DIS Hairdressers- Hair coloring ???'s

[bedillamouse]

I am trying to cut back on some personal expense items and the one I haven't is highlighting my hair. I have been doing this for almost 20 years. I have dirty dishwater blond hair and if I don't do some kind of coloring I look very washed out and sickly.

My problem is I would like to do at home coloring to save money but am afraid I am going to mess my hair up horribly. I have asked my hairdresser for advice but of course she thinks it's a bad idea because I've been getting it professionally done for so long. I don't know if this is sound advice or just her not wanting to loose the money.

Anyone have suggestions or advice about this?? If I do try it at home what brand name of at home hair dye is the best to do. I have thin hair.

Any help would be appreciated so I can make a good decision on this.

 

[okeydokey]

I will do my own hair color at home but I do not think I would try highlights on my own. I buy Paul Mitchell hair color on eBay, either permanent or Demi permanent.

 

[chellewashere]

Have you thought of going to a beauty college...like Empire...to get it done. Where I live they do a full head hairdye for $20. And since haircolor can cost ten bucks paying someone 10 more bucks is worth it to me. They also do highlights for cheap. I had mine done there recently to save money and it came out fantastic

 

[bedillamouse]

Thanks for the replies...I haven't thought about a beauty college at all. I knew the highlighting aspect adds a whole new issue to this situation. My DH said he is willing to do the highlight but that makes me nervous.

I just don't know which way to go...maybe I should do an all over color and continue that way..

Thanks for the opinions.

 

[jennyerin]

I tried doing home highlighting, hair turned green and cost me $100 to fix... No more home highlighting for me

 

[cluelyss18]

As a hairdresser in my previous career I will tell you that your hairdresser trying to pursuade you away from home haircoloring is not her trying to keep your business. In school we are taught the major differences between at home color and professional color. Certain at home colors (not all) have metallic dye in them, meaning if at some point you put a different brand over that with chemicals that don't mix well......let's just say it was an experiment we got to do and it was one of my favorite days in school. You can actually burn hair if you mix things you shouldn't. Not to mention, unless they have changed some at home colors..they can dry your hair out terribly.
You will also notice some color that can be done at home will sometimes leave the ends looking darker than the roots, this is build-up. Use a deep clarifying shampoo once a month or every other month to help prevent this from happening.

I like the idea of going to cosmotology school. The prices are always way better than at a salon, and IF you are worried about a mistake being made, just remember there are teachers there to help fix it should the student need help.

Check with your salon and see if they have a referral program. For each person you refer to that particular stylist, or salon could earn you $ off your next service.

Good luck!

 

[JennyLynn21]

As a hairdresser I would advise you not to try and save money by doing your own hair. At least once or twice a week we get clients who have tried to do their own hair at home and it costs more and is more damaging to the hair then if they would of just came in and had it done in the first place.

Now I have seem some turn our good, and others not. It is not consistent as salon professional products.

I have to say I agree with your hairdresser!! Hope this helps!

 

[fakereadhed]

I tried home haircolor to save $ last year and ended up with jet black hair..and I wasn't going for the Goth look. It was Oct so I told everyone it was for Halloween. I used an auburn, but because of the metallics in the previous home color it reacted that way. Took forever to grow out! Horrible.

I have been going to DD's beauty school for the past year. The instructors figure out the color and measure it, the girls mix and apply it. It is checked and double checked! Much better then having DH apply it, don't you think?

Now she is graduated and I get my hair done for free!!!

 

[Lisa_M]

ETA: I'm not a hairdresser, I just play one at home!

I've been coloring my hair at home for some time using Loreal Excellence Creme. I recently decided I wanted to go lighter (natural & dyed color is medium brown) so I tried a lighter John Frieda hair color, but ended up with darker hair. I washed with a bunch of clarifying shampoo and a week later dyed it to the intended shade with Loreal Excellence.

So then I started thinking about highlights, but didn't want to spend a fortune. I used the Loreal Frost and Design highlighting cap kit. It worked really great, but is not something you can do on your own, or at least I couldn't, so my mom helped me. The color turned out very nice, but my hair was quite dry for a few days. I had colored two weeks before and then again once before the highlighting so I think the dryness was a result of too many processes too soon. I have been using deep conditioner daily for a week and am back to my old hair. The kit took a long time, was a pain in the butt, but saved me a lot of money. If you do it, my advice is to hold the cap up a bit as you break the hook through the bottom layer of plastic. and after you get all your hair through, then tighten the cap and brush it all out to make sure you have the hair all the way through. I watched a video on their website prior that made me feel more confident about it, however, it took a lot longer than I thought it would have mostly due to getting the hair through.

 

[tomthebarncat]

I too vote for cutting back elsewhere and leaving your hair to the professionals and here is my story! I put strawberry blonde highlights in my naturally blonde hair myself. Something went horribly wrong and I ended up with this awful shade of red in my hair. I ended up losing one day of work, and spent 275.00 getting it out. I showed up at my hairdressers first thing that Monday morning, and just waited until she could see me. A young woman who had a lenghty appointment scheduled, took one look at my hair and gave me her appointment. Several hours later and lots of this and that, my hair was back to a somewhat normal shade of blonde. I also got a stern warning from my hairdresser about the difference in professional stuff vs. do it yourself stuff from Walgreens. She also pointed out that on the commercials and hair color box, those pictures reflect professionals doing the coloring with that product. The model is not doing it herself! I have never put color in my hair since that horrific incident, and I do mean horrific, as the color was the brassiest, ugliest, copper color I have ever seen

 

[DZNEE4US]

I have been using Garnier regular hair color on my hair for the past 2 years, because at the time my husband lost his job. I noticed nothing different from the regular color my stylist was doing. Highlights are a whole different matter. I did get some last summer, and I went back to get them done. Last month, I foolishly tried to use the Garnier kit, and it turned out orange. I was able to fix it, and went back to my original color. I will not try to highlight again. My hair is very thick, and it was just impossible to try to comb the color through my hair. My hair is naturally dark brown, but it does tend to be extra dark for about a week after coloring. I don't mind it because I was paying about $100, and I can do it on my time for about $7. I really have a hard time scheduling appointments.
So my advice would be not to use the at home highlights, but to try the regular color.

 

[tlbwriter]

I go to a cosmetology school and I'm very happy with the results. I get professional color (the students are closely supervised) for a ridiculous price, and I'm providing a service too, which I like. It does take a lot longer, but it's worth it.

 

[disneystacy]

We just had a girl come into the salon I work at yesterday. Her mom highlighted her hair with one of those at home highlighting kits

Not something you should mess with unless you have the money set aside to fix it.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I've been coloring my own hair for years, but I wouldn't ever try do-it-myself highlighting. I agree with the suggestion of a cosmetology school. My sister gets her long hair cut at one, and they charge her something like $5.

 

[Maybelle]

I tried hilighting my dd's hair at home because it looked easy...yeah right! It came out all splotchy and sill, 6 months later, doesn't look good...good luck.

 

[Twinprincesses]

I tried highlights twice and it cost me more to fix it both times than if I jsut would have originally went.

I have learned over the years to leave my coloring up to the professionals. It never looks like it does on the box.

 

[lakelandgal70]

I have been coloring my hair for many years. I use Clairol Nice and Easy with built in highlights. My hairdresser compliments me on my hair color. I do get highlights professionally done once or twice a year but think I do a better job overall of coloring. And with coupons it costs maybe 6bucks every 6wks. Can't beat that!

 

[*Seanaci*]

I just recently started dying my hair (full head, not just highlights). And my mom has done at home dye for her hair for...like 20 years and uses the same brand all the time (lorel excellence cream). I tried the Calriol Foam and HATED it. Made a much bigger mess than the commercial states. So, the very next time I dyed my hair, I used Lorel Excellence Cream. LOVE it. So much easier.

That being said. If you like your highlights and would prefer NOT to start dying your whole head, I like the suggestion of going to a beauty school! Unless you have a friend or family member you trust and has taught themselves how to do at-home hightlights really well. (Tried at-home highlights, let my SIL do them...HATED my hair for months until the highlights grew out.)

Good luck!

 

[rbork]

I'm sick and tired of paying $140 for highlights... if I get a partial it's $110. and that doesn't include my tip. I've been getting color for 20 years. I really want to cut down the cost but realize home highlight kits is out of the question. My DH still has no idea how much my hair costs. He loves long hair. I like short....maybe I should tell him it's cheaper to highlight shorter hair.

Never considered a beauty school - that's an idea. I have considered seeing how much the hair cuttery costs. Perhaps it's cheaper there.?

 

[bedillamouse]

Thank you all for your replies...I could do the all over coloring buttttt it just doesn't look as good. I really appreciate that you've made me feel better about my hairdresser and her not trying to take advantage of me.

I will try the school route. There's one in the next town so I may call and see what the prices run. I told my DH that I would investigate it as he found out what I spend on the hairdressers..... I told him he was lucky as I usually push my highlights out pretty far and let my roots show for a while so that I don't go back as often.

OH well I'll have to look for somewhere else to cut back. I really appreciate all of your answers! It helped me a lot!