California Barber Written ExamHair Care ServicesMedium
A barber needs to perform a color correction on a client whose hair has become overly brassy (orange/yellow tones) after a previous lightening service. To neutralize these unwanted tones, which primary color should be incorporated into the corrective formula?
- ARed
- BGreen
- CGold
- DBlue
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Blue
According to the color wheel, blue is the direct opposite of orange. Therefore, incorporating blue into a corrective formula will neutralize unwanted brassy (orange/yellow) tones, especially the orange component.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Red would intensify brassiness, as red is a warm tone.
- B. Green neutralizes red tones, not primarily orange or yellow.
- C. Gold would enhance the yellow and orange tones, making the brassiness worse.
Color Neutralization (Brassy Tones)
The process of using complementary colors from the color wheel to cancel out unwanted warm (red, orange, yellow) tones in hair, often after lightening.
- Blue neutralizes orange
- Violet neutralizes yellow
- Green neutralizes red
- Brassy hair often has orange/yellow
Memory trick: Orange is loud, Blue shuts it down; Yellow is bright, Violet brings it round.