Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2

AIBU?

To consider bleaching my hair myself?

34 replies

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 12:49

Well am I? It's naurally a pale brown colour but for years I have dyed it a darker shade of brown. I have been steadily going grey since I ws 17 and my roots when they appear are terrible...almost a solid white line. I am 34...I dont want to go grey....I just don't!

Surely if nature has decided that I can pull of white/grey hair then I can also pull off a cool blonde?

I have googled and found a v good website which gives instructions about DIY bleaching....pre-lightner is applied (first to a bi of hair which you snip off) then you wait and see how lon it takes to lighten....then once you have that time correct...you put the pre lightner on your hair....apparently this is where people go wrong...they often remove it too soon as they panic when they see the hair changing....also you need an assistant to make sure that it is not patchy...if there is a patchy area, you have to re-apply it...after all that then you apply a blonde dye...

I just cannot afford a salon job...they're SO expensive and the two which I cisied to enquire were unsure about the final cost....which I cannot risk a on a tight budget.

So AIBU? This dark hir just doesn't suit me anymore!

OP posts:

Report

TheVisitor · 27/05/2011 12:51

I would save up and get it done professionally the first time, then just keep on top of the roots yourself.

donnie · 27/05/2011 12:52

I wouldn't....if it goes wrong you are well and truly buggered and will look like a freak.

Sorry but you did ask.

Go to a salon on trainee day or when they need models and get it cheap.

AngryFeet · 27/05/2011 12:52

Well I wouldn't. I have just had a block bleach blonde on my hair (mistake by the hairdresser) and it looks awful! Highlights always look much better and bleach really fucks your hair up. I am having lowlights put through mine tomorrow as I can't live with it like this and it took me a while to find a salon that would do this as the hair is so porous from the bleach.

At the very least do a strand test first but if I were you I would do home highlights.

porcamiseria · 27/05/2011 12:53

dont do it

discobeaver · 27/05/2011 12:54

Do it! I have done my dark brown hair exactly the way you describe. It's a bit worrying watching it go orange as the lightened works, but it looked fab In the end.
I loved it and will probably do it again this summer. Much easier to do on shorter hair than long.

sharbie · 27/05/2011 12:55

i tried this myself years and years ago - it was awful and took ages to get put right again.
i had varying degrees of blondeness all through my hair from white to orange.eeeeek.

go to a salon.ask for the blondest highlights.

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 12:55

donnie I did most of the training to be a hairdresser myself...I should have said...from age 14 to 16 I worked part time in a good salon...didn't do colour though...but watched a LOT over the 2 years. I am just as good as any trainnee!

angryfeet do you mean she belached it ALL blonde?

I hate highlights.

OP posts:

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 12:56

Highlights make you look stripey...tiger-ish....

OP posts:

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 12:56

WHy do people think that some areas go blonder? And how do hairdressers combt that?

OP posts:

Callisto · 27/05/2011 12:58

Maybe find a mobile hairdresser who will be cheaper? I would be very wary about bleaching your hair - it does it no good. But, the only way to go lighter is to bleach. You could try one of those lightening kits and then put another lighter colour on top? Good luck.

discobeaver · 27/05/2011 13:00

If you want to avoid brassy tones use a silver shampoo or rinse it keeps it pale and lovely.
I can only use my experience but I definitely didn't have patches or looked like a freak! But I love dying my hair so will usually say " do it!" to most dye questions.

Jas · 27/05/2011 13:00

How upsetting would it be if it all went wrong? If you would be devastated, then don't do it. If , like me, you would just cut it shorter and try something different next time then give it a go!

I did recently bleach mine to a pale orange before dying it red though, so will not be offended if you ignore my opinion!

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 13:01

Lightening kits? Is that pre-lightner? I will look at mobile hairdressers now...thanks for th tip!

OP posts:

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 13:03

Jas...I don't know if I would be devestated...I might have at 14 or 15 but at 34? Nah. It's a calculated risk...I can't wear short hair...I have VERY thick hair and it always "mushrooms".

disco d you mean after bleaching I should use a silver shampoo?

OP posts:

RevoltingPeasant · 27/05/2011 13:06

Mumbling I used to bleach my hair myself when I was a teen/ early 20s and it looked fine - admittedly I was going for a 'punky' rather than coiffed look.

You might try if there is a university near you, the campus hairdressers. These are often independent hairdressers but have to be cheap to cater to students.

Alternatively, rather than getting it done by a hairdresser the first time, do it yourself BUT promise yourself that if it all goes horribly wrong you will spend the money getting it put right.

Callisto · 27/05/2011 13:10

Sorry, yes it is a pre-lightener.

AngryFeet · 27/05/2011 13:14

Yes started with just highlights which went a funny colour so I asked him to come back to sort it and he put lots of bleach and a toner through it. So it looks now like it is bleach blonde. I disagree about the highlights though - if you do it with several colours it does not look stripy but I suppose a professional would have to do that.

You really should check out local beauty colleges. My friend has hers done at the salon of her local college and a full head and cut is £30 and looks really good.

cannydoit · 27/05/2011 13:19

i did it once, just awful. and looked bad on me its a drastic move. i promptly went out and bought some red with a scarf over my head. [shudders at memory]

LDNmummy · 27/05/2011 13:47

As someone who also studied hairdressing way back when, I would say do it in stages if you are doing it at home. It will minimise any possible damage and allow you to gauge just how light you want to go. Have you done a strand test yet? You may find that your hair will damage and frizz and a strand is easier to cut out than having to cut everything off.

And yes, make sure you have a friend with you will not panic and make you feel unsure of what is happening. You will need that person to help do the back most probably. Have you decided if it will suit your skin tone and features? I made a mistake of not checking once and looked washed out.

Good luck if you do it!

discobeaver · 27/05/2011 15:51

Yes after you have done all the bleaching and dying, I think i used a silver shampoo once a week or so, just keeps any yellow/ brassy tones away.

garlicbutter · 27/05/2011 15:55

I do mine :) DIY products are really good these days. You can even get colour remover, to strip out the brown you've been using. Go for it!

LittleJennyRobyn · 27/05/2011 16:07

I used to do mine years ago, although i didn't go completely blonde in one go, i used to highlight it but every time i did my roots i would dye more of the un-highlited bits so eventually ended up blonde.

I used Smart colour Blonde and Jerome Russell B Blonde which dyed my very dark hair to a lovely blonde. these are both suitable for very light to very dark hair and no need for a pre-lightener.

Saved myself a fortune over the years.

In fact i was toying with the idea of highlighting again for the summer.

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Email address

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 16:29

Can you garlicbutter??? Can you REALLY? Where do I find this colour stripper then?? That's what I really need! To get a cleanish slate!

OP posts:

discobeaver · 27/05/2011 16:46

Is it Colour B4? You can get it in boots, supposed to take dye out, although not certain dyes I thinkthe Live colour ones, dont come out with it apparently.

MumblingRagDoll · 27/05/2011 16:51

Just googled it and have sent DH to Boots.....am excited as reviews look great and at the moment I would be very happy to get back to something close to my original light brown....at least then I could dye it paler.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.