Major hair disaster- any suggestions?

[Mobly]

I have naturally mousy hair that I have been having highlighted/bleached blonde for 10 years. A few moths ago I decided to go red.

A week ago I wanted to go back to my blonde so I bought a box of hair stripper and stripped my hair.

I now have pinky blonde hair with patchy darker red/ginger areas. It's not a good look.

I have stripped it twice and tried belaching it out to no avail.

I went to the hairdressers today and they won't touch the colour due to the condition of my hair.

:(

bleaching

How long is your hair? Would it be an option to just get it cut really short and leave it to grow out (perhaps wearing a succession of funky hats?!).

dye it brown

or second the idea of chopping it off - go for a crop!!

Oh God, poor you.

Not a hairdresser but anytime ive had a colour disaster I just redye it slightly darker. So I guess for you that might be a dark blonde or light brown? What about putting a semi permanent on so at least its a bit gentler on your poor stressed out hair!

I suppose there is no guarantee but Id try it rather than hide at home for 3 months

Either try and get another another opinion from a good hairdresser, or brace yourself for a crop for a while to cut away the damage.

Would you consider going darker, until your hair has grown enough for the condition to improve.

An ash brown semi-permanent dye will probably disguise the patchiness and discoloured areas.

Thank you for the suggestions. I think a dark blonde may be the only option although I really wanted it a light blonde.

It's really long. I've never had it shorter than my chin. Unfortunately the darkest red bits are quite near the root so to get rid of it all, it would have to be really short.

I don't think I could pull off a crop, I've got quite a round face.

Id def not try a dye any darker than "dark blonde". I think they always come up darker than you think. Also I agree that getting it cut as short as you can stand, even just to chin length will def help. Nothing worse than long hair in terrible condition tbh, it can be very ageing. Good luck

Funky hats is a good idea too! Was hoping the colour may fade if I just stick it out.

I have washed it with an ash blonde temporary colour shampoo this morning to attempt to counteract the red but it's not touching it.

Gillybobs, you're probably right. I'm 30 in April I just wanted it long and blonde for that and then was going to get it cut shorter anyway. Still at least past my chin though.

Oh no, thats a shame about your birthday. Get the colour dyed nice dark blond now and maybe by April you could get some highlights in it? Even if the hairdresser wont dye it they will be able to give you a great cut. treat yourself to a good Hair magazine and find a funky style you'd probably never have otherwise had the guts for! See it as an opportunity : )

If anyone has got any suggestions for fading the colour or if this has happened to them, I'd be really interested to hear ideas/outcomes.

I'll be back later.

Thanks ever so much.

Thanks Gillybobs :)

I had bright pink hair until recently. Aparantly pink/red colours are the hardest to get out.

A hairdresser did a 'bleach bath' and then dyed it a darkish blonde.

Still some pink showing through but just looks as though I had reddish bits in my hair.

I was very light blonde before the pink and was reluctant to go dark blonde but now I've done it I'm really pleased. I look far better!

I think you should go to a different hairdresser and ask their opinion.

xxx

I do agree with going to a different hairdresser, I'm a hairdresser myself and I would at least attempt to fix your hair.

Red is the hardest color to get out because there are so many tones to it, how does the condition of your hair feel to you? I find that hair strippers bought from boots etc are no where near as bad as ones bought from Sallys.

I would try using a darker blonde dye then maybe putting some bleach highlights through the top. The highlights would still have a reddish tone so would have to be toned with an ash colour.

Obviously I can't give much advise without seeing and feeling your hair so if I were you I would try going into a few salons to get a few ideas of what they can do.

Don't keep dying it, especially with bleach as it can weaken/ruin your hair and start to break off!

The best option I would suggest is to go to another hairdressers for a 2nd opinion. Or maybe try a semi permanent as they aren't as harsh for your hair.

Thank you. Moongirl, glad you are now happy with your hair and it's reassuring to hear a positive outcome.

Sheseversofamous- the condition is not great but it's always been dry and as it's always had some bleach on it, I am used to it really. The strippers have not done that much damage IMO. There are areas where bits have broken but it looks fine, like layers, and I have always had a bit of breakage before now. I put an all over really bright white blonde permanent colour on it too, after the stripper, and the roots are the shade on the box, the next 2/3 inches is quite reddish, and the rest is pinky blonde. It seems that the red really grabbed where my hair had no bleach, but the previously bleached bits have faded much better.

I have tried strong bleach on those red bits and they will not budge.

The hairdresser said to try washing up liquid too.

Would something like lemon juice work do you think?

Tragicallyhip- I cannot find a semi perm colour in light blonde- any ideas?

I have heard of the washing up liquid method, Maybe give that ago. Not sure if Lemon juice would budge the colour but it is worth a shot!

You might have to start with a darker blonde and see if that takes. It should fade fairly quickly anyway but that will give your hair a rest and then maybe try a colour again or go back to the hairdressers.

I dyed my Aunt's hair when I was training to be hairdresser(I'm not one anymore). She wanted to go from blonde to brown and it ended up pink!
She had to go to the hairdressers, they dyed it blonde again but not sure how they got rid of the pink!

I used to flit from black and then back to my natural blonde hair.

I used home strip kits and 40v bleach.

When I got left with patchy orange hair this is what I did.

Bleach bath a few times, then loads of purple toner-the purple is what you need here to nutralise the orange.

Orange/red pigments are the hardest to get out of your hair and when you do finally dye it - what will be a darker shade than you wanted most likely-go with an ash blonde, again to try to nutralise those red hues.

Oh and I have to say my hair was wrecked the last time, very elasticy which was not good-but I left it alone for a few year and as it grew I cut those bad bit off-btw my hair is now black again!

Head and Shoulders shampoo is supposed to fade hair dye quicker than regular shampoos if you want to see if it fades naturally.

The best thing for fading - I would say are one of those 2 in 1 shampoo/conditioner like Wash N Go. Also Fairy liquid or that lemon juice you use for cooking in the green bottle, the name escapes me!

The lemon juice has never worked on my own hair but I have used it on others so it really is dependent on the individual.

Ooh thanks everyone, some greatr tips to get going on.

I don't feel so bad about it if there is a glimmer of hope that it might fade.

I put some head and shoulders on it earlier this evening (googled info) and it's now covered in Blonde conditioner which I think has lemon extracts in so we will see!

Also I read that hot oil can really help open the cuticles and get the colour out. Apparently olive oil is just as good so might try that later when the children are asleep.