Literally rust coloured hair after years of dyeing..

[anyideasthatcouldhelp]

Hi

Can anyone advise please?

I had (ash blond) highlights put on my light brown hair in salons during my early 40's. I then used high street box dyes (6A) at home during early 50's. At 55 I have been trying vegetable dyes from the internet - light brown for a few months. My hair has now decided to pay me back for years of abuse!

The whole lot has now turned a horrible rust, clearly an accident, type colour and the quality of my hair is terrible. AI says it could be due to the build up of colour over decades on my very porous hair. I've tried blue shampoo and blue mask for a couple of weeks - no joy.

So I'm now thinking a formal colour correction could be needed in a salon. I'm currently only going out with a hat on as it looks so obvious (I work from home thank goodness). I have attached a photo.. :)

My question please - which products (brand name pls) would you expect a reputable, qualified, colour correction hairdressers to use to remove the colour and help me back to a 6A? I've been reading that it will involve a 'bleach bath' and that during the process it will go bright yellow or orange until the next step. Yikes! I guess I'd love to know which anyone feels are the most gentle/effective products so I can check the hairdresser will use them. Will salons be more likely to use these or will all hairdressers have them as standard e.g. mobile hairdressers? I'm not being rude here- I just want to educate myself first.

Many thanks for any advice!! xx

The colour doesn't look awful to me. That could be because it's a photo or the way the photo shows on my phone. It could also be that the hair colour doesn't work with your colouring. So I can completely accept it looks worse in real life than in the photo, but also it's likely that it looks worse to you than it would to other people.
The texture and damage would bother me more (also harder to see in a photo but I hate the feeling of my own hair when it's damaged). And of course if you don't like the colour then that's the most important thing. But I would go to a good hairdresser's and tell them what the problem is and ask them the best way to fix it. My concern if it was my hair is any bleaching might make the condition/texture worse. But hairdressers usually have ways to remediate that or will know and be able to advice on what they can do before it becomes too damaging to the hair. But I wouldn't set my mind on anything (eh that it needs bleaching and will definitely be a horrid orange colour before it's fixed) without talking to a hairdressers first.

Actually as someone with mousy hair who is a similar age to you it's also possible that the change in colour/take up of dye is due to some grey hair coming in. Because of my natural hair colour the colour shift is quite subtle and blends nicely with the rest of my hair but I noticed when I put in blonde hair dye it takes the colour up differently. Your hair might be looking more red if the natural colour is lighter than it was. But it will look more obvious to you than others.

Obviously this is subjective but it looks quite a nice colour to me from the photo🤷‍♀️.

Thanks so much for coming back to me - hopefully you are right that it looks less awful to other people! Fingers crossed. Inside the house, away from any lights it looks almost ok - but outside it looks bright rust - sorry, the photo doesn't capture it well. Good point about greys changing the way the dye lands - I definitely have greys which is the reason for the dyeing. So right now round the forehead is greyish and the rest rusty ...to me! :)

I'm nervous of what can go wrong at the hairdressers- this all started 10 years ago when a hairdresser accidentally dyed it very dark - with a very deep red undertone. It looked horrible for a long time but it did at least look like it was a genuine colour. ( I'd said it was super porous and unfortunately this didn't prompt a strand test. And I didn't know that a strand test would have been the best way to go). Hence trying to get clued up before trying a salon again. Thanks xx

Thanks weaving rugs - very kind - I guess I'm just hoping to be 6A again one day :) xx

If you want to get rid of the more brassy tones, use blue shampoo a couple of times a week. Or you can put in a ash toner, but it will probably only last a couple of weeks. Depends on how often you wash your hair.

Thanks Snoken the blue shampoo worked for about 2 washes then stopped removing it. Think I'm going to have to just bite the bullet and go to a salon. Many thanks x

Vegetable dyes…Henna based?

If you’ve ever used any form of henna on your hair, even if years ago, you MUST tell the colourist beforehand so that they can do a few strand tests. Whilst the majority of henna will have washed out, it usually leaves traces behind. Long hair strands could be up to 7 yrs old before it naturally sheds.

If they don’t offer to strand test it, DO NOT continue with them.

Henna contains metallic salts and when peroxide is applied, it causes a chemical reaction which leads to the hair getting hot, fizzing and breaking.

I strongly recommend you do your research to find a really good experienced level 4 or above, qualified colourist. They’re the best person to advise on how to achieve the colour you want with the hair you’ve got!

All hairdressers do a minimum amount of colour training on their basic level 2 Hairdressing course but a lot won’t bother doing advanced colour correction beyond what’s offered on the level 2 or 3 general hairdressing courses.

It looks ok. You need salon advice to change it again.

I've this colour naturally, never dyed it and I think it looks alright.

How funny, I have quite recently, deliberately died my hair that colour or similar, I'd call it auburn! I think it's a lovely colour, it suits me and my colourings particularly my blue eyes. But if you're not a fan of reds/gingers/auburns then fair enough you don't like it.

Sorry I have no advice, other than go to a well rated professional for a advice. You can have just a consultations before committing to any colouring appointments. Just wanted to say personally I think it is a gorgeous colour!

It looks OK to me.

Pink Lemons - thanks very much for this - watched the video - it was so interesting and educational thanks. I've booked to see someone tomorrow and I'll try to politely/subtly ask what level of qualification they have got to so far. I'm paying for the chat and not having anything done immediately.
One Take - agree- I've tried doing it myself for too long now!
Mabiscuit - it probably looks lovely on you! I'm quite pink and blotchy so the very light rusty red doesn't suit me sadly. I need ash/brown hair to tone down my face!! x

Gregkay - thanks so much - I bet it looks amazing on you! I love the colour on other people. I've accidentally been bright red (think literally red - another accident), really ash blond and very dark, nearly black. The only colour that seemed to work was light brown! :)

Honestly I’d leave it well alone. Use leave in conditioner, clarifying shampoo bar and a conditioner for damaged hair.

Id say you’ve layered too many different dyes and strippers over each other and it’s just going to get worse. Let it grow out, possibly cut it shorter so you have less to bother you.

That said I actually really like the colour

If you're pink and blotchy maybe try Dr Jart Cicapair - it tones me right down so that I can have reddish hair. Would be cheaper...

Hope you got good advice today. Blue shampoos are very drying. I'd be using head and shoulders to tone down and strip out colour and the richest conditioners and hair masks I could find. Then toners instead of full dyes for a while.