Everything you ask us about degradé, Hair SPA and hair care.

The degradé is a colouring technique that lightens, darkens, tones and restructures the hair at the same time, creating highly customisable colour effects. Unlike a traditional single-shade tint, the degradé layers two types of colour — a toner and an oxidation colour — creating a two-dimensional effect that flatters the shape of the face and removes the classic horizontal regrowth line.

No, that's a common misunderstanding. The degradé can create any colour effect, from the most contrasted to the most uniform, on any base — there is no “standard” degradé, only one designed around each client. It appears more often on blondes in photos simply because the effect is more visible on that base, but it is done in exactly the same way on brown and dark hair.

No. Very light degradés need more lightener, but the quality of the products, the experience of the person applying them and the application technique are what really make the difference. Compared with other lightening techniques, the degradé also uses toning products with restructuring properties, with clear benefits especially on porous or previously treated hair.

Yes, even on completely white hair. Regrowth remains visible — hair keeps growing — but it is far softer than with a traditional tint, because the colour is applied vertically and with two chemically different products. With a light colour (blonde) regrowth is even less noticeable; with a dark brown it is still softer than with a classic tint.

Yes, a minimum length of about 10 cm is enough.

Yes. Many people think the degradé is only for blondes, but that isn't the case: it is done in the same way on brown, dark or black bases. It shows more on blonde hair in photos simply because the contrast between shades is more visible — on dark bases the effect is more discreet, but the technique and the tailored result are the same.

With the degradé the professional freely doses oxidation colour, toner and lightener, creating a more three-dimensional effect; the toner is left on for up to an hour, for deeper hold. Balayage mainly uses bleach followed by a toner left on for 15-20 minutes. It doesn't mean one technique damages hair more than the other: they are simply different approaches, suited to different results.

It is a tailored cutting technique created by Centro Degradé Conseil, combined with the traditional geometric cut to lighten the ends, add volume, remove weight or create movement. It works on short and long hair, and is particularly effective for defining curly and wavy hair.

It depends on the client and the type of degradé chosen: generally the full degradé (base, lengths and ends) is repeated every 3-4 months, with an intermediate “upkeep” — a quicker touch-up covering regrowth and refreshing lightening or toning — about a month after the first treatment. The frequency is always defined with your stylist during the consultation.

Not as a fixed rule: hair should be cut when it genuinely needs it, for example when the ends are dry, split or have lost the line of the cut because of summer exposure and daily use of hairdryer and straightener.

No, it's a myth. If the ends are very damaged, hair breaks more easily, giving the impression that it barely grows; trimming damaged ends prevents breakage and makes the real length more visible — but the growth rate at the root doesn't change.

Yes, it's normal: in late summer and autumn hair loss physiologically increases, on average between 50 and 100 hairs a day. It becomes a sign worth investigating (with a doctor or trichologist) only if the shedding continues for weeks or months without stopping, or if regrowing hair stays weak and thin.