Brown to Blonde

[victoria83]

Hello, I'm looking for some help from a professional hairdresser.

I've always had light blonde hair. I used to dye it myself with a store bought box dye (L'oreal Recital - Lightest Natural Blonde). My hair is naturally light brown/ mousey dark blonde. The L'oreal colour suprisengly lightened my hair to a nice light shade of blonde. I stopped colouring my own hair when my regrowth wasnt lifting to a light blonde (it was more of a ginger colour).

I then started getting my colour done professionally. I was getting full head highlights with bleach every few month. I wasnt too keen on the bleach, I felt she was using it as an easy/cheaper option so decided to go to another salon.

My new hairdresser decided to put low lights through my hair using golden and light brown tones (wella koleston). The colours didnt seem to cling (as my hair was bleached) plus I was always stuck with my regrowth, so on my next visit she done my roots using Wella Koleston 12/0. This turned my roots bright orange! I left the salon and phoned the manager to complain, she booked me another appointment with another stylist to have a free colour correction. This appointment turned into a disater! She bleached my roots to try to lift them to match my ends and then put a toner all over my hair which turned it grey and my hair felt like straw!
She told me the grey would wash out within a few washes.
When I washed my hair I noticed it was bright orange, green and grey so
I phoned the manager to make another complaint, she was very nasty and said she wasnt willing to correct the colour as I had already had a free colour correction. My only option was to contact trading standards who advised me to take it to a small claims court. I finally received a refund and the manager had to pay for my colour correction at another salon.

I went back to my previous hairdresser who put a whole head of highlights in (with bleach) to break the colour up and the orange band. While she rinsed the bleach off, the green and orange was still noticable when wet so she washed bleached through my hair for 10 minutes and it lifted most of it. The end result was so much better but I still was not happy with my hair as it still had ginger tones.

When my hair was due to be coloured again, I went to another salon and she recommended going brown with highlights. I've always had light blonde hair so this was a big change. I decided to go for it, She used Rusk 6.003NW Dark Blonde, which I believe is a warm tone. She put my blonde in foils so the end result was dark brown with highlights. I loved it but the colour faded within 2 washes and it looked so washed out, my highlights were dull too.

My hair is now a mousey blonde/light brown colour so I decided to try and get it back to light blonde. I did not want to go back to the hairdressers as I am never happy with the colour so I asked an old friend (who is a professional hairdresser) how to get it back to blonde without using bleach. She said to use Wella Koleston 12/0 & 12/89 with 40vol.

I went to the wholesalers and bought the highlift tint 12/0 & 12/89 with 40 vol peroxide. I thought it would lift to a light blonde but it turned orangey and my roots were golden. So Ive now had to go back to light brown!

Ive now been told that tint does not lift tint. So how do I go back to light blonde without using bleach? I thought the highlift tint would be enough to lift my hair since it was not dark.

I'm hoping someone here can help me understand what has gone wrong and how to get it back to blonde.

Thank you in advance x

 

[Satine]

As you just stated yourself hun, you can't lift colour with colour. To be honest with the amount of colour that has been applied to your hair I would try to give your hair a break from it all as you might end up with it falling out.

However if you really do want to get the colour you are after you are going to either need to use bleach (as highlights) or a high lift that is ash based, this will kill any unwanted warm tones. But because of all the colouring you have had done you may not get the perfect blond after the first go.

I would choose either a new salon or one you feel comfortable with and explain what your hair has been through up to now, they should offer to take a strand test to give you an idea of how the colour will turn out before you have it all done.

Hope this helps and good luck

 

[liana kay]

please leave your hair alone for a couple ofmonths and have nothing on it except light semis and conditioning treatments , it will only get worse. The reason why the regrowth isnt lifting as much with a light tint could be as simple as the time of year, or it may be that your hair has got stronger ( or the colours weaker) . I think you know noe that alone tint isnt going to lift it as much as you want so next time it needs doing( please ,please leave it till you have at least1 and 1/2 inches regrowth) just have the minimum( parting and sides ) hi lites to blend it all in . i dont know how long your hair is , but you dont want to end up having a haircut you dont want!

 

[victoria83]

Thanks for the replies. My hair is shoulder length with short layers. It needs a good cut, I think I'm best to get it cut in a short bob again and graduated at the back but the only problem is the sides have snapped alot with all the abuse its been through the past year so the sides are probably too short for this style.

I'm really unhappy with the colour. I only dyed it on 2 days ago with Rusk 6.003NW (Medium Blonde). I pre pigment'd my hair first with copper mousse. It was the colour my hairdresser used when she dyed my hair brown, I didnt leave it on too long as didnt want it dark. Its now faded to an awful dull colour and looks a bit ashy in certain light. I just want it a colour I'm happy with so I can leave it alone but I'm not sure what to put on it and I don't think a hairdresser would want to touch my hair now incase it goes a funny colour or snaps off.

Are semi permanent colours mixed with 10vol peroxide? I was looking on the Wella website at the Colour Touch Plus shade chart, I like the colour on the model but that will be too dark for me. I would be better off with the lightest shade (88/07). I just hope it doesnt turn green :lol:

I've been using Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - Deep Conditioner for damaged hair and it really does make a big difference. Is there any other hair repair treatments you would recommend? Is Wella Lifetex Intensive Mask any good?

Thanks again

 

[liana kay]

hi victoria, we cant advise which proffessional colours to use ,as if you have been advised the wrong colour/peroxide salon geek could get sued .
semis are your best bet for the mo , but a build up of semis (one on top of the other) can have trouble being lifted and in the end you may have to go back to a mix of bleach hi-lites . the way i read it you have had 3 lots of h/l on the ends?and two lots of blonde on the root and two lots of darker colour??

 

[victoria83]

Hello,

All the colours I've had have been applied over 2 years and not in a short space of time but there will still be alot of colour build up. I stopped getting bleach h/lights around 2 year ago, then changed salons.

I had low lights which faded so on my next visit (18month ago) she done my roots which turned orange so I had to go back a few days later for a colour correction which turned into a disaster - she applied bleach to the roots then an ash toner all over.

Then a few weeks later I had the colour correction at another salon, she suggested bleach highlights. I then changed salons again 1 year ago and got my hair dark in November, which faded. Since then, I coloured my own hair. I done bleach highlights myself around january then went back dark a few month after - using the same Rusk shade my hairdresser used.

I tried to go back blonde (last week) without using bleach. I using the wella highlift tint. It did not lift so I put the brown on 2 days after but only left it on for a short time so it's not dark. My hair looks different colours in every mirror so I can't really tell what colour it is. Its in between a dark blonde and very light brown but its a bit ashy and golden at the roots

My hair does need a break from colouring and a good cut but I need to get it a nice colour first, especially before I let my hairdresser see it. I will use a semi rather than a permanent this time. I thought the semi was mixed with 10vol, which would of made it as damaging as putting another permanent on. I know store bought box dyes use a high vol in the semi colours, which is why I asked. I wouldnt go back to using a box dye though. I've checked the wella website and it says to mix with 1.9% (4% for the colour touch plus) so now I know it will be less damaging. Thanks

 

[liana kay]

vol and% are 2 differant things. The ends will have to be treated differantly from the roots even with a semi - what you could try thou are those little silver packets from wella - the ones that you always try as a kid ,shaders and toners - for a £ 1 its worth a try , just to give you a temperary solution , if you like the result, you could do it every other week , until you have a decent base to do something with

 

[victoria83]

I've tried those wella shaders before but they don't seem to change the colour. I think theres only 3 shades to chose from aswel. An ash blonde, golden blonde and a brown.

Yes, I know Vol and % are different. But what I meant is, using 1.9% for a semi is less damaging than using the lowest peroxide (10vol 3%) for a permanent colour.

 

[liana kay]

fingers crossed x

 

[wildpink]

Hope all goes well. I really would advise though that it is probably best to leave your hair alone for some time and have it cut a reasonable length at which the hair can grow and recover. Once the hair is back to its natural colour you will have much more success in trying to reestablish a color that you wish for.

 

[minky]

I've tried those wella shaders before but they don't seem to change the colour. I think theres only 3 shades to chose from aswel. An ash blonde, golden blonde and a brown.

Yes, I know Vol and % are different. But what I meant is, using 1.9% for a semi is less damaging than using the lowest peroxide (10vol 3%) for a permanent colour.

Hi, if you mess with semis and 1.9% the hair may be very porous and grab the colour at the ends , you could end up with uneven roots and dark khaki ashen ends....
You could perhaps go to a college for a colour correction as the students are very well supervised and they are level three hairdressers
plus the prices are pretty good too.....
good luck :hug: x minky

 

[victoria83]

Thank you to all.

I have gone back to the Rusk - Dark Blonde colour as I had half a tube left and felt this was the easiest way to correct my colour. I pre pig'd first with copper mousse again and now my hair is dark brown but the colour does fade to a dark blonde (very close to my natural colour). I do like the colour it is now but I really want blonde as I've always had blonde hair and brown just isnt me. I'm going to keep it this colour until around christmas then get highlights and gradually go back to blonde (it will probably have to be the dreaded bleach though?).

My hair feels so silky soft now and looks so much healthier considering all the colour its had on. It is chemically damaged so Im going to get a good inch off the ends / layers and use conditioning treatments. Is there any you's would recommend?

Ive just took a photo of my hair and it has a copper shine to it on photos (off the mousse) but it's not noticable in person. I know this will wash out each time I wash my hair, as it did before but I dont want to keep washing it. I wash my hair everyday and really need to try and go at least 2 days without washing it, then hopefully only wash it once or twice a week. What could I put on it to take away the copper shine? I just want something that will wash in and wash out. I dont think those wella shaders are any good.

 

[liana kay]

you could try a violet /silver shampoo , but stop using it when the copper has come out because it will make the hair look dull . yes it will have to be bleached to get to a lighter colour as it has permanant colour on . You will need to be completely honest with he hairdresser about your hairs history and i recommend that you have test strands taken .