My hair was destroyed today/help wanted

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   Help wanted desperately. 
I know this post is too long but I'm sobbing, so stressed, I can't sleep, don't want to go to work again, don't want to go out again, and I'm not kidding, it's that bad, I feel my life is ruined, people are going to laugh when they see me, I don't know what to do. 

If you have the time, and you have any advice I would appreciate you reading at least part of this, especially if you are a hair dresser and or can help. 

This is what happened, I am losing my mind right now over it. 

I am naturally light brown, used to be blonde but around age 12 it went dark so I got highlights, and have continued with lights for the rest of my life. My hair is always the color of Britney Spears or Paris Hilton, in other words really blonde. My hair is quite long, it's almost (or it was) exactly like Heather Locklear's. 

I've been going to this hairdresser now for 6 years, she uses the cap and pulls some of my roots through and puts bleach on, that's it, works nice, I've always been happy until today. 

I go in, totally unexpecting that I was about to have my life ruined in the blink of an eye (yeh, yeh, OK not my life, just my hair). When I first went in she surprised me and says "want to try something new today?" I say not really, I like the way you always do it but what did you have in mind? She says well instead of the cap, just apply the color with a brush, it will be healthier, I say, no I like the cap, so she begins, then the other girl working there says, who I've since secretly nick named, "Big Mouth Know It All" says to me; "you can still change your mind" so I did.  I said to my former hairdresser OK I've been coming to you for 6 years, if you think it will be OK, I trust you. So she paints this color on and this is where the trouble sets in; usually it only takes 5 or 10 minutes to lighten my hair, but she left this on for about 20 minutes and I started to notice that it was going orange, so I said, shouldn't it be rinsed off by now? She says, "no it's a new color without peroxide, it takes longer." Now, I KNOW that my hair needs peroxide to get the shade I want so I begin to panick. She only told me she was going to try a new method of applying it, I knew nothing about the "new" color until now. She (my hair dresser) says to Miss Big Mouth know it all, "do you think it should come off now?" Big mouth says, "no it needs another 20 minutes, " I look panick stricken but my hair dresser says, it will neutralize and cut out the orange after it's on longer, go sit over there and don't look in the mirror, it'll be fine, so I do, like the moron that I am. 

So she rinses and sure enough it's bright orange, I say "oh no I'm not happy and I don't like it," she says, "oh I wouldn't let you leave like that anyway I can fix it, I'll just bleach it like always," I say, "is that safe, after all that chemical to apply more, I don't want to be bald," she replies "I'll just leave the bleach on for 2 minutes," I say, "but what about the orange, where's that going to go," she says (she knows nothing about hair I found out after all these years) "the bleach will cut it." Guess what happened, brighter orange, I mean brighter, she says, that's OK I'll tone it, again even brighter more orange like orange, so she tones it again and again then she, the stylist, starts to cry and says, "you're my best client and I've ruined your hair and I can't fix it."  

So I've been there for 4 hours at this point with her trying to fix it. By the way Big Mouth left for the day, hours ago after dropping her jaw when she saw my hair when it was being rinsed, then said haha just kidding.  I explained to my hair dresser calmly, (didn't cry once, until I got home) that if somebody has been coming to you for 6 years, leaves happy each time, you probably shouldn't try something new, she keeps saying, "I wish I could rewind time, I have no idea what I was thinking, just picked out a color from the color book." Bottom line, my hair is destroyed and can't be fixed, at least not by her. 

In the mean time, I want to go home, this is my cherished day off work and I'm tired out, she won't give up and I can't go around with my hair like this anyways, it's two distinctly different colors at this point, bright neon orange where my roots were and ash blonde from all the toners on the bottom, so I pick out a picture of Angelina Joli and say, "OK this is what I want you to do, I think it will work, I've been thinking of going dark for a while anyways, can you make me dark brown like her, I think dark brown will cover the orange and I love that color hair"....so NOW she decides to use the cap, makes no sense since the bright orange is painted to the roots so what I ended up with is a really bad immitation of Lindsay Lohan's, not near as pretty but that's the best way I can describe it, it really looks like a very bad do it yourself dye job with neon orange roots. It didn't come out anything like Joli's, it came out like, I don't even know if there is a name for this color. It's sort of a muddy pinkish orange mouse shade with neon orange at the roots. There's nothing nice or blonde or brown even about it. She just wouldnt' listen, even after all that, she said about Anglina's picture, "no that color is too dark for you, you won't be happy with your hair that dark, lets just go a shade lighter." I'm thinking, I said I wanted it, why can't you listen! I'm not a hair dresser but I think I know more about hair than her, I know she should have just taken the dark color I asked for slapped it on minus the cap and it would have looked nice, but no she had to go a shade lighter and use the cap now. When that rinsed off and was dried, I grabbed my coat, she says "don't you want it curled" I said no and ran. She also kept talking about how she'd never do that again, etc. next time she'll do it the old way, as if there was going to be a next time. 

I want my blonde hair back, I never knew how much I liked it until now. I don't know what to do, do I have to wait for this to grow, get it all cut off, or is there a quick fix? What it seems is that whatever that color she put on it just won't fade off, can't be covered, won't rinse off. Mom said it might wash out eventually. 

I have to go to work and people are going to laugh at me. I have my reply ready, "yeh OK, I screwed up my hair, please don't stare." 

I was thinking OK it could have been worse, it could be my health, maybe this is punishment from karma or God for being too vain, I don't know, it's just hair but I'm really having a nervous breakdown. 

I was thinking maybe I should go to the drug store and get a bottle of brown rinse and put it on. Is there anything to cancel out a bright orange color? Can blonde be brought back after dark toners? Actresses change their color all the time, there must be a way, but this girl sure didn't know. 

I'm not going back to her again, because I've lost all faith, trust and respect for her as a hairdresser but I'm not even mad at her, because I know she didn't mean it, she tried so hard to fix it, seemed as upset as me but I have no idea why she decided to try something new. 

Lesson learned: I was way too passive and trusting with her. 

I even asked her if there was anyone she knew to call that might have an idea of how to fix it, "she'd mentioned recent classes in color, maybe that's where this all came from." 

I didn't pay her, I usually give her a good tip but this time she said "there's no way you're paying me" I said are you sure? OK then and left. 

I've already thought about hats but I work inside and I don't think I can wear a hat all of the time there, I'll see but I will wear one outside, it's cold here, I usually do anyway. Updo's do look much better, I've been practising already today and have been looking around the house for clips and stuff. 

She does feel bad. She just got too comfortable with me because I've been a client for so long but I'm sure she learned her lesson, too bad it had to be on my head. 

I just don't think it can be fixed. I'm told there are some very good stylists where I live, I'll try to get some opinions but right now I've afraid to let anyone touch it. 

On the bright side (well good side ) if there is one, I still have hair and it seems to be healthy, I don't think she used a lot of harsh chemicals, she used some for sure and none of my hair has broken off yet. *fingers crossed* 

My wedding is in 9 months. 
My hair is thin, fine and very straight. 

Edited by CherryB