Hairdresser Colour Advice Needed

[TigerLilyMasie]

I am in the process of transitioning from very dark brown hair to natural grey. I have shoulder length hair and have not dyed it since March 2018.

The grey now reaches to half-way down my ears. It is enough for me to know that I don't want this colour for the rest of my life. I DO like the grey hair itself, but I have a wam skin tone I really don't think it looks right on me.

I have not been to the hairdressers for a colour for years - I used to home dye.

I saw a youtube video where a woman had lovely highlights and low lights put in - sort of dark toffee and pale/blondish toffee colours and I really liked it.

Even better, she only had her roots done every 10 to 12 weeks as the hairdresser did it in such a way that there was NO obvious, solid demarcation mark between the natural grey and coloured hair.

This will suit me down to the ground at all levels!

My question is - is this common practice in most hairdressing salons or something I would have to explain?

Just show the video to a salon at a consultation so they can see what exactly you want and figure out how to get you there

So it's generally NOT something they do? Usually, there is a 'hard' line between the two which is why women seem to go to the salon far more often than every 3 months?

Also, I wonder how they will react to me showing them how to do their job on a youtube video! They may be insulted. Grandmas and eggs and all that.

I reckon a good balayage would give you the result you're after. I'm not a hairdresser though. But I have balayage myself and I can go months without needing a colour. No harsh lines between colour and regrow they.

*regrowth, not regrow they

Thank you, Chugga, Yes it's funny you should say that. 'Balayage' does keep coming up when I search. Never quite sure what it means. I'll look at it properly. Sounds good.

I am somewhat mystified. I have just looked at what balayage actually is and it seems obvious that it IS what I want.

But I sent out an email this morning to about 12 different salons and out of 5 replies so far not one has mentioned that word. Surely they should know?

I guarantee if you phone them and say you want to book in for a balayage they'll know what you mean... if they don't, then keep looking for a different salon! It's pretty common place now, the technique has been around for a good few years.

That's brill, Chugga. Got a while to go yet being a silver foxy but was really on the verge of buying a box of hair dye as the grey was getting me down so much. I have resisted because it's been a tough journey and the worst of it is over.

I know there are women who love being their natural grey and I think that's fabulous but it just doesn't suit me. As soon as the grey gets past chin lengh I will be having it coloured. Can't wait!

I had a full head of steely grey hair when my hair regrew from chemo. I dye it using homemade hair dye from kitchen ingredients to turn it a mid ash blonde. See this thread for details:

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/styleandd_beauty/3603876-Blond-hair-question

With grey hair some hair still has pigment and some has lost is pigment, so if you put a blonde coloured pigment on it, you will be adding blonde streaks where your white hairs are. Which I think would be your desired effect?

Some box dyes I have found to be far too dark and just turn the white hairs brown so I didn't get the contrast. The hair dye tea, I make, though does turn the white hair a genuine blonde colour. It fades but not completely after a wash but because I am effectively just pouring a tea over my hair it is very easy, cheap and none messy so I keep it topped up with every wash. 🙂

So that is the cheap, natural, do it yourself, option. You don't get roots showing, either.🙂

Wow! I've never heard of that highhighmountain. I will look into it.

highhighmountain I just saw your photo of your hair on that thread - it is exactly like mine, same length, same style.

When I started this process last year my hair was 6 inches longer but it was in really bad condition at the ends. It hurt to have it cut but I like this length now. Great thread with great tips; I will consider.

I've detailed my recipe in the thread I linked to. You could easily do a strand test to see if you think it would have the desired effect on your hair. As I say, it fades after a wash or two so there's not much risk. And the ingredients are common cheap kitchen ingredients so you can easily consume the rest if the colour is not what you want.

Oop! highhighmountain it was Rooftrees photo not yours! lol!

I think turning your white hair blonde against the rest if your hair would probably work well. As I say tea is low risk. You are basically just putting tea stains on the white hair!

If you wanted darker, richer streaks you could just add more instant coffee for brown tones, redbush tea for red tones.