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lklein · Mar 9, 2009, 06:09 AM

Hi all,

Just to give you some background info on my hair... my natural hair colour is mousey brown. For the last 7 years I've highlighted it with blonde lights (full or half head). After years of highlighting and straightening my hair I thought my hair needed help so I wanted to a medium/light brown. I asked lots of hairdressers what to do and eventually choose a hairdresser. He said he needed to add a small bit of red to the dye so that my hair wouldn't look green if we just put brown dye straight on it. He said he used a semi-permanent dye.

Anyway I left there with almost black/brown hair with a plum shine to it. As you can imagine I was horrified as that was a million miles away from what I wanted! That was 4.5 months ago and after switching to a top hairdresser I have had my hair stripped twice with a mild bleach and twice a week I have to put a brown tint on it at home to keep it looking brown. However now when I'm in the sunshine it has a light auburn tinge to it, before this was more red but it's lightened and I hate it! It just doesn't suit me - I've tried to like it especially as I look at celebs with hair like this and they look lovely but it's awful on me.

My new hairdresser originally said that I'd be able to change it once my roots had come through but I saw her this weekend and she said there's no way I can do that anymore and I have to wait till it grows out! This will definitely take well over a year and I'm devastated. Has anyone got any tips or advice to try and get rid of the auburn tinge without lightening it so it looks orange!

PunkChic · Mar 11, 2009, 02:18 PM

How much has your hair lightened? And what colour has it lightened to?

Let me know. Thanks!

lklein · Mar 12, 2009, 01:42 PM

Well since it was first done the black/brown has faded to a light brown with auburny shine on top and then blonde bits on the ends (doesn't look as contrasting as it sounds). But I put on a Vegetable colour (which is a wash out tint my hairdresser makes for me) and I have to put that on as and when I like which is usually twice a week as I get so paranoid but my hair looking orangey when the light hits it. The annoying thing is my roots started to grow through which was great but then my hairdresser lightened my hair and now the roots are lighter again and when the light hits it they look auburn! Nightmare... Any tips welcome please! Or can anyone tell me if they've had a similar experience and how long it'll take for it to fade out?

PunkChic · Mar 13, 2009, 01:47 PM

That is very strange indeed!
When you say vegetable colour, is it safe to assume it's Henna that has been applied? As Henna does tend to give out that orangey/reddish tint?
What colour do you want your hair to be? You could ask your hair about a tint that's green based? Green counteracts red, that should help a lot!

lklein · Mar 17, 2009, 03:32 AM

I don't think it is henna but probably works in the same way. You can get it in a range of tones, my is apparently flat brown so I think there is minimal red in it if at all. My hair underneath is still tinged light auburn and that's what I want to fade so then I can try and keep it as brown as possible. I've read that shampoos for Volume or head and shoulders are good at fading hair colour. But do they lighten it lots so will I end up with light orange where the auburn was or does it just fade it away?

Thanks