Box dye after a professional dye job?

[Lizard1234]

So dur to finances I'm considering cancelling my current 8 weekly hair highlights and going for an all over box colour, can any one recommend this course of action? Or maybe even suggest a brand of hair dye? I could ask my current colourist but I'm abit embarrassed to say I can't afford her services anymore 🫣

I did it and regretted it. My stylist says the ingredients are not as good quality,

• worse for your hair, less effective and still looks cheaper. Could you try an ombre or balayage instead? Or a salon / college where they have students?

I’m doing this currently.
Used to have blonde highlights. Did either full head, half head or t-section throughout the year. Last time at hairdressers was full head, which I think helped (with a toner).
I’ve now changed colour a bit & started doing it myself, saving myself c£200 in the process!
I’ve been using Clairol Nice n Easy. (And it is!)

I did it, I used box dyes and they weren’t that great, I cut right back on hair appointments, then my stylist took pity on me (and got fed up trying to manage the retouches if my awful work) and gave me the details of the colour. Brands like koleston are the best. Dont make the mistake of going too dark though, and be careful of touching up roots or you’ll end up with stripes like I did!
Can you recruit a friend (or train a hubby) to do joint sessions as doing your own is very hard

Can you not get a root touch up rather full highlights ? No cut etc , just the roots? Tide you over x

I got a semi permanent one and it isn’t. Not great. But better than nothing.

My mobile hairdresser puts on my box colour for £20( nice n easy which I buy) Is this a possibility?

I'd honestly ask her. I asked mine and she helped immensely

I now get mine done every 16 weeks, so about 3 times a year, I was getting mine done every 8 weeks but just can’t afford it anymore, my mobile blends my highlights in really well with my natural colour, so when it grows it doesn’t look to bad, has helped with the cost and my hair seems in better condition too.

I wouldn’t do this personally. If you speak to your stylist they might be able to create a look that’s lower maintenance. Balayage is great for this as you can go longer between top ups.

I started doing it myself during Covid, and now do a mix of doing it myself, then getting my colourist to do it, through the year. She’s given me tips and I’m pretty good at it now (so she says) so it works out better as it’s much cheaper! At the moment I’m using this one and it works well.

www.boots.com/loreal-preference-infinia-8-23-rose-gold-light-blonde-permanent-hair-dye-10241980?utm_source=Redbrain+Ltd-176013&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Comparison+Shopping+Service+%28CSS%29&utm_term=&utm_content=&sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=176013&awc=2041_1753762777_3bced513d1cd3be4ce6251ffbfd170f6

Koleston just came up in a search, I've been using Garnier Nutrisse ultra creme (new, improved, they say; waah, it's not) for about three years now and I've just started looking for a better quality product. My roots need touching up every three-ish weeks, which is why I DIY.

My husband has been doing my colour since about 10 years ago when I broke my arm and couldn't do it myself. My current and previous couple of stylists have all said he does a very good job.

Why don't you try a demi and see how it goes.

They wash out in about 30 washes.

That is what I do now, as I also am pretty broke right now and I just don't have salon cash to spare.

I tried this during Covid and the result wasn't great. It's terrible, but having nice hair that looks good quality does cost thousands a year. I have tried for decades to find a way round it, but any time I went back to box dyes, it was disappointing.

It's not that it made me ugly, it's just the difference between having amazing hair and normal hair. With box dyes, the colour changes under different lights. The colour doesn't seem to infuse the whole hair, so that I was never clearly blonde or light brown (the two colours I tried), whereas with salon hair, my hair looks thicker and the colour is more believable and consistent.

I really, really hate having to spend that money, and work around it by having cheaper clothes, as I think the money is better spent on my hair for the overall look it gives. Last time, I asked for a balayage effect, in the hope that the roots will be less visible and I can leave it longer between root tints.

But two colleagues of mine dye their own hair and look perfectly OK, so it's possible to do.

I asked my stylist which brand she used as I can’t afford to get touch ups done every 6 weeks and she willingly shared details. XP colour, I buy on Amazon. Cheaper than normal box dyes as buy in bulk and gives a much nicer finish IMO. Makes it easier to blend when she does professional job every 3m!

In my experience, box dye tends to come up darker and more red- toned than the description. After some trial and error, I use esalon demi permanent, because they customize to the exact colour you want.

Could you try a tiny root touch up rather than an all over colour?
I dye my own hair with good results but wouldn’t risk it if I had highlights.