Box dye disaster

[burgledinParis]

I stupidly box dyed my hair for the first time, I'm naturally darkish brown and thin and frizzy with increasing grey round my temples - I don't know why but I just snapped at seeing so much grey and got box dye from the supermarket. I used Garnier Olia 5.3 ... It's a disaster, It's colored all of the grey as far as I can see but it's distinctively auburn/ginger instead of chocolate and defiantly looks box dyed... a part from an expensive trip to the hairdresser is there anything I can do ?

www.garnierusa.com/about-our-brands/hair-color/olia/olia-5-0-medium-brown

@burgledinParis. You have a bit of colour build up on your lengths and ends but it's not too bad. Best bet is use a 6 all over. Roots first and then pull through for the last 15/20 mins. It will help to subdued the warmth somewhat without dropping too dark. It won't completely neutralise it but will give you a soft gold under tone rather than the mahogany that's showing through now. To properly neutralise the colour I recommend seeing a professional as trying to neutralise at home can be tricky and often results in patchy colour.

If you choose this option, the sooner you do it the better before you have any noticeable new growth. If left, as it fades (especially if you're in a sunny country) it will most likely go warmer as the undercoat is exposed.

From what I can see, your skin tone can handle warmth just not that much. Without seeing your eyes though it hard to properly judge.

Good luck, and please avoid some the crazy suggestions above.

Please follow exactly what @OneMoreCookieMonster has said. I have had so many hair disasters in my life 🤣
Don't be tempted to strip or wash with fairy liquid or bicarb especially as your hair is already fine and prone to frizz.
I actually think it looks okay but it will fade and the warmth will show more.
Are you able to source a mobile hairdresser or someone who is recommended, works in a salon and could see you very early or as the last client.
Hugs, hair is so personal and in lockdown I made a complete arse of mine and then stupidly agreed to a bleach wash! At 50 you would think I would have more sense haha. I ended up chopping it all off in July last year and now my hair is my natural colour, I won't colour it again.
💞

Try purple shampoo (often sold for grey/ silver hair).

The slight (temporary, non damaging) purple deposit from the purple shampoo will counteract both the golden tone from the 0.3 , and the brassiness resulting from lifting out the natural pigment In your hair.

Hydrogen peroxide (in almost all permanent colour processes) lifts out some natural pigment, exposing the orange / yellow tones that are less easily removed.

This is why it isn't as simple as trying to wash out the new colour - the hair underneath has been forever changed; not by the colour you applied, but by the developer, which removed some of your natural colour.

If after up to 3 purple shampoo sessions in a row (start with 1!) it's still too brassy for you liking, then re-evaluate.

Good luck

@OneMoreCookieMonster @WoofWoofBeachLife

Thank you so much for your advice - As playing with my hair isn't for me I'm going to go to a hairdresser - or as @WoofWoofBeachLife suggested - I'm going to try and find a mobile one. As I have so little and such thin hair that takes ages to grow I don't think it's wise to jepordise it anymore.

Thanks all!

Aw you're very welcome, hopefully you will find someone you feel comfortable with 💐

I bought that exact box dye and did my roots and it has come out the same as yours. I was expecting it to be rich chocolate but it really isn't.

I will go over it in a few weeks with a dark brown and that should cover it.

I would love to have mine stripped and recoloured to a lighter shade as any new growth is totally grey now. But my hairdresser said it will take a monthly appointment for 18 months to achieve what I want.

I am a bit impatient and can't face 18 mths of waiting for a result. It would also cost about £60 a month which I am not prepared to pay. So I will just keep dyeing the roots

I’ve made quite a few home colour disasters, but my most recent regrettable hair dye choice was when I decided I wanted burgundy hair! It did not suit me at all, I was left with dark purple-red hair, it was a salon dye as well!

I must have washed my hair a 100 times in the days that followed, Head & Shoulders, washing up liquid & even tried the vitamin C shampoo mix. I suppose they made a small difference.

It was ALL I could think about, I was so angry at myself. I got a Schwarzkopf Poly Colour Tint box dye in Natural Brown & dyed my hair with that, I used it before so knew it was pretty much ash-based brown.

A few weeks on & there’s less of the burgundy tones, it’s fading & the brown dye definitely helped, although my hair is probably a lot darker than I’d like, I’m not stressing - I’ve put it through a lot & I’m grateful I still have hair left! I know the red/purple tone will eventually fade out altogether & I’ll have my brown hair back, just got to look after it a bit now & to be honest, it’s not so bad having a slightly different tone.