quote:

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Originally posted by veinsofglass:
i have a dillema...
maybe one of you can give me some advice?
a little background on my hair-
my hair is naturally a mousey-ashy light brown color. a couple years ago i had black hair and nothing would lift it, so i grew it out and cut out the black dye. i have had my hair almost every color possible at one point in my life and almost always end up going back to a dark brown shade. which is where i am at the moment. i probably have about 6 boxes of dark brown permanent dye over my natural color from the past year. (my hair is a little above my shoulders now).
so, heres the thing...
i really want to lighten my shade. but i'm short on cash to go to my hair colorist, so i'm attempting something very dangerous-i know. but seeing as though i've colored my hair in the past and have learned from A LOT of mistakes, i'm putting some trust in myself.
what i want is to go to a light brown with some lighter highlights.
this is the stuff i bought:
haircolor remover kit by loreal
colour expertise (a light/medium brown ashey color with hightlights you do yourself)
a toner for highlighted brown hair
a box of medium brown hair dye for my roots

i know that seems like a lot of crap but this was my plan...
i was going to use the haircolor remover kit hoping that it would leak some of the dark dye i had put in my hair. after, i was going to use the color expertise (w/o the highlights), then the medium brown color for my roots (knowing full well my roots will turn out a lot lighter) and then put some highlights in..and finally the toner to tone down any red.
i know, this is a lot of processing. my hair is in pretty good shape and its been through a lot in the past and always managed to stay fairly healthy, when it probably should have fallen out. every stylist that i've ever been to, has said that my hair is super strong.
anyway, after all of that being said, i want to be very cautious before doing this and want as much advice as possible. has anyone tried a haircolor remover? and if what i bought does not seem like a good idea, what would be my best bet in achieving my desired results w/o getting it profressionally done?
btw-i have already called the loreal number on the box, they weren't much help.
thank you in advance!

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quote:

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Originally posted by tasha:

B, I totally ruined my hair about 2 months ago. ... But please DO.NOT. dye your hair yourself again, let it settle and calm down, then go to a good not cheap-y salon and they will get you fixed sweetie. Good luck, and please give us updates.

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quote:

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Originally posted by tasha:

It sounds like you have the same hair color remover that I had. ... If you don't absolutley need to dye your own hair, please don't do it.

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Anyway, since it comes out not light enough when I use the Loreal couleur, I left it in longer and the highlights are too light. They look like they would have been great had I taken them out sooner.

quote:

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Originally posted by Cailg:
Need help too! I had been using Loreal Couleur Experte to color and highlight my hair (the combo kit), but it wasn't coloring the grey in the front of my hair. So, I tried Loreal Excellence Creme for the base color (medium ash blonde-my natural color is mousy brown/chestnut). That color was alittle too dark. So, I wanted to highlight it. My first mistake was that I used the highlighter kit from the Loreal Couleur combo kit-maybe it should only be used with that hair dye?

Anyway, since it comes out not light enough when I use the Loreal couleur, I left it in longer and the highlights are too light. They look like they would have been great had I taken them out sooner.

Now, what do I do to tone them down or darken the hair? I am tempted to get another Loreal excellence in medium ash, which is what I used as the base color and put it over the hairlights, thinking they will be dulled out and probably come back with washings but better for now. Do I have to wait so it doesn't turn green or orange? The highlights are yellow. thanks!!!

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yes. please wait atleat 1-2 weeks. Your hair needs time to adjust and recooperate. doing all that to your hair in a little time frain, is not good for it at all. What I would say is call around at a few salons or private hairstylists and tell them your problem and dilemma, then ask if they offer free consultations. Whenever you go in for the free consultation, ask them what they'd recommend. Let them know that you are attempting to fix it yourself, so tell them you need their honest opinion. Also, try to do as many deep conditioning treatments as possible. The healthier your hair is whenever you attempt to fix it, the better your results will turn out. Go to either a natutal health food store, or like CVS and get a good deep condtitioning conditioner or treatment that has protein. Joico K-Pac makes a really great reconstructor conditioner. The Joico K-pac line has really great proteins in them. I'd really suggest any of their products. But make sure it's the K-Pac, and not any of the other Joico lines. K-Pac is really the best line. Abba moisture sensation is really great. KeraCare is one of the best I've ever used. And also if you want soemthing a little cheaper than those. I'd highly recommend The Motions line of products. They are affordble and really great. The Ebony salons and stores carry their hair line, also you can get it at this website, but it has a $10 minimum purchase.
http://www.ebonyline.com/hair-care-by-brand-motions.html

let me kow if I can be of any more help. my email is on my profile. up at the top of this post. Welcome to the boards also

Also, you say that your highlights are yellow. I've been told by tons of cosmetologists that yellow and orange tones are pretty simple to cover with browns. I can vouche for that also. So there is sunshine on the other side.
[This message has been edited by tasha (edited 03-13-2005).]

It seems to be a very temporary (8-10 washes) dye.

I'd love to try it, but I'm a bit leery.

About three years ago I got one of those temporary (washes out in 24-36 washings) hair colors (red). I put it in my long (mid-back) fairly light hair, and it was lovely.

About two months later, the red was gone. However, as my hair started growing out, I noticed I had darker roots. This was distressing. It seemed the red dye had somehow left my hair a few shades lighter than it naturally was.

Now, three long years later, it's all grown out (it was never super noticeable to anyone but me). I love the red, and would love to play with temporary dyes, but I'm leery.

a few mos. ago, however, i decided i wanted it lighter again, so decided to bite the bullet and let it grow in. as things stand: it's coming in fine (root-wise), but i have this faint, reddish tint farther down.

my question: good idea to do home highlights (i.e. what will they do to the reddish portions)?

quote:

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Originally posted by pollyhyper:
Blanketbat, I think the C0lor Pul$e is a very VERY VERY temporary mousse; I highly doubt it even lasts for the 8-10 shampoos it says it does.
I have a coupon for it and was thinking of trying it out, though, just for fun, so I'll let you know. Last time I was at the store, they didn't even have it yet.

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Originally posted by jz:
if memory serves, my hair is naturally medium blonde.

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quote:

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Originally posted by jz:
my question: good idea to do home highlights (i.e. what will they do to the reddish portions)?

thanks!

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quote:

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Originally posted by pollyhyper:
Hey guys, I don't have specific advice, but it seems like a lot of hair problems lately have to do with people trying to treat already-treated hair, and being upset when it doesn't come out according to plan, particularly when putting a light dye over a darker one. Just a thought.

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My thoughts EXACTLY. I've seen the same exact pattern. It seems that those who have the most hideous problems with hair color are those who attempt to bleach (make blonde or streak) hair that has pigment which is naturally much darker.

In my case, I'm a novice. Only began coloring my hair last fall. I began with a product not even really meant for gray coverage (I am VERY gray), but ended up with a reasonable result. I'm now better informed and select my products more carefully. I stay in the "reddish-medium-brown" area and even though I have switched colors each time, by staying in that range, and with the reddish highlights, I seem to be able to avoid the WORST disasters, such as GREEN or ORANGE hair. What's more, since I have next to NO natural pigment of my own left, what I put on is pretty much what I get. So far, so good.

I'm still finetuning and tinkering to find what looks best on me. My hair is now a combination of colors that I like very much. MOST of it is a really nice sort of medium-redwood color. The roots are a light brown at present, since I used that last. I only wish I could find ONE single product that gives me this exact color consistently. My natural shade was (when I was young) a medium/dark brown. That was LONG ago. Now, a medium reddish brown looks pretty decent. If it gets a bit radically red, I don't care that much. It's kinda cool to make a statement. I color every five weeks or so. My only worry would be overtreating my hair, rather than just gently coloring it with a quality product that helps to improve the texture and moisture content.

I have a friend who is eighty years old. I turned to her for advice when I began coloring my hair since she seems to be a rather meticulous and methodical person. Imagine my SHOCK when she told me that she breaks every rule in the book in coloring her hair, and still gets excellent results. For years she has used one product and one product only -- Clairol Hydrience. While I'm not as fond of their colors, she has had tremendous success and satisfaction with Hydrience. She stays in the range of colors that are blonde with reddish highlights. So, strawberry blonde, I suppose you would say. She MIXES colors, colors her entire hair, rather than doing the "roots only" touch-up procedure, and does no pre-testing. In short, breaks all the rules. BUT, she's not making any extreme alterations in her shade from one month to the next. She just stays in that golden-strawberry-blonde area, and has excellent results.

It stands to reason that if you are 25 years old, have dark brown hair naturally, and then suddenly decide to go platinum blonde, that you are very likely to run into SERIOUS complications. And all you need to do is read this thread carefully to see that this is precisely what has generated most of the horror stories.

Am I wrong? Or do I really see an accurate pattern here?

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan:
Hi, all. I am new to this forum. I joined to get more hair color info, since you all seem to have much more experience than I do.

I colored my hair for the first time in September on a whim. My hair is very gray and about shoulder length (thin on top). I am male. I play drums (rock music), so ... I'm not shy about making a bold statement with my hair color. Plus, I live in a horridly ignorant little town in eastern KY near Huntington, WV. I really am tickled by the looks I sometimes get from this backward morons around here. When I was young, my hair was so thick that I had to BRUSH it rather than comb it. But that's no longer the case, I'm sorry to say.

Anyway, I saw this "Maxim Magazine Just For Men" RED RUM on sale at Walmart. Little did I know that it was NOT designed for gray coverage. The results were dramatic ... unusual ... but I liked it. And I liked it even better the second time. And it DID cover my gray very nicely, by the way. It was INTENSELY RED with pinkish highlights (my natural color is a medium-dark brown). My guitar player swears that it was flamingo pink, but he EXAGGERATES alot.

Eventually, I went over it with Just for Men light brown. That toned it down a bit. Better still. Then used the last of three packages of the RED RUM.

But Just for Men has BORING colors. So, I went to Nutrisse (drawn to it for the same reason a friend was -- the claims of how nicely it treats your hair with moisturizers, etc, and the CREAMY consistency of the product). I've used both light and medium golden browns over the original red. I now have light brown roots with a medium auburn over the rest of my hair, basically. It's not bad at all. So, I'm trying to pick a color that will keep me in a similar range.

Nutrisse is nice, but I am interested in some other products and wondered what results any of you might have experienced with them. I have heard excellent things about Hydrience (Clairol), but don't care too much for their color choices.

I am very curious about the Revlon products, particularly the High Dimensions (10 minute developing time!!!). How does it leave your hair? Also, the Revlon Color Silk has NO AMMONIA. That's attractive. But are they any good? Are they reliable? I need body and moisturizing as much as possible. I also need good gray coverage. I don't mind bold colors. The Nutrisse leaves my hair feeling great. Both Nutrisse and Hydrience have good reputations for being reliable (colorwise) and gentle to the hair.

I'm in a fairly safe color range (red/brown) to avoid color disasters, or so I believe. So, what about the comparative moisturizing and conditioning qualities of various products you've used?

Comments? Thanks.

[This message has been edited by Alan (edited 03-07-2005).]

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quote:

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Originally posted by RNShopperK2:
Hey Alan,
Just wanted to let you know that sometimes backwoods morons from around huntington wv read this website. I for one, am one of those people, but NOT backwoods. thank you very much. good luck with your hair.

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Well, I certainly don't mean to imply for a minute that ALL people from around this area are "backwoods" or "morons". Not by any stretch. I used Huntington as a reference point, due to its size. But I currently reside just outside of Grayson, KY, and I do not hesitate to say that "backwoods morons" DO abound over here.

What's more, they are PROUD of their ignorance, and happy to be that way. It's a choice, and they are welcome to it.

quote:

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Originally posted by angel1972:
My daughter wanted her hair highlighted. Not having the money to go to a salon, I mistakenly thought I could do it myself. Well, apparently the cap didn't fit right. When it was done all of the front was really blond but on the sides, apparently from the cap not fitting right, the roots were still dark and it is actually striped looking in places. Hard to explain, but we had several different colors going on from brown, to orangish to platinum. I bought some medium ash blonde natural instincts and applied that which made it look better. It's a little darker blonde which she likes, but it is still kind of multi colored looking on the sides. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thought about trying maybe a dark ash blonde to go over it again. Since I did both of the other processes in one day should I wait a while? Also, I know this is supposed to wash out after 28 washes, but if you are going darker does it still wash out? My daughter is ready to kill me and I really can't afford to go to the salon. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

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Also, I would get one of the old hair color boxes and call the number on the box (if you haven't already done that). I've never done it myself, but there are a few people that have posted above about calling the number on the box and letting them know everything you've done, and what you want to achieve. They might be able to help you. Now what I did whenever I messed up my hair, was I called aroudn to a few salons and asked if they had free consultations (a lot of them do). Then I went in and had them do a deep conditioning treatment (most salons don't charge more than $15), then I told her what I used on my hair and what I wanted to achieve. She gave me her advice, which was do as many deep conditionings on my hair as possible within the next two weeks, and just wear my hair up (so no one could see how disguisting it looked, it was horrid). She told me the better condition you hair is in, the better the results are going to be. That's really all the advice I know to tell you, because I've never really colored or highlighted my hair before as much as you did you daughters.

quote:

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Originally posted by tasha:

My sister ended up doing all this processing to her hair within like a two week period. She had it permed, then highlighted, decided she didn't like the highlights, so she highlighted again. Then she stripped the perm out of her hair. Then they dyed her whole head blonde. Her hair was literally breaking off ... she just let her hair grow out. It took about a year before she could cut it out. But now her hair is so healthy, and she refuses to dye it again. So with that said, I'm letting my dye grow out ... imagine how healthy my hair is going to be ...

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Tasha,

That story should serve as a valuable warning. Nevertheless, your sister's radical processing of her hair five times in the course of two weeks or less is a very extreme case, and I hope we are not expected to conclude from this that coloring one's own hair is a terrible idea, or that all who do it are doomed to ruin their hair. What she did was ... I won't say it. You know all too well what it was.

I find my own hair to look and feel healthier since I began coloring it. I always swore that I wouldn't EVER color my hair, but I just got sick and tired of looking OLD, and I'm glad that I began coloring my hair. Then again, I didn't do it the way that your sister did either. Man, what WAS she thinking? WAS she thinking?

I believe it would be a terrible overraction to conclude that, because of what your sister did to HER hair, that the smartest thing that any of us can do is to let our hair grow out to its natural color and have done with dying it forever. That would surely be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Don't you think?

I think the most important thing is to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE. If you notice, most of the problems that are mentioned in this thread are because people don't follow instructions, including strand tests, color recommendations, allowing sufficient time b/w processes, re-processing over old mistakes without proper advice, etc. Home haircolor companies have laboratories where scientists test and re-test their products, and adding to warnings/instructions so that you have the best chance of good results. Again, this is IF YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.

I have been dyeing my hair on and off for many many moons. I only had one bad haircolor experience, and that was when it turned peach instead of purple...honest mistake! But when I try a new dye, I always do a strand test, I always use a timer, and gloves, and lotion on my hairline, etc., and I always know when to say when. And when to admit defeat and call in the pros.

Not trying to sound like a mean know-it-all, but well, in this case, I've been there, done that. Many times.

quote:

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Originally posted by pollyhyper:
I'm actually thinking of dyeing my hair (at home) this weekend, because since letting all the dye grow out several years ago, I notice my hair is a lot thinner and oilier than I want, and the dye helps that.

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Polly,

Since you DO have quite a bit of experience coloring your hair, and especially since you were using something that HELPED your hair to feel HEALTHIER, I'd be interested to know which products you prefer and which one you avoid and why.

Thanks.

Alan

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan:
Tasha,

That story should serve as a valuable warning. Nevertheless, your sister's radical processing of her hair five times in the course of two weeks or less is a very extreme case, and I hope we are not expected to conclude from this that coloring one's own hair is a terrible idea, or that all who do it are doomed to ruin their hair. What she did was ... I won't say it. You know all too well what it was.

I find my own hair to look and feel healthier since I began coloring it. I always swore that I wouldn't EVER color my hair, but I just got sick and tired of looking OLD, and I'm glad that I began coloring my hair. Then again, I didn't do it the way that your sister did either. Man, what WAS she thinking? WAS she thinking?

I believe it would be a terrible overraction to conclude that, because of what your sister did to HER hair, that the smartest thing that any of us can do is to let our hair grow out to its natural color and have done with dying it forever. That would surely be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Don't you think?

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whoa Alan, you totally took what I said the WRONG way. I was not, by any means stating that we all need not dye our hair, because I dye my hair (or atleast use to). I am not trying to tell people what to do with their hair or body for that sense. I was just relating and throwing a personal experience out there. The only thing I was saying was if you are going to dye your hair, wait inbetween processings and deep condition as much as possible. The better condition your hair is in, the better the results are going to be (its just a fact).

Sorry you misconstrued what I said. I DO know what I am talking about, and I DO have a little experience in this department. A matter of fact, I'm even studying to be a licensed cosmetologist, and I have many friends that are cosmetologists (not saying that I know EVERYthing or that no one may know more than I). But I am not the type of person to reply to any posts if I have no idea what I am talking about or feel that I may not be of some help (or adding anything to the conversations), that'd be wasting my time and everyone's time reading it.

Anyways to conclude all this, my sister was young and and didn't realize doing all that was going to ruin her hair (she never listens to me). And I was just stating that I was going to let my dye grow out, because of all the processing I did to it in the past 6 or so months (not saying I won't start again whenever my hair is healthy again). My hair is still recovering and I felt that my personal preference and decision was to let my hair grow out to totally recovery and be healthy again. Let's face it, you can't un-do damage, you can just prevent it, and try to help steer your hair in the right direction (with deep condtioners, hot oil treatments and masks, etc).

quote:

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Originally posted by pollyhyper:
I think the most important thing is to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE. If you notice, most of the problems that are mentioned in this thread are because people don't follow instructions, including strand tests, color recommendations, allowing sufficient time b/w processes, re-processing over old mistakes without proper advice, etc. Home haircolor companies have laboratories where scientists test and re-test their products, and adding to warnings/instructions so that you have the best chance of good results. Again, this is IF YOU FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS.
[This message has been edited by pollyhyper (edited 03-18-2005).]

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I totally agree pollyhyper. I know that's how I ended up messing my hair up about 4 months ago. That is the MOST important step in processing your hair at home, FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. We really cannot stress that enough. If the results are not light enough or dark enough, try again in about a week (in that week do some deep condtioning). If we (in general, everyone who dyes their hair and has had a mess up) all just do that tiny, little (but important) step, we would get better results, possibly even the results we may want to achieve.

(end of my rambling)
please carry on.

ETA: where is hairgirl? she is a TON of help. Maybe she'll skim over this thread and take a peek inside and possibly offer some advice. she is a licensed cosmetologist and all?

[This message has been edited by tasha (edited 03-18-2005).]

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Originally posted by Tasha: whoa Alan, you totally took what I said the WRONG way. I was not, by any means stating that we all need not dye our hair, because I dye my hair (or atleast use to).

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quote:

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Originally posted by Alan:

I find my own hair to look and feel healthier since I began coloring it.

I believe it would be a terrible overraction to conclude that the smartest thing any of us can do is to let our hair grow out to its natural color and have done with dying it forever.

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Uh, T, I think he said it would be a bad idea to stop coloring our hairs.

For Christmas, my MIL got me highlights at the salon she frequents. I like 'em alot. She keeps her hair dyed to keep out the gray and the brown. I don't think she ever does it at home; I'd be scared to see the results!

I've tried at home perms. They suck. I've tried at home hair color, and the color never comes out "changed" enough for me. Also, I'm scared of turning my color some shade of orange. If I ever pay for hair color again, it will be at a salon, hands down, since I would go blonder.

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Originally posted by attentionmonster:
I've tried at home perms. They suck. I've tried at home hair color, and the color never comes out "changed" enough for me. Also, I'm scared of turning my color some shade of orange.

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Orange hair is not a thing to fear! It can be a thing of beauty! Check out Eckerslie's pics in the things that make you happy thread!

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Originally posted by attentionmonster:
Uh, T, I think he said it would be a bad idea to stop coloring our hairs.

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uh what? it would be a bad idea to stop coloring our hairs? Uhm, if I clearly missed something here, please someone let me know. I just didn't want him to take what I was saying the wrong way. Now I kind of feel lost in this conversation with him, so I'm just going to leave it alone.

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Originally posted by hermitclare:
Although, if orange hair is not your preferred aesthetic, going to a professional is probably a good idea.

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I'm not opposed to unnatural colors, per se; my husband would be shocked and horrified. I dyed my hair green -not all of it, however, just the front half- in 11th grade. I wouldn't be opposed to checking out some unnatural color options, but orange would not be included in the list. It is not a color I can stand for too long. Maybe blue, or ...purple. Light light colors, that wouldn't look bad with blonde. woohoo for inspiration from Hermitclaire!

And T, it doesn't really matter, especially if Alan doesn't care. He was just saying that he likes coloring his hair, and really, it would be so bold of him to tell us all to stop coloring our hair, when he's coloring his hair with something called Red Rum! Alan- I am suddenly reminded of Jack Nicholson...do you have a devilish grin, Alan? hee hee.

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Originally posted by attentionmonster:
I'm not opposed to unnatural colors, per se; my husband would be shocked and horrified. I dyed my hair green -not all of it, however, just the front half- in 11th grade. I wouldn't be opposed to checking out some unnatural color options, but orange would not be included in the list. It is not a color I can stand for too long. Maybe blue, or ...purple. Light light colors, that wouldn't look bad with blonde. woohoo for inspiration from Hermitclaire!

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Originally posted by Princessjeanne:
I did red highlights on my roommate's almost black hair a couple of times using foils. It was kinda cool - I felt like our bathroom was a real salon.

Anyone, I don't remember the brand, but if you can get the pop-up precut foil sheets, they will make your life so much easier than if you have to slice up a roll of foil on your own. Especially wearing gloves covered in bleach.

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quote:

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Originally posted by attentionmonster:

And T, it doesn't really matter, especially if Alan doesn't care. He was just saying that he likes coloring his hair, and really, it would be so bold of him to tell us all to stop coloring our hair, when he's coloring his hair with something called Red Rum! Alan- I am suddenly reminded of Jack Nicholson...do you have a devilish grin, Alan? hee hee.

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Monster: I only have a devilish grin when I'm being devilish, and that's not ALL the time -- only 90% or so.

Tasha: let me try to clarify. I didn't really take what you were saying in the wrong way, but I saw the POSSIBILITY that someone might, so I played devil's advocate to give you a chance to clarify, which you did very nicely.

There was the IMPLICATION (in your original post about your sister's situation) that both of you had grown your hair out and sworn off coloring forever, and there was (again) just the IMPLICATION that perhaps this was the best thing that anybody could do if they wanted to have healthy hair.

Now, I was fairly certain that you weren't REALLY trying to say that everyone ought to swear off coloring their hair, so I was (as I said before) setting you up for the chance to clarify. And you did.

To clarify my own position, I am pretty much 100% in agreement with Polly. If you like coloring your hair, then DO it, but READ THE DIRECTIONS and follow the advice given by the experts to at least MINIMIZE the risk of damaging your hair.

I hope that clarifies everything. Sorry for any confusion I might have caused.

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Originally posted by attentionmonster:
Thank You. Now I am utterly and completely amused.

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Not NEARLY as amused as if you'd seen my hair after that second shot of Red Rum.

By the way, Atlanta is one of the places I most love on this earth. I spent some of the best years of my life there.

Anyway, if you're THAT easily amused, you must be a student at Georgia Tech.