2 weeks ago I went for a consultation at my local hairdressers (hairdressers with v.good rep!)
I had very dark brown hair bordering on black and wanted to go back blonde.
I naturally have mousey coloured hair that I first had highlighted but went to far with wanting to be blonde that I put an all over white blonde on and was dying the roots every week as I was obsessed with roots!! My hair was falling out so to save it dyed it dark, I had been dark for just over a year and managed to get my hair back into good condition.
I wanted to go back to a more natural blonde as being dark did not suit my skintone.
So I went into the hairdressers explaining all of this and they said the only thing they could to because of everything that had been on my hair would be to strip it, the manager of the shop saw me and agreed. A chemical process used to strip the hair of colour.
Without doing a strand test I arrived for my appointment a few days later and the procedure began...
They put 4 ethesol packets on my hair with intense rubbing, left me for 15 minutes on my own while the ethesol was soaking into my head! (which I later discovered they should not have done!) and finally they dried my hair to a nasty orange colour and literally falling out! I was told this was perfectly normal and they would put a base colour and highlights on top. But as they continued drying it they said the colour probably wouldn't take and it needed more ethesol! so they rubbed in 2 more packets! and left me again and then washed and dried it again.
My hair was so dry and it was breaking off as they were drying it. I'd never seen anything like it! and the hairdresser kept telling me she was doing all she could so that I wouldn't be taking my hair home in a bag!!! They then put a base colour and higlights on with foils without showing me any colour charts, as they washed and dried my hair afterwards it was 4 different colours! White at the roots, yellow, orange and dark still!!!! They tried to make out it was nice but I could see by everybodys face in the shop what they really thought!!! They let me leave the shop and pay £100 (it was going to cost me a further £50). When I got home and could see the real damage and colour I cried, I thought that I would have to shave it off! it looked like the only answer!! I told my Mom and she rang the salon and demanded that they do something about it, so after not leaving the house all weekend and having to sit with conditioner on my head all day I had to book the Monday off work and return to the salon.
The girl who saw me was a colour technician who hadn't been consulted over what they were doing to my hair, she was disgusted and said something as big as stripping should have been left to her. She said I never shoud have been left with the ethesol soaking into my head and a maximum of 2 packets should only ever be used!! I had 6!!!
She cut a lot of my hair off, put a toner on the highlights and dark blonde base, she showed me a coulour chart and was honest about what to expect. The end result was amazing! she had transformed my hair!! It was what I had hoped for in the first place. But obviously the condition was still very bad! she gave me some free conditioner and said she wouldn't expect anymore payment - although what I had been through emotionally and physically, I had sores on my scalp and lost a days pay at work I feel I should have got a full refund!! but I was just happy that I din't have to shave my hair off!!
My Mom spoke to the manager who was not apologetic in the slightest and said I should have known what I was letting myself in for!!!
I still have to wear it up as it looks too damaged down but I am very slowly getting the condition back.
Could anybody recommend a VERY good conditioner for me?? and any advice at all would be greatly appreciated.
Di

Oh my goodness you poor thing!!! That is discusting!!-especialy as there was a colourist that could have avoided this in the first place!! I would advise dumb blonde by tigi the shampoo and conditioner. Also there is a conditioner called kera silk from goldwell they do two one for normal damage and one for extremely dry damaged and chemicaly treated hair(you need the strong one) Also make sure you have regular trims and use a wide toothed comb when combing wet with a leave in conditioner. Try to minimise any heated styling products. Make sure you use a heat defence cream/spray if you do have to use heat styling products. Hope this helps and keep up with the trims x

Thank you!!
Yeah I have been washing my hair the night before with a mild shampoo and intensive conditioner (leaving the conditioner on for 15mins) and also putting a leave in conditioner on and then leaving it to dy naturally over night and just french plaiting it the next day, so i'm not putting any kind of heat onto it.
I will look into the conditioners you mentioned.
Thankd for the advise!!!

By the way can I get Goldwell in highstreet stores like Boots or Superdrug??

I have also used Goldwell Kera Silk, years ago after a dodgy perm. Its really good, if you can still get it , I bought it from Sally's.
Best of luck.
x

Also I have been told to use a toner to get rid of any brassiness.
I can get this from Superdrug or Boots I was told.
Is there only one particular type? which would you recommend?
Also it may sound silly but I'm worried of the purple colour the toner is!! because my hair is so dry and porous will it cling to my hair and tint it? I've had that happen before with a coloured shampoo!!

i would suggest to use a ash shampoo once a week rather than a toner, and also try to leave a good amount of time between each time you wash as the best conditioner for your hair is its natural oils. i think its discuting the salon never gave you a full refund, they should be offering you free conditioning treatments to make up for the fact they are obviously incompetant

omg you should get a refund and some free products ,did they know that there was old blonde under the dark? ( not that it makes a differance ,they should have stopped as soon as they noticed thatit was too damaged to do much with andexplained that it just wasnt gonna happen and give you the best colour result they could without causing further damage ( in other words ,put a semi on ,maybe feww scattered h/l ) and told you to let it settle - you will need the regrowth done in a few months anyway . they let it go much too far .

oh ,and try a restructuring or strenghtening conditioner ,not a moisturising one ,it wont feel as soft ,but too much moisture wont really help if its still breaking

a good reconstructing conditioner pack is the joico k- pack. available from salons or online. i wouldnt have anymore colour on untill you've restored some of the condition to your hair. Good luck it sounds like you have been through a awful time. x