Ive completely and utterly ruined my hair and condition. HELP!

[Itllbefiiiiiiiiine]

I've already written this out once and it went!
In a nut shell, bleached blonde hair for 20 years, natural colour is dark blonde/light brown. On a whim I went dark ash blonde over the top of the bleached hair and it went grey. Then ai got L'oreal Castings Chocolate Brown and it went a hideous colour, a burgundy brown at the roots and nasty brown in the length.

A week and a lot of washing later, it's now a dark ginger at the roots and a muddle brown in the length. It looks hideous.

I was tempted to go again with L'oreal Castings but a light brown/dark blonde colour.

I did see a hair dresser but what they discussed just didn't seem that different from what I could do at home. (Mind you, I thought that before....)

My hair is now so damaged, bits are snapping off. Are Castings really as 'gentle' as they say? I can't compromise the condition any more.

Please help, I'm broke, desperate and look really crap.

If your hair is darker than the colour you have bought then the new one will not lighten it

It's not darker, I'm trying to even out the roots and hair, so they are at least the same hideous colour?

I actually don't know what I want tbh. Just to look less hideous.

What I have used in a similar situation is clairol nice and easy medium ash blonde no 8a. You need a cool tone for now.

Helllllup!

Oooh x posted by 13 seconds!

Was it a permenant one?

I can't help you much with the dye dilemma although my brother in law (who's an amazing hairdresser) gave me this rule when I bollocksed my own hair up 'Tint doesn't lift tint.'

For the condition though could you get a cheap dry trim just to get rid of some of the damage? After that I'd use VO5 hot oil treatment. They're dead cheap. £4 for four in Asda. My friend who bleaches her hair to within an inch of its life swears by them.

Moroccan oil or Argan oil after washing and conditioning works wonders on the damage.

I've cut about 4 inches off (it was very long) got intensive conditioner and always use oil afterwards. Though haven't used hot oil in decades, I'll get some.

I think I might just right it out tbh the cut is pretty shit too (as in, blunt, no layers). I have to tie it up for the job I'm starting in a month anyway so perhaps I'll see how it is in a few months.

There's a treatment you can get at a salon called Olaplex which costs about 50 quid. It's supposed to be great for really damaged hair. I don't think anything can repair it as such but it can improve the appearance. The other alternative is to get a good chunk cut off it. This doesn't help with the colour situation. You might have to go browner in order to save some of the hair. I wouldn't lighten it again if it's snapping off.
I bleached my hair and it snapped off to my shoulders but was like cotton wool and I couldn't get a brush through it. I had to have it cropped and dyed brown. It was horrific. My hair was a riot for about a year until it grew out.

My understanding is that you are staying brown and want to even it up? In that case step away from permanent dyes, semi perm only or even better a vegetable dye (Crazy Colour and Directions do some 'normal' colours as well as their more experimental ones! Condition, condition, condition- every wash if possible leave a mask on for 5-10 mins. Once a week put a mask on towel dried hair, pop a towel/ cling film/ plastic bag on top to stop the conditioner drying in your hair, it's not doing it's job once it goes all dry and straw like. Leave for 2 hours or so, until it starts drying anyway and rinse with cold cold water. This will prevent further damage. You will need it cut properly to get rid of the hair that's been damaged already, there's no fixing that. I see you've cut some out but layers etc will help.
Superdrug do a conditioning wash in wash out colour for £1 or so. This can help with evening out the colour. Colour, clingfilm, no drying out as above but ignore the packaging, leave it for at least an hour! No nasties in it to damage your hair but it will wash out very quickly.

That's fantastic advice! Thank you!! Yes I want to stay brown but even out the colour.

I've been using hair mask but never done a good two hours like you suggested. And I will go to super drug and get one of their hair colours.

Bloody brilliant, I've got a plan now. Thanks loads.

Avoid products with silicone in, it will be like varnishing over dried wood, it may look good for a bit but it isn't helping the condition of the wood. Silicone ingredients tend to end in 'one' or 'cone'.
No using hairdryer or straighteners, I'd even lay off the shampoo for a bit.

You could maybe try loreal fibrology shampoo and conditioner followed by a spritz of argon oil after towel drying it it's what I do when my hair gets dry and brittle, esp after swimming in the sea or pool.