I have dark semi-coarse hair, (like a 4A-4B, I am not sure) and I
would like to know the proper steps to color to a light blond or
highlights of different blonds. Should lift your hair once and then
return again in like a month to lighten it again? In other words, how long is the time process to the desired color of blond for black coarse hair?
Also, what do you think is the questions we should ask a colorist to give you confidence you know what they are doing?
Thanks in advance
Hugs and Kisses!
deelberger
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So I've had my hair colored in the past by someone who I have no contact with at this time. I went back to my natural color over time (which is a dark brown). I wanted to color my hair using the same Goldwell Topchic products that were used on me in the past. Once I found a supplier of the Goldwell, I had to figure out what colors were used. I tried to go by memory, and bought 5K (Mahogany Copper) and 6SB (Silver Brown). I mixed 1 ounce of each color with 1 ounce of 40 Vol (developer). What I got was sort of a bugundy red...which isn't bad...but it's not the color I was going for. I found the paper that the person who colored my hair in the past wrote down what colors to get (7K and 7A) This is exactly what the paper says:
7K 7A 40 ML - 40 Volume
30 ML 7K 120 ML - 7A/7NA 40 ML - 40 vol.
Procedure: Applied base to ends Process time: 30-35 mins.
Results: Beautiful!!! This is your Color!!!!
My question is this - since I've already colored my hair using the "wrong" colors, can I use the 7K & 7A now and get the desired results????
I've read through all of your posts and have to say I'm more confused now than ever...lol. I never knew that hair colorists had to be chemists. I have a whole new level of respect and admiration for all colorists out there!!!!
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!
Deanna Berger Springfield, MA
Claude
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So I've had my hair colored in the past by someone who I have no contact with at this time. I went back to my natural color over time (which is a dark brown). I wanted to color my hair using the same Goldwell Topchic products that were used on me in the past. Once I found a supplier of the Goldwell, I had to figure out what colors were used. I tried to go by memory, and bought 5K (Mahogany Copper) and 6SB Silver Brown is a new shade of Top Chic colors by Goldwell...I haven't used them personally (Silver Brown). I mixed 1 ounce of each color with 1 ounce of 40 Vol (developer). The mixing ratio for Top Chic Color by Goldwell is 1:1 so you should have used 2 ounces of developer because you were using 2 ounces of color. Also 40 Volume Developer would give you 3 levels of lift so is it safe to assume your natural color was a level 3? Was this color put over previously lighter colored hair? Try to give me more information and I will try to help you best I can. What I got was sort of a bugundy red (Not enuff developer so you didn't get good lift)...which isn't bad...but it's not the color I was going for. I found the paper that the person who colored my hair in the past wrote down what colors to get (7K and 7A) This is exactly what the paper says:
7K 7A What is the mixing ratio of 7K & 7A? It shouldn't exceed 40 ml's total since you are only using 40ml's of developer. 40 Volume will give you 3 levels if lift so to achieve somewhere near a level 7 with 40 volume you should be a natural level 4. Typically with Goldwell the controlling colors which in this formula is Ash should never exceed more than 25% of your color portion of your formula. So if I'm mixing this I wouldn't used more than 10ml's of Ash and 30 ml's of 7K with 40 volume developer if you are going for 3 levels of lift. If you put more than 25% of Ash or another controlling color like a Pearl or Natural Pearl if you are lifting to a level 8 or higher because if you do it will become the dominant color and the hair will take on a blue tinge if your using Ash or a purple tinge if your using Pearl.
40 ML - 40 Volume
30 ML 7K 120 ML - 7A/7NA This formula seems odd to me with 150ml's of color and only 40 ml's of developer. The Ash & Natural Ash colors are controlling colors...they are only used to offset some of the underlying pigment. With this formula and using this much Ash or Natural Ash you hair would have a blueish tint to it so I don't recommend using this mixing formula. 40 ML - 40 vol.
Procedure: Applied base to ends Process time: 30-35 mins.
Results: Beautiful!!! This is your Color!!!!
My question is this - since I've already colored my hair using the "wrong" colors, can I use the 7K & 7A now and get the desired results???? Ans.) NO! Color will not lighten previously colored hair. The only way to lighten previously colored hair is by using bleach to lift that artificial pigment out of the hair.
I've read through all of your posts and have to say I'm more confused now than ever...lol. I never knew that hair colorists had to be chemists. I have a whole new level of respect and admiration for all colorists out there!!!! Color is a science and you need to have a firm understanding of where someone's haircolor is and where it's going to take it to where the client wants the hair. Not to mention understanding of the Color Wheel.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!!!
Deanna Berger Springfield, MA
In closing let me just say that it's best to leave haircoloring to a licensed professional. Yes it's expensive but it's why we are paid what we are paid. Haircoloring youself can lead to disasterous results if you don't know what you are doing you can create serious damage in your hair that can't be repaired.
To give you an example of this...I had a client yesterday who's hair was so knotted I couldn't get a comb thru it without a snag. I noticed the haircolor and said to her do you color your own hair. She replied YES I DO! Every 4 weeks. I asked her when you color your hair with the boxed stuff do you pull it through your hair even your previously colored hair. She said...Yes of course just to refresh the color.
OK now the answer was obvious to me because I'm a professional. Putting permanent haircolor through previously colored hair is like pouring salt on an open wound...especially every 4 weeks.
What she should have done was put a matching semi or demi-permanent on her mid-shaft to ends and not a permanent haircolor that she was using to do her roots.
Everytime a permanent haircolor is pulled through hair approx. 3% of the disulfide bonds in the hair which accounts for 33% of the hair's tensile strength and elasticity is permanently broken. She has been doing this for years every 4 weeks and 3% of 33% might not seem like much but multiply it by 13 times per year and she has lost over 10% of the tensile strength and elasticity of her hair not to mention that the effects of the weather (heat, sun, cold not to mention swimming and other things that damage the hair) even had a more damaging effect than on a normal head of hair because of what she had done.
These are the things you don't know you weren't trained for and why things like haircoloring should be left to a trained professional. Damage can't be repaired it can only be mananaged until it grows out and can be cut off.
Also remember if you mess up your own haircolor then you are looking at corrective color work and that typically starts at $150 and goes up from there....it's big bucks to fix a big haircoloring mess....so take that into consideration before you try coloring your hair yourself at home.
Edited by Claude - April 20 2007 at 7:44am
deelberger
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So I've had my hair colored in the past by someone who I have no
contact with at this time. I went back to my natural color over time
(which is a dark brown). I wanted to color my hair using the same
Goldwell Topchic products that were used on me in the past. Once I
found a supplier of the Goldwell, I had to figure out what colors were
used. I tried to go by memory, and bought 5K (Mahogany Copper) and 6SB Silver Brown is a new shade of Top Chic colors by Goldwell...I haven't used them personally (Silver Brown). I mixed 1 ounce of each color with 1 ounce of 40 Vol (developer).
The mixing ratio for Top Chic Color by Goldwell is 1:1 so you should
have used 2 ounces of developer because you were using 2 ounces of
color. Also 40 Volume Developer would give you 3 levels of lift so is
it safe to assume your natural color was a level 3? Was this color put
over previously lighter colored hair? Try to give me more information
and I will try to help you best I can. What I got was sort of a bugundy red (Not enuff developer so you didn't get good lift)
You're right about the formulation...I should have used 2 ounces of 40 vol (and I was told to do that and didn't! DUH)
30 ML 7K 120 ML - 7A/7NA This formula seems
odd to me with 150ml's of color and only 40 ml's of developer. The Ash
& Natural Ash colors are controlling colors...they are only used to
offset some of the underlying pigment. With this formula and using this
much Ash or Natural Ash you hair would have a blueish tint to it so I
don't recommend using this mixing formula. 40 ML - 40 vol.
Typo on the 120 - it's actually 10 ml - 7A/7NA
K 7A What is the mixing ratio of 7K & 7A?
It shouldn't exceed 40 ml's total since you are only using 40ml's of
developer. 40 Volume will give you 3 levels if lift so to achieve
somewhere near a level 7 with 40 volume you should be a natural level 4. Typically
with Goldwell the controlling colors which in this formula is Ash
should never exceed more than 25% of your color portion of your
formula. So if I'm mixing this I wouldn't used more than 10ml's of Ash
and 30 ml's of 7K with 40 volume developer if you are going for 3
levels of lift. If you put more than 25% of Ash or another controlling
color like a Pearl or Natural Pearl if you are lifting to a level 8 or
higher because if you do it will become the dominant color and the hair
will take on a blue tinge if your using Ash or a purple tinge if your
using Pearl.
I used on my natural color, which is a dark brown and my hair doesn't lighten easily. I cannot go blonde at all, because even when leaving 40 vol developer on for several hours, I still get a yellow hair color. I definitely am not going for the blue/purple tinge! That's for sure.
So if I mix 30 ml of 7k and 10 ml of 7a along with 40 ml of 40 vol. then I should get my desired color? Even with the coloring that I've already done (using the 6sb and the 5k)? It's almost as dark as my original hair color.
Thanks so much for your help! I was thinking nobody would answer me!
You're awesome!!!
Deanna Berger Springfield, MA
Claude
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If your hair is previously colored putting more color over previously colored hair will NOT lighten it. Color will not lighten artificially colored hair. The only thing that will lighten artificially colored hair is bleach. Now if you do some foil highlights then you can always used Goldwell Colorance 9GB or 10GB to tone the highlights if they are brassy. The mixing ratio for Goldwell Colorance is 2 parts developer to 1 part color.
Please help me. You sound like a haircolor genius.
I have below shoulder length hair. Natural color---dark brown hair. It is in excellent shape.
For a few years. have used Clairols Nat. Instincts to cover a little gray. Was using dark brown, but color deposit made it blackish. Switched to medium brown--a bit better.
Nowm more grays on my head and they are not keeping the color.
I want to go to Nice n Easy--permanent color. Do I use their Medium Brown, like they suggest?
Or would that lighten my hair too much?
I just want to be a normal, dark-haired gal, with grays that are covered. Please help, I can't mix colors, etc. Too complicated.
Hi Claude, I need help. I have natural med brown hair w/ red tones in it. I have been highlighting it for YEARS now. I have been anywhere from a full head of white highlights to a few gold, I have also dyed it back to dark brown, got bored, then tried red highlights, didn't work (got cool aid red, yuck), so went back to regular highlights. I started getting really light again and couldn't take the roots, so I had her put in lowlights, which at first were great, but now 3 weeks later, it washed out, and I don't like the highlights, they look yellowy and very fake now and I have roots already!!! I know it's summer and the thing is to go lighter, and blond does look better on me, but was wondering what you thought of if I should go back to the dark brown for the summer, and give my hair a break, and then slowly put some gold ones in, or try the red ones again. Help, is there anything you can suggest since you seem to know sooooooo much regarding colouring. THANKS!!!
Claude
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Brunette Gal I never used boxed haircolor so I can't really help you there. I did a little research for ya and Clairol Natural Instincts is a Demi-Permanent Haircolor. What that means is it's deposit only and has no ammonium in the color to raise the cuticle to allow the color to penetrate the cortex where the natural haircolor is. It will typically blend gray hair but not cover it. The gray hair will actually take on a translucent tint of the haircolor you are putting in the hair but it will not alter the haircolor in the cortex of the hair.
Gray hair is unpigmented hair...it has no color! To achieve good gray coverage you need to use a permanent color to put that color into the cortex of the hairstrand. Now gray can be slightly complicated only because you want it to look good. Stay away from ash browns because the gray unpigmented hair will take on a gun metal gray appearance because of the ash color not having any natural pigment in the gray hair to mix with to give it a natural color. You should stay towards
Basically you need a color with a little bit of warmth in it to prevent the haircolor from making that gray a gun metal gray. Now I don't know boxed stuff but your best bet is Neutrals or warmer but definately stay away from ash. If you are not lightening your current haircolor you should be fine.
If you provide me with more info such as your natural color and your desired color, etc I can try to better help you.
G'luck
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Hi Claude, I need help. I have natural med brown hair w/ red tones in it. I have been highlighting it for YEARS now. I have been anywhere from a full head of white highlights to a few gold, I have also dyed it back to dark brown, got bored, then tried red highlights, didn't work (got cool aid red, yuck), so went back to regular highlights. I started getting really light again and couldn't take the roots, so I had her put in lowlights, which at first were great, but now 3 weeks later, it washed out, and I don't like the highlights, they look yellowy and very fake now and I have roots already!!! I know it's summer and the thing is to go lighter, and blond does look better on me, but was wondering what you thought of if I should go back to the dark brown for the summer, and give my hair a break, and then slowly put some gold ones in, or try the red ones again. Help, is there anything you can suggest since you seem to know sooooooo much regarding colouring. THANKS!!!
It's hard for me to suggest what to do with your hair without actually seeing it. Highlights look great but what stylists fail to tell you is that upkeep of those highlights is costly. Typically every 10-12 weeks they need to be redone. If the highlights are yellowish or golden that can be toned out by going to a salon and having them toned. Typically depending on hair length it should cost you anywhere from $25 - $40. Toning can take anywhere from several minutes to 15 minutes or possibly longer...every person's hair is different. The lowlights probably washed out because they used a semi permanent color. For lowlights they probably should have used permenent color and 10 volume developer.
If you want all one color you can tint back to your natural color however that is an involved process and considered corrective color which typically is more expensive as several steps are involved in returning the hair to all one color....typically starts at $125 ish and goes up from there.....
Hope that helps to give you a little more insight as to possible solutions. It sounds to me that you unhappy with the color of the highlights so toning might help you there.
Hi Claude, thanks for your response. I think i'm going to have her put a toner in, she didn't do that last time, and yes she did use a semi=perm color for the lowlights. As far as going back, the last time i did it, she just put semi-perm color on top of my highlights and did it that way 2x's. Could that be a reason i'm not getting the color i want, as you said there are a few processes she's suppossed to do??? thanks agian for your responses!!!
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My natural color is a level 2-Darkest Brown. My desired color is med brown with a golden tone.
Based on what youve said and my other research, I was thinking a
level 3N and a 5G. BUT I am worried about red brassiness since
RED is my contributing pigment. Should I use level 3 with a green base
to neutralize the red? Or will that green base interfere with the
yellow base in the 5G. Making it orange , and requring a blue base to
neutralize the orange.
Thanks so much, Claude, for taking the time to try and help me here.
If only, I didn't have any gray. Gray hair complicates the coloring process.
How about L'Oreal's 'Natural Match' hair dye?? That's a new dye that is permanent and yet has no ammonia. Has a little peroxide. The box says you are able to lighten one shade. Penelope Cruz does the ads for Natural Match. I don't know how it enters the cortex without ammonia, but apparently, it sticks there somehow.
My natural haircolor is dark brown, a neutral shade. Thanks for advising me to stay away from the ash tones. It's not as dark as Cher's raven locks. My natural color is like Penelope Cruz's when she isn't lightening it.
But because of all the so-called color deposit, my hair had turned very dark like Cher's. I'm Mediterranean, and I can pull off that hue, but, I'd like it a shade lighter. I still want to be dark-haired, just not black or dense-colored.
I have tried Robert Craig's permanent color in a box, that also boasts no ammonia/no peroxide. It sticks to the hair shaft thru polymerization, whatever that means. It works well---no red tones. But, the grays don't all take and doesn't last more than 3 weeks.
The good news-----I have nice, dark, long hair. I just want to lighten a tad. I want my dark hair to not be so dense in darkness.
Hope that makes sense. Hey, I could have worse problems with my hair.
Thanks Claude. I appreciate your kindness.
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My natural color is a level 2-Darkest Brown. My desired color is med brown with a golden tone.
Based on what youve said and my other research, I was thinking a
level 3N and a 5G. BUT I am worried about red brassiness since
RED is my contributing pigment. Should I use level 3 with a green base
to neutralize the red? Or will that green base interfere with the
yellow base in the 5G. Making it orange , and requring a blue base to
neutralize the orange.
EEEEK. what do you think??
When I think of Medium Brown I think Level 5 or 6. You mention level 3N and 5G. Now depending upon your mixing formula typically to get a level 4NG which would be a combination of the two color you would use 2 parts 5G to 1 part 3N as the darker color is the more dominant color so therefor to get a true level 4NG you would mix 2 parts of the lighter color to 1 part darker color. Now what color line are you using because different color lines have different formulations....2 parts lighter to 1 part darker is a general rule but that is not always the case it depends on the color line.
you only need to address the underlying pigment on the level you are lightening to. If you are a natural level 3 and lifting 3 levels to a 6 then you would need to factor in some control (when I say control I mean control the brassiness and the underlying pigment by putting in a blue based ash into your overall color formula but typically not more than 25% of the actual color portion of the color formula....you follow what I'm saying?)
Typically the volume developers.... 10 Volume - 1 level of lift or to change the tint 20 Volume - 2 levels of lift 30 Volume - 3 levels of lift 40 Volume - 4 levels of lift
This will only lighten virgin, untinted hair.
If you don't put any control into your color formulation you will end up with what we call more of a fashion shade....because the underlying pigment red, orange or gold contributes more to the overall color because a controlling color like a blue base ash for levels 7 and under and 8 and up a pearl or blue violet base to control the gold. You typically hafta factor in a controlling color when you are lightening 3 levels or more. If you forget to do that you can always go back and tone it with a toner.
hope I'm not confusing you.
Claude
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Thanks so much, Claude, for taking the time to try and help me here.
If only, I didn't have any gray. Gray hair complicates the coloring process.
How about L'Oreal's 'Natural Match' hair dye?? That's a new dye that is permanent and yet has no ammonia.
I'm sorry but I am a licensed HairStylist I have never used boxed haircolor so I am not famaliar with it. Has a little peroxide. The box says you are able to lighten one shade. Penelope Cruz does the ads for Natural Match. I don't know how it enters the cortex without ammonia, but apparently, it sticks there somehow.
My natural haircolor is dark brown, a neutral shade. Thanks for advising me to stay away from the ash tones. It's not as dark as Cher's raven locks. My natural color is like Penelope Cruz's when she isn't lightening it.
But because of all the so-called color deposit, my hair had turned very dark like Cher's. I'm Mediterranean, and I can pull off that hue, but, I'd like it a shade lighter. I still want to be dark-haired, just not black or dense-colored. To get your hair lighter the safest way to lighten the hair is by stripping it with a color remover. It will leave the hair in the healthiest possible state to lighten it further or tone it if it removes enough of the artificial pigment out of the hair. This is corrective color work and I am telling you leave it to a professional color expert. This is not something I'd recommend doing yourself, it's a very involved and delicate process. Corrective color work is expensive and typically starts at $125 and goes up from there depending on what needs to be done.
I have tried Robert Craig's permanent color in a box, that also boasts no ammonia/no peroxide. It sticks to the hair shaft thru polymerization, whatever that means. It works well---no red tones. But, the grays don't all take and doesn't last more than 3 weeks.
The good news-----I have nice, dark, long hair. I just want to lighten a tad. I want my dark hair to not be so dense in darkness.
Hope that makes sense. Hey, I could have worse problems with my hair.
Thanks Claude. I appreciate your kindness.
In closing I guess if you can't afford a salon goto a beauty school where a licensed professional color expert resides and explain that you want corrective color work done and ask if the teacher is famaliar with doing it.
G'luck
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wow sounds like a VETERAN is in the house........!! great to see you are here any way........i need help!!
Ok currently have R-1 Extreme copper aubern used a 20 volume. i had roots grown in and i decieded that i want a J-Lo hair color so i went to local beauty supply and they advised me to us an Loreal 8.1 Medium ash blonde..with a 30 developer...but i need to use shamppo for roots only then color then apply color to entire head.......So i did all this now i have this color on my roots and this colr on my ends. red....... How do i even it out ?? I folded the ends up so you can see the difference in color ..
Claude
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wow sounds like a VETERAN is in the house........!! great to see you are here any way........i need help!!
Ok currently have R-1 Extreme copper aubern used a 20 volume. i had roots grown in and i decieded that i want a J-Lo hair color so i went to local beauty supply and they advised me to us an Loreal 8.1 Medium ash blonde..with a 30 developer...but i need to use shamppo for roots only then color then apply color to entire head.......So i did all this now i have this color on my roots and this colr on my ends. red....... How do i even it out ?? I folded the ends up so you can see the difference in color ..
Virgin regrowth and the previously colored hair should have been treated differently...which means you should have used 2 different color formulas. Color will not lighten previously colored hair. So whatever your previously colored hair was combined with the new ash color and that is what you have. It probably only changed the tint of the haircolor and not the lightness. This is corrective work and not something I'd suggest doing yourself. Goto a salon it's expensive and get it fixed...typically starts at $150 and goes up from there. Attemping it yourself when you are not experienced with color let alone corrective color is just a waste of your time and money. Also you run the risk of severely damaging your hair. Damaged hair CANNOT be repaired...it can only be maintained until you cut it off. Hope you understand what I'm trying to say to you.
G'luck
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You are a font of information! I have a specific question I'd like to ask. I just bought Redken's Color Fusion and Developer to try to use myself. My hairstylist has been using 2 parts fusion(Cr7) and 2 parts Developer( 20 volume.) Since the fusion comes in a tube, how do you mesaure the "2 parts?" The tube is divided into 1/4 marks.
Thank you SO MUCH for this! I used a color a few months ago, and now i cannot find it anywhere, mainly because I cant remember who the brand is, but the color was UL63 (I think), or UN63 does that sound familliar to anyone? I am such a dummy, I should have written it down!
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