I want to change my hair color please help..

Darlyd

My natural hair color is a mousy blonde, I have been having it foiled/capped with blonde bleach for 15 years, But I am fed up of it now.. Can never get a good shine with blonde hair, and my roots showing through looks horrible.. And to be honest there are a few different shades of blonde.. I have some brown underneath too, hair dresser did for a bit of a change so need to take this into consideration.

I would like to go a dark blonde, light brown color Or maybe even dark brown, my eye brows are a dark blonde/light brown, and my eyes are green.. I have just below shoulder length hair. My hair is in good condition considering...

How would I do this? And what color should I go?

From what I have read on google, I should go red first to put the red back in? Then brown? I don't know... I want it all one color, might foil a few blonde strands to avoid dying them so I have some blonde left..

I wish to give this all a go myself, with assistance from my husband..

I want a high gloss/shiny finish that will last....

Any advice/tips/recommendations ?

minnie123

I have used casting creme gloss on blonde highlighted hair and it covered fine. The only problem with the home hair dyes is they go much darker than they ares supposed to initially and then fade very quick and need doing again. Also I used to dye my hair dark brown and overuse of home dyes built it up to become virtually black and it never faded I eventually had to go to a hairdressers to get a bleach bath to lighten it up a bit. So if you can I would say go to a hairdressers as they will also advise on what colour suits.

adelight

Use professional dye rather than box dye, you get much better colour results, they last longer, I think the colour is shinier and more vibrant and it actually often works out cheaper as you get a few applications from one tube. Mix it with a semi-permanent developer the first time incase you don't like the colour and once it's faded and you're getting roots dye it with a permanent developer(probably 20vol for some lightening or less if you go darker). You can get the dye from Sallys, they will have colour charts in a stand somewhere (boxes are plain, just a code on them) or online/ebay(google for colour charts/advice). Loreal Luo Colour and Goldwell Topchic do very good blondes and light brown shades and are much glossier than cheaper brands like ion.
I wouldn't bother trying to put the red back into your hair as it's only the highlights that will need it and you're not going that much darker(unless you go for dark brown, just choose a very warm shade). The highlights will always look slightly lighter than the other parts of your hair but it won't be significant, it will just look more natural than totally one colour hair.
I'd go for a dark blonde shade as it will be easier to maintain (less lobvious roots) but choose a dye that's described as a mid blonde as it will always look darker in most lighting. The exact shade that will suit you best depends on your skin tone, but a "golden ash" or "beige" shade could be nice as most of your hair will be a glossy slightly golden due to it being slightly lightened and the highlights will be a little bit more ash like your natural colour. I like hair that's multi-tonal but that's personal preference I guess.

Try deep conditioning, hair oil or a shine spray if you want your hair to look more shiny and glossy. A shine spray is probably easiest, charles worthington do a good cheap one that isn't sticky or heavy.

Kazipoo

First of all, why on earth is your hairdresser bleaching blonde hair?? She should be able to gain a significant level of lift with a high lift tint without using bleach, that is the reason your hair is dull. You should stay away from bleach wherever possible, colour is much less harmful.

Secondly, because you are naturally blonde your hair hasn't really been stripped of too much red, so you shouldn't need to add it first unless you are thinking of going fairly dark. You can get around this by using a permanent colour that has red undertones in it, so basically any warm blondes or reddy browns should do it. I would steer clear of ashy blondes or browns as it may turn your hair a bluey/purple tinge because of the lack of red.

As far as using professional colours and peroxide, I would steer clear of them unless you know what you are doing and FYI semi permanents do not use peroxide, a peroxide is for permanent colour, although the lower volume (10 vol/3%) is for quasi which is more like the semi permanent you would buy from the shops.

Darlyd

Thank You guys..

I know to stay away from ash.

I don't know what hair dresser uses, I doubt it is bleach as to me it fades after few washes, I have no idea. Just don't wanna pay £50 to have my hair done for it to fade and look rubbish when I can do it myself for less than £10.

I am off to the big boots store tomorrow they have isles of hair dye.. Just don't know which box to get. I just want a really glossy one, I am drawn to the garnier nutrisse (sp) but reviews say it fades pretty quickly.

Do you think I should go for a semi? It will only fade lighter and lighter perhaps to a ginger anyway..

I just don't know.. But I need to do it tomorrow before I chicken out..

Kazipoo

darlyd wrote: »

Thank You guys..

I know to stay away from ash.

I don't know what hair dresser uses, I doubt it is bleach as to me it fades after few washes, I have no idea. Just don't wanna pay £50 to have my hair done for it to fade and look rubbish when I can do it myself for less than £10.

I am off to the big boots store tomorrow they have isles of hair dye.. Just don't know which box to get. I just want a really glossy one, I am drawn to the garnier nutrisse (sp) but reviews say it fades pretty quickly.

Do you think I should go for a semi? It will only fade lighter and lighter perhaps to a ginger anyway..

I just don't know.. But I need to do it tomorrow before I chicken out..

It depends what you mean by semi. A true semi does not use peroxide, comes in a ready mixed pot or bottle and washes out after about 5 to 10 washes (depending on hair condition), plus this will grab to any area of your hair that has been bleached and not so much in the other areas. If you mean a semi from the shop it is actually a quasi, this is better for your hair because you don't get the build up you would normally associate with a permanent, because it should eventually fade out, usually after about 25 or so washes, however, if you use them constantly you will eventually get a build up like you do with permanent colours.

I actually find that the Boots and Superdrug own brand colours are very nice on hair, I recently used the Superdrug ones on my 17 yr old and her hair is always shiny.

Kazipoo

Is there any way you can get someone to do it for you?? Application with a bowl and brush will give you a much more professional look than just slapping it on from the bottle.

Darlyd

My husband will do it for me, he used to quite often to my foils for me, I taught him well.. Only went hair dressers for a treat.

I dye DD1 hair myself, I used to do foils but she wanted brown so done that and it has a green tint to it and no shine, that was from wilkinsons, I also need to get her a hair dye too..

Just don't know which one to go for, am scared of it fading ginger, and am also scared of it going green... I absolute love the brown that is in my hair now inbetween the blonde, it's like a coffee color.. It's lush but dead, no shine, and that was done at hair dressers... been youtube and got some ideas... so we will see..

update tomorrow

Kazipoo

Keep my fingers crossed that you find what you are looking for. If you stick to the gold to red tones you should have no problem, if your hair is not ginger now I can't see why it would go ginger if you colour it, unless you mean to colour it ginger. Go for a chocolate or mahogany colour if you want the brown, go for a golden dark blonde if you want the blonde, as long as you steer clear from the ashy tones you should be fine.

I've never used a Wilkinson colour so I wouldn't know what they are like. You should also remember that anything you have had on your hair previously may significantly change what you want to do to it now.

Also if you have recently had a tattoo or used any henna products you may be better off doing a strand or colour test first.

voucherlover

I have dark blonde/ mousy hair and had it highlighted for years. To break the cycle, I had it dyed brown. I had it done by a proffessional and they put an orangy red in it first and then a mid brown. I was told it was necessary so that it didn't look dull and greeny.

Have you tried hair dresser schools or training days at your local salon if you don't want to pay the full wack? I think it would be easier to maintain once it had been done proffessionally first.