I dyed my hair and nothing happened!

[KittyTwoShoes]

Okay, so my hair was highlighted at the beginning of the summer. Naturally it's a sort of dark blonde. My friends and I tried to dye it auburn this evening with semi-permanent colour and, well, it didn't work.

Nothing awful happened. It isn't green with purple spots and I'm not bald. It's just... slightly darker than it was before, with a definite reddish tint in certain light, but it hasn't worked.

We're thinking of trying again tomorrow night but I don't want to do anything without consulting the powers that be - ie you lot

Would it work, trying again? Should we use the same dye (we used one bottle but I have very long hair so there just may have not been enough?) or a permanent version? Or should we just not risk it? I can't afford to go to a salon to have it done, though I can pop in and ask them for advice obviously.

What say you?

[TigerseyeMum]

Red colours don't take on my hair. My hairdresser (who is a colourist) says that it is because some people have hormones that mean dyes don't take. She occasionally has that, where she tries and tries to get a colour to take and it won't.

Maybe your hair was too long though, so maybe try another box? I would be cautious of mixing and matching different dyes. Personally I now only get my hair coloured at the salon - much less messy, though more expensive!

[KittyTwoShoes]

Oh boo to that! Thanks anyway :) I will try to dye it again tomorrow, it won't do any harm if I use the same dye, I'm sure. And if not... I guess I have hair that won't go red. Fiddlesticks.

[dearprudence]

Are you sure you mixed the dye properly? Didn't use the conditioner by mistake or something?

[KittyTwoShoes]

No, we definitely mixed the dye properly... it has changed colour, so some dye definitely went on. It just darkened instead of going properly red.

[TechLovingDad]

Kitty, isn't a slight reddish tinge the definition of Auburn?

[TragicallyHipPomBear]

Be careful with putting red hair dye on blonde hair as it may turn pink. You generally need a base colour on first

[MegBusset]

I've got mousey dark blonde hair and it is pretty difficult to get a dye to take. Semi-permanent dye doesn't stand a chance, I need the strong stuff and leave it on for a good while. I have had red hair on occasions over the years but it never goes proper red red :(

[TechLovingDad]

Dare I ask what the attraction with dying hair is? I've never understood it.

Almost every woman, famous or non famous, I've seen looks miles better with natural coloured hair than dye. Skin tone just looks wrong when hair is the wrong colour, it makes them look worse, I find.

Madonna, miles better with dark hair. A friend of DW's often dies her hair dark, which makes her face look too pasty. Keep it naturally dark blond and she looks much better.

You're all mad.

[MegBusset]

DH would disagree with you, he has a thing about red hair

[booyhoo]

TLD i agree with you. any people i know with dyed hair just look too fake. it doesn't match their skin. my nana (82) has a friend the same age as her with jet black hair!

[TechLovingDad]

MegBusset, do you have red hair? If not, then he must have a thing about whatever colour you are, too.

My memories of my nan were all of her having blonde hair, right up until she died. Natural, of course. Until I saw photos of her young with brown hair.

[MegBusset]

TLD I don't think many blokes have a thing about mousey! But my many other lovely attributes must have overcome the lack of red hair :)

[TechLovingDad]

There you go, then. He has a thing about you as a package. Not just your barnet.

i've always had a thing for dark hair, dark eyes and dark skin. As luck would have it, I married two ladies like that. Who'da thunk?

[PlumSykes]

Kitty, make sure your hair is shampooed, but not conditioned before you put the dye on, otherwise the cond. will coat the hair and make it tricky for the dye to get to.

[TrillianAstra]

Leave it on for longer.

[KittyTwoShoes]

Oki doki. Thanks :) I've bought some more so we will try again tonight - the roots are red now, the rest of it is just brown, so I think it may have been just the highlighted bits not taking properly. I'll let you know how it goes and then blame you all if it goes horribly wrong