Question about highlights

[LoveToLearn]

Hi all,

So I've always gotten my hair colored to cover the grey, & then highlights (usually red) done afterward in the same visit. The last time this new hairdresser also put light brown highlights along with the red & it looked great.

The other day I went to a new hairdresser who told me you can't put red highlights on top of dark brown, it won't show up b/c only bleaching will show up. I'm like... what? This is how it's ALWAYS been done, no matter what other hairdresser I've gone to.

He said we can try & see if it works, but it's never been done & I've been doing hair for 30 years.

I didn't go through with the appointment, but I wanted to ask if anyone knows what he's talking about.

Thanks

[meteor]

I'm not too sure I understand exactly what was done in your case, but yes, one can get highlights done in different colors (2 or 3 or more similar colors can create a multi-dimensional, more complex and more natural effect (if you are working with natural-looking colors, of course) - but it totally depends on your base and what you are trying to achieve). The important thing is to have that planned out before the bleaching and toning is done - because it's at the moment of selecting that strands that one should already start planning which strands will be darker, which will be lighter (maybe requiring higher vol.) or a bit later, when the colorist can use different toners on different strands to achieve different shades on them, with strategic placement of highlights.
Doing this work later is a bit harder (and usually more expensive) and usually requires double-processing (more damage to hair), unless you select completely new strands for a 2nd color -> but then the whole look will change further.

Your new hairdresser is probably referring to that double-processing required for lifting darker highlights to show lighter red highlights. You can make your color more warm/red (which sometimes "appears" lighter) with peroxide-free toner, but you cannot make color lighter without lifting it with peroxide (or dye-removal process, it's it's artificial dye).

Can you contact your first hairdresser and ask him or her for the formulas that were used on you, when the whole "brown and red highlights" effect was achieved? :flower: That would be ideal. Because sometimes it's really hard to re-create the exact same look without knowing the products.

[Chocowalnut]

Go back to the old hair dresser

[LoveToLearn]

Ok, so let me see if I understand you meteor...

They aren't supposed to color the hair they want to highlight? They are supposed to leave it grey & then the highlighted colors cover up the grey?

See this whole time I thought they were putting the brown & THEN highlighting on top of that. I was never under the impression that they were leaving out certain strains of hair.

This may explain why this last time I got it done by this new hairdresser the grey came back so quickly. We are talking within a few weeks, whereas normally my hair really holds onto color for a really long time. I just thought it was b/c it was an all natural color line so the color didn't grab as well.

And now you can't see the red highlights at all, only the light shimmery brown highlights. They have disappeared & I wonder why when they were brighter to begin with.

I can try to call the previous hairdresser, but things didn't go well with them b/c he got my shirt dirty with color & the red was too bright & he cut it too short so I couldn't wear it up high with a bun. The cut was great (except for the length) & the red eventually faded a bit (they failed to tell me to wait a week to see how the color is), so I feel weird calling them.

And I can't call any of the other hairdressers, as it was ages ago they did my hair. I can't afford to get my hair done often now b/c of the cost.

I am in a different country, so I'm very nervous about who I can trust here & after this guy was soooo unsure & was complaining about the time even though I just got there, I walked out. First time ever walking out of a hairdressers.

Which begs another question... how long are consultations supposed to take? Both of these hairdressers complained even though we talked for maybe 10-15 minutes & I was brand new so they didn't know my hair to begin with.

Thanks