Am I crazy to go from bleach blonde to ash brown?

[lpchill]

I think I look good as blonde and have been bleach blonde since high school. I've had a few stints as brown but I think I went too dark and then because I am very pale it never suited me and went back to bleach blonde.

But I can't keep up with the maintenance, damage and trying to keep it looking good with balancing when I do a purple shampoo.

I've booked in to have my hair professional coloured to ash brown next Wednesday. I have a strand test tomorrow to see what the colour will turn out like. Am I crazy to go back brown?

I've (hopefully posted a picture of last time it was brown. I'm now slightly more paler and have blue eyes. My hair is at present just above my shoulder as a lob style.

Some people with pale skin - very pale skin - naturally have very dark hair. (I'm one of them)

If you want to go back to your natural colour, it's not a problem. Only arseholes will snigger.

Thanks for saying that. My issue is I was basically bleach blonde when I was a child then suddenly when I went into high school it started going darker and then I started bleaching it. So whenever I have changed it in the past my family and my husband (who we first met when I was 13 ) thinks it looks unnatural and washes me out.
Hubby wants it blonde but I'm done.

Maybe u could get some low lights through it in a brown so u can just let it grow out that way it won't be a totally dramatic change
And less damage caused

Well your ‘hubby’ can sort of get to fuck because it’s not his hair.

I think going ash brown isn’t your best bet personally. I would go a warmer blonde (particularly at the hairdressers you can get a honey blonde and some ash put through it)

I’m very pale and very dark haired naturally and what suits me best is an iced mocha shade. I am currently half iced mocha with platinum ends

Good idea with the low lights. The issue I've got is that I currently have bleach platinum hair. It does look lovely but I don't normally go to the hairdresser to get my hair cut or coloured and want to eventually go back to my natural hair without spending a fortune at the hairdresser

Sorry for the picture quality but I normally hate having my picture taken and I'm currently in bed with my toddler. That is the colour I'm currently at.

Yeah I hated that too which is why I went back to my natural colour
But u can find a video on you tube how to do anything
And will make putting low lights in pretty easy or
U could also get them done by a trainee at a college or something like that
I would attempt myself tho

I have very similar colouring. I keep mine a dark blonde/light brown, which is fairly similar to my natural colour tbh.

Also very fair as a child, then went darker as I got older.

Why not go for something like a smudge balayage as a first step and see how you feel?

Looks gorgeous but wasn’t the OP trying to cut down on hair dressing and maintenance costs?

I thought she could let it grow out from that start... maybe I'm being naive!!

I did it, I didn't like it, it was too dark, I'm now on the long and expensive road back to blonde!

I'm another who went from blonde to dark, stayed dark for a good few years but it ended up too dark and made me look washed out.

I'm now back to being blonde but it took ages! I'd go down the lowlights route, do it gradually, it is expensive though.

What's your age? I find that around the time that grey streaks appear too dark looks unnatural. Some highlights could help then.

Defo go for something like that pic above. It's a good half way house and if it's blended properly, you'll get months out of it and it'll grow out nicely. Do not however try and do it yourself or go to an apprentice at a college. Getting this look right takes a lot of skill and experience.

I’ve gone between colours for years but do find brown the easiest to maintain and keep healthy.
It’s always a big shock going completely different colours but you soon get used to it and so do the people around you. I wouldn’t go ashy though, it’ll wash you out and look meh. I’d go a darkish warm brown and keep some of the lightness at the ends.

I've done full colour changes loads and been everything from very dark brown various tones of red and really blonde.

If it feels too dark doing it in one go ask for the hairdresser to do the brown as close to your natural colour as possible so it will grow through and have 2 tones of highlights run through it. It will look more natural and be less of a shock. Then as it grows through you will return to your own colour fully but more slowly.

The ash brown doesn't seem to suit you. I would do as pp suggest and gradually darken. Honey blonde with low/ highlights, etc.

Do it yourself if u want ! There's are fool proof ways of doing different types of dye and u have been doing it a while by yourself so u are probably pretty experienced in it.
Unless obviously u don't feel confident then defo get it done by a professional
I cut my hair myself after watching a you tube clip and honestly couldn't believe how easy it was I'm totally self sufficient lol
I also do my own gel nails because I hate going to places like that I save a fortune and don't have any shit chat and also I'm happy every time with my results

Also another thing u could try is going totally different in the semi permanent dyes whilst your hair grows out
I think a red/ginger etc autumn colours would give u a change and not wash you out and not damage your hair as much
But be warned if u go red and u don't like it (which I doubt lol) would take forever to get out of your bleached hair
It's a good turn to experiment

Thanks for all your opinions! I have a hair appointment booked in for next Wednesday so will update then. Just got a patch test done and the mobile hairdresser took a lock of hair to test the colour on it. She said depending on how my hair reacts I will probably be a warm brown first then we can then go for a more ashy tone.

I do dye my hair a lot but last time I went from blonde to brown it had a green tinge to it. (I know where I went wrong) I work as a youth worker and would never hear the end of it from the teenagers I work with hence this time I'm going down the professional route. I do normally cut my hair myself into a lob with the front bits longer than the back but the bleaching has damaged the front so it's shorter than the back so need a new style too. So colour, cut and blow dry will cost me £50 ish. But the colour will be maintainable from home.

I wouldn't go so dark if I were you. Going more than a few shades darker than your natural colour can make you look really washed out.
I've been blonde since 15 (and naturally as a child) and only once went dark and it did not suit me at all.
The blonde looks flattering to your skin tone and if you end up hating the brown then it's a long road back to being bleach blonde.

OP - I actually think you look fab with the blonde hair - and totally washed out with the dark hair. I know it can be a faff, but I would rather forego some other treat and spend on my hair as it is the item that people notice most and it frames and defines your face. The blonde is really beautiful on you. (and I came here to say do what you want, but just thought you might appreciate impartial advice).

How about something like that. A light brown with some bloke still in it. Could be a good compromise and won't wash you out.