Tone or dye over orange-y hair?

[Eleentje]

Hey all!

I recently used colour b4 on my hair to get rid of my hair dye. As expected it turned out brassy/orange and I'm not quite sure what to do next.

I used to dye my hair red year after year (first with Adore hair dye, then with box colors), then got tired of the stains I'd leave behind on pillowcases when staying over at a b&b or at friends. After using colour b4 my hair was a briiiight orange. I used Manic Panic ultra violet to get out the worst orange, but I couldn't get my hair to an ash tone, like my natural hair color. A 9.1 dye and 8.1 dye did nothing to my hair at all, so I went to the hairdresser.

She told me my hair was full of silicones (have been without silicones, sulfates and parabens for years save for the Adore hair color, but eh) and the only way to get back to my hair color was to color it with a 4.0 dye, which was almost black, and recolor every two weeks to get out the red and make everything an even color. She advised me to cut my hair back to APL and, once the red was out, to dye my hair back to my natural hair color. I followed her advice on the dye and had it dyed, but I hated the color. Too dark, made me look so pale.

Sooo after sticking with the dark color for five months ("I'll get used to the color") my roots were an ashy brown and the rest of my hair was black and it just looked horrible... I used colour b4 again and it left me with this:

http://i63.tinypic.com/2iger5x.jpg

Not too bad, but too orange-y and warm combined with my ash brown roots ( it's a lot more orange-y with daylight). The hairdresser shop advised me to dye it with a 7.00 color to get it close to my original hair color, but I'm not sure whether this dye color will do the trick and take my orange lengths close to my natural hair color and it'll even show on my hair. Does anybody has any advice for me? A darker color, maybe a toner or am I good to go with the 7.00? I want to stay farrrr away from bleach and I don't mind growing it out once my roots blend in with my lengths and my hair is a cool tone.

My original hair color:

http://i68.tinypic.com/16ae1wm.jpg

Thanks ever so much!

[Dark40]

I think your hair color looks fine. No, I wouldn't have follow that hairdresser's advice on cutting it back to APL to get all of the red out. If you want to get all of the red out just use a darker dye using brown or black, and your hair will come out fine I think.

[spidermom]

I like the color, too, but I understand that what I see on my monitor may not be what you see in the mirror. I'd quit messing with it other than deep conditioning treatments in order not to destroy the current condition.

[lapushka]

I think your hair color looks fine. No, I wouldn't have follow that hairdresser's advice on cutting it back to APL to get all of the red out. If you want to get all of the red out just use a darker dye using brown or black, and your hair will come out fine I think.

I say it looks fine too! Just let it grow out.

At some point you have to call it quits on the dye, even if you tone it/dye it again it will *never* be the same as your natural growth, and this color you have now might even be the closest you can get to your ashy roots. So I'd leave it alone. :flower:

[lucid]

I think it looks great as well!

Hmm, I wonder if a 7 could be too dark for you? I used a 7 on my hair to get back to my natural color (from blonde) and it turned greenish brown. Way too dark. Box dyes are often a lot darker than the pic on the cover. But you do say that an 8 did nothing, so I'm not sure...

[Obsidian]

I'd try wella charm t18 toner, you can get it at Sally's along with the 20 volume devoloper you mix it with.
Might not take you as cool as you want but it will be less damaging then dye and less chance of going too dark

[Jo Ann]

I'm inclined to go along with Lapushka on this--no matter how hard you try, you'll never get a box dye that will take you to something approaching your natural hair color. You'll be in a vicious cycle trying to "match" it.

Obsidian has a decent suggestion. though. Sally's "Mystic Devine" 20v developer has different oils in it to help cut back on the damage done to your hair, if I may make a suggestion. It's also about the same price as the other developers.

Personally, I like the color--but I don't have to live with it as you do :blossom: I would also avoid that hairdresser that recommended you cut your hair to get rid of the color/brassiness. There are others out there--just stop in one and ask your questions, and you don't have to mention any other recommendations you've already had. :)

[cjk]

I think the underlying problem is two things. First, you're trying to nearly match your original color. And second, you're trying to do it by canceling out the remaining brassier tones.

Rather than inching up on it incrementally, it might require you to bleach and then dye your hair to an appropriate color. It might actually be easier to go white and then ashen, than to try to differentially cancel out a bunch of previous dye jobs.

But the risk to your hair would be extreme, especially after already having had so much chemical damage. It does seem to be a cumulative thing.

My advice is to leave it the color it is now. But if you really insist on blending it, to add some cooler highlights on a small number of the hairs, to nudge the whole mass in the more ashen direction you want.

[my2cats1]

have you tried a blue or green toned toning shampoo or conditioner? that may be a small step you could take that could make all the difference for you.

[Rhoward]

7.00 is a double natural, meaning it has a double load of pigment in it, I'd be worried it wouldn't do a lot for the orange to be honest.

I'd go with a half half mix of 7.1 and 8.1, in a Demi, not a permanent, and watch it on the development time, 15 minutes should be enough.

Also wait a good month before putting anything on your hair after using colour B4, it could re-oxidise the old colour and go darker than you want to.

[pastina]

I very much agree with the toning shampoo idea.

[DoomKitty]

Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo and Conditioner are good...they work so well they turned my hairdressers' brassy blonde to ashy/silvery blonde.

[Eleentje]

Thanks a lot for your advice! I've tried toning my hair with some Manic Panic Ultra Violet because it's a blue based purple. It's turned out quite nice. A little darker than I'd hoped, but I'll see how it holds up after a couple of washes, since I used only a bit of comditioner in the dye/co mix. I intend to do a couple of SMTs and give my hair a rest before I'll think about whether or not I should try anything else. I'll not use the 7.00 for the reasons Rhoward gave.

Thanks again!

[DoomKitty]

So glad you got it sorted!