Can I dye/highlight my own hair well?

[SplendidPendips]

Can't justify hairdresser prices at the moment. I have light brown hair and usually have half a head of blonde highlights, using two or three different shades (price of which is about £80 around here now, without a cut). I haven't tried doing my own hair at home for about 20 years, so feel clueless. Can I get a natural looking lighter look at home with a box dye? Can I do highlights somehow, in a way that looks decent and natural?

That would depend on your own skill level. I would find it impossible but I can’t even do braids on myself! Do you have a partner or friend who could help? I would imagine doing the back of your head would be tricky.

You can get blonde highlight and bayalage kits but obviously they aren't necessarily multi tonal (depends on your hair) and I think you need a fair bit of skill. I think really you need to be competent with foils or as PP said know someone who is. Otherwise there's the risk that the bleach goes on areas you don't want it and is hard to get onto just narrow strands. I ended up with almost fully blonde (and too natural looking) hair when I tried last year - that's a lot easier for an amateur it turns out.

Im quite good at hair, I was married to a hairdresser for 10 years and do my own, but I wouldn’t try and do anything as complex as that.
l do my own with professional colour but its all over colour. I’m dark now but maintained platinum blonde doing bleach roots plus toner during lockdown.
The most I’d do at home would be a root shadow/lighter ends thing.
multi tonal highlights needs skill in both application and processing /colour knowledge.
your safe options are probably an all over toner /colour at home, doing roots or paying a professional. £80 is pretty good, could you go for darker roots and do them at home in between salon visits to stretch the cost a bit.
there’s no way I’d try and highlight or balayage my own.
sorry to be a bit of a downer but I think you’ll regret it if you go down a home highlights road.

OK, thanks, I will forget the highlights bit then! I'm not sure I could get a good enough all over box dye that would look natural, being all one colour. So guess I'll have to suck up the cost (or go brunette....).

I do my own highlights. Box with cap and hook. I do the cap then pull cap off straight after putting bleach on. Then with a fine paintbrush I add more bleach to any areas where it didn't catch the roots, and add in a few more highlights around my face. Leave it on 25 minutes, wash off.

I've done it for many years and have had lots of practice though, and have very fine hair so don't need to do many.

....just to add I only do one shade ie pure bleach. Looks fine, but I was white blonde as a child so probably tonally it works for me.

Esalon have an option to maintain highlights (I think with an all over colour that will let them show through a bit)
might be worth filling in the consultation bit on their site ?
the first order from them is only about 12 quid but I cancelled after that as I think it was nearly 30.

I been doing my own highlights between salon visits for years with a wella highlighting kit, since lockdown i haven't been to a salon, and have still been doing my own hair but putting less and less in each time, so slowly growing them out, plus my hair is a lot longer now, so that do make cap highlights more tricky, so now I just pick up random pieces and foil them.

This is good.

I think you do need a bit of skill, but I use that Olia highlights about twice a year.

OP you need to go on YouTube and look up Brad Mondo (a professional hairdresser), (1) because he's hilarious and (2) cos he has a million videos of what to do and what to avoid when it comes to hair at home!

Omg brad is hilarious and the awful home dos are terrifying

I love him! The bleach ones are my favourite. But I've dyed at home since watching him and his tips (eg sectioning, starting from the bottom layer and working up) have really helped me get a good result! I would never video myself though lol

Watch Brad Mondo on you tube, he's brilliant and explains all the dos and dont's

Me: ‘I’ll just quickly watch this Brad Mondo video on how to trim my fringe.’

4 hours later.

’I’m going to do a wolf cut and rainbow hair colour. I can definitely do that now.’

Try a bit of Go Blonder? John Frida stuff. Works nicely on my light brown hair.

Oh my god, I posted about this kit and no replies. Is it easy to use?

Ended up paying at the hairdresser and hated the result, dyed over it next day.

When it's grown out, like a year I guess, I will try this. Wish .i had tried in the first place. Will need to learn how to do the cap thing.

edit - just remembered,
i didn't buy it because I thought no ammonia wouldn't work in my hair.

I use the Jessie James Highlight Method on YouTube between salon appointments. It helps me stretch the cost.
I use the wella highlighting kit. I get it in Tesco, always in stock.
before lockdown I would never dream of touching my hair myself using bleach. I get my hair done professionally every 6 months.
when I tell people I have bleached my own hair, they are in shock.

@GingerAle1
it is easy to use. No cap. However you need to have your wits about you. I have used it 3 times. Once I really messed up the front of my hair. It’s best to use in layers within your hair if that makes sense, rather than obvious strands.

I do my own all-over colour, if you go for ash blonde it avoids the danger of any redness developing but more importantly no need for bleach.