Redhead to Blonde: Do it Yourself!
Is it true blondes have more fun? Guess it depends on the woman wearing it.
My hair has seen the colors of the rainbow from the time I was 16 until now, which is what, 10, 15 years? Okay, it's been longer than that.
I was born with very curly golden blonde hair like that of Shirley Temple. And as I grew older, it got darker but never dark enough to be called a brunette. It remained a light brown until I started dying it.
About 3 years ago I decided to go red....again. Red tends to fade and I was dying it every 2 weeks, conditioning it every night. It got expensive, time consuming and proved damaging to my hair.
I couldn't find any help online to go from red to blonde, so I called L'Oreal, Garnier, etc. They all had the same answer: "Get it professionally done."
After calling a few salons, I was told stripping would be the only alternative.
Stripping: A bleaching process that removes all the pigment in your hair, stripping away every layer of color you ever used, starting from the last time you dyed it to the first. Once the hair reaches a pale yellow base, you choose the color you want but it will be all one color unless you decide to add low lights. It's a lengthy process, not to mention damaging and very expensive.
I want to keep dimension in it and really love the red, so I decided to leave a little in there. I needed a base for the highlights in my hair. With so many blonde colors, I chose one that best suited my skin tone and the reds I'd keep. My goal: Medium Blonde.
Now that you know my story, let me share how I got there. First, some tips.
Tip 1
Know the color you want to achieve and keep a picture of it in your purse to match against colors on the box at the store and find a product you trust. I'm not here to endorse any, only to state what I used and results they gave me. Of course, you may not get the same results unless your hair color is exactly like mine to begin with.
Hair colors are named based on results:
Golden = Reddish, yellow, gold tones (brassy).
Natural = Mutes red (sometimes will react to highlights. I had green tones).
Ash = Green tones. Ash cuts out red but not if you have highlights.
Tip 2
Invest in good conditioner.
Tip 3
Remember: You can NOT go lighter without using peroxide or bleaching. It's impossible. You have to LIFT color in order to lighten. When you see a box that states it will get you lighter if you are a brunette, there is peroxide in that box (lightener). You may not see it because you aren't mixing it yourself but it's there.
My Process step by step and what you will need:
Plastic gloves
Mixing bowl/Brush
Comb for weaving highlights (has a thin point on end, for using foil)
Foil
Peroxide 20 Volume (the higher the number, the stronger it is)
Lightener (powder)
Step 1 - Dyed whole head using Natural Brown by Garnier HerbaShine #600.
Results: Some greenish tones where highlights were.
Step 2 - Used L'Oreal's Frost & Tip, covering the green tones by re-highlighting (weaving under and over, making sure not to drench the entire highlighted area, adding dimension instead of one solid chunk), framing face and some in back for balance.
Results: Too brassy but after washing, noticed the green tones were almost gone.
Step 3 - I let my hair rest another 48 hours, conditioning days with Bio Silk and nights with Argan Tree Oil. I did not wash it.
Step 4 - On 3rd day, I used L'Oreal Dark Blonde #6, No Ammonia.
Results: Less brass.
Step 5 - I waited another day before trying L'Oreal Excellence Creme Dark Blonde #8, which was my goal color.
Results: Left back of hair a nice golden brown, fewer red tones and more gold.
Step 6 - The more I washed my hair, the lighter it became. The greens were completely gone, a nice golden blonde blended in nicely with red tones that peeked through my hair and I am in love!
Good luck!
