for all you ladies with flat brown chocolate colour hair!!

[countryokel]

Just saw the other posting, and I had same problem. After lots of research and some professional advice, I went to a local wholesale hairdressing suppliers and bought Wella professional semi permanant colour to do at home. It leaves your hair in good shiny condition, covers grey, no build up, nasty smell, easy to do, not expensive and looks good in my opinion, and did not itch my scalp like the ones from shops. . Just thought you might want too try it. You can also get it online.

I have darkish brown hair with hazel highlights naturally, and got Wella Colour Touch 7/73 (in a tube)which gives rich darkish brown, not too dark. You also need to buy Wella Colour Touch emulsion 1.90 6 vol. (you can chooose higher than 6 vol but that's a stronger bleach, may last longer, but I wanted gentle for my hair) Tube is £5 - £7 ish but lasts at least 2 gos for me. Emulsion was a BIG bottle £12 ish, lasts a year at least.

With a plastic spoon you mix however much you need, with 1 spoon colour from tube to 2 spoons emulsion and mix in plastic container. Apply with little plastic brush to shampood damp hair, sectioning it as usual. For my chin length hair I usually use 3 spoons total of colour from tube, so thats 6 of emulsion. Can keep the rest of unmixed tube for next time. Apply to hair as usual, (should use thin gloves) then MOST IMPORTANT I put hair in showercap kept for purpose! and apply heat, by blasting it from hairdryer in cap and all round. This makes the colour last longer I've found.

Leave for 20 mins then wash out, warm water, apply conditioner. When roots show, just do the same but just to them first, and then I apply over whole head again as there's no build up. Its not smelly or messy to use, have to do it about once per month, but nicer for me than shop stuff.

You can mix colours but need professional help to choose how. I've never risked it. This one colour suits me.

Hope it's of help to someone. Hate to see such bitchy bullying comments, even if passed off as "humour" - age comes to us all, and most cannot afford constant professional colour. Hope Jacqueline is doing ok, what she's going through really puts all our petty worries about looks in perspective. Good luck x

[BettyTurnip]

What a really useful post, will be taking note, thanks. Also agree with your comments at the end.

[mumblejumble]

Thanks, that is fab information
Would this work for around 40% grey?

[tangerinajolie]

Thanks from me too as I have also been working up to try this out for myself. My hairdresser has left his salon and comes to me now which I'm not keen on and I think since I have all the mess of the colouring and washing it out at home now anyway, I may as well go the whole hog and mix it myself too!

How long do you heat with the hairdryer for?

[countryokel]

don't see why not mumble, I haven;' got that much, have a white bit at front and it covers that. Another tip I had from an expert once was, if you have resistant grey, like above your ears, put a little of the emulsion on cotton wool or a brush, wipe it over that hair first neat, squidge it into the hair, then mix colour as usual and apply. It opens hair shaft a bit I think and makes it take more.
Tangerina -I just use the hairdryer for say 5 mins, moving it around and squirting heat inside cap also.Could do it more I suppose.