Have a hair colour consultation tomorrow, but having cold feet. Should I step away from the bleach?

[cappuccinoextrashot]

Hi,

I already have a balayage from about a year ago (stage 1, as was worried about damage and quite liked the subtle effects) and I also had a permanent dye at the top of my hair to cover the odd grey. Unfortunately the top had a very warm reddish tone and my natural colour is dark brown. I was told it was because I had a permanent dye, so my natural red undertones have been exposed.

Anyway, it looks a bit of a messy tbh and I've been sucked back into Pinterest and can't stop looking at gorgeous honey and cream style balayage hair, which is what I'm hoping my hairdresser will say is achievable.

My hair is definitely quite dry from the previous bleach and heat styling, so I'm worried about going to the next stage, but is there anything I can do to prep my hair beforehand?.....

Or should I just get an all over dark brown semi to cover the greys and even me out?

TIA

You could have a shadow root perhaps?

And ask for Olaplex, really good for improving the condition.

@WingBingo, what is a shadow root?....

I’ll find a picture, basically, your roots are dyed a different colour.

Like this. The roots are dyed that colour, it isn’t regrowth.

Thanks @WingBingo. That would be my natural root colour though.

I think balayage would make more sense. Well, the next level up. Just so worried about ruining my hair and having to hair it all chopped off, which is why I'm considering just having an all over semi as an alternative.

Part of me does want to just go for it though, because I've always played it safe. I've never done anything radical with my appearance and at 35, I feel like it's time

*have it all

Do it!!

This was a balayage I had done last year.

It will probably look really lovely, healthy and glossy if you go dark brown.

If you bleach it, it will end up damaged. Is the colour worth it? Will it look nice?

You need olaplex and a really bloody good colourist. They're not easy to find. You need someone who can blend blend blend. If you want to get rid of the warmth, then unfortunately, the only way to do it is to bleach the shizzel out of it and have it toned. Cool blonde balyage/root smudge/drag etc is expensive, damaging and hard to achieve.

I can recommend a good colourist in the south west.

So I've had the consultation.....

Basically I can't have what I want or rather, she worries that I won't be able to manage the upkeep, plus I already have 3 tones on my hair. My natural dark brown colour, then a warm dark brown with a reddish tint and then a light bit at the bottom from my previous balayage.

Instead, she has recommended a full head of highlights, but in 3 separate, cool tones, but disputed under my parting, so regrowth isn't as obvious and not so high maintenance. Plus I was worried about looking stripy. Tbh, I hadn't considered highlights, as I thought they were very 90's and yeah....stripy.

What's everyone's thoughts on highlights these days?

I still have highlights (foils) but I'm naturally dark blonde rather than brunette. I think the key to non-stripyness is to make sure they're really fine around your parting.

Yep, super super fine and well placed highlights don't look stripey.

Have you thought about just not dying it at all? I’m letting mine grow out after 20 years of dying and have a load of glossy, shiny, hair with amazing bright white ‘grey’ hair.

@DubiousGoals, yes, my hairdresser did say that the key was keeping them really fine, but also said that highlights are strips of colour essentially, so no matter what, it will still have an element of stripy

If I'm having a full head of blondey highlights, am I basically going to look blonde? Might sound like a stupid question, but this is why I liked balayage, because you were neither one or the other.

Just before I left, I said that I didn't want anything drastic, but not so subtle you can't really tell and she said "oh, it will be quite drastic, because you're having a full head of highlights", so I'm a little bit concerned.

Has anyone got any pictures of full head of highlights on dark hair? All I can find is balayage on pinterest.

@LellyMcKelly, the problem is, my greys really stand out. I don't have loads but the ones I do have are quite coarse and wirey and just don't look good against the rest of my dark hair. I admire those that can rock the look, but I don't think I'd be one of them.

Just giving this a bump..

This is baby lights (super fine highlights), root smudge and toners.