ATTENTION BLONDIES,I NEED YOUR OPINIONS!

girl you better see a colorists not just a pro that is 2 diff things, i have been doing haircolor for 10 years and i have seen it all,with this process it can be a very simple one but your not going to get blonde right away, it may take several times of highlighting  it is very safe and easy that way,and a whole lot less damaging, what people dont understand is that once you have colored your hair that underlying pigment is there to stay,and sometimes you can highlight right over no problem depends on what product and how many times they used that product, so when you go to a salon to get this done they should expalin this process to you instead of (oh yeah its gonna turn out just how you wanted it) because we have no clue what you have really done to your hair, they should never bleach it out and re color it  that is double processing it and then you will have to cut it off!!!!!!and stripping the hair of color is the exact same thing as bleaching it out no different!!!!!!! if you have really dark colored hair the best thing to do is to start off with subtle carmel highlights the first time and the next time go with alittle more highlights until eventually the by the summer you will be a safe beautiful blonde and it wont be fried!!!! and the most important thing is to stick with the same person because they know your hair and how well it handles under pressure dont shop hop! you have to give them and you time to know your hair!!!!! another thing your not going to be able to lift this with color you have to use bleach, color doesnt lighten color,(to all the store color buying people just because it says blonde doesnt mean its gonna be blonde on your head and it may be a $5.oo bottle of color, but the correction cost is $75.00 STARTING OUT and dont forget the damage you have already done to it)!!!!!hope this helped you out some!!!goodluck

I may try that jojoswr...or the new color oops.Thanks so much

Thanks zaxwrit and Jojoswr...I have used those products before too. The Loreal Blondissimo (or however it's spelled!) really does get hair alot lighter.In fact that is what I was using in that picture.It takes my natural color easily to blonde.

Jules I think I left it on for about 20 mins but everyone's hair is different and needs a different amount. Your strand test will tell you for sure how long you need it on for.

Love the pic of you blonde, so pretty!

Well, good luck! Post pics when you take the plunge.

Jules, I'm sorry, I don't know anything about highlighting. I used pure white bleach and developer when I bleached my hair. Others here will know more about bleach stuff :)

Ally, omg I know. Three different places. The third place got it to a very dark gold over brown, still not the lightness I wanted but better than the other two. So hubby and I did it and have never looked back.

Thank you all  for the advice!

If I had to do it again, I would not go to a professional. I went to three professionals within two months, and none of them got it blonde. They just damaged my hair, a lot, to the point where I had to cut most of it off. If you find someone highly recommended for this then it may be ok.

I would first get a good trim, then use color remover to remove the color buildup. Then do a strand test with bleach to see how long you need to leave it on for (may be longer on the colored parts of your hair) and then check out the condition of the bleached strands. If you are confident in their condition and you know the timing, get someone to help you and put on the bleach. Use a 20 vol developer max, both in your strand test and when you do your head. You may have to spot bleach some areas after that, but do your best to not have to bleach your whole head again. Go get some professional products, like brushes and bowls.

You want to bleach it to a pale yellow, like the inside of a banana peel. And you will definitely need help for the back of your head and rinsing it off (watch your eyes).

Then tone it with a good toner (I am currently in love with goldwell), preferably with 10 vol developer to minimize further damage.

And remember to condition like crazy after you wash out the bleach (before the toner) and for a long time after. You may want to shampoo just once a week and condition in-between.

If any of the more knowledgable members notice any errors in my advice here please point it out. I have been doing this only for about six months and am a relative newbie.

Good luck to you!

So I have been debating on going blonde.I still think I'm going to wait a while,but I'm gathering information about it now and want to make sure I do it right.

Edited by julesyjul88 - December 01 2007 at 4:12am