Balayage help

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hayleyxo

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Mar 21, 2019
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I've recently gone from dark brown/black box dyed hair to balayage, I've attached pics of my hair plus my hair goals however I have the below questions before I carry on this process.
- Is my hair colour goal possible looking at my current hair colour?
- If it is possible am I heading in the right direction? I've had 3 sittings now of Bleach, is it a case of more Bleach and toner to get rid of the brass?
- Has my hair been lightened too much all over rather than just sections? (as you can see from the goal pics theres dark running throughout).

I don't know if I'm being silly but I'm spending a lot and don't want to carry on if its unachievable or going the wrong way. I don't know anything about bleaching and balayage etc. So just need some reassurance and advice. I don't want to annoy my stylist by asking all these questions if I'm just being overly paranoid and impatient!😂


IMG_20201122_193911.jpgIMG_20201122_193944.jpgScreenshot_20201122_193851.jpgScreenshot_20201122_194103.jpg
 
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To be honest, it’s a bit dated to use bleach to remove old colour these days. If you were my client, I’d have done some strand tests on your hair and then used a professional colour remover to remove the box dye colour so we have a clean base to start your colour transformation.

Your hair looks very dry especially at the ends and again, using a colour remover would have preserved the integrity of the hair better. Box dyes are a ‘one size fits all’ and depending on what was used, can be quite damaging if you’ve been re-applying the product several times.

However, that said, we can’t properly see your hair or feel it on a screen and we don’t know what it was like originally or what was agreed during your consultations. Did you choose her based on price? Using a remover would have been more time consuming at the first appointment and therefore a lot more expensive, but you would have been good to go at the end of the session so you get what you pay for.
 
To be honest, it’s a bit dated to use bleach to remove old colour these days. If you were my client, I’d have done some strand tests on your hair and then used a professional colour remover to remove the box dye colour so we have a clean base to start your colour transformation.

Your hair looks very dry especially at the ends and again, using a colour remover would have preserved the integrity of the hair better. Box dyes are a ‘one size fits all’ and depending on what was used, can be quite damaging if you’ve been re-applying the product several times.

However, that said, we can’t properly see your hair or feel it on a screen and we don’t know what it was like originally or what was agreed during your consultations. Did you choose her based on price? Using a remover would have been more time consuming at the first appointment and therefore a lot more expensive, but you would have been good to go at the end of the session so you get what you pay for.

Thanks for your reply, so Ive been paying around 230-250 per session I'd say and I'm in the Midlands, she classed what she was doing as a colour correction because of the build up of box dye over the years. Colour remover was never mentioned as an option that I can remember only Bleach with olaplex 🙁. I'm not sure what to do from this point my hair is very dry at the ends I've been using an olaplex treatment at home. Ive spent over 700 so far across the 3 sittings I don't want it to have been for nothing.
 
My hair in natural daylight x
IMG_20201123_121415.jpg
 
£700? In the midlands? I’d either expect my hair to be at the desired colour or my stylist to be telling my it’s not achievable, as a stylist myself there’s nothing worse than someone undervaluing you’re work but at that price I’d expect the stylist to know how long you are looking at an end goal by now
 
I honestly wouldn’t bleach it again. Out of curiosity, is he using a bleach bath? Your hair does look a little dry and I’m afraid you’re going to ruin your texture over color.
 
Wow, I’m sorry but that sounds ridiculously expensive for a basic lightening service, even with Olaplex. It would have cost less than that for a colour remover service and you’d be at your goal in 1-2 sessions.
She doesn’t sound like a knowledgable colourist to me if she didn’t even offer the option of using a professional colour remover.
 
Also, Olaplex protects the inside of the hair but can’t protect the outer cuticle layer. This will be damaged from constant bleaching and you’ll find that your new colour won’t hold so well.
 
I have done a lot of colour corrections mostly after the first lockdown and I used colour remover as well. The problem I face when I do that is that it comes out quite patchy as most of the clients, when applying their box dye at home don’t always just apply it on the roots, sometimes it’s a lot of overlapping in the front and less in the back, even when I really the colour remover (I use professional one from Schwarzkopf). I have also used bleach to lighten it and it did make the hair dryer but definitely a better result. At the moment I think all you need is to actually make it a bit darker and more dimensional as your hairdresser lightened it a bit too much all over. The picture with the desired look has a level 4-5 running all the way down when yours it’s dark only at the roots. Hope this helps.
 
I honestly wouldn’t bleach it again. Out of curiosity, is he using a bleach bath? Your hair does look a little dry and I’m afraid you’re going to ruin your texture over color.
Not a Bleach bath just balayage 😕 it is dry and I'm sure all the blue shampoo I've been using to try and tone the brass hasn't helped with the dryness!
 
I have done a lot of colour corrections mostly after the first lockdown and I used colour remover as well. The problem I face when I do that is that it comes out quite patchy as most of the clients, when applying their box dye at home don’t always just apply it on the roots, sometimes it’s a lot of overlapping in the front and less in the back, even when I really the colour remover (I use professional one from Schwarzkopf). I have also used bleach to lighten it and it did make the hair dryer but definitely a better result. At the moment I think all you need is to actually make it a bit darker and more dimensional as your hairdresser lightened it a bit too much all over. The picture with the desired look has a level 4-5 running all the way down when yours it’s dark only at the roots. Hope this helps.

Yeah when I asked my hairdresser if I should use colour B4 at home then get balayage she warned me it would be patchy and harder to correct as I've been box dying my hair dark for 10 years I'm naturally fair, this is probably why she didn't offer using colour remover? What would it entail to have level 4/5 running throughout, would a darker shade have to be put on my whole head? Also what level would you say the the desired look lightest sections are and what level is mine currently? Sorry for all the questions.
Thanks
 
Not a Bleach bath just balayage 😕 it is dry and I'm sure all the blue shampoo I've been using to try and tone the brass hasn't helped with the dryness!

Sometimes I like to use a bleach bath to lighten the hair after box dye. This way it's on shortly and not as damage. But I would leave your hair alone. It is long and beautiful and you don't want to compromise the hair itself. It looks like to get your desired color you actually need to make it darker anyway.

For dryness.. Try MATRIX So Long Damage shampoo and conditioner. Nevermind hair treatments in salon because you can do it at home. Waste of money. Put mask in DRY hair when you got the time like you sitting around the house. :) I like this stuff:

https://www.sephora.com/product/ver...d=1808955&icid2=products grid:p406901:product
 
Sometimes I like to use a bleach bath to lighten the hair after box dye. This way it's on shortly and not as damage. But I would leave your hair alone. It is long and beautiful and you don't want to compromise the hair itself. It looks like to get your desired color you actually need to make it darker anyway.

For dryness.. Try MATRIX So Long Damage shampoo and conditioner. Nevermind hair treatments in salon because you can do it at home. Waste of money. Put mask in DRY hair when you got the time like you sitting around the house. :) I like this stuff:

https://www.sephora.com/product/ver...d=1808955&icid2=products grid:p406901:product
Thank you! I will give this a go x
 
Are there any toners you recommend I could try at home to at least get rid of the brass, Im going to wait it out until January to go back to a salon my purse has definitely been hurt 😂
 
Yeah when I asked my hairdresser if I should use colour B4 at home then get balayage she warned me it would be patchy and harder to correct as I've been box dying my hair dark for 10 years

Sorry, but I think she meant ‘harder for her to correct’. I suspect that she doesn’t understand how to use a reducer properly and therefore avoids using them as bleach is straightforward in comparison. The reducer wouldn’t have damaged your hair either.

Blue and purple shampoos are very drying so I recommend only using them once every 2-4 shampoos. You could use a semi to slightly darken the colour. A semi is a colour that you apply directly from the tube and doesn’t need mixing with developer. They’re usually quite conditioning so will give you a bit of shine.

Once the cuticle layer is damage nothing can repair it, so stay away from the hair straighteners and use some deep conditioning treatments. You’d benefit from some protein and moisturising treatments at this stage but use protein treatments very sparingly. I’d also use a spray leave-in conditioner on the ends too.

If you have a Trade card, use it to buy some decent pro brand products.
 
Yeah when I asked my hairdresser if I should use colour B4 at home then get balayage she warned me it would be patchy and harder to correct as I've been box dying my hair dark for 10 years I'm naturally fair, this is probably why she didn't offer using colour remover? What would it entail to have level 4/5 running throughout, would a darker shade have to be put on my whole head? Also what level would you say the the desired look lightest sections are and what level is mine currently? Sorry for all the questions.
Thanks
I completely understand why she did not offer colour remover, I agree, it could have come out patchy, it happened to me before and it is harder to correct. I don’t really know what is the condition of your hair at the moment, but if it’s good and you don’t mind having a bit of bleach I would ask her to do a quite natural money piece (face frame) and very few balayage pieces with bleach and very low peroxide, apply a darker colour to take you to a level 4-5 on the rest of the hair and tone the balayage pieces. I think some people consider this a bit of a reverse balayage? The desired look in my opinion is a natural level 4 with ashy light pieces (level 9? I need to see the picture again) and you have at the moment quite a beige and warm level 7 and 8.
 
I completely understand why she did not offer colour remover, I agree, it could have come out patchy, it happened to me before and it is harder to correct. I don’t really know what is the condition of your hair at the moment, but if it’s good and you don’t mind having a bit of bleach I would ask her to do a quite natural money piece (face frame) and very few balayage pieces with bleach and very low peroxide, apply a darker colour to take you to a level 4-5 on the rest of the hair and tone the balayage pieces. I think some people consider this a bit of a reverse balayage? The desired look in my opinion is a natural level 4 with ashy light pieces (level 9? I need to see the picture again) and you have at the moment quite a beige and warm level 7 and 8.

Thank you I was worried I would have to dye my whole head dark again start from scratch! Some parts of my hair are stringy and stretchy when wet and break easily other parts are OK. I'm going use lots of treatments as recommended by everyone and go from there however it is getting more orange everytime I wash it 🙄
 
Thank you I was worried I would have to dye my whole head dark again start from scratch! Some parts of my hair are stringy and stretchy when wet and break easily other parts are OK. I'm going use lots of treatments as recommended by everyone and go from there however it is getting more orange everytime I wash it 🙄
Yes, the toner she has used is washing off that’s why is getting warmer. If you don’t want to use any bleach because of the hair condition she can do the same thing as I said before but instead of using bleach she can use conditioner in foils ( then tone it) but the lighter bits will not be as light as the ones in the picture you put up.
 
Some parts of my hair are stringy and stretchy when wet and break easily other parts are OK.

When it reaches this point, it cannot be repaired. You need to be extremely careful looking after it and I wouldn’t allow anyone to use tint or bleach on it for now.
 
I see this so many times whereby salons skip the remover!
I explained to one lady that she needed a colour remover before balayage and that it would take a year or more to reach her cool coloured natural goal ie to ease in slow and not damage the hair.
Unfortunately she decided to go to a high end salon who not only just used bleach but dragged out several sittings in the soace of 3 weeks in order to command the money, her result was dry ginger hair from bleach which would have resulted in just one sitting of the colour remover alone without going in with bleach, shes now given up and gone dark again 🙄.
All im saying is its the hairdressers responsibility to manage the clients expectations even if it means refusing rather than needlessly taking the money.
As said above if the cuticle is damaged the colour/toners wont hold which in turn temps you to use another toner etc which results in even more damage.
Olaplex is good but only if your having regular treatments, the bonds will break down with heat damage eventually so prevention is better than cure.
I would say during this awful time use it to give your hair a break. X
 

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