Anybody ever highlight their own hair?

[frannn]

First, I would like to thank everyone who responded to my thread about my horribly thin, frizzy, dry, fine hair. I actually got a haircut at a local place (stylist was pushing their products & extra services on me, I practically had to run out of there to save my bank account). Anyway, I went to the beauty supply store & picked up a Clairol coppery red color in the same color family as my hair. I bought the chemical to mix it with, but not the pull through cap, because I only want to do a few highlights at first to frame my face and on top. Salesperson at Sally's suggested I mix only a little color and apply strands, then wrap in foil. I have never done this before, but I have colored my hair. Do you apply the color to dry hair or wet it first? Any suggestions (other than to have it professionaly done)? Salesperson also had me buy a packet of Loreal deep conditioning for after, and some Ion volumizing gel.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

Well, I was going to say that my stylist applied it to wet hair, but honestly I can't remember now! LOL! Hopefully someone else can answer your question.

I have red-ish highlights (along with some darker blonde) in my brown hair and I love them. I would be to chicken to try it on my own though.

Do you like your new haircut?

 

[annemariec]

Hi Frann,

I've never highlighted my own hair.

When I've had it done in the salon, the color was always applied to dry hair.

Good luck!
Annemarie

 

[pattyT]

make sure you have all the 'ingrediants' and don't miss a step -
I went through that whole dang process - pulling the hair through the cap yaddi yaddi yaddi...and as I was waiting to rinse I spied a little package underneath the toaster oven-
quess what -
my hair was really soft after but
NO STREAKS!
some day I will attempt it again - just not for a while! lol

 

[mrsv98]

I just had mine done on Sat and I love it, love it, love it! and so does my DH! I have never done it myself but I can tell you how my stylist did it.

Step 1: She takes a pointy ended comb, scoops up fine sections of hair and then weaves the comb in and out picking up every other bit. This is great because it blends the highlights and looks great, as opposed to big clumps of color.

Step 2: She takes a piece of foil, almost like the deli uses but a bit more narrow, and puts it under the section to be colored. She then spreads the color on the section fairly thickly and evenly from root to tip.

Step 3: She folds the foil in half and half again and then one more time until it is about 2 or 3 inches wide. She clips the sections together to keep them out of the way.

Step 4: She put me under a hair dryer for about 20 mins and then I cooled for another 5 or so. My hair "takes" pretty fast so read the directions to determine how long you need to leave that particular color on.

Step 5: Wash very well.

I love this color and I think the big key is the fact that she takes the comb and weaves bits out so it blends well. I have very red hair and the blonde highlights break up the brassiness especially in the winter.

Have fun, and remember, it is only hair and it will grow out eventually!

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I just had mine done this morning. I don't have the guts to do it myself--but the highlighting starts at $75 and UP, notice the up--mine was $92 today! I think I need to find somewhere cheaper!
Oh and it was dry hair.
Robin M.

 

[CBRorBust]

I don't trust myself enough to do it myself. lol.

 

[lynxstch]

used the Herbal Essence Hilighting Kit..it comes with a special comb..you put the hilighter on the comb..then onto your hair..it turns color (mine was blue..I think the other is green?) where the hilighter goes..if you don't like it..you can wipe it off and reapply it..I loved the ease of it..and the way it looked was just what I wanted!

 

[Lewski709]

I colored my hair ONE time. Notice, ONE time. It was a disaster!!!! I recommend letting someone who knows exactly what they are doing, do it! It is pricey, but better than looking like a freak imo. I go to JcPenney's.....I really have had good luck there and they stand behind thier work.

Good Luck!

 

[DizzieDizney]

HI. I highlighted my hair myself w/ Herbal Essence Highlighting kit as well. I loved the special comb it came with. Made it so easy to use. Not like the cap where you have to pull lil strands of hair through. I think I bruised my head that way. Anyways, my hair is dark brown and I highlighted it w/ light brown streaks. It came out really good! Looks professional even! I saved the comb just in case I want to use it again. Next time I can buy any brand to highlight my hair and just use the comb. I bought the kit from Wal-Mart. It was about $10. Good Luck! Make sure you read the directions well.....

 

[battricia]

hi. i highlighted my own hair before, and my sisters, both with the foil and with the caps. they come out well all the time. first make sure, like someone else said, to read all directions, and mix properly. your hair should be dry to do this, atleast every time i've done it it was dry. then, if you're going to use the foil, take a peice of foil that is longer and wider than the strip of hair you want highlighted. (make sure the foil will cover the whole section of hair lengtwise is best, i think) then pull the section of hair, and place the foil underneath it, as close to the scalp as you can. then put the mixture on with some sort of brush if you have one. wrap the hair tightly and make sure it all is covered. leave it on for the amount directed on the bottle. be patient ifyou're going lighter, it will take a while. to sample just undo one foil in a small section and wipe off the mixture, check the color of the hair compaired to your natural color, and see if you like the result. if it's not what you're expecting, it might not be ready yet... keep checking it every once in a while to make sure it's not going too light, etc.

good luck

tricia

 

[snoopy]

First, let me caution you, it is very EASY to make a HUGE mistake with thin hair when you highlight it yourself. Because the hair is so thin, if you pull too much through a cap, or make the highlights too "chunky", its really noticeable. You are much better off going to a stylist unless you are prepared to dye the entire head of hair if you mess up.

I know this because I have thin, fine hair and I've done this before. I've learned from my mistakes (I would NEVER try to do it without a cap again, I can tell you that FOR SURE) and when I do pull it through a cap now I only pull out the finest strands of hair. You do it with your hair DRY, not wet. Start off very conservatively, and then if you find you need to do more, then you can do so.

I prefer to go to a stylist and have her foil my hair. She can see what hair needs to be highlighted, plus she can see how much hair she is highlighting. A foil is much better for people with fine or straight hair. This however is much harder to do than using a cap, I've never attempted it on my own.

Best of luck! I hope it all comes out o.k. Let us know!

 

[annemariec]

I like the foil technique better too, snoopy.

I've only done the cap maybe twice in my life. It felt like a chicken pecking on my head! Torture! Torture! Foil has been a better experience for me.

Annemarie

 

[julie_yet]

[color=3300ff]LOL! I used to highlight my hair as a teenager. My friend and I would get body hair bleach and streak our hair with it. Turned out pretty good actually.[/color]

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

<font color=navy>It would cost about $90 to have my hair done at a salon, too much for my budget, so I did my own.

I got the light highlights for dark brown hair, tested it, and it came out okay. I got the highlight solution, a cap, and a comb thingy to pull my hair through the holes.... and my hair was dry. I think I was a little ambitious in pulling the strands through the holes, and according to the little chart, I should have left the highlights in for about 20 minutes.... Well, 40 minutes later I washed it out and I had really blonde streaks in my hair.

I ended up going to church like that and spending the whole day like that. I just thought to myself, well, it's only hair, it'll grow out ... eventually. (btw - the younger crowd liked my blonde streaks, but it was too radical for me)

I was talking to SonjaH on IM, and since she knows hair & all, she told me how to correct it ... so, I got MEDIUM brown from (shoot, I already forgot the name and rinsed that through my hair.

I'm really happy how it all came out. (Oh, and I recommend SonjaH to anyone - she surely saved me )

 

[frannn]

Do I leave it in for 20 min or 30? How do I contact SonjaH on IM?
I was thinking instead of using the cap, I would just pick some various bits of hair and color those. The color I chose is very close to my regular hair color, so no matter what I do, it won't look all that bad (I hope).