Dyed my virgin hair red-but I want it brighter! I have dark brown hair and dyed my hair a deep red yesterday (Herbal Essences #44) and it is pretty, but not what I expected.
Yes, if you make it lighter the roots will be brighter, I am a Professional Hairstylist, AND I am very frugal, but one thing I urge people to do is not to skimp when it comes to their hair. There is no substitute for professional haircolor or the professional application. Be frugal with groceries, be frugal with clothes, eat out less, be frugal with entertainment, make your hair your one splurge and have it professionally done so that when you present yourself to your mirror, and to the rest of the world you do it with pride and confidence.
I'm a licensed cosmetologist and the only products that I use to color my own hair are purchased from a beauty supply store. Both products that I use are the hair color tint and 20 volume peroxide.
Since I'm older now my hair is starting to grey in certain areas. I was born with light blonde hair, but over the years it looks more ash blonde. I've been able to lighten my hair sufficiently to the way I like it by using 1 part color tint with 2 parts 20 volume peroxide developer. I'm able to get two treatments out of one bottle. I purchase the Miss Clairol Conditioning Color 2 oz. bottles. I mix 1 oz. hair color and 2 oz. of 20 volume perioxide in a tint bottle. Apply to my hair and leave it on for 45 minutes. Normal processing time is 30 minutes but for maximum lightening and gray coverage I allow the 15 extra minutes.
I'm guessing that probably the hair tints that are sold to the general public aren't as strong as the hair coloring that is sold to the professional stylists.
If you can't get the results that you want from the store bought product I suggest that you go to a beauty supply store and talk with the sales person who is usually a licensed cosmetologist. She will be able to help you pick out the right color, and tell you how to apply it for maximum results.
Marge from NY
I forgot to mention in my post that the normal application of professional hair color is equal amounts of hair color and peroxide or 2 oz. of color tint + 2 oz. of peroxide. The reason why I use 1 oz. of color + 2 oz. peroxide is because I have to color gray hair. And gray hair can be very difficult to color.
Marge from NY
Do you have a Sally's Beauty close to you? I finally started going there for my haircolor needs, the boxed ones at the stores are always wishy washy. For my first time I had really long roots which are grey already in some places, so I dyed those brown then did a auburn dye over that, whole head. The Ion Brilliance line is really dark, I used a 30 developer and the girl that I spoke with the other day said a 40 would have been better. When I was done the color was black inside for a week or so, you could a purple red tone in the sun light.
I recommend buying the Sally's Card, it's $5 and if you buy shampoos there (can find some great deals on salon shampoos WAY cheaper than drugstore brands!) and such, it pays for itself really quick. To get me started (with brush for my roots, etc) it didn't cost me more than $15, then each hair color box (for the HiColor it's $5.99) is around $4, less with your Sally's card, the developer lasts longer.
I have a shorter A-line cut, really thick hair, the Ion Brilliance, mixed at 50/50 as recommened was JUST enough, so if you have longer hair I would recommend two tubes (comes in creme {use a mixing bowl for the creme, you'll never get it in a app. tube} or liquid). The HiColor has a diff. ratio, so I had enough to put a little red streak under my daughters hair for fun.
Sorry so long, but I am passionate about saving people money on "luxury" items. I will still pay for a good haircut, but coloring at the salon is over for me, next I'll tackle my own highlights!
I'm a dark brunette (with too many white hairs) and have had great success with the L'Oreal and Garnier brands--can't remember the specific names of the colors, but I've been complimented over and over again. BUT prepare to do it every 4 weeks, cuz the red fades fast! Have fun, and NO FEAR!
PS--it's really fun to be a redhead. Some folks don't remember me any other way. :o)
Hey, I'm a hairdresser from MA. If you had virgin hair, and you color it a darker red than what you expected, you can not lift it up without bleaching it out first. Color, no matter if it's professional color or not, will not lift up the color you deposited on your hair. The problem with most box colors is that the developer that it comes with is 20 volume (only lifting your hair 2 levels out of 10). If you try to go over it again with a lighter color, you'll not only have hot (lighter) roots, you will also start to create a buildup on the colored hair.
I know it's been a month & you've probably remedied your situation or followed the professional's advise previously posted, but years ago, my hairdresser recommended one of those 'stripping' shampoos that's supposed to cut thru styling product build-up when my dyd job came out too dark. It did lift the color just a bit! Also, I hesitate to say it but baking soda also strips hair of buildup, so if you were to mix a spoonful into your shampoo immediately after your bad dye-job, I'd think it could possibly remove any excess dye...?
It came out way too dark. Cannot afford a salon. I have been medium blonde for years. Can I go back with and ION produce or do I have to remove the color myself first.
Thanks for your help.
Have you tried using Garnier #68 Brilliant Copper/Luscious Mango? It comes out awesome. Now my hair was a dark ash blond but I still come out looking the color of bright copper or a carrot top as kids used to call it back when I was a little girl. If you want to keep your hair a bright red as in copper, you may need to bleach it first, then add the color 24 hours later but that is just a suggestion. I'm not recommending you do this cause I would hate to be the reason it comes out wrong but to get my bright copper color I have to bleach my hair then it last me almost 3 months before I have to color again. But at that time I don't need the bleach I just use Garnier #68 and the bleach is Garnier Bleach Creme #D01 or you can ask the consultant at the drug store for assistance that is what I did my first time. I hope this helps.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I dyed my hair blue/black about 2 and a half months ago. If I use the L'Oreal HiColor red will it take on my hair?
Save some hairs from your hairbrush and do a strand test on that hair. If you don't like it, you will have avoided a lot of aggravation. If it looks good, then go ahead.
Before you decided to dye your hair red I would suggest reading this article from Teen Vogue. This gives all the ins and outs of dying your hair red. It will also answer your questions about why red hair fades so quickly. Here is the article:
www.teenvogue.com/
Also read the hair care manual to find out how long you should wait between coloring your hair. Here is the link for you:
www.haircaremanual.com/
I enjoyed this article on the typical mistakes people make when they dye their hair red. Before I would dye my hair red, I would read this article.
www.bustle.com/
Just out of curiosity - what is your natural hair color? Is the blue/black the first dye in your hair or have you been experimenting to try and find a color you like? Red is a special color and does not always look nice on everyone as skin tone has a lot to do with how a dyed hair color looks. Really black hair is basically the same so why do you not like the black/blue color on your hair?
I would like to suggest something for you to try before you redye your hair. Make a trip to one of the department stores that has a hair salon and wig shop and try on some of their red wigs to see how you like the color on yourself. Or go to a wig shop in the mall and check out their red wigs just to make sure you like red on yourself.
Or maybe try something entirely different - dye your hair with Kool-Aid as this is very popular now - it is not permanent but will give a good idea of what red looks like on you.
Remember - most sites will say if hair is black (dark color) that you should remove the color first. There are lots of ways to do this I believe this link shows a safe way to do this without using a bleaching compound/mixture.
forums.longhaircommunity.com/
If you would like to check out the Kool-Aid idea here is link to read.
www.wikihow.com/
There are plenty of links giving information on redyeing black hair so you can always take your pick.
www.thriftyfun.com/
www.wikihow.com/
If the first dye was permanent, you will have trouble getting it red without lifting it first.
My hair is dark brown; I dyed it red a while ago and it's now faded a lot. If I was to dye over it again, but this time with a more vibrant red would it affect the outcome as I already have a funny colour of red on the hair.
By tfaw from England, Luton
My sister used to be a beautician before retiring, and she instructed me to never color my hair more often than every three months. I followed that advice and sometimes went longer between the coloring. I know I never used the same color of dye two times in a row, and I never had any problems following the advice given by my sister.
Yes you will have an issue. I do my hair about every 6 weeks. I am a lap swimmer and even with caps on, the hair color leaves quickly. Outdoor swimming in the sun is even quicker at color loss.
I mix a couple colors together befor applying to hair. You may get skrew ups, so you know which colors not to put together. I am a red head naturally, but faded with pool use. So I use 3 shades of red--strawberry red, light red and medium red. They pull different colors from my highlight and never looks like a dye job.
Your after care is just as important. When applying the aftercare lotion/creme, I put it on and it stays on a couple hours. Makes the hair soft and colors stay in longer.
Every week take a day where you lather a conditioner for your coloring. And you don't always have to use shampoo for hair washing daily. Just a small dab of conditioner to wet hair in the shower is great.
Ok, I wouldn't follow the advice to not do more than every 3 months. I don't know one hair person that would make anyone wait that long, let alone themselves! I dye my roots every 3-4 weeks and I still have all my hair.
That being said, red will fade quickly, no matter what your base or natural color was. I would recommend that you go to a beauty supply store and talk to someone there or even try a website called Makeupalley.com, they have a hair board (the one indicated with the little comb) and they give great advice over there!
I destroyed my hair by trying a really dark brown, then trying to "fix" it using a color remover. My hair came out in the words of my son, as German Shepherd. It was really dark in places and a brassy blond in others. After searching the web I found Robert Craig hair color. It is awesome. It is very gentle, comes in a powder you mix with water (no, it is not henna). It covered my hair and did not make it like straw, it actually nourished it. I have been using it for over a year and will never change.
I tired dying my hair a bright red color. But it faded to a light ginger color. I would like to know how I could make it a bright fire red?
Use Kool Aid in the color of your choice.
Without knowing more about your original color, overall hair health, and such, it would be best to suggest having a professional stylist check you out and give you the best solution for your hair.
Also everyone's definition of bright red is different, so best to take a good example of your preferred outcome so you don't end up with a red that makes you sad.
Post back what you decide!! Best wishes for the fiery color you desire!
If you want it bright fire red, you'd have to lighten your natural hair colour as much as possible, then use a very bright semi permanent red as it gives off the best vibrancy. Try Joico color intensity red. Love it.
I am trying to get my hair cherry red. I know the upkeep is hard, but am not looking for opinions on the matter. About two weeks ago I dyed my hair with a box dye. It was supposed to be red, but the color was wrong. So yesterday I dyed it again, but only the roots turned red and from about two inches down it is a very dark reddish brown.
What should I do to get it red? I have thought about lightening products and such, but I really don't know what to do. I prefer not to bleach it as last time I bleached it and then dyed it red my hair turned pink. Please help.
By Jamie
Go to a professional colorist and have her/him dye it. If you keep trying home products on it now after trying twice in a row, you may end up damaging your hair.
I was a high end hairstylist for 35 years and chemical applications were my specialty. I can't even count how many dozens and dozens and dozens of home botched coloring I repaired over the years.
Unless you want to end up having hair that looks like the colors of the rainbow or striped like a zebra I suggest you go to a professional and have them even out what you've already done and then, since you want cherry red, talk to them about possibly using a color brand such as Clairol Jazzing. What brand to use and what color to choose is all going to depend on your natural hair color, the tones of your natural color, hair texture and what you've already applied to your hair. That is where it's best to ask a professional.
Any humane and honorable hairstylist will tell you what brand and color you can use at home after they've straightened out what you've already done if you can't afford regular visits to a salon in the future.
My son had good luck dying his hair odd colors (red, green, blue) when he was a teen by using the dye he purchased at skateboard shops. His hair was dark blond/ light brown to begin with. I have no idea of the brand of hair dye that he used. At this point, however, after you have dyed your hair twice in two weeks, I would give it a rest for awhile, as repeated attempts can damage your hair.
If you insist on dying again soon, I agree with the previous poster that you should go to a professional colorist, and since you are interested in cherry red, look for one who has experience with these non-natural colors.
So I have natural blonde hair and thought I would get a little crazy and go strawberry blonde. All the store had was auburn brown so my hair turned out like a cartoon red. I really like it, but no one else does and there are some patches that were missed and stayed blonde.
If I were to dye it back to blonde would the red go away, would the blonde patches be noticeable, or should I just dye it red again so that it's all the same?If you have patches, your hair will not dye uniformly. I would go to a salon to have this fixed.
You could dye spots if you're doing a fun semiperm, but it will come out even patchier if you use a permanent. You might want to try a colour stripper and start fresh.
I recently dyed my hair red and I love it, but I also bought extensions and they seem a tone darker. How can I turn my red a tone darker without dyeing it once again?
By Blanka from Baytown, TX
I have this problem. I made my extensions less of a clown red and more of a deeper red once by adding my leftover atomic turquoise by manic panic with my red and mixed til it turned deep bloody red but they are still a bright red just deeper. It will work on your natural hair too
