What correction actually involves
Color correction covers banding from repeated at-home color, brass after a lightening service, patchiness where box dye has built up unevenly, a tone that reads nothing like the picture, and hair that has been lifted further than its condition could take.
None of these are a single product. Correction means reading what is already on the hair — often several layers of different color, applied at different times — and then removing, filling or re-toning in the right order. It is diagnostic work before it is anything else, which is why it is the hardest thing a colorist does.
The honest conversation first
Correction always begins with a complimentary consultation, in person, because nobody can assess damaged or over-processed hair from a photograph. Your colorist will tell you what is achievable in one appointment, what needs two or three, and where the limit is — because pushing compromised hair to a target tone in one sitting is how correction turns into a haircut.
You will get the plan, the number of visits and the cost before anything begins. Correction is quoted individually because no two are alike; there is no fixed price, and any salon quoting one over the phone has not seen your hair.
Why a color house
Correction rewards experience more than any other service on a salon menu. Red Market has been a downtown color house since the early 2000s and is led by Reynald Ricard, a master colorist who trained in France — and correction work is where that depth of color experience is worth the most.
The salon is on the second floor at 13 East 13th Street in Greenwich Village, just off Union Square. Book the consultation online and bring photographs of both the color you have and the color you want.
Good to know
Frequently asked
How much does color correction cost in NYC?
Color correction is quoted individually, because the work depends entirely on what is already on your hair and how many appointments it will take. Red Market gives you the plan, the number of visits and the cost at the complimentary consultation, before anything begins. Any salon quoting a correction price over the phone has not seen your hair.
Can box dye be corrected?
Usually, yes — but rarely in one appointment. Box color builds up unevenly and often sits in several layers, so correcting it means removing and re-toning in stages to protect the condition of the hair. Your colorist will map how many visits it realistically needs at the consultation.
How long does color correction take?
A straightforward tonal correction may be a single long appointment. Bigger corrections — heavy banding, dark box color, or a large change of level on hair that is already compromised — are usually spread over two or three visits so the hair is not pushed past what it can take.
Can you fix brassy or orange hair?
Yes. Brass is one of the most common reasons people come in for correction, and it is usually a toning problem rather than a lightening one. Depending on how deep the warmth sits, it may be resolved with a gloss or may need re-lightening and re-toning — which your colorist will determine at the complimentary consultation.