Right. I have booked highlights for the first time ever. What do I need to know ?

[Fatgirlnomore]

I am going seriously grey and I hate it. I am too young !
I have never had my hair dyed at the hairdressers just used home henna years ago. I rang today to make a appointment for highlights and ended up arranging T zone highlights.
I am mid brown haired which goes lighter in the sun and dark in winter. Blue eyes. Pale skin.
I am terrified I am going to look shit.
Is highlights what I need ?

I am no expert but I have recently started having highlights because I'm going grey. I had been having a full semi permanent colour and was fed up with the orangey brown glow and poor condition of my hair.

I have dark brown hair and my first highlights were just along my parting and fringe line as I was trying to grow the old colour out to help the condition of my hair. In my case the greys don't take the colour but they just blend in better and are less noticeable.

Thank you. I am very nervous as I have never had any colour done at the hairdressers before.

I think blonde highlights only really work on fairish hair. Maybe lowlights is what you need?

I'm 42, very pale skin and mousey hair colouring, maybe 5-10% grey. I have lighter colours put in my hair which I think suit my skin better as I've got older. I don't get roots showing as such though I do get recoloured every 6-8 weeks anyway. My hairdresser warns me against going for a full head of colour as this would make roots a lot more pronounced.

I think I would go lighter if I was you unless you have very olive skin but your hairdresser will advise.

The whole process is very dull and takes ages. I hate giving up a Saturday morning to it. My friend takes her kindle and just reads whilst they put the colour on but it feels too rude to me to do that.

Have you had a skin test? Just checking as some hairdressers will refuse to put highlights or any permanent colour in without checking you skin 24 hours before having it done.

Ooh snap but with lowlights. I'm Olive skinned and dark haired (dyed cos lots of grey). Watching your replies with interest. Good luck OP.

Yes skin test done.
fairy that's what I thought about colour as you get older. I have been looking at people's hair and think well done blondes hide the grey much better. I was blonde as a child and my dd's are both blonde so I am hoping going lighter will be ok.
I was thinking of slowly going lighter as I get older.

I really hate the hairdressers and feel like a fish out of water. I am more at home in muddy boots outdoors. I can't do the inane banter so may take a book !

Good point re skin test

Search Pinterest for photos of highlights you like to show to hairdresser

The most natural and a fostering highlights for your skin tone will be the colour you hair was when you were about 10

That would be " flattering " and not fostering . Autocorrect fail

Ooh I was a darkish blonde colour at 10 so I may be on the right track !
Thank you for the tips. I feel silly asking. There should be some sort of growing up school for ladies. My mum is crap and never helped me with all this sort of thing.

I was terrified when I first had highlights and it was completely un-necessary. Tell your hairdresser it's your first time and you want to be cautious.

I would choose colours that your hair goes in the sun. Start with half a head of highlights, with maybe a bit of tint to cover any extra greys.

A full head of tint tends to come out a dead colour: hair naturally has different colours in it.

I started with 2 highlight colours and then added in more as I got more confident.

I was really unsure about having lighter hair as it had always been dark brown and I'd never dyed it, but I really like having highlights. I think lighter colours look better as you get older.

Good luck.

I'm presuming t zone highlights are just through the top, so you won't notice a dramatic change in colour but you will definitely notice them around your face where they would naturally lighten in the sun. This is probably a good way to start if your nervous and new to colour, next time you can move on to half or full head and the change will be more noticeable.

The hairdresser will probably discuss with you what colour of highlights and will give their opinion on what they think will suit you best based on colouring etc. they may well use 2-3 colours, not necessarily bleach, maybe blondes, honey which will help to colour the grey and break up the monotony of mousy brown.

Take a book and be prepared to get a numb bum, don't drink too much free tea and coffee even though you want to as you will be sat still for some time ;-)

Omg I had not thought of that. Do hairdressers have toilets ? I had not considered my knackered pelvic floor as part of the equation.

I have a half head of highlights, and my hair dresser uses four different colours. Some are lighter colours, which means the grey ones blend in a lot more. The overall effect is a much more natural colour than if it was all one.

Don't be afraid though!

I bet it suits you. My natural colour was dark brown but it never looked natural with my pale freckly skin and blue eyes. I am now a highlighted blonde to cover my grey and it looks natural. Aside from the sides which are still dark brown. The only thing I can think of is say goodbye to soft silky hair though. Mine resembles straw now

Yes they have toilets. They usually bring you several cups of tea /coffee. I always take my own herbal tea bags as I don't usually take caffeine and I'm anxious enough as it is.

It takes several hours, I always take a snack too. No wonder the other clients are looking at me like with my tea bags, lunch, iPad, thick novel, picnic rug

The only magazines they have at my hairdressers are Sleb gossip, wedding mags and hairstyle mags which are .....ahem.....not my thing

I am a pale skinned, blue eyed natural blonde with highlights and some grey.

I have three colours and get them done every 8 weeks.They are the colours my hair would naturally go in the summer anyway and they look good.

We always start the session with a 10-15 mins chat about cut and colour anyway, so I know what to expect having been fully involved with everything and I'm really happy with my hair. I think the chat thing is very important, that way nothing comes as a shock because you know what is coming.