Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I confess I am a highlighting addict. I 'originally' had medium brown hair, and then when I was 12 the kool-aide began....then came the sun-in, and now the $150 highlights....

My hair is not bleached blonde or anything...the highlights are like a darker blonde, caramelish color....but, note that because I have highlighted it so much, there is like NO brown left whatsoever....so it almost looks like it is one color.

So, now my hair is very damaged...to the point where a lot of it falls out (is this normal?), it is dry, and the minute I walk outside, gets very frizzy...it wasn't like this until this past year or so....

My colorist has no problem highlighting my hair over and over again...and in fact, I didn't really realize it was that bad until she went on maternity leave and I asked my stylist who usually does my updos for highlights. Her response was 'Honey, god knows I can easily make a couple hundred bucks right now and highlight your hair, but I REFUSE to...it is way too weak and your hair needs to heal.'

Damn. Did I appreciate that!!!! So, what she did was 'tone' it by using a soft color to cover the roots, but then blended it in to the rest of my hair. I must admit it looked great for the first few weeks, but as soon as I got roots it started to look horrific.

Now, here is how my hair looks from root to tip:

medium brown roots followed by about 4 inches of brassyness followed by old, dry highlights...

I do not know what to do. A part of me wants to go back to my natural color and then just leave it be. My greatest concern is obviously having healthy hair for my wedding! The other part of me is scared to go back to the medium brown color because it would be a drastic difference....and FI has never seen me with dark hair, except in pictures...

I guess my question is...have any of you had this problem? What did you do? If you did go back to your natural color, did you go to a salon or do it yourself? If so, what did you use? I guess what I am thinking is since I might go back dark, it might be easy enough to do myself...

Suggestions please....before I pull my hair out!!!!
TIA girls!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I would give your hair a break- maybe go back to your natural color and do semiperm (much gentler) keep getting trims.
I would also invest in a GOOD leave-in conditioner.
You have a yr & 4 months- thats enough time.

I love the Matrix sleek line- shampoo, conditioner & styling creme.

My hairdresser told me to stop blowdrying with an 1875 watt blowdryer- go back to 1600 watts.

Also, no brushes with metal- only paddle brush and boars bristle.

I would go back to my naturl and then put some highlites like 2 weeks before your wedding.

Edited to add- when you darken hair you are coating it (strength when you bleach you are removing color weaker)

Good luck

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I would go back to natural.....I think having healthy hair that doesn't fall out if much more important than keeping a color just because you're used to it. Your poor hair needs a break!
and you should go back to that colorist that refused to color your hair and give her a big hug!!! she did you a huge favor by refusing you!!!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by nov.bride

I would give your hair a break- maybe go back to your natural color and do semiperm (much gentler) keep getting trims.
I would also invest in a GOOD leave-in conditioner.
You have a yr & 4 months- thats enough time.

I love the Matrix sleek line- shampoo, conditioner & styling creme.

My hairdresser told me to stop blowdrying with an 1875 watt blowdryer- go back to 1600 watts.

Also, no brushes with metal- only paddle brush and boars bristle.

I would go back to my naturl and then put some highlites like 2 weeks before your wedding.

Edited to add- when you darken hair you are coating it (strength when you bleach you are removing color weaker)

Good luck

---

I knew another Floral Terrace bride would come to my rescue, thanks!!!!

Yes, semiperm is what she used last time (I was trying to remember the name, instead i said soft lol). I get trims every 6 weeks. I also invested in 'Solerm' leave in conditioner which is supposed to be full of protein. I might give Matrix sleek a try...my FSIL uses that too...

I don't use brushes with metal bristles...they are natural I believe.

I am not sure what my blower is, but I know it is 'ionic' which is supposed to be better than a normal one...

So you are saying that darkening it should add strength?

Do you recommend i color it myself?

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by palebride

I would go back to natural.....I think having healthy hair that doesn't fall out if much more important than keeping a color just because you're used to it. Your poor hair needs a break!
and you should go back to that colorist that refused to color your hair and give her a big hug!!! she did you a huge favor by refusing you!!!

---

No kidding...I was shocked when she said that...anyone else would have just ripped me off!!!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I would let it go back to natural. You have plenty of time before your wedding and then do something special for your wedding if you want to. But I think your hair needs a rest. I was once a 'so-blonde-its-white-from-the-bottle girl too' and my hair was so brittle I dyed it the color I remembered my hair was and then let it grow out.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

NO- don't Dye it yourself! Go back to the honest stylist- have her color it.
When you darken hair you are coating it and adding- the bleach removes color- go dark!!!!!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I was just thinking, if you don't want to go back to your darker color all at once, why don't you darken it gradually. Maybe add some low-lights first...and a slightly darker toner? and then you can just go darker the next couple of times you go back....just a suggestion.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by nov.bride

NO- don't Dye it yourself! Go back to the honest stylist- have her color it.
When you darken hair you are coating it and adding- the bleach removes color- go dark!!!!!

---

Ok you sold me!!!! I am going dark...!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by neesiepie

I was just thinking, if you don't want to go back to your darker color all at once, why don't you darken it gradually. Maybe add some low-lights first...and a slightly darker toner? and then you can just go darker the next couple of times you go back....just a suggestion.

---

Hey office bridezilla! That really is a great suggestion and will be what I do if I don't have the guts to go back dark all at once...or if my colorist doesn't want it to go back all at once either...

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

When I did highlights and had roots, I colored my hair one last time, to the color that was close to my natural color and then let that grow out. It took a while and then cut off all the old color and haven't colored it since.

It's up to you, do you want to go back to your natural color and possibly have some roots for a while. Otherwise I would dye it at most one more time before you don't dye it to have it get healthier.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I did a perm almost 2 years ago that badly damaged my hair. I was always one to hight/dye my hair too.
I basically dyed it my root color and left it for about a year and a half, getting regular trims and deep conditioning treatments.

If you are getting married in Nov '05, I'd say, dye your hair to close to your natural color and keep that until about next year. Really let your hair rest and heal. All that damage needs to grow out.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

You have time so I would let your hair heal. Grow it out and if you are unhappy with the color, change it closer to your wedding. Healthy hair is so much better than colored hair.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

Don't dye it yourself, only because it is damaged & you have 3 different color sections going on, so the color won't take evenly.

Ask a colorist.
Maybe even go to a different place.
I think mayebyou need a permananet color, b/c a semi perminet will fade& then the bottom will be light again.
Since you have a whiel before your wedding, you should cut it if you can, too.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

i would get a cut that taks out a lot of the damaged hair (a good stylist can do this and still leave you with decent length hair) and just let it grow out...
you have over a year...you'll have long/healthy hair by then.

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by BMD'sPeanut

i would get a cut that taks out a lot of the damaged hair (a good stylist can do this and still leave you with decent length hair) and just let it grow out...
you have over a year...you'll have long/healthy hair by then.

---

Hi!

Do you have a recommendation of who/where to go to...?

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by Tivogliobene
Hi!

Do you have a recommendation of who/where to go to...?

---

Where are you located?

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

I totally know where you are coming from.

I had hair that was three different colours: dark brown on the top red towards the ends and a random blond streak. It was hideous. My stylist actually dyed it twice: he dyed the light section darker and the drak section lighter so that they matched and were close to my natural colour - and then we put in highligthts. And he did a deep condtioning treatment. It took about 5 hours, but it was so worth it.

I reccomend him very very highly:

Etai at Panache Salon on Austin Street in Forest Hills (Queens, not scary or inconvenient. very cute area)

Best of Luck!

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

Ugh, where was the salon that did this initially!? I had highlight issues....I am gradually having them do the base darker to get back to my natural brown, since the base was getting to be too blonde (more the color of the highlights).

Re: Hair Help-kinda sorta wedding related (and long)

---

Posted by Jan05Bride

---

Posted by Tivogliobene
Hi!

Do you have a recommendation of who/where to go to...?

---

Where are you located?

---

Queens-Ridgewood area.