Is there a permanent dark brown hair dye that DOESN'T bring out the red tones?

[LockdownLiquidLunch]

Hi,

So I have long, dark brown hair and about a year ago I had a blondey balayage, which I really liked, but I also had the top of my hair dyed using a permanent, to cover a scattering of greys.

Straight away, it went very warm and in certain lights, very red. I just didn't like the contrast of colours, I.e red/brown on the top and caramely at the bottom. It just looked weird.

I had a consultation with a different hairdresser a couple of months ago and she said if I didn't want the reddish tones, I should use a semi to cover the greys....which it didn't. Well, maybe about 30 or 40%, but after about 2 weeks, washed out, so basically useless. Complete waste of money.

Anyway I'm waffling. Can you have a balayage on dark brown hair, if you also want to cover grey?

TIA

In my long drawn out and expensive experience, no! Sorry.

Once I had a red tint in my hair dye nothing could get rid of it. Unless I went very very dark but as it faded, it went warm.

Must have spent close to a thousand pounds visiting top London salons trying to cover it and in the end I went on holiday and it lifted enough for me to live with it and grow it out!

The balayage stayed in though just to be clear - it was the top of my hair that I couldn't get right!

I’d love to know this too OP. I have the same problem. My hair dresser said a permanent will always bring out the red tones because permanent dye has to lift your natural shade in order for the new colour to take permanently. She always uses what she calls a “quasi” colour on my hair but I’m not happy with this as like you experienced- it washes out very quickly.

I have had the same problem, prompting me to go grey instead! I prefer my natural brown with grey, reddish just doesn't suit my skin tone at all!
The best I got was using a dark ash blonde or light ash brown (box dye) but it still faded leaving the reddish tones coming through.

It needs to be an 'ash' shade

I know exactly what you mean OP. I have naturally dark brown hair - it's a very cold brown - and I have some grey hairs and whenever I go to the hairdresser for my roots one of two things happens - either it covers the roots but when the sun hits my hair it is so orange it is on fire in an incredibly artificial way OR the colour is nice but it washes out in a week. I've sort of accepted the artificial orange and in lockdown I ordered a perm root touch up in dark ash brown. It has covered the roots and although there is a tiny reddish tint it is so so much better! So from now I'm going to stick with the box colour!

You need a cool tone colour, an ash brown to counteract the red. I’m naturally blonde but dye it mid brown, well I did pre lockdown 🙄
I made the mistake of using a warm brown over the winter and had very hot roots! I removed it with vitamin c and used an ash brown to cover