Bleach highlights - are you all just leaving yours alone

[TashieWoo]

I am a natural dark blonde and have bleach highlights every 8 weeks - whole head followed by a few half heads usually. Just bleach, I don’t even have a toner as I use purple shampoo anyway and because I wash my hair every day a toner never lasts long.

My roots are really starting to get on my nerves and it affects the texture of my hair too. Are all of you with highlights leaving well alone until the salons open again or have any of you attempted to use bleach at home?

Step away from the home bleach kit! Just wait .. or dye it darker than it currently is

Yes just leaving it. I think i would regret it otherwise.

The sun bleached my hair

I'm in a pickle too op, it's starting to get me down. I was due an appointment mid march, the hairdresser was unwell and rescheduled for a week later and then they were forcibly closed. My last appointment was late January! I've a clear 2/3 inches of dark roots on all over blonde highlights.

I'm pretty sure the rescheduled appointment for the first weekend in May is cancelled, and I can't get hold of the hairdresser now, so I'm dreading getting pushed to the back of the queue yet again.
I'm not going near bleach myself though, the debate now is do I box dye brown and lose out on the last year and a half of 6 weekly highlights, knowing I'll want to go back to blonde. I'm just dreading the thought of it being another month or two before I can get a professional to look at it.

I’m the same as you, naturally a dark blonde, so I don’t think regrowth looks too bad. Being outside in the sun should lighten it a bit too, for me it does usually anyway.

Also, I’m feeling quite liberated by not having to bother with all the maintenance. I’m enjoying going natural. No pressure to look ‘done’.

I'm a dark blonde too so I'm leaving mine.

I did my own. Try the John Frieda lightening spray - that will bleach it gradually so you can fix any issues from wash to wash. It’s just a spray on then you blow dry. You can get it on Amazon for £5.

I also used the John Frieda for me it’s a good temporary measure. Was too scared to do a proper bleach but my roots were driving me mad!

Same here, dark blonde. It’s not too bad but I usually wait 10-12 weeks between appointments anyway! I really would advise against bleaching yourself - it’ll maybe cover it slightly but will be a mess for the hairdresser to sort out when you eventually get an appointment.

Only suggestion would be think about buying a toner, lilac, grey, peach or something. If you’re at home then you could try a new colour. It’s not permanent.

It might be good to move too balayage. My hair colour looks fine because it doesn't have a definite line of demarcation. My greys coming through right at the front are another story.

But don't attempt it at home!

I have mousy brown hair naturally and used the John Frieda spray a few years ago when I was travelling so it may have changed now but it made my hair go an orangey/yellow peach sort of colour where I sprayed it, my hair dresser said I would've been better just leaving it.

Same here naturally dark blonde but with white !! coming through as well. Which I dislike obviously.

My sister asked a friend who's a hairdresser she said leave well alone & put up with the roots showing, as my colourist uses 2 colours inc bleach & I'd never be able to match it.

@Terralee I am in a similar position, my hairdresser has recommended a semi permanent colour (Wella Colour Fresh) which lasts about 10 washes and certainly makes things look a lot better but I am relying heavily on root touch up powder.

Thank you all for the replies, much appreciated!

I’m not brace enough to use bleach and I know that would be silly, and I don’t want to go darker, so I think I might try the John Freida range. There are some good reviews on amazon and I might go for it with the matching shampoo & conditioner too.

How often are you all using it as it says not to use more than 10 times between colours?

Does anyone recommend lemon juice in darker blonde roots and an afternoon in the sun? Does it work?? Will it blend in with old bleach highlights?

My hairdresser has instructed me not to touch my colour or try to cut it (I sent her photos of the haircuts I've done on my children and she was horrified!)

I've bought a couple of thick headbands to hide the roots.

Just don't use Sun-In! I hope it's been banned!

And what about the cut? I'm most worried about how awful my 'style' will look if I dont get it shaped for months.

Controversial but highlighting kit Jerome Russell Bblonde (see pic) worked well for me as an interim measure!

The John Frieda spray is quite subtle. Just use it a few times till you’re happy then from time to time to blend the roots. Same idea as lemon juice but less messy and works better.

I'm light brown with half head of bleach highlights. My roots are starting to show badly. I had it done a week before lockdown but it's now overdue to be done. I'm so tempted to buy a darker blonde dye and do it myself.

I have been using darker blonde toners to make the contrast look less stark. When it gets too much I plan to dye it darker until I can get an appointment again.

Yep. Blonde dry shampoo will lighten the roots a bit and means you dont have to wash it as much. Will also give it some texture so you can pop it up in a messy bun. I'll be camping outside my hairdressers until it reopens lol

Didn’t dare attempt it at home. Have dyed it light brown / dark blonde. It looks nice and very similar to my natural colour so will just leave it as it is now until I can go back to the hairdresser