# For those who know A LOT about doing hair color...



## TDoll (May 19, 2008)

*Hey guys! Need some help/advice....

3 days ago I got my hair colored...highlights/lowlights (I guess thats what you would call it...) My hair is naturally a medium brown and she mixed it up between medium blonde highlights and my natural color (I had old highlights/color underneath).  It turned out good and all, but I'm feeling like the blonde is washing me out.  
I really want to go DARK....I want it to look dark and shiny/healthy like thissss:






Problem... I dont want to shell out money for another color job.  Would it be safe to do this myself AND what type of color/brand would you recommend.  I know nothing about this stuff..

THANKS!!!
*


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## ri0tdorque (May 19, 2008)

Ok first a few questions. How long is your hair, how thick, and how thick/many highlights that you are going to have to change to even things out?

If you can post a picture of your face/hair I could give you a better time frame and give better ideas on what to do.

I just went from teal chunks in the front with mostly back and about 2 inches of hot pink. I had to put various vol. bleach on different places and each place a different time accordingly BUT lucky for you no bleach so it will be a bit easier.


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## TDoll (May 19, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ri0tdorque* 

 
_Ok first a few questions. How long is your hair, how thick, and how thick/many highlights that you are going to have to change to even things out?

If you can post a picture of your face/hair I could give you a better time frame and give better ideas on what to do.

I just went from teal chunks in the front with mostly back and about 2 inches of hot pink. I had to put various vol. bleach on different places and each place a different time accordingly BUT lucky for you no bleach so it will be a bit easier._

 
I pm'd you a pic.  My hair is a few inches off the shoulder, very short in the back...like a slanted a-line bob.  I have very straight/fine hair, but I have a lot of it if that makes sense! lol  My highlights are pretty thin, but they are all over.  She did foils on the upper half of my hair, so its not all over the under layers as well.  The highlights are thicker in the front, about 1/4 of an inch at the thickest, but they blend well into the other brown, so they aren't "chunky".  
I just don't want to damage my hair or have it fall out!!! It's in really really good condition so I would hate to mess it up.


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## Sexya(TM)?Princess (May 19, 2008)

Honestly I know a few girls who got their hair done by a pro. and went home and decided they hated it and ran to the drugstore lol. I even helped my sister dye hers dark after she got highlights and hated them. Nobody wants to say ''do it at home'' but I think you'll be alright from my experience!


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## TDoll (May 19, 2008)

Wellll....I'm really hesitant to do it b/c I don't want it to turn out like straw!! My hair is in really good condition..
What brand/shade of color would you guys recommend??


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## vocaltest (May 19, 2008)

You'll be perfectly fine doing it yourself. I work in a hairdressers and we use L'Oreal colours.

Last summer I went from platinum/white blonde back to dark brown (see my myspace for reference) and the only problem I had was that it faded quickly (obviously due to my hair being so porous from the bleach underneath). My advice is go for a flat brown colour with only a hint of warmth - golden warmth ideally. I initially went a reddy brown colour and althought it looked lovely... it faded so quickly into that horrible reddy/orange/browny colour so I had to have it re-done two weeks later and I eventually switched to a nice flat brown (which is a base 5 if that helps). A flat colour will also even it out with your natural colour and the highlights. 

It won't turn your hair to straw don't worry! Any kind of colour on your hair will damage it really, but going darker rather than lighter is less damaging than bleach/hi lift/platinium. I can't really recommend any colours to buy as I'm in the UK so I don't know which brands are available. 

Also don't forget - in reference to that picture, no one's hair is naturally that shiny and glossy 24/7! Use a good conditioner and shine sprays at the ends help.

Hope that helps/makes sense! Sorry for the essay!


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## vocaltest (May 19, 2008)

Also avoid hair products which contain silicone as thats what causes product build up, and makes your hair flat and drab and not very healthy looking!


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## TDoll (May 19, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *vocaltest* 

 
_You'll be perfectly fine doing it yourself. I work in a hairdressers and we use L'Oreal colours.

Last summer I went from platinum/white blonde back to dark brown (see my myspace for reference) and the only problem I had was that it faded quickly (obviously due to my hair being so porous from the bleach underneath). My advice is go for a flat brown colour with only a hint of warmth - golden warmth ideally. I initially went a reddy brown colour and althought it looked lovely... it faded so quickly into that horrible reddy/orange/browny colour so I had to have it re-done two weeks later and I eventually switched to a nice flat brown (which is a base 5 if that helps). A flat colour will also even it out with your natural colour and the highlights. 

It won't turn your hair to straw don't worry! Any kind of colour on your hair will damage it really, but going darker rather than lighter is less damaging than bleach/hi lift/platinium. I can't really recommend any colours to buy as I'm in the UK so I don't know which brands are available. 

Also don't forget - in reference to that picture, no one's hair is naturally that shiny and glossy 24/7! Use a good conditioner and shine sprays at the ends help.

Hope that helps/makes sense! Sorry for the essay!_

 
This may be a really stupid question, but will it say "base 5" anywhere on the packaging??

THANKS SOOOO MUCH for all the helpful info!!


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## vocaltest (May 19, 2008)

Thats ok 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




!

It won't say base 5, there will be the name of the colour plus a number. I can't say exactly what the number will be because it will vary from brand to brand. The first number is usually the base colour i.e 5 = brown in l'oreal diacolour, then the numbers after are the tones in the colour. I can't remember exactly what numbers mean what! Its hard to explain properly as I don't know which brands are available and also I don't know your natural hair colour exactly! Just really study the colour and look for the tones in it.

Try an ammonia free colour, and I personally would go for a semi-permanent colour to start with because at least if you don't like it, it will fade, or if you really hate it, washing up liquid or any cheap rubbish shampoo will get it out! Then once you decide which one you like, switch to permanent.

Like I said, try a nice flat brown, nothing too red/purple! Some people are scared of flat colours (I was) but as long as you look after your hair they can look lovely! My hair colour looks horrible in the colour chart - it looks almost green, and when it goes on its green, but the colour looks great!


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## purrtykitty (May 19, 2008)

I've got very thin hair, too and my hair has been so much healthier since I went dark.  The bleach is far too damaging on my hair...so much so, that my stylist refuses to do highlights on me!  When I went dark, I did it myself the first time and I used the Revlon Colorist.  You might try either #53 Medium Golden Brown or #43 Dark Bronze Brown.  My natural hair color is a little lighter than yours and I used #40 which ended up almost black on me. HTH - hair color is so much fun!


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## unbelizable (May 19, 2008)

EDITED: Oops.. posted twice by accident, Sorry..x


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## unbelizable (May 19, 2008)

I'm not sure of exact colours etc..I have to get a professional to do mine because a. I'm lazy b. I'm lazy c. I'm lazy!! But home colours are really good, especially if you're going dark as they are more conditioning and make your hair really shiny (as most colours do when first dyed).. once you've coloured your hair and you've washed it out try putting a hair treatment on your hair.. not only will it lock in all the nutrients, it smells nice and can be relaxing too! There's a really good one by 'Aussie' you can buy in sachets or a big bottle - I use it once a week and just leave it on for as long as I feel like and then rinse! Smells gorgeous! Oh..also I've been dying my hair for years and in the past few months it's got really knotty/notty (can't spell?) at the ends and it is soooooo annoying, so my hairdresser told me to start using a leave in conditioner and omg, my hair loves it, constantly shiny and silky and I swear it's making my colour last longer too? I'm not sure on that one though, it could just be my imagination!

EDIT: Oh, I have red hair naturally, and I dye mine dark most of the time and it does fade within 2 - 3 weeks, so I usually get my hairdresser to mix some of the leftover colour with conditioner and comb that through every now and again when I wash my hair just to give it some, what's the word? OOMPH!


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## sinergy (May 19, 2008)

Just be careful with your color selection. remember that you have blonde pieces/lighter pieces, and those are going to be more porous and soak in more color. So, like someone mentioned they chose a color and it looked almost black on them, because their hair was so light. Usually a professional has the time and the right color to fill your hair with the missing base color and then put the shade you are trying to achieve on top of that. The problem with at home color is you arent filling it, so pick the color you want and then go a shade or two lighter still, just to be on the safe side. If its too dark too fast then later on when you try and lighten it again, it can possibly be harder to do. HTH


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## TDoll (May 20, 2008)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *sinergy* 

 
_Just be careful with your color selection. remember that you have blonde pieces/lighter pieces, and those are going to be more porous and soak in more color. So, like someone mentioned they chose a color and it looked almost black on them, because their hair was so light. Usually a professional has the time and the right color to fill your hair with the missing base color and then put the shade you are trying to achieve on top of that. The problem with at home color is you arent filling it, so pick the color you want and then go a shade or two lighter still, just to be on the safe side. If its too dark too fast then later on when you try and lighten it again, it can possibly be harder to do. HTH_

 
That's what I'm worried about! The lighter pieces turning funky.  I think I'll be alright, but I'm still kinda worried.  I've been looking at a lot of hair color brands and formulas online and I went to L'oreal.com and took this little hair type/color/condition/whatever quiz to match you with a good formula and it recommended the Superior Preference.
Skincare, cosmetics, haircare, haircolor, hair styling and men's line : L'OrÃal Paris
I'm thinking either the 5G Medium Golden Brown or the 4 Dark Brown.  (I'm leaning more toward the Dark Brown....)

I just don't know if it's safe to do it now...Like I said, its been only like 4 or 5 days since it was colored.  I've heard you should wait 2 weeks at least to avoid damage.  However, I am going darker...
What do you guys think???


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## sinergy (May 21, 2008)

If you were going to go lighter right after getting it lightened, you risk damaging the hair more. if your going to go darker, not so much, just like i said, you risk that color being extremely dark on your lightened pieces. I would probably do the 5 because the color might pull darker anyways, since its been previously lightened.


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## TDoll (May 21, 2008)

Ok...so I bought the Loreal Preference 5 Medium Brown.  It says it has natural tones which I think will be better than the 5g medium Golden Brown which was warmer... I don't want the color to look reddish or gold in spots...I dunno. 
I'm trying to psyche myself up to do it....


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## TDoll (May 22, 2008)

I DID IT! And it turned out perfect!  Thanks so much for all the suggestions...they helped me out sooo much! Best of all, my mother approved (she REALLY liked it) and we all know mom's are the toughest hair critics...

Here is how it turned out!





Yeah, I have serious camera skills... nope.





It's verrry shiny!











Unfortunately, I don't have any true "before" pictures...I wish I would've taken a few so you could see how big of a difference it really is!!
In a few months, I'll probably go to a professional if I want to go a little darker, but I'm really loving it now!

*Again, THANKS everyone for all the suggestions and help!*​


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## purrtykitty (May 22, 2008)

^^Ooh, that's really pretty!  Good job!


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## vocaltest (May 23, 2008)

That looks gorgeous!!! I knew it'd turn out fine 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 xxx


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## sinergy (May 24, 2008)

It looks great! Glad you liked it!


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