"Lightening" naturally white hair

[dales nails]

just a quick question for you geeks as my head feels in a colded up bubble!!! damn this time of year! my mil briefly asked me if id put a few fine highlights on the parting of her hair, i replied i would and that id talk to her tomorrow. Ive never done her hair before she hasnt got any colour on it and is your typical salt and pepper colouring. through the top and parting she is snow white and the back is a darker grey. she said therough the summer the sun had lifted the top and she liked the effect and wanted just a few hilights to replicate this. Like i said i need to have a good talk to her, but obviously with her being white i cannot lift this can i as their is no pigment to lift??? what im guessing is the sun may have lifted some of the yellow undertones that can sometimes occur with being so light which gave the illusion of being brighter? so a toner like wella 0/6 should be able to replicate this or using a silver shampoo. ?But if its definate streaks she wants what would you use a 10/1? even though this is probs classed as going darker would it give a two dimension effect? any ideas to throw my way so ive got a few things to be going on with. i will do some test pieces ? just feel a little stumped and obv being my mil i dont want any disasters!!!

 

[Mandita8601]

lighten the top with some highlights? sounds a bit vague tbh what's your mil? sorry if i'm being daft lol

 

[iconic]

Mil is mother in law x

 

[dales nails]

so what would you use to create hilights on naturally white hair? maybe im over thinking this process to much? but i cant see how you can lighten naturally white hair as theres no pigment to lift? she said the sun had naturally lifted some strands of her hair that looked lighter like highlights and wanted me to recreate this look. any suggestions like i said am i over analysing it and is it quite simple. i seem to have reached a blank?

 

[SteffiMc]

so what would you use to create hilights on naturally white hair? maybe im over thinking this process to much? but i cant see how you can lighten naturally white hair as theres no pigment to lift? she said the sun had naturally lifted some strands of her hair that looked lighter like highlights and wanted me to recreate this look. any suggestions like i said am i over analysing it and is it quite simple. i seem to have reached a blank?

I'd just wait and have a good chat Hun and ask her what she means and explain to her that you can't lift it but can change the tone etc sorry I know it's not much help xx

 

[Mandita8601]

Mil is mother in law x

haha thanks

 

[dales nails]

thanks hun. just had a chat to her, tbh i dont think she knows what she wants!! she keeps contradicting herself!! im going to see her tomo with shade chart and take test pieces. she feels at the min too silver but through the summer her parting looked softer and more blonde, like i said her hair is pure white, so it would be a case of toneing to a cleaner brighter colour, im feeling she is wanting to be like a 10/0. she is only wanting a few parting scattered foils, so noone can tell shes had it done. (that old chestnut hey) would you think 10/0 would tone it nicely or be too flat i thought of 10/03 aswell? but not sure she wants too much gold more like a baby blonde.???????? ahhhhh
lol then she was on about having some coffee coloured foils in!! this is after she told me she wants it natural and not noticable. I told her this would be maybe too much contrast,and too flat. and if she wanted a little difference maybe some light caramel weaves. maybe a little 8/73. but ill talk that through with her with the shade chart. she has short hair which is pure white through the front and crown area and darke steel grey at the back (she doesnt want the back doing)she just wants the parting done. i want it to look natural but all tie together aswell. i want it too look natural and nat a definate contrast or like it looks like a complete mish mash of colours. any ideas to throw my way and some suggestions ??????????? I dont usually do her hair she usually gets her sister to cut it!! who did train but probs 50 years ago! she hasnt had it coloured for alot of years. i feel backed into a corner to do it, usually colour does not faze me but doing my mil has seemed to have zapped all my colouyr knowledge and not think rationally!!. i know ive waffled but any suggestions?

 

[SteffiMc]

Loreal 9.13 is a nice beige colour or 9.31 cinnamon beige not sure if they have those in base 10 but ya could check x

 

[Bluerinse]

Go for a 9 or you won't even see it, I know she wants it natural but u wanna see it, normally people like this like seeing it but nothing drastic, so stock to golds as much as I hate gold! Lol and light mocha and beige

 

[dales nails]

Thanks for all your input guys it really is appreciated. She has now viewed the shade chart and loves the lightness and tone of wella 12/0. like i said she doesnt want it ultra noticable and only wants a fine scattering of foils through her parting which i have said previously is pure white. I have taken a test piece. what shade do you think will be best to acheive the target shade? I didnt know whether to try 9/03??? really would appreciate your advice guys. xxx

 

[bexster]

Thanks for all your input guys it really is appreciated. She has now viewed the shade chart and loves the lightness and tone of wella 12/0. like i said she doesnt want it ultra noticable and only wants a fine scattering of foils through her parting which i have said previously is pure white. I have taken a test piece. what shade do you think will be best to acheive the target shade? I didnt know whether to try 9/03??? really would appreciate your advice guys. xxx

id bleach very fine highlights through it

i know this wont touch the white hair but it will lift the natural left in it, i feel that using any other colour she will feel darker.. x

 

[dales nails]

hi hun, thanks for the advice. her hair doesnt seem to have any natural tone in it is pure white with now under closer examination does seem to have more ash undertone in.and she seems to want a natural tone adding to it, i know my title says to lift her hair lighter which is what she originally said, but know shes looked at the shade chart she said she wants to keep the lightness but get rid of the dull silvery tone. she said in the summer the sun tends to put a clean natural tone to it and feels like she has blonder specs through it this is what she wants to recreate and her target shade is 12/0 ?? this is what is confusing me lol i want to add a natural tone but still keep her light, do u think a 10/0 on this hair type would be noticable or too flat or 10/03?

 

[magentahair]

I would do bleach 3% for the blonde (very fine) alt to 9.3 6% for coverage and tone also very fine! x

 

[dales nails]

Brilliant thanks hun, it sounds a good call. xxx

 

[CHarvey]

I have a few clients that sound just like her! Id avoid bleach as you dont want any warmth which may surprise you one you start bleaching. I always go for l'oreal 12.0 or 12.01 xx

 

[magentahair]

why would u use a hi/lift tint on white hair? theres nothing to lift, u wont get warmth from bleach and 3% on white hair, just tone!!!!!!

I have a few clients that sound just like her! Id avoid bleach as you dont want any warmth which may surprise you one you start bleaching. I always go for l'oreal 12.0 or 12.01 xx

 

[CHarvey]

Trust me you do get tone from bleach on White hair! Thus is just what I have found works for me, anything below a 10 always seems to go yellow. It's trial and error and after 17 years this is what I found works for me

 

[Perry_Althair]

I have a few clients that sound just like her! Id avoid bleach as you dont want any warmth which may surprise you one you start bleaching. I always go for l'oreal 12.0 or 12.01 xx

Aren't l'oreal highlifts 9? Or is this a different range?

Anyway I would have said possibly go for bleach with 3% or lower even and Spray the rest with a porosity spray so you can tone the highlights after without it grabbing on the rest of the hair? Possibly a ,13 or an ,03 or even a3 just incase the bleach sucks the warmth out as it normally does...you'll just have to see the result of the highlights and determine your tone from there...but I'd definitely say highlifts are a no go

 

[CHarvey]

Doh! Kinda made myself sound dumb lol yes they are 901 etc just too much of an eager beaver to get my point across lol

 

[Perry_Althair]

Doh! Kinda made myself sound dumb lol yes they are 901 etc just too much of an eager beaver to get my point across lol

No not at all lol I was rather intrigued to find out if there was a l'oreal range I haven't used haha