hair...............to color or not

[Augustheather97]

Here is my problem.......Just turned 40.....up to now have had hair highlighted 4 times a year at $70 a pop (w/tip) Now More and more greys are showing up and I feel the highlight isn't really enough to cover the problem....I've done an at home hair color before and am scared to death.......I have light brown /dark blondish hair......with blond highlights.....what kind of hair color should I get....how often will I have to color it......about 25% OF MY HAIR IS GREY NOW.....and How hard and a pain is it to do....any suggestions will be very appreciated........K:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:[B]

[glo]

IU would say color...I started coloring my hair about a year and a half ago. I am about 1/2 to 3/4 grey. I was like that and decided to finally dye, thanks to the suggestion of a friend. It was the best thing I ever did...everyone has noticed the difference and I feel much younger. I would do the salon way...I would be afraid to do it myself...Whatever you decide...Good Luck!!

[MerryPoppins]

I'm 41 and don't color. I'm getting pretty gray, but I just choose to spend the money on scrapbooking instead of coloring my hair. It bothers my mom more than it bothers me. She says I make her look too old.

Just don't pull them out. I used to do that, but finally decided it wasn't smart. See my tag! ;)

[danacara]

It's worth a salon visit for great hair color. You have to wear your head every day. :D

[catsrule]

I have never dyed my hair either, and am getting grey highlights now. :teeth:
Will probably need to start coloring it in a couple of years. I will go to a salon as I have no clue how to do it.

[bobcat]

It is not hard to do at home. When I need a little pick me up I will color my hair just to brighten it up. I like Nice n Easy over the expensive brands. Your first time try a color swatch like they tell you so you won't be suprised. Stay as close to your natural hair color as possible.

[Serena]

My suggestion is to use a level 2.
My hair is brown, sort of around a light brown. I had highlights in it, but they turned orange. I put in 2 boxes of color. I mixed dark blonde and light brown. In my hair it looks nice. It covered the orange highlights with a more natural color.
The gray at my roots are still gray, but the hair that was colored before, including the gray, is colored.
The area that was highlighted is still lighter than my natural color. It didn't change my natural color much, if, at all.
It just adds shine to it.

[tnkrbell]

Hi!!
I would suggest having a stylist do it that way you are covered if you dont like it they will fix it.
And here is what I think you should do
Have thme do your roots one shade lighter then your natuaral this will cover teh grey then have highlights put over it.
You will only have to highlight every other visit. (just do roots in between) good luck to you!!:D
Ps- when you use to just highlight was that a full head of foils or for a partial?? 70.00 is a GREAT price for a full head of foils and a tip!:D
At our salon we START at 85.00 for a full head of foils for a partial we START at 55.00

[Sheree Bobbins]

I recommend a salon. Look at it this way, the price you pay can be divided by the number of days the color lasts. In other words, less than a dollar a day to have you looking your best.

[faith]

Hi AugustHeather, in my "younger days" my hair color was similiar to yours. What I call dishwater blonde. I now use Loreal Excellence(creme) dark, beige blonde to cover the gray. Friends and family say it looks natural. It costs under $10.:D

[Karista]

My hair is exactly the same as yours and after years of getting it foiled I decided I wanted to have the whole thing colored. I let my hairdresser do it, and I'm so glad I did. I didn't realize that there are certain "undertones" to hair (violet, ash, neutral, etc.) and that if you choose the wrong shade, even if the color on the box looks great, you could end up with too much red, green or purple in your hair! I think there is a little more upkeep this way because I have to touch up the roots every 5-6 weeks, but I no longer have that striped look that I was getting weary of.

[Mamu]

I work in a salon and can tell some horror stories about hair color. They come in to see if we can fix the nightmare. Ends up costing them double.

I have to say you can color your hair successfully at home. Someone suggest you do a test strip.

This is so important!!!!!

Over the counter hair dyes are the hardest to correct in a salon, their colors are so permanent. If it comes out dark sometimes we can't even get the color out.

So remember do a test strip. That way there will be no surprises that cannot be fixed.

[Disney Doll]

You know, lately I have been seeing these stunning women who have silver hair, so I have decided to let mine go naturally gray.

[poohandwendy]

I also work in a salon. I would also recommend a salon. If you do it at home, make sure not to do it on a Saturday night as many salons are closed Sunday and Monday, the ones that aren't may be too booked to fit you in, corrective color can take a long time...sometimes 3-4 hrs!

[Pin Wizard]

Spoil yourself at a salon! From time to time I use a semi-permanent color. Then I treat myself at the salon. My biggie is for them to get rid of the horrid red I get because of the sun. They do a beautiful job. But so far we're staying with semi-perm. He doesn't think I have enough gray to start worrying about keeping up with roots yet that permanent color would cause. ;)

[MdmMim]

I used to dye my hair, but after about 10 years, stopped. (I've been "dye-free" for 7 years.) Stopping was the best thing I ever did! My hair is several different shades of grey/white/pewter ;) --it looks highlighted. There's not a thing wrong with grey hair--I say go natural! :D

[Judy from Boise]

I am too cheap to go the salon route ! I don't need to change my color ( auburn ) but do like to cover my grey ( nasty crockscrew stuff not an elegant silver ) so About 4-5 times a year i use Loreal Castings. It is a non-permanate rinse out product, so it is hard to make mistakes. If you like it, use their shampoo and it will last a long time. If you hate it, buy a heavy detergent shampoo and it will come out with a few washings.
A bonus is that it comes with a FABULOUS conditioner !:)

[Augustheather97]

:Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc :Pinkbounc

[camper]

Hello fellow mainiac,

I started out with just the highlights also. Now my hair would be probably 50 percent gray, so I go with a full die. I go to a salon for my color. I just don't dare to do it myself. I did try it at home first and it came out way darker then I wanted. I did have to try a couple of places to find someone that could get the color right. So now that I have found someone that can give me the right color I go to her every couple of months. It is kind of a pain, keeping up with the roots, but I feel so much better after I get it done.

[cmbelle]

I am young and about 75% grey (started going grey when I was 9), and I left it alone until strangers thought I was my son's grandmother. I have colored it myself and at a salon. Perks to coloring it myself : it's cheaper, I can do it whenever I want, and I can choose any color. Perks of a salon coloring : the color stays on better, and they don't miss spots. With either dye, I have to dye my hair about every 5 weeks because the grey roots are very visible with my short hair.

[tnkrbell]

I was thinking of the reasons to go to a salon and the reasons to do it at home here is what I came up with.
Going to a salon
1-you get teh color you want or they fix it for free.
2 they do not ruin your hair (I you go to a reputable salon)
3-They know it takes more then picking a color and applying it! You must know the level and tone of your hair and the level and tone you want and the stylist knows how to get there for instance did you know you use a BLue base to get rid of Gold??

For doing it at home
1-you do not need to leave home
2- it is cheaper to by the color(but you may not get the right one)

Ok my advice is ask people you see that have pretty highlights or color they will take it as a compliment that you like their hair and I bet the ones that look the prettiest go to a salon!!

I know I see the comercial where you see people like Heather locklear ect.. advertising for loreal or whatever I PROMISE her and Pamela Anderson or whoever do not get together and buy a box of color and color each others hair!;) :)
Sorry guys I know its a nice senario!! :D :D

[Joanne M]

Over the years, my hair has turned a darker blond than I like. When I leave it the natural color, I tend to look washed out or blah....I have been having foils done for so many years now that I can't even remember. I don't have a lot done, but enough to brighten it up a little while avoiding gold or orange. As a few white strands come in, I love the way it looks. I will end up with the snowy white hair my grandfather had, and I can't wait. But I have a LONG way to go before that happens at this rate!

DH has darker hair than mine, but he is still on the fair side. He gets foils done too, to blend in the gray especially at the temples. It looks so much better with blond mixing with the gray. He got some lowlights last time, though, to avoid getting too light.

I have a great hair stylist and colorist. She knows what will work on my hair, and what undertones to select for me. I pay her about $120 every 2 months for foils and a cut, including tip. To me, it is worth it. You wouldn't believe the compliments I get on my hair about how beautiful the color is and how shiny and healthy it is. It looks natural enough on me that most people can't tell when I get the color done again. If I wasn't happy with my hair, I would be miserable all day.

That said, I am also not one to want to spend a lot of time on my hair every day. I can't stand messing with it if it gets in my eyes, etc. There are days when I just pull it up or back because I don't want it in my way. I still am complimented on it even then! My hair stylist gets all the credit......

I would never put one solid color of hair dye in my hair, like the ones you do at home. To me, it looks too flat. Your hair has lots of colors in it, and the home kits cover that up, making it all look the same.

[Augustheather97]

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[eeyore0062]

I have used Feria, and it doesn't have that dull, one tone look... it actually does work with the highlights that are already in your hair. I am much happier with the over the counter than the salon... I had some horrible experiences there, and it is SO expensive, and time consuming. I have long hair, and pull it back quite a bit, so I am not really vain about my hair, as long as it is clean and neat, I am fine with it, I just don't like the texture of the grey that is coming in... so for $10 every 2 months I am happy. To me $120 per year as opposed to every 2 months is a great bargain, and I like the results.