Does Toner Damage Hair?

In most cases, toner won't damage your hair. Hair toners are your go-to for enhancing your shade, dialing down brassiness and adding a glossy-looking finish, all without dramatically changing your color. While different toner formulas work in different ways, they're generally considered a gentle way to refresh and personalize your look.

Want to know more? Here's our complete guide to hair toners, from how they work to simple ways you can help your shade last...

What is Hair Toner?

Hair toner is a semi- or demi-permanent color that's used to tailor your shade, whether you want to correct brassy tones, add a luminous glow, or refine a fresh head of lightener. A toner won't lift your shade; it simply fine-tunes it. For example, if you've had highlights applied with a balayage technique, your hair toner will take the bleached strands from yellow to the ash blonde or caramel bronde you hoped for.

What Are the Different Types of Hair Toner – and What Do They Do?

Not all toners are the same. Depending on your colour goals, your stylist may recommend a semi-permanent toner, a demi-permanent toner or an acidic glaze. Each option is designed to enhance, refine or refresh your shade in a slightly different way.

* Results vary depending on the formula used, hair condition and at-home care regimen.

So, is Toner Damaging to Hair?

In most cases, toner is not inherently damaging; it's considered a gentle color service. Because toners are designed to refine existing color rather than dramatically alter it, they can be customized to suit your hair type, condition and color goals.

What Can Affect Hair Condition During a Toning Service?

• When it's not really a toner: There's a difference between toner and a permanent hair color, but it's easy to confuse the two, as they can both be used to correct brassiness or personalize your color. The difference? Permanent hair color actually enters the hair shaft, allowing it to lighten hair and – if you're using Koleston Perfect or Illumina Color – give you up to 100% grey coverage. The results of a permanent color are more intense than a toner, which can also mean it may have more impact on hair health.
• When it's being used to lift hair: While toners don't lift hair on their own, some toning products can be combined with a developer to create subtle color enhancement or boost dimension. When you share your hair goals, your colorist will recommend the most appropriate formula based on your desired result and hair condition.
• When the toner is left on too long: Professional colorists know exactly how long to leave a toner on to ensure hair is not over-processed, but if a toner is left on too long, overlapped on sensitized strands, it can lead to hair damage.
• When metals are in the hair: When the metals that can linger in your hair and color molecules come into contact, damage may occur. This interaction can also lead to unpredictable color results. It's exactly why our products are packed with Metal Purifier, which neutralizes metals during the coloring process to respect hair health.

How Often to Get a Toning Service

The timing of your toning sessions depends on how often you wash your hair, how quickly your color tends to fade, and the results you're hoping for. Follow these guidelines...

• Every 4-8 weeks: This is the most common interval for maintaining tone and vibrancy, especially for semi-permanent and demi-permanent toners on healthy hair.
• Every 8-12 weeks: Often suitable for more sensitized or compromised hair, where maintaining hair health between services is your top priority.

How to Find Your Ideal Wella Professionals Toner

The easiest way to find your ideal toner is simple: ask your Wella colorist. They'll be able to recommend the perfect product for your hair goals, as well as your existing hair condition. But if you like to head into the salon with some knowledge of your own, let's take a closer look at the Wella Professionals toners available, and what they each do…

For Up to 3x Shinier Hair², Ask For SHINEFINITY

Giving you a translucent veil of color, this zero-damage, zero-lift, acidic color glaze can enhance or correct your shade in as little as 5-20 minutes, making it perfect for a lunch break toner refresh.

For True-to-Tone Vibrancy & Shine, Ask For Color Touch

This demi-permanent color is the dream for natural, dimensional looks, giving you true-to-tone vibrancy and shine from roots to ends. It also gives you up to 50% grey coverage, in a rich glossy formula that fades beautifully over 28 washes.

For Semi-Permanent Color Correction, Ask For Color Fresh

Gentle and versatile, Color Fresh is the ultimate semi-permanent color enhancer, featuring a palette of warm, cool and natural hues, each infused with a conditioning vitamin complex.

For Bold Brights & Soft Pastels, Ask For Color Fresh CREATE

For head-turning hues, discover a palette of pastels and bolds with this semi-permanent formula. From bright yellow, to marine blue, to vivid violet, there's a shade for every bold look.

How to Care For Hair After Toning

1. Use Sulfate-Free Shampoo For Color-Treated Hair

To avoid stripping your hair color and slow down fading, add a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo to your home hair care regimen. ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo has been thoughtfully formulated to maintain color vibrancy for up to 10 weeks¹, while removing shade-distorting metals in a gentle, hydrating wash.

How to use it: Massage into the roots of wet hair, then let the lather run through the lengths as you rinse. This is the gentlest way to wash color-treated hair.

2. Reduce Rinsing Steps With a Leave-In Treatment

Water exposure is one of the most common culprits behind fading toner, so the less rinsing you do the better. That's where ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask comes in. Creamy and rich, it's a no-rinse treatment you can use every wash. It moisturizes, smooths, adds shine, and protects against breakage – all while shielding against UV rays.

How to use it: Blot hair dry with a microfiber towel after washing, then smooth the mask through lengths and ends. Let hair air-dry or blow-dry with a heat protectant.

3. Shield Toned Hair from Heat Damage

Few things accelerate brassy tones like hot tools, so always use a heat protectant before you blow-dry or use a flat iron or curling wand. This will keep your toner looking glossy for longer. EIMI Thermal Image is our pick for a lightweight shielding mist with a boost of shine, while ULTIMATE REPAIR 5-in-1 Protective Leave-In is your go-to if hair damage is a concern. The delicate cream also protects against frizz, breakage, UV exposure and mechanical damage, making it a safe all-rounder for more fragile hair strands.

How to use it: Mist EIMI Thermal Image from root to tip before using heat tools, or smooth 2-3 pumps of ULTIMATE REPAIR 5-in-1 Protective Leave-In through lengths and ends.

Hair Toner FAQs Answered

What is the Best Hair Toner to Use at Home?

If you're looking for an at-home toner to use in between salon visits, Color Fresh Mask has you covered with a range of blonde, brown, red, bold and pastel shades. The damage-free, color-depositing treatment is easy to use. Simply follow these steps:

1. Wash hair with ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo.
2. Squeeze out excess water so the mask isn't diluted
3. Apply Color Fresh Mask to damp hair, using a shade that closely matches your existing color.
4. Let it develop for up to 10 minutes.
5. Rinse thoroughly, then style hair as usual.

What Toner Cancels Out Yellow in Hair?

Usually, your colorist will add a hint of violet to your toner to cancel out yellow tones – a clever trick that helps brassy blondes appear brighter and glossier. But if you've got a little while to wait until your next salon appointment, you can use Color Fresh Mask in Lilac Frost at home. Its pastel purple tint will neutralize yellow tinges in just 10 minutes.

Do I Need Toner After Highlights?

It's not always the case but, usually, yes, you will need a toner after getting highlights. A hair lightener's job is simply to lift; it's the toner that creates your perfect shade of blonde. Whether you want a cool, ashy tone or something warm and rich, like a golden blonde, the right toner will fine-tune your hair color, so it looks like your Pinterest board.

Ready to book your toning session?

Put your dream shade in the hands of a professional. Use our Salon Finder to find your nearest Wella Professionals salon, and enhance your color to perfection.

¹ With regular use of ULTIMATE COLOR regimen from salon to home.

² Vs. pre-damaged hair in an instrumental test.