Thanks Claude and Karen! I read all of Claude's article. I really like the look of highlighted hair, I have dark brows so all light blonde is a little shocking on me. But I absolutely agree that would be the easier way to go.
Do you think I could do a cap or foils doing some strands a 6 or 7 color (mixed with peroxide) and some strands the Clairol Whip? I like the multidimensional look that Karen has. Right now I'm faded to some natural ( 6), some 8 and some platnium streaks. I was thinking I could do the low light and highlight at home. I was nervous about trying to get that 8 level at home, that it might go brassy too easily.
I hope my question makes sense, and thank you thank you thank you for your expert advice!
Claude's suggestion about going all blonde, rather that highlighting is an excellent idea. It would be much quicker and easier to manage by yourself.
If you decide to go all blonde, as Claude said, you cannot simply use a
lighter color dye if you hair already has dye in it. You have to
either use bleach or strip the color out and then use the lighter
color. That corrective color is best left to a pro. Then you can take
over touching up your roots on your own.
If you're looking to simply keep up with highlights at home, the Clairol Instant Whip will work over dyed hair, as will other bleaches. (A lighter "dye" itself will not work.)
Do read Claude's sticky about the fundamentals of color. Maybe even
print it out and highlight the areas that apply to your hair
currently. There's a lot of important information there and it would
be difficult to remember it all.
Good luck!
Strand test, strand test, strand test!
Claude
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Karen, thank you so much for your help! This gives me a lot of necessary information. I've been justifying the cost of the salon for years because of that tricky red in my hair. My husband has done the foils for me in the past but I was thinking the cap just to free him from that job--I have a lot of hair, not to mention we now have two kids running around!
Do you have professional experience with doing foils? That just seems so hard to do on yourself. Obviously, your hair looks great, I'm just not sure if I could pull it off.
My stylist did a great job of bringing me back to almost-natural (a Redken demi perm, I think Moroccan Sand) but pulled a lot of the blonde out into foils first, then toned the rest. It looked good, just not "me". It has all faded back out to the blonde now and I'm feeling really guilty about that salon expense. I actually cried the first morning I woke up to find a non-blonde in the mirror--has anyone else out there had the irrational crying jags when you hate your hair? I know its just hair, but it can be so emotional!
Thanks again Karen, for your excellent help! I will print out your post and bring it with me to Sallys!
Before you goto Sally's read my Introduction to Hair Coloring....you need to know the fundamentals of color and the laws of color. I'm not going to retype them but read my thread here. http://www.hairboutique.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40328
Basically if you hair is previously colored you can't lighten it by applying more color over it. Color doesn't lighten previously colored hair. The only way to lighten previously colored hair is bleach.
Not something I'd recommend doing yourself maybe if you like blonde you should consider going all blonde? Just a suggestion......well whatever ya choose to do good luck but read my intro to color so you have a better understanding of haircolor before you end up with disasterous results.
Cheers
minivanmama
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Karen, thank you so much for your help! This gives me a lot of necessary information. I've been justifying the cost of the salon for years because of that tricky red in my hair. My husband has done the foils for me in the past but I was thinking the cap just to free him from that job--I have a lot of hair, not to mention we now have two kids running around!
Do you have professional experience with doing foils? That just seems so hard to do on yourself. Obviously, your hair looks great, I'm just not sure if I could pull it off.
My stylist did a great job of bringing me back to almost-natural (a Redken demi perm, I think Moroccan Sand) but pulled a lot of the blonde out into foils first, then toned the rest. It looked good, just not "me". It has all faded back out to the blonde now and I'm feeling really guilty about that salon expense. I actually cried the first morning I woke up to find a non-blonde in the mirror--has anyone else out there had the irrational crying jags when you hate your hair? I know its just hair, but it can be so emotional!
Thanks again Karen, for your excellent help! I will print out your post and bring it with me to Sallys!
I guess this answers my questions... before I even asked, actually.
It is difficult to get out red tones (and difficult to get them in)! Chemically, red molecues are bigger than blue... so a lot of times people who are looking to go blonde end up a little on the orange side.
In your case, you need to make sure you're using a product strong enough to lift 4 levels. Grabbing a hair color kit at a drug store is really not the way to go! Unless, of course, you like orange hair...
The product I referenced in my last post, the one that I use (Clairol Instant Whip), lifts up to 5 levels.
I've never actually been brave enough to use a cap... I'm a bit of a control freak and want to make sure know where each strand is. I was always afraid I'd end up with uneven coloring, but many people swear by the cap!
Other people here will also be able to offer some great advice on other products and process tips to be able to maintain your blonde.
Good luck!
P.S. I'm not so sure the "sensible" thing to do would be to dye it back to natural. If you tried that as a DYI project without being VERY careful, you could end up green... and an uneven green, at that! So if you ever do decide to go that route on your own... please be sure to check back here first.
Edited by KarenNJ - June 29 2006 at 7:07pm
Strand test, strand test, strand test!
minivanmama
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Hi all, I have been lurking for a few weeks now and thank you for sharing your wisdom. I've been having my level 6 hair (reddish undertones) heavily highlighted with 8 and 10 ash streaks for years now at a salon and am really happy with it. The problem is, I'm a new stay at home mom and can no longer afford the $150 every 8 weeks. I nosed around at Sally's today and was looking at a frosting cap and then was thinking of getting Redken or Goldwell colors on ebay. I don't think I could do foils at home. When I did my hair at home, years ago, I used the Loreal highest lift ash blondes but still had some brassiness, especially at the roots, and it looked pretty trashy. I know the sensible thing would be to just dye it all back to natural, but I am a blonde addict! Maybe some of you can relate to this!
Thanks to any and all who could provide some advice here!
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