Any hairdressers /colour techs about please?

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I have my hair coloured every 5 or 6 weeks usually just the root growth and paddled through to the ends. However the colour never lasts and within a couple of weeks is a mucky orangey white colour (it's supposed to be light ashy brown).

A couple of months ago I was talked into having lowlights to break up the orangyness as it faded. Didn't really help as the lowlights faded quickly too.

Last appointment I had an all over colour in a light brown, without the ash addition as apparently this was why my hair didn't hold the colour. It looked way too dark but better than the rusty colour.

10 days later and I'm back to square one. The darker colour has come out. I only use sls and paraben free shampoo, never wash it more than twice per week, allow it to air dry most of the time and use heated appliances maybe 3 times per year.

I just had a chat with my colour tech and asked her why after 10 days my colour is gone again and she said that because I have quite a bit of grey hair at the front and sides that the colour will never last. Unless I have it bleached first. So I'm booked in for some highlights as well now at my next appointment . I don't want my hair bleached as the menopausal thinning top doesn't need the harshness.

Is there really no way of keeping greying hair coloured for longer than a couple of weeks? I thought a lot of hair was coloured because it was grey......

I don't want to embrace the grey. Been there, tried that, hated it.

Am I being fobbed off as I'm spending £100+ every few weeks and am only happy with what I've spent my money on for a few days here and there? Or is it totally impossible to colour greying hair?

Is your stylist using permanent or semi/Demi when she does the colour that isn't lasting? What is your natural colour and what percentage would you say you have of grey?

iv had 2 hairdressers where the colour didn't hold. the first one would wash out first wash and it was permenant dye. my hair isn't grey it just wouldn't stay. I dye it myself now and it holds fine. maybe it's their products?

Do you know which brand of permanent colour your hairdresser is using?

What colour is your natural regrowth hair?

The colour used is L'Oréal professional majirel.
Around my hairline is quite grey but my natural hair is still light brown at the back, the underneath has always been a bit darker. Even the naturally light brown bits develop the weird orangey yellowy pale hue though.

Last time I went I asked if it could be the brand used but they were aghast that I was inferring they were using rubbish products (I wasn't inferring that at all, I was asking if maybe the brand doesn't suit me).

Difficult to say what percentage is grey as I've coloured it or had it coloured for years.

That's surprising that Majirel isn't taking as that's what I was going to suggest you use! Majirel is normally brilliant for grey coverage.

I think they might be right in terms of lifting with fine highlights for your hair to take the colour if that is the case.

You could try switching to something like a Wella Koleston Perfect?

They only use majirel at that salon. I'm trying to remember how well it lasted at my old place as they used one called matrix I think.
I promised myself many years ago that I'd never go down the home colour route again so I'm at a bit of a loss about what to do.

Would a home dye semi permanent help during the orangey phase?

The home colour is never going to be as good as the salon quality dye. And it really won't help the condition of your hair long term.

Perhaps have a look and see if you have a local Wella or Matrix salon?

Ask about Koleston and go for a double 00 or double NN after the number - so are you 7? Go for a completely neutral shade with no other tone but a double neutral.as they have the best grey coverage. Leave it on for 50 mins instead of the 35-40 stated and no lights during development as these seem to bring out the orange tones when I have mine done don't be paying £100 for a permanent all over colour that's crazy pricing - shouldn't be more than £40 or even just buy the koleston and 20vol peroxide yourself and do it yourself.

Yes, a 7 neutral or flat was put on last time and even though it started as way too dark (ie vvv dark brown in places), it's now back to a rusty colour which I presume will continue to lighten. Apparently its my hairs fault as the natural colour underneath makes it like that

Sounds like your hair needs pre softening.

I would find a salon that uses Majirel cool cover as it is more pigmented and made to counter the orange glow.

Pre softening? It's really soft anyway? I think the majirel salon I go to would have tried that product on my by now.

Wella Koleston has one with a double base. The numbers after the slash are tone, they make no difference to how long a tint will last.

A 77 has a double base i.e more pigment. They were made for resistant hair. They might show up dark for a few washes but will last longer.

Pre-softening is what your stylist should be doing instead of bleaching. It's kinder to hair and achieves the same thing minus the lightening. It opens the cuticle further, using a mix of peroxide and ammonia.

Bleach will make it worse, bleached hair doesn't hold colour well.

I trained at a Wella Salon of Excellence. We always double base on people with resistant hair or people who wanted more depth to their colour.

I don't have a shade chart to hand but I'd look for one with 77/ as the first numbers. A one with a 4 after the slash will have blue in to help cool the orange you hate or you could ask your stylist to mix a cm of /4 with some 77/0.

Also, which shampoo are you using? I'd use one for colored hair or perhaps try one with a hint of colour to top up your colour between services.

There's also Colour Fresh, Wella's take home colour which you could apply at home between services to keep your colour, well, fresh. It's non damaging and easy to apply and matches Wella's colour range perfectly. I can't advise on Matrix or Majirel unfortunately as I haven't used them or received any training from them.

Thank you, that's very helpful especially about the bleach making it worse. It seems that the only thing they'll consider is highlights then colour on top but I've been adamant all along that I don't want it bleached as it's light enough when the colour washes out.

It's supposed to be the best in the area with rave reviews but obviously it's just not for me. Time to hunt for a new salon.

This is the shampoo and conditioner I use :
haskbeauty.com/products/kalahari-melon-oil