Phrases › At the Hairdresser › I miei capelli biondi sono diventati gialli. Come li schiarisco?

I miei capelli biondi sono diventati gialli. Come li schiarisco?

My blonde hair has turned yellow. How do I lighten it?

Pronunciation

Stress 'in-gial-LI-ti' (yellowed). 'Schiarisco' = schia-RI-sco — I lighten.

When to use it

Use this when blonde or highlighted hair has become brassy or yellow-toned. Italian hairdressers have specific techniques for toning and correcting unwanted warm tones.

What it means

'Gialli' = yellow (masculine plural). 'Diventati' = have become (past participle of 'diventare'). 'Schiarire' = to lighten/brighten. The solution is usually a 'toner' or 'shampoo antigiallo' (purple shampoo). 'Tono freddo' (cool tone) vs 'tono caldo' (warm tone) is key vocabulary.

Variations

Ho le punte arancioni dopo la decolorazione.

My ends are orange after bleaching.

Orange tones post-bleach.

Avete uno shampoo antigiallo?

Do you have a purple shampoo?

Asking for a specific product.

Vorrei un tono più freddo, platino.

I'd like a cooler tone, platinum.

Specifying desired colour direction.

Mini Dialogue

— I miei capelli biondi sono diventati gialli. Cosa posso fare? — Le applico un toner viola per neutralizzare i toni caldi. — E per casa? — Le consiglio uno shampoo antigiallo, da usare una volta a settimana.

— My blonde hair has turned yellow. What can I do? — I'll apply a violet toner to neutralise the warm tones. — And for home use? — I recommend a purple shampoo, used once a week.

Cultural Note

Blonde ('biondo') is very popular in Italy despite not being the country's most common natural hair colour. The maintenance of 'biondo platino' (platinum blonde) is a major segment of Italian salon revenue. Italian colour technicians ('coloriste') are highly trained in tone correction ('correzione cromatica').

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