[danapal]

Ok complicated hair history, are you ready?

Since I was 16 or so (I'm now 23) I have colored my hair with semi-permanent and permanent hair color (always store bought) fairly frequently with no mishaps... Until last summer! Before graduation I dyed my hair a cool medium brown, and after graduation my roommates and I went to Mexico... 7 days in the sun = brassy hair... I decided to shell out the money and go to a professional, as I was getting married in 2 months and didn't have time for major hair disasters. I tell the stylist that I wanted a natural light brown (my true color), and somehow I end up with coppery red hair... tears roll down my face as I realize what has happened, she offers to fix it, and slaps color on my hair without one glance at a swatch, and before I know it I have cool dark dark brown hair. I decide to live with it but as soon as my mom sees it she asks, "Is that what you wanted?"

I realize I can't ignore it, bridal portraits are in a week, so we strip my hair of all color (which results in orangey straw), we add "medium blonde" and yay, I have medium brown hair with just a touch of warmth! Not ideal, but it's not orange and it's not nearly black, so I'm delighted!

Fast forward to this summer... I have been a good girl and have not touched my hair with color since, but am bored, so I go to the salon (she can't screw it up, right?) and walk out with dark auburn hair... not the intended result, again. I wash it daily for 2 weeks with clarifying conditioner, and now I'm down to a medium reddish brown, but I want cool, dark blond/light brown hair.

I can't strip it again, because the loreal folk advise that that could severely damage the ends of my hair (the 6 or so inches left from last summer), and the color oops people tell me that if I use their product, the top 8 inches of hair will be light brown (natural), and the bottom 6 will be orange... What can I do?

[Perito]

L'Oreal only makes oxidative (bleach-based) color removers, ColorFix or Color Oops are reducing-type color removers that will minimize damage and might work without problems. You will have to color the ends separately from the newer growth. It's possible; it's been done before.