Any advice on how to make salt and pepper hair look like blonde highlights?

[Corr77]

Hi everybody, just wondering if anybody could give me some advice? I am naturally a brunette (level 6, I think!). Basically long story short, for years I had blonde highlights in my hair, then a few years ago after becoming around 50% grey, I was advised by the hairdresser to go for a full head bleach, as the highlights were not really covering the grey, which I have been doing ever since.
Needless to say my hair is now in really poor condition with hair loss. I also don't really like the block colour look and preferred the highlighted look. Going natural and rocking the grey just isn't for me. So I had the idea of trying to find a product that would make my grey look like blonde (creating natural highlights!) but not change the colour of my natural brunette, which would be kinder to my hair and a lot less expensive than bleaching regularly! The products I have seen that may be suitable are Wella color fresh in light blonde or (with a bit more damaging) Wella colour touch (in a blonde colour) with emulsion 1.9% - so should deposit only? I have spent a long time trying to find a product that would be suitable but there seems a real gap in the market, which is a shame as I am sure lots of people would like to utilise their grey to be lighter naturally. If anyone has had the same issue and found a suitable product I would love to know, any advice appreciated! BTW sorry for the long post!

I use this, half-and-half with a nicer conditioner every wash. It makes my greys look blonde without making a discernable difference to my mousey brown hair colour.

Plantur39 Blond might work, though it is likely to lead to much paler highlights. The Brown turns my white/greys blonde and my brown and steely-greys brown. It's a rich and varied colour - my hairdresser wanted to know where I'd been for my highlights because they were so naturally positioned and blended

Those of you who are using Plantur39, is it the shampoo or the conditioner as well?

I started with just the shampoo and it worked. I now use the shampoo and the conditioner, and it works even better!

@HappyAsASandboy I started a thread on Plantur Brown and it got zero responses, I was starting to think I was the only one using it!

It worked like a dream for me for ages, but then I started to get a coppery tone from it. Fabulous if it’s still going well for you.

I would use it again in short bursts, between colours, for sure.

Thank you!

I have tried the Plantur brown and it left my greys very gingery. I have used Leganza bitter chocolate which made them darker but a purple hue in bright sunlight .

As a greying blonde I rotate several temp colour depositing products to transform the greys into 'highlights'. I tend to use them as a dry cowash once a week to get the best effect. I like having a few different ones to rotate, but the best so far have been

Clairol Colour Gloss Up Conditioner, Toasted Almond Blonde
Superdrug honey blonde as mentioned above
Schwarzkopf Root retouch 7 day fix
Wella Professionals Caramel Glaze

Might add the Plantur one to the mix! Also use the Defy Grey Brunette (John Frieda) shampoo for maintenance now and then.

They all work quite well even though some of them state they're not intended for grey hair. The only product I've tried that was definitely not worth the hype was the Glaze range in the round bottles, which I won't buy again. Have also used the Caramel Shrine drops to add to conditioner, which are OK but a bit messy.

Look at Sali Hughes Instagram

I use Glaze or the Superdrug one already suggested. I used to use the copper version of the Superdrug as I have warm light brown hair and used to colour it copper in my youth. Stopped when I realised it was turning the grey pink.

People whose hair deteriorated with box dye, were you dyeing the hair once, then simply dyeing the regrowth every so often? Or were you also following the instructions in the box to "use the leftover dye to apply to the lengths for the final 10 minutes"?

I

@RavingStone , I sometimes use a semi-permanent box dye and follow the instructions to the letter. My hair's condition doesn't benefit from it and seems slightly bleached, dryer and more prone to breaking. I use a well-known brand.

They say "The beautifying colour enriches your own natural hair colour and blends away grey. It leaves you with visible shimmering tones and the nourishing conditioner makes your hair feel soft and silky with no dryness." " Colour lasts up to 28 shampoos."

I'd say the first quote is true for the first wash, and after that it seems dryer. It does blend in the grey but the grey hairs lose the colour more quickly than the non-grey. Going darker than natural hair seems to last more washes than going lighter. The 28 shampoos is on the optimistic side. I use shampoo and conditioner for coloured hair and shampoo once.

As the hair grows, there is a slight difference between the roots, the treated hair being slightly lighter. I find the colour slightly flat but less so that when I used own-brand

I'm another one who has had success with the Plantur shampoo (I use a normal conditioner). My very patchy grey now looks like it has been professionally highlighted.

@Flyinggeesei234. I found the same thing re. coppery/gingery tones, but using a clarifying shampoo (instead of the Plantur) once or twice a week seems to mitigate this.

Thank you for all the suggestions, just wondering are you a natural "greying blonde" and If so does the Defy grey brunette (John Frieda) discolour your blonde hair?

Does anybody have any top head shots showing how the shampoos etc look on the greys (natural highlights)? As I mentioned I just got my roots done at the weekend, but here is a pic of my root greys from a few years ago, I think I must be more grey now though!

The colour depositing shampoo and conditioner idea sounds great but the ones I've checked have SLS, parfum etc which I'm pretty sure won't agree with my eczema. Does anyone know of any more "natural" options - or at least sensitive ones?

I currently use the faith in nature unfragranced shampoo and conditioner and it's amazing (but doesn't cover greys obviously). I've considered doing henna at home but it sounds like a massive faff.

Khadi natural dyes don’t make hair darker and cover most greys - the browns much more than the blond colors, unfortunately.

I also use the plantur shampoo and conditioner when I have the time. I use the silver one on brown/grey. I also use spray on shine. My hair is about 15-20% grey and it makes the greys sparkle like metallic silver strands. I love the way it looks. My hair has no dyes etc.

I think i'm the poster mentioned earlier who makes up their own trinity from turmeric, camomile tea, red bush tea and instant coffee.

I'm over 50% grey without the tint.

I have brunette hair & use permanent brown dye to match my natural colour, but as my greys get more numerous I've started using a lighter shade. I was using 4, now I'm on 5 and intending to move to a 6 eventually.

I don't think semi perm colours help hair condition if I'm honest, as they get applied to the whole head repeatedly and not just the roots.

I only do a whole head once a year or so.

You are, @meanderingbrook , I was hoping you'd turn up. Thanks!

Tint not trinity on earlier post!

Recipe:

6 camomile teabags to 2 red bush and half a tsp instant coffee and a teeny tiny pinch of turmeric (too much turns the hair canary yellow!). Do a strand test first to see if you like the colour! 😁

Makes up 1 standard tea pot full. I saturate clean dry hair in it and leave in.