Ditching blonde highlights and returning to natural brown hair - anyone?

[CoffeeMum]

I have decided my blonde highlights are no longer doing me any favours, for various reasons, and I want to see what my hair is like if I go back to my natural colour. I haven't seen this for about 20 years now, and it used to be mousey and in need of dye, but seems to have got darker and darker and might be fit for viewing now! I would consider using gentle home dyes once my natural colour has grown back in, to add a bit of oomph.

Now, has anyone done this? I would have to get the blonde highlights dyed back to match my natural hair colour, as the regrowth would be hideous otherwise. Is it a case of a one off dye, or would I have to go several times, to keep the old blonde 'covered up'?

And finally, can anyone recommend anywhere really good in London where i can get this done? I am prepared to pay good money if they are going to do a decent job, but would rather avoid eye-wateringly pricey swanky London salons if possible [not my scene ]

Thanks all!!

I did it a few years ago in Brussels - thought I'd go back to my natural colour before it, ahem, went very light indeed. Got the hairdresser to put on a semi-permanent light brown dye (I'm a classic English blonde till 12 then mousey). Fraid the reaction from the secretary when I walked back into the office was an instant 'terne' (dull/insipid/boring) - these Continentals can be quite frank! I was back the next week for more highlights so can't really say whether you have to repeat the dye.

I think it might have been nicer had the hairdresser opted for a more chestnuty brown, or maybe put in some goldeny highlights or something.

How spooky I was wondering about doing exactly this myself! I can't answer any of your questions I'm afraid but look forward to seeing what replies and advice you get.

I just let my very, very blonde Highlights grow out as I was pregnant at the time, I was actually quite shocked to discover that my hair is very dark brown!!
I did this a few years ago and have never been tempted to go back to blonde, but this is maybe because my natural hair colour is quite nice and people comment on how and nice shiny it is, which it definatly wasnt when it was blonde.

I went from LOTS of blonde highlights to chestnut brown a couple of Christmases ago. My sister has also done the same.

I was in the salon for 4 hours, they had to take the colour right back, not sure on the specifics though! The result was such that you could still see a bit of blonde through the darkness, which looked really nice. Eventually the blonde grew out, up to that point I had been having the colour done at the saln but now I use Perfect 10 in medium brown. Love it. I had lots of positive feedback and so far, I haven't thought about being blonde again.

I have natural dark blonde (with a few naturally lighter bits) for the first time in 15 years.

I let it grow out when pregnant.

I am currently agonising over whether to gets some nice Aveda ones. I like the shine but I miss those bright white strands that can happen in the sun. I am looking at other people's hair highlights too much right now.

Oh dear, i'm a bit worried about the reactions you experienced bellisima I do worry it's going to look really, really dull, and I certainly won't rule out using something to give it a bit of colour or richness when it is light brown again.

Thing is, i've been thinking about it for AGES now, so i feel like i have to do it, if only to find i hate it, and get blonde highlights put back in the following week.

But the blonde is starting to look brassy and yellow, the regrowth is so obvious now my hair is getting darker, and it costs a fortune to get a half head every two months. Really, i'm at the point where i need a full head of quality highlights every six weeks, minimum, for it to look nice and i don't have that kind of money...

Good to hear about those who did it and loved it though! Might have to focus on those for now...

So mango, you had to keep dying it until all the blonde had grown out?

Any salon recommendations for me? In London?

Thanks for all your replies, most helpful

I'm going to Aveda in Covent Garden (but to get them put in ) as they use more natural products. Trouble is this is first time with them so no feedback yet.

I am obsessing too much also! But I think if I hate it I'll grow them out again. I'm pleased to get out of that increasing highlight over and over so your plan sounds like a good one.

Maybe try to get to half-head every six months or something if you go back to it?

I hear Aveda is lovely - can't imagine it's cheap, but i bet it's well worth it. Good luck!

You are so right about getting out of that cycle of highlight upon highlight...at least by doing this, i can get a 'clean slate' of hair, whatever i decide.

Sadly, couldn't possibly get away with highlights only twice a year, my roots would be horrendous as my hair is really quite dark now. Another sign that it's time to step away from the peroxide i think...

Thing is - CoffeeMum - you won't know until you've tried it and also it's fairly easily rectified. As I said, I think things might have been better had they not used a fairly flat brown dye. And in retrospect, rather than rushing back to the blonde highlights (which I still have), I should maybe have tried goldeny ones instead.

CoffeeMum, have asked my sis as I'm not based there any more, she used to go to Jo hansford but it's amazing how much she paid and after a while became sort of bleh about the colour, (she is uber fussy!) Anyways...she says she's the wrong person to ask as no-one seems to get it exactly right! but she reckons Brooks and Brooks are pretty good (Bloomsbury, I think). Colourist is Kelly.

Yes, I only went to the salon once I was confident all the blonde had completely gone, I didn't trust myself to colour myself until then.

Okay..Aveda...I have my hair cut at an Aveda salon and their training salon in High Holborn is having a training day for colourists (already qualified, just being trained more in Aveda products) my stylist said if you can get on the books then it's a great way to have your hair coloured at a great price...think the next dates are 21/22 June. I think you just have to call them.

True true - maybe it's just more subtle colour i need, and it's just hard to tell with all this peroxide over my hair. Even if it looks dull, at least it'll be neutral and give me a chance to work out if i can even be brunette at all.

Thanks bellissima

I haven't had highlights for years but it took ages to dye them out. As in about two years.

It's best to go red first as the pigments in red colour are stronger and have more staying power. Then put the brown colour over the red.

Beached hair has no pigment and dyes need pigment to cling to. My sis ignored my advice and her friends advice and about 10 days after dying her bleached blonde hair midnight black it went green. She added a plain black dye but alas just three weeks later she is now grey.

Mine with the red under the brown lasted about 6/8 weeks before it needed redoing. And you get reddish streaks as opposed to green or grey.

Ooh Marsha Brady I am thinking of going there - can you come back on and let us know how you get on? (sound like Cilla or Davina or soething LOL)
But I am in this dilemma
I am not one to dress for my DH but I did it once and he hated it. Also I felt rather MEH. I dunno why the highlights make me feel better, it's ridiculous.

Whereabouts do you live Coffeemum- I know a good salon in Kingston which uses Aveda.

I used to be a model at Jo Hansford
Yes, great for cheapo/free but not so good for what already is a long dull process taking EVEN longer. And then afterwards for the teacher to come and point out all the mistakes (they call them blobs which is EW) which you're then aware of.
Mahogany in George St Nr Hanover Sq q good

Will do gingham .

I haven't gone for the top guy, they have a price difference depending on skill. Have chosen mid-level. Bit worried am being cheap (at £120 for half-head!).

Wonder how much of a difference it makes...

Oh and shinyandnew, yes, I have lots of red/caramels/honeys and try and lessen the bleach except in summer.

They can put something called "reverse" in which helps with the regrowth.

I'm fairly typical - very blonde as a child but dark blonde now.

I normally have hi-lights but in pregnancy went darker and lordy - i just hated it.

I tend to have a few blonder ones round the front of my hair in the summer so it looks naturally hi-lighted (who am I kidding) and go a little more golden in the winter.

Its worth a try but don't be surprised if it takes some getting used to.

I think if I was a lovely chestnut/dark brunette it would be fine but dark blonde/mouse just seems a little bit dull to me.

Dishwater blonde is my natural colour, no way on this Earth would I have that, I'm an extremes sort of girl, so it's very blonde or chestnutty brown, nothing in between.

I've done this in the last 6 months or so. Just be prepared to do it slowly, or you will faint from shock. Not really, but is best to do somewhat gradually or it will look odd/fade badly. I'm very fussy about my colour, FWIW.

I had half-head darker low-lights done first. Then next time had all-over red (scary!) followed by all-over chestnut. It did come out more red than I wanted, but faded over time to a more natural medium brown. Pretty much have to have a little red or you will go green and that is no good.

I'm now due another session and I reckon I can go for all-over semi-permanent now. I'm definitely loving the low maintenance factor and of course less cost. And it looks a lot shinier and less damaged than before. I struggled with brassiness and I hated it, although no one else thought it was brassy. Now it's nice and natural but with a bit of a boost.

Can recommend my salon Anita Lawrence in Parsons Green. Been going there 5+ years.

I've had highlights on and off over the last few years but during the winter I usually go dark. I have a semi permanent rich warm brown put on. It covers the highlights but you end up with some nice variations in the colour due to the blonde underneath if you see what I mean. I'm staying dark now - well for the time being anyway. I'll probably get bored and do something else with it!

JFly..can't really agree that it looks odd to go fairly dark on the first go. It didn't do me any harm at all and I certainly didn't faint. If you go to have a dramatic change then you're sort of psyched up for that dramatic change, iyswim? I have an ace salon, they did a great job...no dramatic fading either, nothing that I didn't expect with VERY blonde hair to start with but that soon stops happening, it's not as if your hair suddenly turns blonde again, you just start to see a few blonde streaks poking through, which looks quite nice. I'm as fussy as my uber, uber fussy sister, btw!

Yes olive skin and dark chestnut is gorgeous, or flighty lighty blonde is nice.

Over-exposed brassy blonde is bad. When it goes matt and one colour.

I am up to my eyeballs in magazines for inspiration, I am TERRIBLE at briefing the colourist. I say I don't want salon-y hair, I want it natural-ish, but with some white-ish bits, fine highlights but not stripey. I give them no brief. So anyway I'm thinking of taking Diane Kruger on Marie Claire.

God hope I don't hate it,

Any other pics very welcome at this point!