Anything I can do about terrible highlights?

[GoBackToPartyCity]

Please be kind because I’m pretty sensitive right now .

I’ve moved to a new area and went to get my hair done at a place I’ve seen recommended numerous times on social media.

I showed them a pic of what I wanted and they said it wouldn’t be a problem and set about doing my hair. The result is nothing like what I asked for and I look like a fecking zebra 😭. There’s a red toned brown run I g through my hair along with the stripy blond.

Is there anything I can try and do at home to fix or is it a hairdresser job? I refuse to go back to the original hairdresser since they clearly didn’t listen to me the first time so I doubt they would the next....

What I got....

What I asked for...

Living my best zebra life

I'm not a hairdresser but I'd say hers is balayage but you have highlights .. I would imagine it would take quite a few foes to get as much colour in your hair with that method .. can you just go back and tell them you don't like it ?

Can you go back and ask them to put a darker colour on your roots so the stripes are not so obvious? What were they thinking though?! I've not seen highlights like that since 2004.

I just really don’t want to go back! I agree, the pic I took in is balayage, I guess I naively thought that they could do something slightly similar. It didn’t look bad when I was there, it was after I washed and dried it myself that I though ‘oh shit!’

2004....sob 😂

I had the same experience. Came out looking like a bumblebee , apparently it would have blended a bit more in a couple of weeks, but I felt too embarrassed by it and putting my hair up didn't improve things so I went back in the same day and had toner put over it.
Never went back to the salon.
Have not had highlights since.
Am now v cautious about any hair dying!

I wouldn't let whoever did those highlights anywhere near your hair again. They're awful!

I would go somewhere else and not try to fix at home. Maintaining one's hair at home is all well and good, but getting to where you want to be is a big job and it needs a professional.

Would a purple shampoo tone it down until I can see a hairdresser? I’m clueless.

PS - OP, I don't meant to be unkind when I say they're awful: You know it already. I speak with all the empathy of one who has been similarly butchered by bad colourists in the past.

I had the same sort of problem but couldn't afford to go to another hairdresser straight away so I got a brown home dye kit, mixed the solution up in a bowl then dipped a brush in and just literally brushed the dye through my hair to break up the zebra look. I actually loved the result and kept doing it for a while.

OP I'm so sorry to say it but those look terrible!
Complain complain complain...

If you don't want to go back get a refund and go somewhere else

No hairdresser either, but I would say it would look a lot better with more highlights added to it. I’m sure a decent hairdresser could fix that quite easily. Just a shame you thought you might have already found one!

Purple shampoo would make them cooler toned. A blue shampoo might make them blend better, since they're not that light. Purple works better on very light hair. Can you part your hair differently? Less neatly? On the side? It'll break them up a bit.

I actually think they are quite nice although not what you'd asked for. They will look a lot less harsh in a couple of weeks. Are there lowlights in between? If so those will certainly fade

Either go back and ask them to fix it or find somewhere new.

A full head of fine foils, followed by a good toner and a blurred root should see a vast improvement

Thanks guys. I know it’s bad, I think I was hoping there would be an easy fix!

Jeezo, what were they thinking letting you walk away with that. I agree with the commenter that said more highlights in it might fix things. Maybe some caramel/darker blonde or something... Go to a different hairdresser n see what they think.

In the mean time, putting some waves n curls in it might at least help break the zebra stripe.

You don’t want more bleach type highlights. Move away from highlights! Ask for low lights where there are blended colours but the grow out will be horrible. Or get the streaks dyed back to a brown. You might be able to do this if you can get help to pick out the highlighted hairs. At least no grow out where the blond streaks just stay in your hair but at a lower level. Go to another hairdresser.

Phone the salon and ask to speak to the owner/manager. Say that you need it corrected but do not want it done by the stylist that did it. They absolutely need to put it right.

Jesus Christ, how could they let you leave the salon like that? I would be embarrassed!

Some stylists insist on full head of highlights vs balayage when your hair is dark as yours to get a higher lift, but here it looks like a complete amateur did your hair. The highlights are thick, stripy, uneven and do not remotely resemble the photo. There doesn’t seem to be any skill/finesse with the highlights.

I would go back to the salon, speak to a manager, if you don’t feel like the manager is competent enough to fix your hair then ask for a refund.

I'd second asking the salon manager to get a more senior colourist to correct it. I think putting a few more foils through it should break up the zebra stripes.

Or you could get yourself some really, really shiny lip gloss and embrace the 2004 look???

2004 is very late for crap highlights. I had mine circa 1982!