blondie9912
October 16th, 2011, 03:32 PM
Hi everyone :D
To start off, I'd like to say that yes, I know there are threads of a similar topic already (I was reading a great one started by SapphiraSilver the other day) but I wanted to start one specifically about those who are growing out blonde highlights. I'm sure many of you would agree that growing out blonde dye/highlights is quite different from growing out henna/darker dye, so I thought this would be a good place to share our problems, plans, and progress
I would love it if this thread had as many photos as possible (I don't know about you, but I love lurking them, and seeing the progress of others is so encouraging and inspiring!)
So I'll start: I've been getting my naturally golden light brown hair highlighted for three years. My hair looked great, but I felt like it was getting too light and that my ends were becoming a little too dry for my liking. Last winter, I dyed over my salon highlights at home with Natural Instincts in some sort of light brown shade. It did an awesome job covering the highlights and matching my natural, so I left my hair alone for 6 months. The dye gradually faded, leaving me with an ombre look and a strong desire to go back to highlighting (especially now that June had rolled around) I decided to take matters into my own hands and used John Freida's Controlled Lightening Spray allover my hair to officially bring it back to 'blonde'. The highlighted length brightened up nicely with the spray, but my natural roots took on a strange dark brassy blonde colour. I was the only one who noticed it, but being the perfectionist that I was, I had to do something about it.
Instead of making the smart move and going to the salon like I always do (don't worry, I don't typically experiment with my hair at home! This summer was the first and last time ) I decided to dye the top half of my hair with Garnier Nutrisse Extra-Lighten Golden Blonde. So after using this box dye, extra-light golden blonde was what I got...but I hated it. Despite the fact that it was the middle of summer and I was TANNED, I looked really washed out, and the colour was too 'allover' and one dimensional for my liking. So 3 days later, I dyed my hair with a Natural Instincts Dark Golden Blonde, which made absolutely no discernible difference, other than adding more chemicals to my head. 2 days after that, I used a Garnier shade in Light Brown. That made my hair a greyish ash brown colour with ashy highlights peeking through, not a good look. I finally booked an appointment with my colourist and a week later, he applied a warm golden brown demi-permanent colour allover my hair, and wove highlights throughout to keep some of the brightness I had grown accustomed to. He was doing the 'ombre style' of highlighting, which involves backcombing the hair prior to applying the bleach in order to make the highlights gradually fade. Eek, what damage! I was left with hair that looked pretty good, but literally, felt like STRAW. I couldn't run my fingers through my bangs for fear of them snapping off.
When I got home, I noticed that all of this dying had left me with a chunk of hair that was beyond being revitalized. It was so zig-zaggy and fried, and NO amount of deep conditioner could make it feel remotely like hair again. So I did the sensible thing, I shaved that section off :D
Now, 6 weeks after last dying my hair, I've decided that enough is enough. I am not going to ever dye my hair again! Well...at least not for the foreseeable future. My ends have been lightened and darkened so many times, ugh! My hair feels just awful. So I am at APL, growing out colour and highlights (as well as a mini buzz cut at my hairline) and trying to get my hair to waist! What a journey this will be...
So I'm calling everyone who is growing out blonde highlights and going back to natural to come grow with me! Share your woes, state your plans, and for goodness sake, add some photos :D
MY PHOTOS:
Me with my natural colour, 3 years ago: http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...23301439_n.jpg
The 'buzzcut' when I first cut it, 3 weeks ago: http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...26933670_n.jpg
The 'buzzcut' now, after three weeks of growth: http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...67420737_n.jpg
My roots, after colouring for the last time on Sept 3: http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...55597102_n.jpg
To start off, I'd like to say that yes, I know there are threads of a similar topic already (I was reading a great one started by SapphiraSilver the other day) but I wanted to start one specifically about those who are growing out blonde highlights. I'm sure many of you would agree that growing out blonde dye/highlights is quite different from growing out henna/darker dye, so I thought this would be a good place to share our problems, plans, and progress
I would love it if this thread had as many photos as possible (I don't know about you, but I love lurking them, and seeing the progress of others is so encouraging and inspiring!)
So I'll start: I've been getting my naturally golden light brown hair highlighted for three years. My hair looked great, but I felt like it was getting too light and that my ends were becoming a little too dry for my liking. Last winter, I dyed over my salon highlights at home with Natural Instincts in some sort of light brown shade. It did an awesome job covering the highlights and matching my natural, so I left my hair alone for 6 months. The dye gradually faded, leaving me with an ombre look and a strong desire to go back to highlighting (especially now that June had rolled around) I decided to take matters into my own hands and used John Freida's Controlled Lightening Spray allover my hair to officially bring it back to 'blonde'. The highlighted length brightened up nicely with the spray, but my natural roots took on a strange dark brassy blonde colour. I was the only one who noticed it, but being the perfectionist that I was, I had to do something about it.
Instead of making the smart move and going to the salon like I always do (don't worry, I don't typically experiment with my hair at home! This summer was the first and last time ) I decided to dye the top half of my hair with Garnier Nutrisse Extra-Lighten Golden Blonde. So after using this box dye, extra-light golden blonde was what I got...but I hated it. Despite the fact that it was the middle of summer and I was TANNED, I looked really washed out, and the colour was too 'allover' and one dimensional for my liking. So 3 days later, I dyed my hair with a Natural Instincts Dark Golden Blonde, which made absolutely no discernible difference, other than adding more chemicals to my head. 2 days after that, I used a Garnier shade in Light Brown. That made my hair a greyish ash brown colour with ashy highlights peeking through, not a good look. I finally booked an appointment with my colourist and a week later, he applied a warm golden brown demi-permanent colour allover my hair, and wove highlights throughout to keep some of the brightness I had grown accustomed to. He was doing the 'ombre style' of highlighting, which involves backcombing the hair prior to applying the bleach in order to make the highlights gradually fade. Eek, what damage! I was left with hair that looked pretty good, but literally, felt like STRAW. I couldn't run my fingers through my bangs for fear of them snapping off.
When I got home, I noticed that all of this dying had left me with a chunk of hair that was beyond being revitalized. It was so zig-zaggy and fried, and NO amount of deep conditioner could make it feel remotely like hair again. So I did the sensible thing, I shaved that section off :D
Now, 6 weeks after last dying my hair, I've decided that enough is enough. I am not going to ever dye my hair again! Well...at least not for the foreseeable future. My ends have been lightened and darkened so many times, ugh! My hair feels just awful. So I am at APL, growing out colour and highlights (as well as a mini buzz cut at my hairline) and trying to get my hair to waist! What a journey this will be...
So I'm calling everyone who is growing out blonde highlights and going back to natural to come grow with me! Share your woes, state your plans, and for goodness sake, add some photos :D
MY PHOTOS:
Me with my natural colour, 3 years ago: http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...23301439_n.jpg
The 'buzzcut' when I first cut it, 3 weeks ago: http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...26933670_n.jpg
The 'buzzcut' now, after three weeks of growth: http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...67420737_n.jpg
My roots, after colouring for the last time on Sept 3: http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...55597102_n.jpg