WWYD - Balayage hair looks like I'm growing out a dodgy dye job

[abbijay]

I decided to treat myself after many years of my natural colour, or almost natural colour, to getting my hair updated to something more modern this weekend. I've used the same salon for (infrequent) cuts for a couple of years and always been quite satisfied so went off full of excitement on Saturday morning. I talked it through with the stylist and we agreed that bayalage would bring my colour up to date and more modern but would be low maintenance for a working mum of twins with a horse… The pictures she showed me were all really subtle natural tones with the ends only a couple of shades lighter than the roots and much less distinct than I’ve ended up with. We never talked colours beyond keeping my natural colour on the top and going for something lighter and brighter on the bottom.
I loved being sat in the chair for 3 hours and when it was finished I thought it was “striking” but that it would grow on me and settle down and I was just so giddy to have had 3 hours out from normal “life”.
When I got home 3yo DD said “you’re beautiful” without taking her eyes off the tv, 3yo DS said he didn’t like it and the ever helpful hubby said, “it’s lovely darling, did they mean to leave the top out though.” I think I started to fall out of love with my new hair at exactly that moment.
We’re now 3 days on and I think I really hate it but what do I do? I’ve come to work today (I work with 95% fellas) and just blow dried it and I think I look bloody awful. It does look like I dyed my hair 4 months ago and I’ve allowed the blond to grow out and go brassy and forgotten to get the roots sorted at any point. It’s certainly not the sunkissed update I was hoping for!
Do I go back to the original salon and get them to do something with it; do I find a different hairdresser to try and subtle it down or do I persevere and hope it grows on me as it grows out?
Help, I actually want to cry I think I look ridiculous! I really thought I was old enough to not care about my looks like that any more!

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Hmmm, it's not great. In my mind balayage starts half way down the hair, not a mere couple of inches from the roots. How much did you pay for it? If it was cheap I'd be inclined to write it off and find a different salon that can rescue it. If it cost a fair few ££ I'd phone the salon up and tell them that you're unhappy with the results and ask them what they can do to fix this for you?

[Mamia15]

Go back and explain you're unhappy with the results - I agree that is a not a good job done - the colour bottom is far too solid and it should have started half way down.

[TondelayaDellaVentamiglia]

it's too solid...looks like a dip dye

is it like that underneath??....if you did waves and spirals would there be darker to show through at the bottom, it might look less like a six month old home dye joeb better when styled

[LizardBreath]

Hi op, this also happened to me!! To make it worse it was a friend's daughter that did it who has won loads of awards for her colour services . I ended up going back to all dark-this was a complicated process as obviously the dye took differently to the light bits. Eventually (over a year later) I probably have the balayage look I'd planned originally.

Have you tried putting a toner on it? (Note, I don't really know what that means)

Is that how you normally wear your hair? It may look nicer with a bit of a wave through it.

It doesn't look awful, but I feel your pain!

[abbijay]

Even with a curl in it looks very blocky. At the bottom the colour starts 2-3" down and then is just bang bright blonde!
I was shocked at the time at how cheap it was: £67.50 including a cut for a 3 1/2 hour appointment! I used to pay a lot more 10 years ago when I lived in Yorkshire. I might pluck up the courage and speak to the salon today.

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Yes phone them. Don't go all guns blazing, just be really pleasant, but really firm. They'll have to agree with you!

[abbijay]

I got my big girl pants on and spoke to them. (I promise, no guns blazing! )
They've suggested I come in and pay to get a toner put on it but I don't think that's going to solve it - and it would require me taking an afternoon of precious annual leave to do which just doesn't seem worth it for a minor change. So I'm off to find a decent hairdresser in the South Cheshire area instead!

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

They want you to pay? Pah.

Maybe it's time to get those guns blazing.

[BuntyFigglesworthSpiffington]

Take your custom elsewhere and do as I do, blacken their name on any online review site you can find.

[DaisyBD]

no no no, this isn't good enough. You shouldn't be paying anything! they need to fix this. If I want to complain about something (I used to be utterly shite at this but eight years working for a verrrry exacting boss has helped me get a grip) I find it always helps to be clear what I want them to do to fix the problem. So for example, I would say, this is the issue I have with this, and this is why, and this is what I need you to do to fix it.

I know fuck all about balayage so I don't know exactly what I would say in this case, but get it in your head, and don't let them put you off. Repeat repeat repeat. If they offer something else, say, thank you very much, I'm afraid that won't work for me, what I need is X. Eventually they'll do what you want. Be super nice and smily too. They should want to give you a good service, and there's no reason you shouldn't get what you've paid for.

Go elsewhere in future obviously, but you may as well make them pay for their mistakes.

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

That's not balayage. You could have done a better job yourself with a home kit.

I agree with Daisy, go in with a picture and say you want it corrected, either to what you asked for it back to your natural colour. This lady on the right looks similar to what you should have - a more defined colour definition than the left picture but not a straight line.

[RosieWithTheGoodHair]

My balayage starts at about that level but it's highlights at the top which then build towards the bottom. That's more like a bad dip dye

Not sure if trust the same salon again; could you dye over it with a semi (lore all casting creme or similar -a pale brown ashy tone to get rid of the yellow) and then go somewhere else for some highlights towards the ends if you actually want a balayage look? The ends will fade the colour out quicker anyway because of damage

It doesn't look THAT bad though OP, just a bit yellow and blocky

[abbijay]

Thanks Mumsnetters!
I'm not the type to normally post pics of myself on the internet so I just needed some reassurance from strangers (I daren't show my friends) that this wasn't balayage and wasn't what I'd expected.
My mum saw me this morning and I knew she thinks it's awful because she was polite about it. She either hates everything or is effusive so this was a disconcerting response.
I've lost faith in the salon completely so I'll be phoning a few others in town today and begging my boss for a short notice half day of annual leave before I see the family on Saturday for granny's 90th birthday and then this will be in the family photos until time immemorial!

[JamieVardysParty]

If you're still looking for a salon, I recommend Johnston Brady. They always do a great job and have discount if you are a first time customer.

[redhat]

That isn't balayage. balayage is hand painted natural highlights which don't come from the root.

It isn't even ombre IMO since it starts so high up.

This is balayage

[redhat]

I have been told by my hairdresser than to have balayage you also need layers (and ideally a wave/curl). This is because when it is straight and all one length it will be obvious where the colour starts from.

I'm having mine done on Saturday. Ive had ombre before which was more like yours is now (but much lower on my hair) Ombre is more of a dip dyed effect.

[RosieWithTheGoodHair]

Redhat your hairdresser means ombre; if done properly (freehand as shown above) the hair texture shouldn't matter

[redhat]

No they have told me twice that my very long very straight very thick hair will need long layers in order to have balayage which looks natural. It seemed to be the general consensus on my thread about balayage the other week too.

[abbijay]

Not the best picture but, bloody hell, doesn't that look better?

[LizardBreath]

Ah wow! SO much better! Lovely