Want to go blonde. DIY boxed dye or hair salon?

[ArienEllariel]

I've got ashy mousy blondette/light brown hair that gets natural golden and red tones in the sun (ya know, if I actually go out in the sun.. haha).

I really want to go blonde. How does one bleach their hair and/or dye it at home to a medium warmish blonde color? I don't want to go platinum.. just blonde enough to look, you know, blonde.

Or shouldn't I attempt this at home? Recommendations?

Also, if I do this can I still CO with Suave naturals or will I have to completely change my washing routine?

[BeckyAH]

I would head to the salon. Bleach going wrong is... often really, really wrong.

[luxepiggy]

Salon, definitely.

[lapushka]

Another vote for the salon. Depending on just how dark your blonde color is, more bleach is needed. If you use bleach that is too weak, and your hair is too dark of a blonde, chances are you're going to end up orange.

This is something hairdressers know best. Leave it up to them to figure out. I wouldn't attempt this on your own. Also, this is a commitment. You'll have to keep up with the bleaching every month to a couple of months or so.

ETA - If it's just a matter of going a shade to a few shades lighter, you *could* use boxed dye, but then you will have to be careful not to stray too far from your original hair color.

[amanda_the_tall]

definitely salon, because they can mix the dye how you need it, and can *almost* guarantee a good result, if not they can fix it. i'm dealing with a box dye gone wrong right now, and i didn't even change the shade much at all, it was supposed to make mine red but it turned out crazy purple/red unnatural. so i'll have to go to the salon later if it doesn't wash out anyways. might as well save yourself the trouble.

[afu]

Definitly go to the salon, if not just for the colour precision for the damage control. Fine hair needs special attention when bleaching, it's very easy to go too far so a specialist is definitly the best option. Maybe you could try highlights instead of a full head as they will still make you look blonde but the upkeep will be much easier and blend better. I have mousy, ashy hair too and find that highlights which i can just get topped up at the roots are the best, it also means you can get away with just getting half a head done most of the time.

My advice is to put coconut oil on your hair first (at least an hour before) and apply the bleach over the top, it chelates the free radicals from the bleach (which do the damage), since ive used this technique recommended by ktani ive seen no damage to newly bleached hair.

I bleach highlight at the salon (half head every 8-10weeks) and use CO :) i have been adding a splodge of aloe vera gel to the CO recently (kinda like a mini SMT) and it has worked fantastically

[jojo]

Going darker is ok for doing at home but going lighter id head to the salon, its too risky.

[Carissamarie08]

Salon for sure.

[Blueneko]

Salon, definitely. For safety if nothing more. Some hair is not cooperative about going blonde.

[ladyfey]

I always did mine at home, with no problems at all. But I hate salons, so for me there was really no question.

[ArienEllariel]

Hmm. Yeah I've done a semi-perminent dark brown dye at home before but nothing else. Taking your advice into consideration for sure. You all are awesome!

Was talking to my mom about this and since she wanted to dye her hair at the salon to cover her greys and get some highlights thrown in, I'm thinking we'll just make this a mother-daughter outing and go together. Gonna get a consult first anyways as I'm not exactly sure what color would look best with my skin tone and won't clash harshly with my dark brows.
I'll update you all later with my results (and no I will not let them cut my hair! I promise :))

I do have fine hair and I am worried about damage... I'm kinda hoping I'll be one of those bottle blondes who can grow their hair long. We'll see I 'spose. I'm thinking as long as I'm not dyeing/bleaching the same hair over and over it shouldn't be as much of an issue right?

[afu]

my hair is quite fine and very damaged from the past and it seems to be doing fine, and yes you should definitly only get the roots touched up when needed, there's no need to bleach over bleach
p.s. remember the coconut oil, make such a HUGE difference to damage

[justgreen]

Here's another vote for the salon. Just had my every six weeks visit today.

[Katze]

We have similar hair, and i ruined mine with DIY dyes. Salon dyes did seem to be more gentle.

I was never able to grow my hair long as a bleach-head, but have not been able to grow it long with natural hair either, so I am most likely going to get back on the salon bandwagon and have some very subtle highlights put in.

[Tota]

I ruined my hair with DIY dyes, too. I would recommend a good stylist who will always use the same mixure when you'll want touch ups on your roots. I had a bad experience once when my stylists forgot my mixure and the roots came out totally different blonde than the rest of the hair.

[ArienEllariel]

So I got a recommendation from a friend of mine's mother to go to her hairdresser and get it done as she's supposed to be very very good. So. We shall see how this turns out.

[afu]

:) when are you planning on getting it done?

[Grillz]

Another good thing about the salon is that your color will be the same all over your head. I've seen a lot of at-home jobs where the roots will be the yellowish color the person wanted but the ends are orange.

Have fun!

[Katze]

Another good thing about the salon is that your color will be the same all over your head. I've seen a lot of at-home jobs where the roots will be the yellowish color the person wanted but the ends are orange.

Have fun!

Yes. This is also a matter of (or was in my case) what kind of toner/drabber they add to the mix. Salon dyes never went as yellow/brassy as fast as boxed dyes, though once I came to LHC and started doing more SMTs, all dye was faded out super quick.

[Velvettt]

I'll be the one lone voice in the wilderness and tell you that some box dyes are just fine. My natural hair colour is mousy brown/dishwater blonde and I've been using L'Oreal's Excellence in Medium Ash Blonde for years and years and years. I just dye my roots now, of course, and I'm always careful to coat my ends with coconut oil before I start, as I've been doing for years.

If you're going to use a box dye, ignore most of the instructions. Apply it the way it says, yes, but when it says to pull the dye through the rest of your hair for the last ten minutes, NO NO NO! Once you've coloured your whole head, never pull the dye through the rest of it again.