Blonde hair going dingy and dull and uneven - Advice please..

[Miss_Biscuit]

Hi all,

Need to pick some brains if poss.

I am a natural brunette, but have been blonde for about 8 years and I have my roots done every 4 weeks.

My friend is a qualified hairdresser, but hasn't worked in a salon for over 10 years due to raising her son on her own, so she does mobile hair as well as working from home.

She has been doing my hair for about 3 years, but lately my hair just seems to be looking dull and dingy straight after being dyed. After a few washes the dingy tone fades and the colour then goes a bit brassy.

She uses what has always used on my hair; Wella Koleston 12/11 with 12% peroxide. This what was used when I used to go to a salon, so nothing has changed.

Basically, when the dye is washed out and my hair dried, I have two front sections near my forehead and along my roots that go a greyish colour (almost like the hair is grabbing the blue-ish colour of the tint mix.) and the rest of my hair looks like a dark and dirty blonde, not bright at all.

After a few washes it looks a bit better like I say, but then looks a bit brassy, so I have to reach for the silver shampoo.

Also, I'd say that the bottom 2-3 inches of my hair are starting to look slightly darker than the top, which we can't understand as I have only ever used the same hair dye!

I said to my friend that I would ask on here as her confidence is taking a knock, she has no salon colleagues to turn to or learn from and is flummoxed as she has not changed anything about how she does my hair.

Photo here:

You can see the grey tint by the start of the parting, the roots looking dull and darker despite being dyed last night and you can see how my ends, underneath are looking a darker, reddish colour!

Any advice you can give us would be gratefully received.

x

 

[persianista]

This generally happens when your natural hair begins to go grey. The colours need to be adjusted every couple of years to avoid the problems you describe.
I don't use wella so can't advise.

 

[Miss_Biscuit]

This generally happens when your natural hair begins to go grey. The colours need to be adjusted every couple of years to avoid the problems you describe.
I don't use wella so can't advise.

Hello, thanks for the response, I don't think my actual hair is going grey to be honest.

What do you mean by "colours need to be adjusted" please? I am scared to ask my stylist to change the colour as might be an even worse match!

I was wondering if there is any treatments or toners to lift my hair and even it out really.

x

 

[persianista]

It needs more than a toner. If the front is grabbing the ash then you may find there are some paler hairs there. Dingy blondes have a number of causes but a toner is not the answer.

 

[kimi1101]

12/11 will go grey ish on any bits that are fine baby hairs (like the front bits) and grey hair of course.

your roots may be looking dull because she is overlapping and the tint is almost darkening the pre coloured bits with the ash tone that is in it, I have done this myself before.

Its difficult to advise as you are saying at first its too ashy and dull almost then in a few days you need to use your silver shampoo again...I'm not sure. I'd say use a 12/1 instead of 12/11, as it is less ash, but if you are feeling brassy again soon then that won't be the answer.

Minky where are you?!????

 

[Miss_Biscuit]

12/11 will go grey ish on any bits that are fine baby hairs (like the front bits) and grey hair of course.

your roots may be looking dull because she is overlapping and the tint is almost darkening the pre coloured bits with the ash tone that is in it, I have done this myself before.

Its difficult to advise as you are saying at first its too ashy and dull almost then in a few days you need to use your silver shampoo again...I'm not sure. I'd say use a 12/1 instead of 12/11, as it is less ash, but if you are feeling brassy again soon then that won't be the answer.

Minky where are you?!????

Hi Kimi,

Thanks for your advice. Is there any way around the fine baby hairs going grey do you think?

When I first went blonde at the salon 12/1 made my hair a ginger blonde, my hairdresser said my hair was warm toned and changed to 12/11 to counter-act this.

Can you recommend any rinses or toners or treatments that my mate can try please? Or should she use a shade up, if there is one?

If all fails I am tempted to try and find a Wella salon and popping in for a consultation, see what they can do. Don't wanna "cheat" on my mate though! LOL!

 

[sophicc]

Hey, you could try using 12/89, thats quite a good one for getting rid of reddy tones, tell your friend to put the colour on your baby hair after you've let the colour develop on your hair for a while! (Put the colour on the rest of your hair and leave for however long and then put on the finer hair) It looks like you need to also take the colour through to the ends for the last 5/10 mins to lift the reddyness out of the ends too! (If you do this, make sure you use some good conditioners/treatments to keep your hair in good condition!) Try leaving the colour on for longer if you feel it isn't lifting it as light as you want it! The only colours which are lighter is either bleach, or magma, neither being good for your hair, and magma can only be applied via highlights!
Hope this has helped
Sophie xx

 

[Miss_Biscuit]

Hey, you could try using 12/89, thats quite a good one for getting rid of reddy tones, tell your friend to put the colour on your baby hair after you've let the colour develop on your hair for a while! (Put the colour on the rest of your hair and leave for however long and then put on the finer hair) It looks like you need to also take the colour through to the ends for the last 5/10 mins to lift the reddyness out of the ends too! (If you do this, make sure you use some good conditioners/treatments to keep your hair in good condition!) Try leaving the colour on for longer if you feel it isn't lifting it as light as you want it! The only colours which are lighter is either bleach, or magma, neither being good for your hair, and magma can only be applied via highlights!
Hope this has helped
Sophie xx

Hi Sophie,

Thank you, I will ask her to give this a go next month when my roots are due again.

Is 12/89 a tint or toner?

I agree, I don't really want to go down the bleach route again, ruined my hair last time!

x

 

[Miss_Biscuit]

PS: Anyone know why my ends have gone darker? Does the colour fade over time?

 

[sophicc]

Hey, It's a tint, similar to the 12/11 and 12/1 just has a slightly different tone, more pearl than ash!
Same way it was comment previously you should change the colour you use every couple of years, the colour also needs refreshing. Taking the colour through for the last 5/10 mins (your friend should dampen your hair before taking the colour through to the ends) just helps freshen the blonde up!
Sophie xx

 

[Tess Warwick]

hi try using 12/81 and pastel as yopur toner but keep an eye on it as it changes your colour quickly. this will give u a clean blonde look and even out the warmth

 

[Miss_Biscuit]

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice. I have bitten the bullet and booked in to a local Wella Salon for tomorrow. My friend is lacking confidence with colouring at the moment and I think it might be risky to start messing about if she is not 100% sure on what she is doing.

x

 

[minky]

PS: Anyone know why my ends have gone darker? Does the colour fade over time?

Hi miss biscuit .....its mainly pollution in the air and water etc that causes hair to go dull and darken over time ....

Your friend is doing the right thing by not taking the 12/11 high lift tint through the the ends as it would be too ashen / blue and may grab .... plus its a high lift tint so it could compromise the condition .... she may suggest using something a bit milder and less ashen to refresh and slighly brighten up the mid lengths and ends,

also she could try doing those baby fine hairs last with the 12/11 so it wont absorb the blue grey tones in the 12/11 tint as much..... or use a bit of 12/1 on these baby fine bits

she could refresh the mid lengths and ends for you
with something milder like wella sunlights as this gently lifts and deposits some mild tone .... in your case it may not lift up loads ..... as tint generally doesn't lift tint ,
but as your hair is quite light already .... it gives a bit of a lift just enough to brighten and tone those darker mid lenghts and ends


you shouldn't do this too much though as it still contains some mild lightening ingredients .... just every 6 months or so .... ask your wella hairdresser which would be the best wella product and colour choice for you out of the sunlights range to refresh the mid lengths and ends with with ?....
also you could ask to look at the colur touch sunlights shade chart and dicuss some test pieces first so you can see what lift and tone you will get , hth

Kimmi I am here but my pc has crashed :sad: ....so I have to use hubbys when he's not on it,
Kimmi do you still use the colur touch sunlights ? what tones have you used ?
I have only used the pure /0 natural one with 4% without tone and that is really beautiful for boosting and brightening mid legths and gives lovely shine .... but it has no tone in it ..... I know they do a 1/8 which looks rather nice for this coluor have you used this one too minky