Tatty - can I ask your advice on the colour B4?

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Sorry I didn't want to hijack someone else's fred.

I have bought the extra strength colour B4 on the back of reading some of your advice.

I've been colouring my hair for a few years to cover white hairs which I have on one side of my forehead mainly (widows peak?) It is naturally dark brown but for some reason the ends are now a fake looking black whereas near the roots is an orangey dark brown. My white hairs are more orangey and not being covered properly.

I'm hoping that the colour B4 will get rid of the black and let me dye it brown again and then maintain the white bits/roots. My question is, do I have to go round with the after effects until I can use a permanent dye again? I have bought a light ash brown nice and easy to use as soon as I can.

So worried this is going to be a disaster, but I look like a witch at the moment.

Okay, just firstly to clarify, its not that you "should" do another colourb4 a week later or even the same day, its just that you "can". You can actually do one after the other, up to 3 in a row, on the same day, if you like. But there is no harm waiting a week in between because you can assess the amount of reoxidisation you experience and if its not too bad, you can be pretty sure that you will get an even better result 2nd time round. Also, in a week the 8 wash can be washed out, so its a good time to do it again before putting another 8 wash in.

Right, OP, this is what I'd do if I were you, its not to say you will want to do it but this is what I personally would do seeing you have already coloured over.

I'd take a strand test of the darkest bit of your hair, somewhere underneath where you wont notice if you snip a strand off, secure it with a sticky label.

I would then buy some Jerome Russell "hair lightener" (i,e bleach) most chemists or tesco or whatever sell this even if its part of a highlighting pack. It must be 40 volume hydrogen peroxide and a sachet of bleach powder. Will link to that in a min.

High lift bleach

40 volume peroxide

Mix some product together in the correct ratio, paint it on your strand test generiously, wrap up in foil and put in a warm place for an hour.

Rinse it off, and see what colour it is. If you have managed to "lift" your hair to an orangey colour, it may well be similar to that of your roots, you are then in a position to dye all your hair one colour.

If that is the case I would apply newly mixed up bleach mixture to your ends, leave for an hour, rinse, and hello ginger, time to dye again.

You would then need to buy I reckon a dark ash blonde (you don't want to go too dark) - you can strand test that first on your old strand test as well - just to be sure - and you are sorted.

If you went to a hairdresser, this is probably what she would do - bleach your ends. Bleach isn't the end of the world, its fairly harsh and drying but one bleach won't hurt.

I personally think with black build ups and a 2 tone thing happening that you will get a better result in the long run if you just bleach out your ends.

What do you reckon? Is that all too scary?

Cross post, just seen you are happy with the colour at the bottom.

If that's the case, you could dye the top. I'm worried that you will reoxidise more as the days go by and wont be happy with the colour at the bottom in a few days, is all.

If you want to email me a photo of yourself (don't worry, I wont laugh) I'd be happy to recommend a shade to bring your roots "down" to the same depth as the bottom, if you like?

OK Tatty, I think I could cope with that. The problem is that I am naturally quite dark, so I would encounter problems with regrowth and my white hair taking the colour?

All I wanted was to have one colour hair which I could start to dye white regrowth the same colour myself (mostly from of head)

The back of my head is pretty much (maybe slightly lighter) than the bottom.

My natural colour would be darker than walnut brown.

Not helping much am I?

Mostly front of that was.

If you are quite white, you might have trouble with regrowth and the white taking the colour, yes, because box dyes aren't great for that. But if you are game, you can start using professional dye and that will sort it no problem.

I think the key is to get your hair so its all the same shade and take it from there. You can do that by either dying the roots darker or lightening the ends to match then dying the lot not too dark. Once you have acheived a colour you like you can find a professional dye colour to match, and I can help you with that.

If I were you I'd lighten your ends, only the ends, before dying the lot. Unless you get rid of the build up on the bottom of your hair you will always have tritone problems!

How long is your hair, is it in reasonable condition? If so it will take an isolated bleaching and subsequent redye quite well.

You could of course go to a hairdresser but where's the fun in that eh

I think I am going to be better off doing the roots Tatty, I'm more happy with the bottom colour than the top. Would you do them with the same colour again or a slightly darker shade?

Definitely game for professional hair dye, didn't realise it was stronger! Where do you get your hands on that?

My hair is bottom of shoulder blade length and looking slightly wiry now.

Option B is doing the whole lot a very dark toned colour so it's meant to be like that. Then I can maintain the roots again. Again I would have to use dye that would work on my white hair. I'm only 32, it's ridiculous.

Right. Dye your roots the same colour again - colour builds up, it layers on, if that makes sense. Leave it the maximum time plus an extra 5 minutes but no more.

Professional dye - Loreal Majirel is the best for covering grey, used with 20 volume developer (peroxide). I get mine from Capital Hair and Beauty. Tick the box to say you are a "student" at checkout.

You need to get the correct depth and undertone. You are probably a number 5. Do you like a warm base or just a bit of gold (no red) or even an ashy base?

You can't go wrong starting off with a 5.0 which is the full range of tones and can cover 100% grey on its own but most people (and hairdressers) would mix with a complimentary shade to get more interest. Someone with a basically warmish brown (that doesn't necessarily mean red by the way, so many box dyes add copper, mahogany, etc which doesn't suit everybody and makes the fade look orange) but most brunettes have a bit of gold. What colour are your eyes?

Assuming you are a basic neutral-to slightly warmish brunette then I'd mix Majirel 5.0 and 5.3 in a half and half with 20 volume peroxide.

So to do the roots 1 teaspoon of Majirel 5.0 Deep light brown with 1 teaspoon of Majirel 5.3 Light Golden Brown and then add 3 teaspoons of 20 volume (6%) developer

This will yield 25ml which is plenty to do roots only.

If you think you need more, mix up more, or double it to start with. Get a tinting brush, some sectioning clips, etc. You leave it on for 35 minutes.

If you think that colour sounds wrong or if you are really after quite an ashy tone let me know and give me more detail and I can suggest another colour or another variation but most people who want a mid chocolate brown colour would suit that combo very well and it will cover 100% of grey with absolutely no fade at the temples or any of that malarkey you get with the box dyes from the chemist.

Thank you so much! I was out today but will do the roots again tomorrow. I'm in Ireland but my friend is a beautician and will go with me (and her card!) to the supplies place to look for the items you have suggested.

I did see a really dark brown with a hint of red in it which was quite nice - what do you think? Other than that a bog standard dark brown will do me. I am pale and have grey eyes, I would rather not have too much coppery tone.

The professional dye sounds just the job and will save me money if I don't have to go to the hairdressers every couple of weeks. Would you do the whole lot first to make it all the same?

Hmm.

I have roughly 60% grey under literally shit tons of brown dye. I have had enough as it's really patchy looking, I just want it all off so I can start again.
It's almost waist length, wavy, thick and frizzy.
2 inches of undyed regrowth, soooo if anyone has any experience, good, bad, a bit wild, please let me know. Thank you :)