Can my hair color be fixed?  During a “root color touch up,” a stylist made my hair much darker and different color-–almost mahogany brown. She applied the color all over instead of just the roots. Mahogany is way too dark for my skin and my age. I was so tired of being there, and I didn’t trust that salon could remedy it, so I just paid and left.

My natural color is half light brown and half gray. I loved the salon color I had BEFORE:  dark blonde with a red sheen, with blonde highlights added. In strong light, it had a kind of ginger/strawberry blonde feeling.  The stylist who had been doing the good color job is wonderful, but that salon had become too expensive for me.  

A week after I got the mahogany, I lightened my hair some with lemon juice and conditioner (all day process). But it's still not the color I loved before. When roots grew out, I went to another salon. I asked the stylist how to get my well-loved salon color back. She said just add lots of blond highlights, and wait until the dark hair gets cut off over time.

When I asked, “Couldn’t we just lighten all my hair to get it closer to the color I loved?  She said it might be too drying. To me, with conditioner, my hair doesn’t look extremely damaged. The ends are dry, but it’s not horrible in my eyes. Also, wouldn’t getting lots of highlights be just as drying as getting the whole head lightened?  I’d appreciate your views and ideas.