Changing hair colour

[SmileAndNod]

My hair is naturally very dark, but i now have lots of grey and use a box colour (3'5) to do the roots every for weeks or so as I can't justify £ 40 ish on my hair every four weeks.

I think that I want to lighten my hair up a bit as the constant dark dyeing is making it very dark. I don't know how to go about it or indeed how much it will cost roughly. I almost don't want to phone the hairdresser as I'm too scared. Really light hair won't suit me, my eyes and eyebrows are dark. I'm a 'winter' so not warm toned at all . I couldn't afford the upkeep of highlights.

My plan for this year was to grow out my short (chin length) choppy bob and get my hair lightened. However my hair is falling out a lot and doesn't look the greatest. I'm also on various medication for stress/anxiety/trauma/depression so this also may be having an effect.

Would you mess about with your hair in these circumstances? Or just leave it? I want to feel nice again, despite all the crap that's going on in my life. Someone tell me what to do please as I really can't make a decision!

[cuntyMcCunterson]

I had this problem just a few weeks ago, I but the bullet and let the hair dresser loose!
She agreed hair was too blocky/dark after years of dying and has put a few fine highlights through my hair avoiding my parting and has used a more neutral dark brown on the rest to cover the grey.
I really like the end result, still have my dark hair but it's broken up with the high lights and the lightening effect is very subtle.

[cuntyMcCunterson]

Meant to add, due to the position of the highlights I only need to have them done every 6moths as you can't see the roots of that makes sense!

[Picachew]

Go to a hairdresser. Explain as you have done here, I don't think you can lighten your hair without going through a bleach stage. I'm pretty sure buying a light brown colour in a box will do nothing to lighten it.

I'm in your position and am having a Redken Chromatics colour put on at the hairdressers which is ammonia free and uses an oil technique to 'push' the colour into the hair. It's kind to my hair but it somehow seems to fade. I'm your colouring and season too, it's hard isn't it? I'm looking to change hairdressers because mine doesn't understand ash and cool.

[SmileAndNod]

Highlights that don't need upkeep would be an option, but I'm not sure if it works with the grey constantly coming through - my parting and temples is where it's most noticeable.

I was worried that they'd have to strip the colour and then re apply and if my already dodgy hair would be up to the process. I don't even want to go that much lighter really - just worried about looking witchy now I'm heading towards the mid 40s

[Picachew]

I feel your pain. I'm 51 and worried about witchyness too :).

[SmileAndNod]

this is the kind of colour I would like. My hair was also that length until just before I turned 40 and had it chopped into the bob. Not sure I could grow such lovely hair anymore

[SmileAndNod]

Forgot to say it's currently the colour Carla in corrie used to be and she's now lighter (though a bit lighter than I'd like) so it must be possible. If you have a team of make up artists and hairdressers at your disposal

[Picachew]

Isn't that a warm colour though?

[SmileAndNod]

I think it is. Being a winter seems to limit us - any suggestions? I know that grey will probably suit me - it's bright silver - but I'm not ready for people to think I'm my children's grandma just yet (didn't have my first until 35)!

[JoyceDivision]

I decided to stop dyeing my hair. Today some one at work asked me if I'd been painting. i had to break it to them it is all the grey in my hair coming through. Luckily I know how much there is so started showing them my roots, while there was a little bit of back peddling

[Pugthug]

The best thing I ever did was to get in
touch with a mobile hairdresser. She used to work at a great salon when she was younger and is a fantastic hairdresser. I have quite a bit of grey(early 40s) so used to box colour every month. She now comes monthly and does my roots £22 one month and the following month I get it cut and roots for £36. My hair always looks great. The colour is lovely and my hair is in excellent condition. I would definitely look into this as an economic long- term solution.

[TattyDevine]

My friend had this exact problem AND she was a winter!

I sorted her hair out. I'm not a hairdresser, but I did a strand test and worked out I could get her to a warm toffee colour by bleaching it. So we did that. I then covered over the bleached hair with a new hair color, a level 5 (which is a good couple of shades above yours, as no colour build up) and she came out a neutral chocolate shade.

She was then under strict instructions not to use any more box dyes, which are difficult to apply to roots only due to their runny consistency, and I taught her how to mix up Loreal Majirel with 20 volume peroxide, which she now uses on her roots, covers the grey, and she now has lovely medium neutral brown hair.

Doesn't help you, but you could probably convince a hairdresser to bleach-bath you up a few shades to get rid of the build up and tint you a neutral mid brown. You could then PM me and I can tell you how you go about using professional dye to cover your roots (or you could try the root touch up kits as they are also good, but avoid the runny box dyes unless you are very careful about not running it through the ends)

[SmileAndNod]

My sil uses a mobile hairdresser so I will ask her about that when she's back from her hols.

I've just looked at that colour on a different device and it does look a lot warmer. Can anyone link to any winter hair colours please? I'm not sure what the book means when it refers to ash tones

Tomorrow I'm off to see the hairdresser for a chat.

[Pugthug]

Ash refers to cool no warmth I think. It suits people with cool skin tones. If you have blue/grey eyes and pale skin. If you suit clothes that are on the cool colour wheel like, blue,turquoise etc then ash is a good choice but if you suit reds, browns oranges etc then a colour with warmer tone might be better.

[038THETA]

Tattydevine I see what you are saying about box dyes being too runny for easy root application but from what I remember some of them are thicker than others.

Eg the ones that come in metal tube... I've used clairol perfect 10 which is fairly thick.

Also I'm surprised that the Majirel colors are used with 20 volume peroxide...I thought box dyes were usually 10 volume (?)
Then again they never actually say on the box what strength the developer is

[TattyDevine]

Many box dyes are around 10 volume.

20 volume peroxide is the correct strength to open up the hair shaft to accept colour for grey coverage, and is often more effective at grey coverage than something less, like 10 volume. That said, if you are just depositing colour and don't require any lift, 10 volume is often sufficient unless you are hitting the 50% grey type ratios. Many will find 20 volume more competent and this kind of coverage though, particularly with deeper bases.

In terms of "Winter" colours you are looking for cool to neutral tones. For this you can refer to the International Colour numbering system.

You know how a lot of dyes, including box dyes, have numbers as well as names? The names mean nothing..."Haviana" "St Tropez" etc although others mean something like "Iced chocolate" or "Cinnamon" but are not exactly accurate in terms of what they contain. The numbers decode it.

The first number refers to depth. The OP should avoid anything below a 5 if she doesn't want to get too dark and get too much colour build up. 5 is a mid brown. 6 is a dark blonde (though most would still consider this light brown to look at - a lot of primary aged kids have this colour, a kind of beige head that isn't quite blonde and isn't quite brown - "bronde". Lol). Level 7 is still quite a deep blonde, but lighter than a 6, 8 is getting to proper blondness by most people's standards, and level 9 and 10 are your light blondes.

The second 2 colours refer to tone. 1 is green ash. 2 is violet ash. 3 is gold. 4 is copper. 5 is mahogany (which may seem warm but is technically classed as cool). 6 is red.

The OP should avoid any of the warm colours, and as a winter, also avoid mahogany if she is looking for a cool or neutral brown. A little bit of gold is fine, but she should pair this up with a violet ash for an iced or "iridecent" effect. If she is struggling with her hair being a warm base from bleaching or if her hair is throwing out rusty tones from the lightening, then green and violet ash with counter this. Violet kills gold tones, and green ash kills copper tones.

Dont be too scared of something with a gold reflect as this coupled with a base 5 tends to give a pleasing chocolate colour which suits most skin tones. Avoid copper like the plague.

A 5.23 or a 5.21 or a 5.02 or something would be idea. I will try to link to such products in a sec, both professional and box dyes. If you use a box dye squirt it into a dish and apply with a tinting brush if you have managed to fix your build up issue and don't want to end up back there. Back in a tick with some links.

[TattyDevine]

Just to add, Castings Creme gloss is said to be a higher volume peroxide, as it is ammonia free, and they have to replace that with something for an even result used at home.

[TattyDevine]

This is Loreal Majirel 5.12. Plenty of ash tones to kill off any rusty reflects that might be lurking

[TattyDevine]

Struggling to find a cool brown box dye. There is a reason for this, many box dyes are pretty warm toned, because when you start using ash and brown together if you get people at home using them to cover over highlights and stuff you can end up with quite a green result particularly as it fades. Safe to use on a rusty base that you want to cover, but this is more specialised stuff so they don't want the risk of people dissing them all over the internet because they tried to cover their ombre experiment and ended up with khaki ends. The best you might do is a "natural" which contains the full range of tones and is not overtly warm, like this one

[VacantExpression]

Tattydevine where do you live I need someone to sort my hair out!

[TattyDevine]

Here's a 5.01. Very very cool, but doesn't it look dark! Very "winter" though.

[TattyDevine]

5.02, so violet ash instead of green above, still very cool to neutral

[suzannecanthecan]

Tatty, I've used clairol light ash brown, and a shade which was called something like 'lightest cool brown' (nnot sure if 'cool' and 'ash' are interchageable in the case of clairol)

would they count as a cool brown box dyes??
?

[suzannecanthecan]

Also is it safe to use ash tones if you have greying?
Wouldn't the white hairs go green from the ash tones?
Or does that only happen to bleached hair??

[suzannecanthecan]

On the subject of box dye developer strength I just had a look at the various part used bottles I have from previous hair dying.
Swartzkoft (sp) and clairol nice and easy both have no info on bottle.

Boots own has '20 vol' printed on it and clairol perfect 10 has 7.7% printed on it.
Would that make it around 25 vol? And I suppose explains why you only need to leave it on for 10 minutes? ?