Colour Correction at Kohort Studio, Fix Box Dye and Colour Disasters, Richmond Melbourne

The calm, honest place to bring a colour you want to undo.

What Is Colour Correction?

Colour correction is the technical work of moving hair from one colour state to another when a standard service cannot get you there. That covers a wide range of starting points. Box dye that went darker than the box promised. Home bleach that turned orange at the ends. A previous salon visit that landed yellow instead of cool blonde. Banded highlights from multiple foil services over the years. Black dye that needs to come out to sit somewhere natural. Or a switch from a long history of dark colour to a lifted blonde.

Every colour correction at Kohort starts with a realistic conversation about where your hair actually is and where it can safely go in one session. Sometimes the answer is one sitting. Often it is two or three spread across weeks. Rarely is it an overnight transformation. The colourists at Kohort who specialise in correction, Sheree and Zoe in particular, will tell you the honest plan before you commit. That is the single most important thing a correction client needs, because most of the horror stories we hear start with a stylist who promised one session and then pushed past what the hair could handle.

Colour correction is a different service to a standard colour appointment. It takes longer. It needs more product. It needs a colourist who has done this for years and can read what is happening in the fibre as it lifts. It also needs a guest who is ready to play the long game, because getting to a beautiful result on hair that has been through chemistry before takes planning, not a single long appointment.

The reward for doing it properly is hair that does not just look right, but holds up. Corrections rushed into one session almost always result in breakage, banding, or a colour that shifts within two weeks. Corrections planned across sessions tend to settle into a result that looks genuinely good and stays looking good.

How KOHORT Approaches Colour Correction

Every correction at Kohort starts with a consultation, ideally booked as a standalone appointment before the correction itself. Your colourist looks at your hair in natural light, asks for your full colour history for the last twelve to twenty-four months, and often does a strand test. A strand test is a small section of your hair treated with the planned process to predict how the rest will behave. Skipping this step is how corrections go wrong. We do not skip it.

Once the plan is set, pre-colour treatment is critical. L'Oréal Metal Detox is our default pre-lift step for anyone with box dye history, hard water exposure, or old highlights. It neutralises metal particles sitting inside the cortex, which are the most common cause of unexpected heat reactions during lift. Without it, lightener can trigger inside the hair and produce breakage. With it, the lift runs cleaner and more predictably.

Through the correction itself, we run Olaplex or K18 bond protection. This is non-negotiable on any significant lift. Olaplex Bonding from $50 protects the internal disulphide bonds during the lightening process. K18 Molecular Repair from $50 is often used at the tone stage to reconnect broken peptide chains. Where chelating treatment is needed to clear metals or mineral build-up that Metal Detox alone cannot shift, Olaplex Chelating Treatment from $50 is added.

Correction is paced. We do not rush corrections into one long punishing appointment if the hair is not ready for it. Guests come in for a six hour session, take a break, come back two weeks later for a toning and bonding visit, and then settle into a maintenance rhythm on their normal colour cycle. This pace is the difference between correction that heals hair and correction that destroys it.

The co-working model at Kohort works especially well for correction. Each colourist books their own correction clients directly, which means the same stylist sees you through every step of the journey. You are not being handed to three different colourists across three visits. Continuity makes the outcome better because the stylist can read exactly how your hair reacted last time and adjust accordingly.

Finishing a correction is a different brief to finishing a normal colour service. Expect longer time at the basin for treatment, more attention at the styling chair, and clearer home care guidance. Colour correction clients leave Kohort with a written aftercare plan, usually a K18 leave-in mist and a specific shampoo recommendation, and a realistic window for the next visit.

Who Performs Colour Correction at KOHORT

Sheree, Colour Correction Specialist

Sheree has built her career around colour correction over twenty plus years in the industry. She is unflappable in the chair. Guests bring her the most stressful colour situations, brassy blondes, botched at-home bleach, dark dye that needs to come out, and she walks them through the plan calmly. If you are anxious about your correction, book Sheree. Book with Sheree.

Zoe, Colour Correction and Blonde Correction

Zoe is a precision colourist with a particular strength in correcting blonde services that have gone wrong. Brassy yellow tones, banded highlights, uneven lift, too-dark regrowth lines. She will plan the correction properly across sessions rather than forcing it. Book with Zoe.

Billie, Correction on Creative and Short Hair

Billie's thirty years include plenty of correction work, particularly on short hair and previously creative coloured hair. If you are coming in from a bleach-and-tone that turned on you, or a fashion colour that faded into an unusable tone, Billie is the stylist to see. Currently welcoming existing clients only. Book with Billie.

The Colour Correction Process, What to Expect

1. Consultation

Ideally a standalone consultation booked before the correction itself. Your colourist looks at your hair dry and in natural light, asks for a detailed colour history, and may do a strand test. The plan is mapped out, the number of sessions confirmed, the timeline sketched, and a range quote provided.

2. Pre-Treatment

Metal Detox, Chelating Treatment, or Olaplex bonding pre-work depending on your hair history. This is not optional for us on a correction.

3. The Main Service

Lift, tone, or removal work depending on direction. This may be foils, balayage, a colour removal step using a reducing agent, or a combination. Processing is monitored closely. Bond support runs throughout.

4. Tone and Balance

Once the hair is at a stable base, toner shapes the final shade. Corrections often need two or three toning steps to land cleanly.

5. Bond Restoration

K18 Molecular Repair or Olaplex Bonding is applied after colour to reconnect and strengthen. Fusio Dose Ritual is often added for extra shine and softness.

6. Follow Up Visit

Most corrections require a follow up at two to six weeks. This is confirmed at your first visit and the appointment is booked on the way out.

Colour Correction Pricing at KOHORT

Colour correction pricing is the one area of our menu that genuinely cannot be quoted without a consultation. The starting state of your hair decides the cost, not the look you are chasing.

As a guide, correction work is priced by the hour and typically sits from $150 to $200 per hour of stylist time. A simple correction may take three hours. A heavy correction may take six to ten hours across one or more sessions. The consultation will give you a realistic quote range before you book.

All correction work at Kohort includes the pre-colour and bond protection treatments needed for the service. L'Oréal Metal Detox, Olaplex Bonding and K18 Molecular Repair are often included in the correction price rather than as optional add-ons, because they are not optional on this service. Your stylist will confirm what is included and what is an optional add-on at consultation.

We do not quote correction pricing over DM without seeing the hair. A free fifteen to thirty minute consultation in salon is the fastest way to get a realistic number. Email salon@kohort.com.au to book a consultation.

Aftercare for Colour Corrected Hair

Corrected hair is more fragile in the weeks immediately following the service than normal coloured hair. Aftercare is not optional.

Sulphate free shampoo only. Kérastase Blond Absolu, Davines Alchemic, or K18 peptide shampoo depending on tone. No deep cleanse shampoos, no clarifying shampoos, no baby shampoo. All of those will strip tone.

Weekly bond treatment at home. K18 Molecular Repair leave-in mist is the single most useful at-home product after a correction. Use twice a week on damp hair, left in, no rinse. Olaplex No. 3 at home is also a reasonable option for guests already using the range.

Wash less. Three washes a week is the maximum we recommend in the first month after correction. Every extra wash pulls tone out and adds friction.

Heat protect before every hot tool. Always. Corrected hair that has been through lift is more vulnerable to heat damage, and a heat protectant is non-negotiable.

No chlorine for two weeks if possible. Chlorine will shift a fresh correction faster than almost anything else. If you do swim, wet your hair with tap water and apply a leave-in first, then rinse immediately after.

Book your follow-up visit. Corrections almost always need a toner refresh or second session to settle. This is planned, not a surprise. Your stylist will confirm the timing at your first visit.

Who Colour Correction at KOHORT Is Ideal For

This service is right for you if you have walked out of a previous salon with colour you cannot live with, if you have tried to bleach or dye your hair at home and landed somewhere unexpected, if you have a long history of dark colour and want to move to blonde, or if you have had highlights for so many years that they have gone banded and need to be reset.

It is also right if you are anxious about colour corrections. Sheree and Zoe both have a reputation for calm, honest correction consultations. We will tell you what is possible, what is not, and how long it will take before you commit.

It is not the right service if you are expecting one-session miracles on hair that cannot handle it. We will not do services that will damage your hair beyond repair. If the honest answer is three sessions, that is what we will recommend, even if another salon said otherwise.

Colour Correction for Clients Across Inner Melbourne

Correction clients travel further than standard colour clients because the right colourist is worth the drive. Our correction book pulls from across inner Melbourne and beyond.

Richmond locals drop in from the surrounding streets. Cremorne tech workers book longer Friday afternoon correction sessions. Burnley and Abbotsford guests come up from the riverside pockets. Collingwood and Fitzroy clients, often arriving from a DIY creative colour that went wrong, walk over from Smith Street and Gertrude Street.

South Yarra, Toorak, Prahran and Windsor clients are a steady thread through our correction book. Many come from Chapel Street salons that rushed the service the first time. The correction often involves moving from brassy yellow to a cooler, softer blonde or correcting banded highlights built up over years of maintenance.

From the east, Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Balwyn and Hawthorn East guests typically bring corrections that involve grey coverage banding, refreshing invisible grey blending, or moving from a long history of permanent colour into something softer. The Boroondara correction brief is almost always about longevity and discretion.

From the north, Fitzroy North, Carlton, Clifton Hill, Northcote, Fairfield and Alphington clients bring a wide range of correction scenarios. Northcote and Fitzroy corrections often involve creative colour fallout, copper that has gone pink or silver that has gone yellow. Clifton Hill and Alphington corrections lean toward natural tone restoration.

East Melbourne corrections are usually refined blonde corrections, often pre-wedding or pre-formal. St Kilda corrections frequently involve resetting fashion colour buildup for the arts and hospitality crowd. Melbourne CBD apartment-belt guests often book the longest single correction sessions because they want everything handled in one concentrated block.

Wherever you are coming from, the journey for correction is worth it. Our correction clients often tell us it was their first calm salon visit in years.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colour Correction at KOHORT

Can you fix box dye?

Yes, in most cases. Box dye with metallic salts is the most common correction we see. The process involves Metal Detox, careful lift in planned stages, and toning. It is almost always done across two sessions for the best result.

Can you lift my hair from black to blonde in one session?

Almost never safely. Moving from long-history black dye to a lifted blonde typically needs two to four sessions spaced across two to four months. A rushed one-session attempt is how hair breaks.

How long does colour correction take?

A simple correction may be three to four hours. A heavy correction may be six to ten hours across multiple sessions. Your colourist will give you a realistic time at consultation.

How much does colour correction cost?

Priced by the hour, typically $150 to $200 per hour of stylist time. Total cost depends on the scope. A consultation gives you a realistic range before you book.

Do I need a consultation before booking correction?

Yes. This is the one service where we genuinely require a consultation before committing to the correction appointment. A fifteen to thirty minute in-salon consultation is free.

Will my hair be damaged after correction?

If the correction is done properly with Metal Detox, bonding, and planned pacing, your hair should come out of the service in better condition than it was going in. Corrections that damage hair are almost always corrections that were rushed or skipped pre-colour prep.

How soon can I colour again after a correction?

Typically two to six weeks before a toning or balancing visit. Full colour services are then on a normal cycle from there.

Which stylist should I book for correction?

Sheree is our correction specialist. Zoe is our precision blonde correction colourist. Both have long histories with correction work. Book whoever has availability, or email salon@kohort.com.au for a recommendation.

Where is Kohort and how do I get there?

234 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121. Burnley and East Richmond train stations are both about a ten minute walk. Tram 48 and 75 run along Bridge Road directly past the studio door.

Is there parking near the salon?

Yes. Two hour metered parking on Bridge Road and free longer parking on residential streets within a block or two. For a long correction session, most guests find parking within one block.

Can I book a correction without a consultation?

We strongly prefer a consultation first for correction work. Without seeing the hair, we cannot quote accurately or plan safely. A consultation is free and fifteen to thirty minutes.

What if my correction is bigger than we thought?

Your stylist will tell you at consultation if the correction will take more sessions than originally estimated. The plan is transparent from the start. You will not be surprised at the chair.

Do you offer payment plans for large corrections?

We do not run formal payment plans, but large corrections are typically spread across sessions so the cost is spread too. Your stylist can discuss this at consultation.

Will my hair ever be the same after a correction?

Honest answer, corrected hair is hair that has been through more chemistry than virgin hair. With good aftercare and bond work, it will look and feel healthy, but it will still respond differently to future services. We will always plan future services with that in mind.

Related Reads from the Kohort Blog

• How to Fix Box Dye Hair
• The Real Cost of Colour Correction in Melbourne
• Why Your Blonde Turns Brassy
• K18 vs Olaplex vs Bond Shaper

Book Your Colour Correction Consultation

KOHORT Studio · 234 Bridge Road, Richmond VIC 3121

Phone: 0423 979 900

Email: salon@kohort.com.au

Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, bookings by appointment.

Book a correction consultation with:

• Book with Sheree
• Book with Zoe
• Book with Billie (existing clients only)