goldwell certified. The finish is a wash, a treatment where your hair wants one, and a blow dry.

Keeping It Rich

Your hair should still look good weeks after you leave the salon. Deposited color fades rather than grows out brassy, so aftercare is about holding the tone.

• Most guests are back every four to six weeks for a root touch-up and every few months for the full head.
• Wait a couple of days before the first wash so the color settles into the hair.
• Hot water opens the cuticle and lets color out. Cooler rinses genuinely extend the life of a rich brunette or a red.
• Reds and coppers fade fastest of anything we do. A gloss between appointments puts the vibrancy straight back.
• We carry Shibui and Aluram in the salon, and your stylist will point you at a color safe option that suits your hair.

Full Color or Something Else?

Book full color if you want one solid shade or real gray coverage. If you want brightness and dimension, you want a partial or full highlight instead. If your color is fine and it has just gone flat, a gloss is a shorter, gentler appointment that often does the job.

Plenty of heads get both, an all over color for depth and a few highlights through the front for movement. Mention what you are picturing when you book and your stylist will build the right combination.

More of our color work is on Instagram at @lavishhairlounge__, and Karen posts hers at @breath_of_fresh_hair_kb.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is full color the same as going blonde?

No. Full color deposits one shade through the hair. Going lighter than your natural needs lightener, which is a highlight service. If you want to be blonder, book that instead.

Will full color cover my grays completely?

Yes, that is what it is designed to do. How long it holds depends on how much gray you have and how coarse it is, and your stylist will give you a realistic interval at the chair.

Can I go back to my natural color in one appointment?

Usually yes. Filling and depositing back to your own depth is normally a single session, though very light or very porous hair sometimes needs a filler step first so the color does not go muddy.

How long does full color take?

Around two hours for most heads including the blow dry. Add time if you are also having a cut or a treatment.

Why do my ends look darker than my roots?

Because previously lightened ends are more porous and absorb more pigment. It is a known behaviour, not a mistake, and it is why your stylist may use two formulas on the same head.

How soon can I get highlights after a full color?

Talk to your stylist before you book it. Lifting through freshly deposited color takes more work and is worth planning rather than improvising, especially on darker shades.