Explain the mysteries of hair to me

[cityrat79]

So, I have mid-dark brown hair naturally but have been getting blonde highlights for about 3 years, so my hair is very much blonde.

I would now like to go back to my brunette colour, but have no idea what to ask the hairdresser for. Also, ideally I would like to be able to cover up my own greys down the line, without having to go to the hairdresser or turning my hair green.

a) What do I ask the hairdresser for and b) will I be able to maintain it myself going forward?

I am perpetually perplexed by hairdressing terminology and always end up asking for the wrong thing! (Memorably once got a "toner" which turned me very orange. Not a good weekend.)

Just ask to get back to your natural colour! When going darker, she should pre pigment your hair with and orangey pigment the first time to give your new shade something to anchor on to. Depending on the brand, she will probably have to do a richer colour for longevity but can still keep the same depth as you require. This will probably cost an extra 10-20 on top of a regular colour. You should be prepared to go back a second time within 4 weeks as it will fade fast due to the porosity of Hi lighted hair. Take the shampoo that locks In that colour! Even if you just buy it once- for the money you spend on a professional dye, it really is worth spending the extra £11 if you are going darker or vibrant. Once you have had two professional colours, you can maintain the greys at home. Maybe ask very nicely what shade was used to get a good match. You can then go more ashy or neutral if you're not looking for a warm shade.

Thank you! Do you recommend a certain brand of shampoo to lock in colour?

Would a hairdresser who comes to your house typically be able to do this? (She normally does my highlights, so definitely works with colour).

Any idea how long it would take - longer or about the same amount of time as highlights? (Two small children at home, need to work out how much In The Night Garden and My Little Pony I need to stockpile on Sky+)

She may not pre pigment it as a mobile hairdresser- I don't know many that do. It would just hold the first colour for longer if she did. But it's a different product to normal colour so not sure if she'd stock it. It should take 20 mins to pre pigment with a 10-20 minute development time though I have used a Schwarzkopf mousse to pre pig which has no development time and your target shade goes straight over so it largely depends on the colour line. It should take 30 mins for your target shade to be applied with anything from 20-35mins development- again different brands differ. I would allow myself 2.5 hours for the first correction appointment to allow for shampooing:drying Inbetween and then just one hour for the subsequent visit. The colour lock shampoo should be the same brand as the colour line for maximum colour durability but pureology do a fantastic range as an all rounder which has no parabens, sulphates or silicones- they can cover anything from volume, repair, smoothing whilst also being anti fade. You'll get the best price on allbeauty.com usually. (My fave is strength cure).

Thank you, hair goddess!