Hair Color - help - need solution to light roots & dark ends

help - need solution to light roots & dark ends

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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=58740
Printed Date: October 03 2025 at 1:31am

Topic: help - need solution to light roots & dark ends

Posted By: maboud
Subject: help - need solution to light roots & dark ends
Date Posted: January 09 2008 at 9:46pm

Until recently I had been going to a professional hair dresser to get my hair dyed, but she passed away unexpectedly. I had been with her for over 15 years and now am scared to go elsewhere. I tried a new hair dresser and he ruined my hair for 3 months, wrong color and a bad cut. So I have been dying my hair at home but now have a problem. My roots, which are very, very gray, are much lighter than my roots. I am using a L'Oreal's Feria Chocolate Cherry/ Burgundy Brown Hair color, so my roots and part are a lighter reddish brown color while my ends are a dark, almost black looking color. How do I correct this?

Replies:

Posted By: Susan W
Date Posted: January 10 2008 at 9:45am

I have no personal experience with gray, so I can tell you what I'd do if it were my hair...I always hope someone with more experience with gray will pipe up!

You can try going over your roots only - and even better trying to just do the parts that are lighter only - with a dark brown color that has a green base. It will not come out green since you say your hair is reddish, red and green together make brown. (If your roots are more orangy than actual red, use a brown color with a blue base). Do the roots only or it will dull the reddish shade you wanted on the rest of your hair.

I'd still recommend test stranding just so you don't do your whole head if this isn't going to help.

Part of the problem may be that gray hair tends to have a thick cuticle and be very resistant to dye. Here are some tips for next time you dye your hair with the color you want to help avoid you having to go over the grays twice:
Many people either switch to ammonia based dyes (because the alkaline Ph of the ammonia opens the tough cuticle), or try "softening" only the gray hair before dyeing - which means apply peroxide or developer only to the gray hair for 10 minutes, then dye it as usual.
A third method I've heard is to put only the color on the hair for 10 minutes, towel blot it off (old towel), then apply the color with the developer added.

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Posted By: maboud
Date Posted: January 10 2008 at 7:50pm

Thanks for the advice and lucky you that you have no personal experience with gray. It's going on 15+ years that I have been dealing with this and I only in my early 40's.

I have tried going over just the gray roots and still have the problem. Do you know where I would get the colors you suggest. As I am an inexperienced home dyer, I am not sure where I would get what you suggest. I usually buy at Target.

Is this a problem that I should consider trying to find a new professional hair stylist to deal with appropriately?

Thanks again for your advice.