Want to grow highlights out & need to color grey roots at same time... (dye, lighten)
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My hair is naturally dark blonde. About 2 years ago I started full highlights (bleach) but my hair became too washed out.
For the past 6 months, my stylist started put in highlights every other foil and then permanently dyed the other hair with dark blonde. This dark blonde fads out after so many weeks & I start to get brassy blonde hair mixed in with light bleach highlights.
I want to grow the highlights out.
I now have 1 1/2 inches of natural dark blonde hair with some grey in it then come the brassy blonde & light highlights.
Question: I would like medium blonde hair (dyed). How do I dye the 1 1/2" of natural dk blonde & grey hair to medium blonde - permanent color? How do I dye the brassy blonde & light bleach highlights - semi permanent medium blonde?
I am so confused. I can't afford to go to the salon any longer and need to resolve this at home.
Maybe you could get a cap (rubber, not plastic) and lowlight your hair all over with a shade slightly darker than your natural color. Then, wait a day or so and highlight with bleach, pulling thin strands from every other hole in the reusable rubber cap. If you haven't done this a lot, you may want to get a friend to help you. Use creme color. The bleach highlights will soften the darker lowlights and help blend the gray. This will also minimize the contrasting line of regrowth while you are growing it out. I have done this before and it was successful (time to do it again). Stick with neutral color when you do the lowlights. The brand that has worked best for me (bleach and color) is the L'Oreal Age perfect line. I get it at Sally beauty. It is gentle and conditioning permanent color that has good gray coverage.
After you do this, let it grow out "gracefully" for a few months (the new growth shouldn't show up as drastically). You can then decide what all-over color you want to use - perhaps then go a shade lighter than the initial lowlights using a golden base instead of neutral.
Last edited by Kimmie; 11-02-2012 at 10:05 PM..
Reason: added more
If I were you I would use a "light ash/cool blonde" box dye.
"light"- always buy a shade lighter than your desired shade when using boxed dye.
"ash/cool"- this will cancel out some of the brassy color you are noticing but it probably won't be enough to turn your old base color "ashen". It will probably just look more natural.
Loreal Superior Preference is a good quality box dye that has many good reviews around the web. I actually have a box of a light ash/cool blonde dye in my bathroom of this brand.
The shade guide shows that it will actually lighten light brown or dark blonde hair to a lighter blonde shade. So this will lighten your roots while depositing an ash tone over the rest of your hair. It will darken your highlights a bit, but you should get a uniform look.
This will not lighten your dyed hair, it will only change the tone.
The box I have is Superior preference in 8 1/2 "champagne blonde". I'm pretty sure this would be the right color for you, but check it out at the store and look at the swatches on the side of the box first.
Ash will make your blonde take on a grey green tone. Not what you are looking for to cover grey.
I would find a salon which specializes in balyage highlights-- I mentioned this in another thread as well-- as they look more natural than foils and will grow out more easily. Have your stylist choose a slightly darker true blond (neither ashy nor brassy. A wheat blonde maybe) and "paint" the highlights at the roots. If you just apply an all over color you are going to have a weird "stripe" where the highlights stop. I would say leave it to a trusted professional.
The box I have is Superior preference in 8 1/2 "champagne blonde". I'm pretty sure this would be the right color for you, but check it out at the store and look at the swatches on the side of the box first.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Use a toner, not a product like this high lift blonde. YIKES! Stay away from pre-boxed color like this. Get to Sally's a find a demi-permanent color (no ammonia or bleach) and use THAT if you want to do this yourself.
Last edited by confusedasusual; 11-04-2012 at 09:54 AM..
Reason: adding info
I would say your best option is if you can just go back to the salon one more time and have them give you a full head of medium blonde hair and then you touch up the roots at home with box kits or products from sallys.
Use a toner, not a product like this high lift blonde. YIKES! Stay away from pre-boxed color like this. Get to Sally's a find a demi-permanent color (no ammonia or bleach) and use THAT if you want to do this yourself.
She will probably need a high lift blonde for her roots and a toner for her previously dyed and brassy color.
Wella makes some great toners. If your base is light enough and you have yellow and orange "Ivory lady" or T10. If your blonde is very light and you have yellow undertones with no orange and prefer an almost platinum look "White lady/T18" is a better choice.
That is about all I know but there is pretty good info on the web about these.
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