Giving up highlighting?

[StrawberryLeaf]

I have long medium brown mousy natural hair colour with quite a few greys. I've been getting my hair coloured by a hairdresser for a good few years with a combination of lighter highlights.

My circumstances have changed (mat leave, new house) and I just cannot afford the colour at the hairdresser.

I started to grow my colour out (it's been 4 months) but my goodness the grey is coming in faster!

Has anyone successfully gone to packet hair dye from highlights? I need to do something urgently, every time I look in the mirror I it's getting worse!

I have about 25% grey, medium brown. I do dye and highlights at home with Loreal. Turns out really well, but it is a bit time consuming to do it. I've never been to a salon for dye - it's a luxury I can't afford!

Thanks MotiSen any recommendations on products or tips on how you do it? Do you dye first then use a highlighter kit?

I am similar and I did this:

Had an all over dark blonde colour with 'hidden' highlights, ie underneath layers but not on top. Also a few subtle highlights at the front so I still look blonde but much more natural.

The upkeep is simpler and less expensive as I just have the roots touched up and have even (in desperation!) used Nice & Easy root touch up in Dark Blonde which is a fiver and completely fab!

Result is also healthier hair as I'm not constantly having highlights - they only need adding back in once in a blue moon :)

That's really helpful Hawlybits I hadn't thought about a lower maintenance colour from the hair dresser, might look to see if I can afford that.

Watching with interest. I'm in the same boat as you, really can't afford the maintenance of highlights, but also really struggle to find three hours to sit in the hairdressers now I have small children.

You could get a simple base colour then just roots and have high lights every few months
Also quite a lot of hairdresses do express roots which is just the parting and hairline
What I do is get detais of the colour from the colourist and buy the exact professional colour and do the roots myself it's v easy easier than a box one as thicker .
Just buy from
Sally's or Amazon .often hairdressers work
In Sally's and will
Help
.
If you don't have a Sally's you can buy off
Amazon .mix with peroxide % mostly In equal
Parts - box will tell
You
It is important to copy what hairdresser does
Or
Get advice
On the exact colour because if you have grey then the colour may glow
On the grey so
What you do is mix in a base colour and the shade you want
The hairdresser writes it down for
Me eg I'm
A 7 and a 737 mixed together .
This saves so so much and is the professional
Colour !!! You need to buy a brush like they have in salons and a little measuring cup
To
Get the amounts right which only cost couple
Pounds
Sorry my phone keep
S returning !!!!!!!!

Taking note of hawleys tip. I grew out my highlighted hair when I had my little one. My dark blonde/mousetrap hair is feeling a bit drab but I don't want to go back the the rigmarole and expense of regular highlights after spending such a long time growing it out ( I worked the ombré look for quite some time). I don't have the grey issue but thinking of asking hairdresser for hidden highlights and a few at the front at next appointment.

I get full head colour and a few high lights about 3 times a year, I then use clariol root touch up on the roots every so often when they show through. Saves lots money

Hi StrawberryLeaf - (cute name)- here's what actually happened - a friend said I'd look really good with highlights - so I got the Loreal highlights package - followed instructions, and it looked great! But, there was a lot of grey showing when I pulled my hair into pony tail. So, I found Loreal has a dye/highlight all-in-one package. First I dyed it all medium brown. Then I used the highlight part of the package. I am happy with it It is possible a salon could have done a better job - but I think the point of highlights is that they aren't really uniform all over your head. I am not sure how long I will keep this up - as simple dye job is a lot less time consuming. Once I start to sport the Ombre look, I may just go back to straightforward dye. I've been doing that about 3 times per year for 4 years now, and it's a breeze.
Good luck!

Hello Strawberryleaf. Since your post ... I've been paying a lot more attention to women's hair that appears to have been highlighted at home. And, I can say ... if your hair is straight, you might want to stick with all over color rather than package highlights - because I've seen a number of botched jobs when I sit high up in the stands to watch my DS son's football match. And, I think I might have to count my own among them. The instructions say not to color too much near the roots, but that is difficult to do - so ... 3 weeks later, I've got a clearly delineated darker root line. I think professionals might know how to apply the highlights better.

OK, well, hopefully you've already figured out what to do - but it was sort of on my mind that I might have steered you wrong by giving a too optimistic report on home highlights - just because it looked good >right after< I did it.