Coloring Hair at Home - tips ?

[Bella_Lass334]

My hair is naturally dark brown, but a few months ago I got light light brown/dark blonde highlights (I know, it sounds bad but it actually looked pretty good). Well my roots are painfully evident now, and I bought a hair dying thingy from the store to redye it. Here's a picture of the color:

http://i2.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/b0/6e/cc5b_1.JPG

Well, if I redye it, will the parts of my hair that are very light be a different color than my roots?

 

[joie]

I'm not a hairdresser but have done a million different and stupid things to my hair. Sothe blonde bits may take the box colour at first (it's hard to tell and there's always the possibility it might go green, depending on how much or little red is in that hair dye) but the colour will wash out (could take a day or two, could take a month, depending on your hair's condition) because the bleached parts of your hair won't hold colour as well. HTHs

 

[Bella_Lass334]

but what if my hair wasn't bleached?

 

[joie]

Sorry, I just assumed that your hair would have had to have been bleached to achieve light brown/dark blonde on dark brown hair? I believe there are some techniques that apparently lighten the hair by not using bleach (not Sun-In or anything like that, actual salon procedures) but I have no experience with those. I would say that either way, the hair has had its pigment taken out of it, so there'd still be a chance the hair might go green. If you don't think the light brown colour you chose has enough red in it or you're paranoid about the green, use a red filler first.

 

[Bella_Lass334]

I did it, and it didn't turn out to be the color on the box, but it's all one even medium shade of brown, which I kinda like Thank you for your help!

 

[joie]

I'm glad it turned out well

 

[InnocentFairy]

I doubt it would go green, it should state on the box whether it can be used with highlights or not. I am naturally blonde but have highlights and I have gone brunette and it was fine and washed out in about 5 weeks.

 

[joie]

^ I've tried brown and darker colours eg purple-black on bleached hair (my own) and it has gone green (more like a murky slimy olive but still gross) sometimes because of the lack of red pigment (depends on how much red is in the proposed colour). The reverse occurs when bleaching hair from dark to light - if it's not done properly you get that horrible orangey brassy blonde. The hair has to pass through a number of colours to get the desired shade and sometimes if you miss a colour it will alter the result. So it is advisable in some instances to put a red filler over the top.

 

[concretegirrl]

i just got my hair done and I hate it. its a light brown with blonde highlights. I thought the highlights would blend well to make just a dark blond or something but it just looks like i have weird greenish blond hairs. Im thinking if i do an at home all over honey blonde itll look better. thoughts? also do i really have to wait to do it? I litterally just got home from the salon and logged on here quick for help!

 

[jun3machina]

i have a feeling it will just make it look like yellowy green if you do a honey blonde all over it. plus you can only put so many colors on before your hair freaks out.

i think i'd go to a professional colorist if i were you...

 

[concretegirrl]

thanks jun3machina.

its been a few days now and the highlights mellowed out to a nice natural highlight. its not ugly any more just not what im going for. Its basically just medium brown and im really wanting blonde. Im sure if I keep getting highlights ill get that but I was just wondering from a cheap perspective if I could do it with an at home dye.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

All I can say is: If you want blonde hair, but don't wanna go all Madonna/Marilyn bleach blonde, go for a honey or caramel blonde, with some chocolate brown lowlights and light blonde highlights.

It looks natural, it's a lighter shade for a lot of people, and it adds visible texture into the hair.

Oh, that and tinfoil Have a friend over to help.

 

[concretegirrl]

oh thank you thank you thank you
do you think the blonde will take over the already dyed brown?? ::crosses fingers::

 

[Street_a_Licious]

To be on the safe side, I'd buy 2 packs of hairdye. In case one isn't enough. If the first time does the charm, you can always return the second one. I also read that when the haircolor turns too red, you can go over it with a more ashy, non-permanent color (i think one of those which wash out in 32-hairwashes, like Castin Cream Gloss by L'Oreal...), which should balance the hair out.

Don't forget to buy some deep conditioner too! All that dyeing will totally kill your hair, especially if you lighten up the hair, all that bleach literally spells DEATH to your hair, you gotta pamper it, with some hairmasks, conditioners, maybe even try the good ol' "mayonaisse wrapped with foil" trick.

From what I've experienced with the girls around me, such a honey blonde really suits most skintones. When your hair is naturally darker, the roots won't be as noticeable.

Please correct me, if I'm wrong with any of that. My memory ain't the best anymore (yes, I'm over 21, I'm old already )

 

[concretegirrl]

omg im so excited!
im gonna go for it.
thank you so much!!

 

[kateelle]

All I can say is: If you want blonde hair, but don't wanna go all Madonna/Marilyn bleach blonde, go for a honey or caramel blonde, with some chocolate brown lowlights and light blonde highlights.

I would advise against that. If you color your hair honey blonde over the brown dye (with a drug store kit), it will most likely turn orange. Go to Sallys beauty supply store and get a 20 vol or 30 vol developer and a hair dye that has blue/violet base that the shade of blonde that you want. The thing with honey blonde is, if that is not your natural coloring, it tends to go orange because the tone of honey is warm. Still, you can go over that with a blue or violet toner if your hair turns orange from the drug store kit. Good luck with it!

 

[Yanka]

Tip number one - DON'T DO IT! (talking from my own experience, seriously, unless it's "touching up" like dark brown over slightly lighter brown, it's ok MAYBE, but anything more drastic should be done at the salon).

Tip number two - if you have to, get at least your friend to do the back, cause no matter how skillful you are, you're gonna screw the back of your head if you do it by yourself.

 

[pinksatin]

concretegirrll- If you were upset the minute you got home, I would have just gone back to the salon. Most will do a corrective color if they're worth their salt for free. Unless you didn't ask them for the right thing or something. maybe it's too late now, but that's what I would've done. Once I went in for a color but my hair wouldn't take it (due to previous bleaching, coloring and thus damaged porous hair). I was ready to cry b/c I didn't like it and there was nothing they could do. But it wasn't what I wanted and they didn't charge me anything.

Also, in general my advice is not to do it yourself even if you think it will be really simple. Whenever I do something myself (that I know will work) and several months later I'm tired of it and I want something else and go to the salon they always yell at me for using box color b/c they don't know what chemicals were in it and it makes it harder or impossible to get the color you want them to give you (see above experience ). And also, it's almost impossible to go lighter on yourself without getting brassy tones at home. If you go to the salon they will know how to add toner or whatever to take it out and you can't do that at home unless you've had cosmetology school or something.

My tip if you are doing a darker color at home though.... smear vaseline or heavy lotion or deep conditioner all around your hairline on the forehead, ears, nape of the neck. It washes off and will prevent those ugly stains on your skin...

 

[jun3machina]

/\ i agree..and i've had every haircolor imaginable...once you mess your hair up and it starts going brassy due to over dying, you really need someone from a salon or something to know what they're doing with toners, developer strengths, ash VS warm tones, etc...

unless you sit your butt down for a few days and google the heck out of hair tips, dyeing, etc...your going to have trial and error and maybe have to go hat shopping...

 

[jun3machina]

To be on the safe side, I'd buy 2 packs of hairdye. In case one isn't enough. If the first time does the charm, you can always return the second one. I also read that when the haircolor turns too red, you can go over it with a more ashy, non-permanent color (i think one of those which wash out in 32-hairwashes, like Castin Cream Gloss by L'Oreal...), which should balance the hair out.

Don't forget to buy some deep conditioner too! All that dyeing will totally kill your hair, especially if you lighten up the hair, all that bleach literally spells DEATH to your hair, you gotta pamper it, with some hairmasks, conditioners, maybe even try the good ol' "mayonaisse wrapped with foil" trick.

From what I've experienced with the girls around me, such a honey blonde really suits most skintones. When your hair is naturally darker, the roots won't be as noticeable.

Please correct me, if I'm wrong with any of that. My memory ain't the best anymore (yes, I'm over 21, I'm old already )

great advice too! deep conditioning is so important, especially when you use bleach.

dang B) i feel so old too!