I want to be blonde now!

I am going crazy with dreams of super blonde hair lately, not white blonde but more of a natural level 9. But I know how high maintenance it is so I have some reservations. Also, I am not sure if I want to do it myself or go to a salon. I am not sure if I want to trust someone else with my hair yet I know how difficult bleaching can be. I've tried it in the past and had anything but even lightening. For those of you who bleach out there and color at home, what is your secret? How do you get it to come out even? Should I just bite the bullet and pay the big dollars? Or get highlights like a wuss? What I'd really love to do is find someone who knows how to do balayage and gradually go blonde that way because foil highlights look too streaky and unnatural to me. Sigh. I suppose I will figure it out.

Bite the bullet and pay the cash if you want to be light. If you are willing to struggle and fight and just enjoy the process of getting to a blonde, and willing to take the risk then do it at home.. if not. Don't!

Oh, and always use a good toner.

Ally<3 wrote: I have had much, much more success becoming blonde on my own than my stylist has. I guess it's cause I know what I want, and with a little research I learned how to do it. Fear pays colourists' rent. Power is knowledge. Just sayin'.

To try and sway you over here to the blonde side, here's some pics in shapes and tones...










Edited by Ally<3 - March 08 2008 at 3:41am

I really love the tone of the third pic down Alley! Claude, I think I know what she means - a lot of us have had bad experiences with hairdressers. Even though they have more knowledge, they don't always use that knowledge to give you what you want. I don't see anything wrong with educating yourself on how to get a particular shade and doing it yourself if you are willing to take that risk. 

Claude wrote: Ally<3 wrote: I have had much, much more success becoming blonde on my own than my stylist has. I guess it's cause I know what I want, and with a little research I learned how to do it. Fear pays colourists' rent. Power is knowledge. Just sayin'. That statement might be one of the dumbest things I've ever read on these forums. A HairStylist is one of the most disrespected professions out there and it's obvious to me this person thinks she knows as much if not more about HairColor than an experienced stylist.

Of course it is - you're a hair stylist. I never said I knew everything. I don't. But I know my hair, and I know how to do it well. Do you see me charging people hundreds of dollars to do what I want on THEIR hair? Nope.

We're your bread and butter. If we learn how do our own hair and be happy with it, you're out of a job.

The reason a hairstylist prehaps might be a disrespected job is because people are so often dissatisfied with the service they are given.

You may believe that is the dumbest thing you've heard, but it is unequivocally and undeniably fact. It may not be be only reason ppl go to the salon (relaxation, etc, though to me it's not the way i'd choose to spend 3+ hours) but people unaware how to do their own hair, and who are afraid to attempt it themselves, go to a salon. I know lots of people would rather pay $15 dollars than $150 and be able to do it themselves.

Go Ally! I totally agree with you and couldnt have put it better myself.