Hi:

I've been a lurker for may months now but now I need help.  I tried to color my hair by using L'Oreal Color Experte 6.0, which is a little lighter than my natural color.  I am probably a dark ashy brown (maybe a 5).  Nothing happened but orange highlights.  Then, I used a product called Color Gems, but was way too dark.  I think I used a 4 shade, though it said Medium Brown. 

Anyhoo, I went to a professional and all I got was a darker brown/black lowlights with some orange "highlights" for $85.00.  So, I tried to bleach some highlights in the front and use an ash 6 toner but now I have green highlights ontop of black/dk. brown hair... ENOUGH.... I want it all out.  So, I have been thinking about Colorfix.

Now, here is my question.  If I Colorfix my hair to an orangy color and use a Dark Ash Blonde Redken EQ shade, what will the highlights be?  Green?  Can someone suggest what I can do about those?  They are just around the front (bangs and sides) of my hair. 

All I want to be is a plain brown hair, like a 6N... I don't want to be red at all.  Nothing red... just brown...

thanks for all help...

Well, it all depends on what color the highlights are bleached to.  Once you bleach hair, the natural underlying pigments of your hair are removed.  Hair goes through stages as it's bleached, red, orange, gold, yellow, pale yellow.  If you have bleached the highlights to pale yellow or yellow and you added a ash (blue) shade to them...it makes sense that you have green highlights because according to the color wheel, what do yellow and blue make? GREEN! 

Hmmm, what to do...here's what you have done so far (beginning with dark ashy brown hair.  So you are probably a level 2 Dark brown with Red/brown undertones. 

1. L'Oreal Color Experte 6.0 = orange highlights

(If you are a level 2 and you tried to lift your hair to a level 6, that's 4 levels.  To get a realistic color without a lot of warmth or orange, you need to only lighten two levels more than your natural color.  Say a level 3 or 4.  Hence, the reason you got orange.  Single process color can only lift so much.) 

2. Color Gems Demi (all over) level 4 (Natural Brown?)= hair too dark  (Had this color faded prior to going to the professional for lowlights/highlights) Is this what you used?  See link http://www.beautydeals.net/shop/details.html?id=4904 - http://www.beautydeals.net/shop/details.html?id=4904

3. Pro applied brown/black lowlights with orange highlights

4. Bleached highlights (to yellow?) into the front and toned with a ash toner = green highlights

So you have a level 6 on your hair, with a level 4 demi, then some brown/black lowlights and orange highlights, and finally some green highlights in the front. 

Colorfix?  Well you could try Colorfix, but I'd strand test first to see if your hair can tolerate it.  It sounds like you have a lot of stuff going on with your hair right now.  Remember that Colorfix won't correct the bleached parts or the demi color.  I think I'd leave it alone and try to fix the highlights.  Are you wanting to turn the highlights back to yellow or is brown ok? 

Try the colorfix for getting the highlights back to yellow. 

If you want to just "fix" them get a demi, color gems is good, in a red (although I'm not sure what level red to get?  Look for a color that is basically the same level of color you have.)  Strand test a small section and see if the red neutralizes the green.  It should.  

If you used a temporary toner to get the green highlights, get some Tide regular and wash, wash, wash, also you can apply deep hot oil treatments to fade it. 

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Rebekah 

PS Orange highlights can be neutralized by using an ash demi.  So once you fix the highlights the whole head should blend and then you can start touching up the roots with a level 4 ash dye.  To get a level 6 on your hair you'd have to bleach it all to the orange/gold stage and tone with a level 6 hair color.  Although I wouldn't recommend doing this to your hair at this point, it may be too damaging. 

Thanks Rebekah.

I'll try a semi with a red base to correct the highlights.  When my roots come in, I'll try to blend it in with an ash color to cover the gray.  No more permanent color for awhile.