Hair colour disaster please help!

[Jemster]

Hi
My naturally brown hair has been highlighted so much it was really dry and a bit yellowy. With roots and greys coming through I decided to go for an all over brown to try and get closer to my natural colour and reduce the cost of the upkeep of highlights.
Had it done yesterday and I don't like it!! It is so dark and there's a hint of something red which I specifically said I didn't want. It matches my dark brown eyes very well but I think it's too harsh against my face so I've tied it back.
I just don't like it and feel like crying!! I'm dreading going to work tomorrow as it's just so obvious.

The type of colour is a quasi colour which he said would fade in time but how long are we talking?!!

Can anyone help, feeling really down about it as my hair was a mess before but now I just look odd! Thanks

Give it a good wash in head and shoulders or Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo for swimmers, that fades colours very quickly!

I bet it is lovely and glossy, and everyone will focus on that.

When you have darker hair, you need to change your make up and it is probably your old make up that is making you look odd. Try warmer colours for eyes and lips and blusher and I bet you look stunning.

My hair is back to almost black again and I have to wear completely different make up to when I have light brown hair.

Thanks, yes it is very shiny but it's just sooo dark. I tried wearing more blusher but worried about overdoing it. If I contact the hairdressers do you think they can do anything to lighten it a bit or am I stuck with it?!
Wish I'd just had more highlights now but it was becoming straw like.

Did he use semi or permanent? Either will fade because of the highlighted hair but semi will fade fairly quickly. Maybe its just a bit of a shock, maybe you will get used to it?

Oh don't worry, I had the same done with a demi-permanent brown a couple of years ago and LOVED the colour it faded to...a sort of warm, rich, coppery blonde (though if you don't like red you might want to sort it out)

Nomorecrumbs that sounds nice, how long did it take to fade?
I asked him to colour it to match my natural colour but I can't believe it's this dark! It is a shock as it's so long since I've been my natural colour.
It's a quasi colour which I believe is semi-perm.

:) It stayed until I moved and a crappy hairdresser put bleach on top, so about a year.

I'm getting it done next weekend and will ask the hairdresser to either tone it all over in a similar strawberry blonde/bronze colour or put a semi-permanent on and have it fade in time for Christmas. It's so blonde at the moment that the colour should sink in and stay put for months.

Wash lots of times in Head & Shoulders (as Sunday suggested) you will see the dye washing out. If 'quasi colour' = semi-permanent, it will calm down quite quickly.

I did this last week.. only mine is permanent colour. My fault.. just like you my highlights had gone a bit brassy so I said 'a nice warm brown'
It's VERY dark and I look witchy. I don't wear makeup either so it's even worse!
However after just a week it is a tiny bit lighter so I figure if I just wear hats til after xmas then I can get it redone....

Oh Medusa you have made me laugh with the word 'witchy'! I know just what you mean. If I stand in certain lights there's a kind of purple tint to it, nothing like the medium warm brown I was hoping for!
DH uses head & shoulders so I will get on with that!

Do you think it's worth me ringing the hairdressers to see if they can lighten it?

Definitely! The only reason I'm not going back yet is as I have xmas to pay for
I have been back before and they put a few lighter bits through no problem.
I shall go back in a few weeks when I have some regrowth (after a week I can see some tiny grey roots..bastards...)

Thanks Medusa. So should I ask for highlights on top or an allover lighter colour? I hope they can fit me in soon. I now have to go to work like this!!

Like sunday said head and shoulders will fade it quickly. I never like my hair the day its coloured but I wash it in h and s a few times and leave it on for a few minutes.
Normally a week of so after its been done I love the colour- I just don't like when it looks obviously 'done' Iyswim

Meant to say that's with a perm colour so if yours is semi perm should be easier to fade

is there any chance that it is the condition rather than the colour that is getting you down? If so, use Philip Kingsley Elasticiser - it's AMAZING and if you put it on before you wash your hair then your hair (whatever the colour) will be much bouncier and will grow quicker.

Anyway the colour will fade so if it's too dark, just give it a week or so and I'm sure it will look better.

If it has gone too dark you can use a pre lightner on it without causing too much damage. Just leave it on the dyed darker bits longer and leave the scalp until the last 5 mins. Just strip it back until it is a red brown and loses the witchiness black tones(shouldn't take more than 10 mins). Then I suggest you use a medium warm/chestnut brown over it. The under colour you have stripped it to will help keep the colour true and give lovely warm highlights as it fades and will look like a rich brunette. I know you didn't want obvious warmth but if you go with chestnut it will give you golden lights rather than auburn. When you are covering over bleach you have to put some warmth back in or there is a chance your hair will turn green or look harsh and flat.

HTH

Also wanted to add that if you use a semi on previously highlighted hair it can cling like a beast.

Well I went back and told him it was too dark and he offered to run a few highlights through it to lighten it slightly.
Did this and it looks no different! He put them round the sides but underneath the top layer if hair, he said so I wouldn't get a visible root line. Trouble is you can't bloody see them unless I lift or tie my hair up.
I absolutely hate it and it's making me look so pale. I wish I hadn't done it as my grown out faded highlights suited me better!!
I've got my xmas party next week and feel like I'll have to wear a bag over my head lol!!

If you really don't want to wait, you can try ColourB4 from Boots. I've used it and it takes all the dye out. If you use it, bear in mind that

a) your natural colour may surprise you (mine was very red after years of dying it brown)

b) dry hair really grabs colour, so if you want to dye it again after using the colour remover, start with a wash-in one. And when you're ready for another semi-permanent, ALWAYS pick two shades lighter than you think you want

(voice of bitter experience)

Thanks Bluestones, i think I would be too scared to do it myself at home although it's tempting!
I wish the hairdreser had gone for the 2 shades lighter advice. I really can't believe he picked this shade. I feel like I will never trust another hairdresser again!!

Yeah, he should have known better! I thought it was well known that dry porous hair goes darker than other types (again, voice of experience)

I've heard that lathering up with a strong shampoo and then wrapping hair in clingfilm for an hour accelerates the fading.