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Can I successfully tone down highlights??

Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Talk
Forum Name: Hair Color
Forum Description: The tricks and tribulations of changing your hair color
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=37776
Printed Date: November 23 2025 at 10:34am


Topic: Can I successfully tone down highlights??
Posted By: Mir1972
Subject: Can I successfully tone down highlights??
Date Posted: December 05 2005 at 1:03pm

I just did something I swore I would never do...put color in my hair.  When I was in college I dyed my hair all the time..but have since cooled doing it. 

Last night I tried some L'Oreal carmel highlights....it's not a bad shade on my medium brown hair...however, it does (now I find out) contain a bleaching element and I inadvertantly went a bit heavy around my face. 

There will definitely be roots to cover which I don't want to end up doing.  My co-workers suggested either a color enhancing conditioner or a henna rinse to tone the color down.  At this point that's what I feel my best bet would be, to tone them down........anyone have any ideas???


Replies:
Posted By: Rebekah
Date Posted: December 05 2005 at 2:43pm

Depending on the level and tone of the highlights get a demi or a semi in a neutral color, I think L'Oreal has a demi.  Select just those strands that have been highlighted, and tone them with the demi.  Make sure you strand test first. 

If you have a Sally Beauty supply try L'Oreal Colorgems in a neutral lightest brown? or whatever level you think would look best.  Usually one or two levels lighter than your natural color is nice.  

Good luck!

 


Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: December 06 2005 at 8:08am
Do NOT use henna over highlighted hair.  It will come out blue/green and be permanent, and you cannot dye over henna.  (Been there, photos in my hair journey).

Edited to say:  Complements pigment depositing shampoo which you can buy at Sally or other beautly supply shops comes in ash brown, and if you use it on that hair every time you wash, it will build up and cover the lightness eventually (give it a week, and it will fade off if you stop using it).


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Posted By: Claude
Date Posted: December 07 2005 at 10:26am
Originally posted by Mir1972 Mir1972 wrote:

I just did something I swore I would never do...put color in my hair.  When I was in college I dyed my hair all the time..but have since cooled doing it. 

Last night I tried some L'Oreal carmel highlights....it's not a bad shade on my medium brown hair...however, it does (now I find out) contain a bleaching element and I inadvertantly went a bit heavy around my face. 

There will definitely be roots to cover which I don't want to end up doing.  My co-workers suggested either a color enhancing conditioner or a henna rinse to tone the color down.  At this point that's what I feel my best bet would be, to tone them down........anyone have any ideas???

Ummm don't do anything your co-worked suggested especially Henna Rinse as disaster will occur. If you decide you don't want to retouch your highlights you could goto a salon or beauty school and have the highlights returned to your natural color by having them filled and then colored. They can get you so close to your natural color that you won't really see a line of demarcation when it grows out. Don't attempt fixing it yourself. If those highlights are more than 2 levels lighter than you natural haircolor in order to correct that and return you to your natural color you need to do whats called a "TINT BACK" which is best left to the pros then color back to your natural color. If you just try to color over those highlighted parts of your hair they could turn orange, pink or very brassy and then you will be kicking yourself.

G'luck


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