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Original poster

Hair disaster!

28 replies

AngryFeet · 14/05/2011 18:40

I used to have a full head of highlights every December then a half head in June. Last year I had half head in May and have been broke so had no colour done again until now. So my hair was fairly dark (very dark blonde, almost brown) with a few light bits at the ends.

My usual hairdresser came over on Tuesday and used my usual three colours (full head) which is various shades of blonde. My hair ended up going this sort of yellowy almost ginger colour. After two days and a good wash I called him to say I really hated it (no offence and everything) and could he come and lighten it a bit more. He was very apologetic and came over today to put some light blonde through which he didn't charge me for. He used bleach then put a toner on to take the yellow out of the rest. He said that due to the fact I have now had a full head and a half of highlights it would be a lot of colour.

It is now almost white blonde. It doesn't suit my complexion and looks really tarty.

Arrrggghhh!

I really can't put any more colour on can I?

He is a very good hairdresser and has lots of training and experience so it's not like I chose someone cheap and rubbish :(

Will try and put pic on my profile....

OP posts:
Original poster
AngryFeet · 14/05/2011 18:50

Picture up, but it looks more yellow than that in reality.

OP posts:
transferbalance · 14/05/2011 18:55

hmm, you do look a bit washed out but that could be the camera

I once tried to dye my hair blond and it came out as you describe, absolutely bright radioactive yellow. Two days before bloody jury service as well. Had to have a red pigment put back in and then a brown rinse on top.

This was years ago though so maybe they have better methods now.

pointydog · 14/05/2011 19:02

It looks as if you've over-highlighted it. I ended up a bit like this once. My hairdresser coloured it (not bleach/highlights, a nice colour).

Original poster
AngryFeet · 14/05/2011 19:06

What can I do now though? It has so much colour in it I can't really add more. Looks like I will have to leave it a few months :(

OP posts:
pointydog · 14/05/2011 19:08

I'd've thought you could get it coloured a closer shade to your own (so no more blonde/bleach). That's what I did. You can't take more bleach but you can take colour.

I'm no hairdresser. That's just what my hairdresser did.

bethelbeth · 14/05/2011 19:39

I'd get it toned down with an Ash blonde so that it looks less brassy and it's a bit warmer. It might still be a bit lighter than you're used to but if you double your dose of blusher you should be fine!

TattyDevine · 15/05/2011 12:49

You can colour it! You can do something called true toning. Think of your bleach highlights simply as a pre-lightener, and colour over them.

Do you want it to be more ashy or just darker?

If I were you I would get a Clariol level 1 colour. This is a temporary 8 wash and sort of only coats the hair. This way, if you dont like it, you can try something else. If you do like it, you can buy the permenant version (and do plenty of conditioning in the meantime if you are worried about it drying out)

I would urge you to start out with something like this. It will take some of the lightness and brassiness out of it, but shouldn't be either too ashy or too golden. If you like it, you can do the permenant version.

Let us know what you end up doing!

midori1999 · 15/05/2011 15:40

You can colour it. The best way would be to ask your hairdresser to put some low lights in your natural colour and some ash blonde through so it takes away the brassiness/yellow tones (although it looks quite beige/ash in the photo) and tones it down a bit.

Your hairdresser is talking bollocks, I'm afraid though, when he says it will be light because you have had 1 1/2 head of highlights, it is light because he has done too many highlights in it! The problem you will have now is that if you don't get it coloured very foten, you are going to have a dreadful regrowth in a few months time and it will be really obvious due to the amount of highlights you have got in it.

Overall though, in the photo I don't think it looks horrendous, but I agree it could look much better and is clearly not what you were after.

Dropdeadfred · 15/05/2011 15:45

at the moment i would just ask him to break up all that blonde with some darker lowlights (the colour of your natural darkest shade)

Original poster
AngryFeet · 15/05/2011 17:02

Thanks ladies. I popped into another salon today who said to give it some intensive conditioning treatments for a week or so then they can either put another toner through it Hmm or put a few golden highlights through it.

So basically what I don't want - more yellow. And they are supposed to be the best salon in the area.

Grrrr!

I am very nervous of doing it myself and ending up with orange hair tbh :(

OP posts:
Dropdeadfred · 15/05/2011 17:05

Nooooooooo!!! Honestly I've had this happen to me..you need to break it up with darker!!

pointydog · 15/05/2011 19:25

No more highlights. It has to go darker.

Original poster
AngryFeet · 15/05/2011 20:06

I agree. Now I just need to find a hairdresser who knows what they are doing. I now have a deep mistrust of them all.....

Dammit I used to love going to the salon. Now I will always be bricking it :(

Bastards.

OP posts:
Dropdeadfred · 15/05/2011 20:37

my hair went like this once and my lovely hairdesser fixed it the next day...she just threaded two shades of darker blonde (no bleach) and one of chocolate ...it was saved!!

Original poster
AngryFeet · 15/05/2011 21:21

I don't suppose she is in the south east is she dropdead? Grin

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Dropdeadfred · 15/05/2011 21:29

she is!! but maddeningly she has just stopeed for maternity leave!!!
I'm sure if you ask for precisely those colours someone will help you!

midori1999 · 15/05/2011 23:16

Where in the South East are you? I used to work in East Sussex and can suggest a very good salon and stylist there if you don't mind paying a bit.

When you go in somwhere you need to tell them your usual hairdresser has done too many highlights and you feel they are too blonde/brassy. That you'd like some lowlights/foils in or close to your natural colour to break it up a bit and so your regrowth isn't going to be so obvious. Also some ash blonde put through or a toner afterwards so that it isn't so brassy. You don't want any more gold.

lucykate · 16/05/2011 12:06

i'm really surprised your original hairdresser came back and lightened it instead of toning it down. totally sympathise, have had a fair few hair colour disasters in my time. there's a pic on my profile if it helps at all, my hair is coloured, its loreal excellence cream shade 8.1 ash blonde. it's a very neutral shade, and i've used it over the top of pre-lightened hair in the past when i dyed my hair brown and wanted to go back to blond.

Original poster
AngryFeet · 16/05/2011 12:16

Well I popped into another salon who said most colours aren't going to take with so much bleach in my hair but one of the girls there had a similar problem and they put a very dark blonde through it which worked. She has snipped off a few sections of my hair to do a test on and if they work I can make an appt for her to do it.

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TattyDevine · 16/05/2011 12:23

That's basically what I was getting at up there when I recommended the beige blonde - temporary at first and if you like it to do the permenant. You will still have variance of colour because you are highlighted. Dont blame you for wanting a salon to do it though, its a scary thought. Good luck!

TattyDevine · 16/05/2011 12:24

The colours should take - I think what they mean is your hair is quite pourous from having lots of bleach in it and therefore they might fade quickly. But should be okay, after all, prelightening is bleaching, and all at home blonde kits tell you to do that, unless you are already very fair.

Original poster
AngryFeet · 16/05/2011 12:29

I would do the home thing myself if I had the nerve tatty but I can't bear anything else going wrong :(

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Mobly · 16/05/2011 12:36

Well I think it looks quite a nice shade of light ash blonde in the picture. I would wash and condition for a couple of weeks- sometimes the brassiness (not that it is apparent in pic) can fade.

It looks dry so like another poster I suggest if you are going to do anything then go for a semi perm darker blonde colour which should add a bit of shine too and help with condition- but always strand test first!

Original poster
AngryFeet · 16/05/2011 18:07

So now the choice is to use a semi perm darker blonde as suggested by some ladies here or to go with the hairdressers (and some other ladies) idea of weaving some darker colour through it.

I don't know what to do!

Honestly mobly I wish I could get a good photo so you could see what it looks like in reality. It is very similar to Boris Johnsons. And if you can also appreciate that my hair was blow dried straightish in that photo and normally my hair is frizzy curls you can imagine the true horror that is my hair :(

OP posts:
Dropdeadfred · 16/05/2011 18:17

I would go for at least two shades woven in. If you dye your hair one flat colour the roots will be obvious and the condition it is in it will probably fade too