Going blonde with a home hair colour

YORKSHIRELASS

Hi

I have shoulder length, naturally mousy brown hair. For the past year or so I have been paying £70 every 7 weeks to get it cut and coloured. Its currently very blonde.

I keep looking at the home hair colours in the shops and thinking I could save myself a fortune but I am nervous about doing it.

So, do you colour your own hair blonde? Any tips? Does it really look as good as if you went to the hairdressers?

I am debating whether to try a cheaper hairdresser or do it myself and it needs colouring now so I need to make a decision!

fizzytrinket

I use Schwarzkopf absolute platinum to get my hair blonde. Then I use a toner. I've saved thousands by doing it myself.

mcculloch29

I've coloured my own hair various shades over the years. I've never ever paid to have it done. Good advice from Fizzytrinket - Absolute Platinum is very, very blonde.
If you are using blonde colourant on an existing blonde colour you really just need to do the roots and a light application on the rest. I recommend getting a bowl and brush set from the pound shop and mixing up the colour in the bowl, then using the brush as it gives you more control than waving a bottle nozzle over your head.
My hair is so fine and short that a bottle of Aldi Carino lasts me for two applications, mixing it in the bowl rather than in the bottle. You cannot keep made up colour but you can pour out half of the colourant and developer and mix it in the bowl, resealing the tube and bottle carefully.
Steer clear of foam colourants as the results can be very unreliable.

YORKSHIRELASS

Thanks both. I fancy going a shade darker than I am at the moment so will have a look in the shops tomorrow.

Good tip about using the brush too, I wonder how easy it is to do yourself, especially the back.

purpleshoes_2

I've only tried to lighten my hair once at home and didn't like the results. I get highlights and lowlights done at a local college for 10 quid and when they are closed in the summer I'll get a groupon. Lowlights would mean you need to touch up your roots less often.

I've spent around 30 pounds this year on cut and colours. The college girls do a fantastic job, they are getting assessed so a lot of care is taken, had better cuts and colours there than from some salons

lantanna

If you are used to a salon blonde, I really wouldn't recommend it. I personally think if you are blonde the only way you can be is by getting it done in a salon.


I was blonde for 33 years - I tried home colouring several times and the results were disastrous - ranging from gingery to brassy yellow. My hair is dirty fair (blonde when I was a child) If you want to be blonde its worth paying the hair dresser to do it right. Think carefully and get lots of advice if you are going to do it - it might be worthwhile getting someone to help you to do as it can be hard to see where you are putting the dye.


I'm now dark btw and I still get the hairdresser to do my colour - not because I couldn't do it myself but because I am happy to spend the money getting it done properly and then I don't need to worry about it. Although I get a colour, cut, wash and blowdry for £35 - so not too bad at all!

teddysmum

My hair is greying at the front so I use the hairdresser. Cut ,foils with two shades of blonde cost only £32, but my hair is short. (Gave up the long 30 years ago)

lolls89

YORKSHIRELASS wrote: »

Hi

I have shoulder length, naturally mousy brown hair. For the past year or so I have been paying £70 every 7 weeks to get it cut and coloured. Its currently very blonde.

I keep looking at the home hair colours in the shops and thinking I could save myself a fortune but I am nervous about doing it.

So, do you colour your own hair blonde? Any tips? Does it really look as good as if you went to the hairdressers?

I am debating whether to try a cheaper hairdresser or do it myself and it needs colouring now so I need to make a decision!

I honestly wouldn't attempt it at home, especially with a box colour.
If it does go wrong it will cost you a lot more to get it fixed.

If you are thinking about trying a different hairdressers get some recommendations first.

Does the salon you currently go to have a junior stylist who needs models? Or to save a bit more money try a training college, yes it would be a student doing it but they are supervised and if you ask for a level 3 student they usually have to be working in a salon as a junior stylist working on clients, before they can enroll on the course.

so_very_confused

I also had mine done in the salon every five weeks, however illness and loss of job had to reevaluate. With trepidation I used Nice and easy it is super, natural looking blonde not brassy with nice tonal quality. Everyone assumes I still have it done in salon. I believe its worth a try although accepting everyone's hair is different.

Fluff15

I used Nice and Easy when I switched from dying my hair blonde at the hairdressers to at home, which worked great. However I used a honey blonde, so I cannot attest to how well the brighter blondes are. I had a friend in university who used the platinum blonde and her hair was great.

Do you have any local hairdressing colleges near you? Mine does a full set of highlights on long hair for £20 (less for short hair) - takes longer than a salon but is overseen by a tutor so you're very unlikely to encounter any mistakes.

Hezzawithkids

I keep the greys at bay by going to a salon twice a year and topping up at home with L'Oreal Root Touch Up in between visits. My current colour is dark blonde so it's easy to find a box colour that blends in. I've tried to do a full colour at home but just end up making a mess of the bathroom. The salon visits cost £50 a time and they are worth it since they do a professional job and can get to all the roots I can't do myself (e.g. at the back).