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Hate Your New Hair Color? We've Got Solutions!

by Deborah Dunham (Subscribe to Deborah Dunham's posts)
Posted Jun 30th 2010 at 7:00AM  
24 Comments
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Do you hate your hair color? Photo: Getty Images

There are worse things than not liking your new hair color. Like, hating it.

If you've ever walked out of the salon -- or looked in the bathroom mirror after an at-home dye job -- and wondered how long it would take for this color disaster to grow out, you're not alone.

Given the fact that 55 percent of women lighten or darken their locks (increasing to 75 percent once we hit 40), it happens more than you think.

Tracey Cunningham, Redken's color consultant and co-owner of Byron and Tracey Salon in Beverly Hills believes less is always more when it comes to color.

"The biggest problem that goes wrong with hair color is putting too much color in or doing too many colors," Cunningham says. "If you've got shorter hair, stick to a monochromatic all-over color. With longer hair, use natural-looking highlights woven through. Especially with short hair, if you put in too many highlights, it tends to look stripey and unnatural."

If you're unhappy with your color, you don't have to resolve to living the next few months under a hat -- even though this season's rife with stylish toppers. Here are Cunningham's best tips on what to do:

Stripy Highlights: If you're unhappy with your color or if your highlights are too light, use a toner to draw out your natural colors. The gloss will richen the color and bring it to a happier medium.

Invisible Highlights: When your highlights come out too dark, you simply have to re-highlight. Be sure to use good color-extending conditioner following your treatment to maintain the vitality and strength of the hair.

All-Over Color Disasters: If your all-over hair color comes out differently than what you hoped for, you will have to start over – there is no shortcut. Be sure to consult with your colorist so that you don't make too dramatic of a change too quickly and damage your hair. Choose an end goal and work towards it and realize that it may not come after one treatment. Be sure to use a conditioner for color-treated hair to keep your locks healthy during the transformation.

And don't worry, Cunningham says It's not necessarily more difficult to get the perfect shade the second or third time. "At times, you can only achieve the perfect color after two or three treatments depending on where you're coming from and where you're going," she says.

If you're dye-shy after your hair-hating episode, growing it out is always an option too. "When doing this, use a gloss treatment which is not a permanent coloring system that will change your natural color, but rather one that gives life and shine to the natural colors while refreshing the faded highlights or dye."

"The biggest mistake that people make when choosing their color is looking at a picture of a celebrity and blindly deciding on that color." says Cunningham. "There are many factors that should be kept in mind when choosing your color – face shape, skin tone, hair length – that may not match the picture you are looking at. Be sure to have a discussion with your colorist, choose a color and stick to it".

It's not only color that can trouble us with our tresses. Take a look at why 91 percent of women have serious hair issues!
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Filed under: Hair, Hair Color
Tags: color, color correction, ColorCorrection, dye, hair color, hair dye, HairColor, HairDye, hate my hair color, HateMyHairColor, highlights, re-coloring hair, Re-coloringHair, salon, wrong hair color, WrongHairColor
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READER COMMENTS

(24)Add A Comment

JoElla, 6-30-2010, 5:00PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
JoElla

well i have been looking for a new hairstyle,if eneyone kows what would look good in black hair plz let me know < my email is joella_moody@yahoo.com ,thank you

Reply »

Susan, 6-30-2010, 9:00PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Susan

I bleach out my own hair - using lemon juice and then being in the sun! Http://www.homeremediesguide.info

»

Babs, 6-30-2010, 8:37PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Babs

I have dyed my hair at home for yrs. I have noticed over the past year and a half that the shade med auburn has changed to some kinda purple in color, I've had to lighten to a light auburn to get the same brilliant red, I think the color companies are just trying to keep up with the changing times, oh my metallic red granny in 50 yrs-here I come.

Reply »

Leona, 6-30-2010, 8:59PM

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Leona

The biggest mistake women make when they are trying to change haircolor is trying to make too drastic a change at once. Over about four months, I took my hair from a dark brown to a honey blonde with blonde highlights. It takes a while, but the highlights are KEY if you are a do it yourselfer. I alternated all over color with lot's of highlights and kept making the base a tiny bit lighter each time. For the first time in YEARS....people are coming up to me and saying "your hair looks GREAT." I haven't colored my own hair in many years, but I will be doing it myself from now on...for a tenth of the price. You just have to figure out what product works best for you and then have fun with your hair and save money! I do spend money on a great cut thought...I can appreciate that talent in a great hairdresser.

Reply »

Vickie, 6-30-2010, 9:32PM

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Vickie

My problem is gray roots. I am a natural medium brunette and I colored my own hair for years to cover my gray. Then I had surgery and wasn't able to do it so I had to have it done. The hairdresser I went to colored it a lot darker than I had been coloring it and now when my roots start to grow the difference is really drastic. My hair grows really fast and the roots have to be colored about every 3 weeks. I need to lighten it up and I would like to do something so I wouldn't have to color the roots so often and to make it less noticeable when they start to grow out. Anybody have any suggestions?

Reply »

Ali, 7-01-2010, 11:16AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Ali

Have the same problem Root touch-up by Clairol at the same level works well. It only takes 10 minutes to process. Can extend your Salon appointments to 5 or 6 weeks instead of 3. Matches my color perfectly. Also use Roux touch-up stick when in a pinch. It's a fat crayon that you wet . I get it at Sally's Beauty Supply.

»

alice, 7-01-2010, 2:36AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
alice

everybody will be annoyed by the dull hair color.Don't worry about it any more,I'm from vimage hair from china.we are producing and marketing human hair wigs,and now it is popular in usa,but if you are buy it from the dealer in usa,it is really expensive,because they are buying from us! Hope we can do a favor for you .

»

kathy, 6-30-2010, 10:44PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
kathy

i wanna color my hair, but mine is wavy. any suggestions what color should I use?

Reply »

hermione, 6-30-2010, 11:53PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
hermione

@kathy, try any color that you want for as long as you're happy.

Reply »

test, 6-30-2010, 10:55PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
test

i wanna put highlight on my hair

Reply »

diane, 6-30-2010, 11:12PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
diane

I dont get what wavy has to do with what color your hair is.

Reply »

Lynn, 6-30-2010, 11:26PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Lynn

BE CAREFUL!!! I colored my hair for almost 20 years. My original color is pure white so once a month I gave it a Loreal Excellence in the pink box for light blonde and varied between #10 most of the time to #9 1/2 and #9 sometimes when I couldn't find #10.
Last month I couldn't find any of them so went with Loreal to-go in the green box #9. It came out a bit darker ash than I was used to but I could live with it. Still not able to find the pink box this month I went with Loreal gold box #01 which said EXTRA LIGHT ASH BLONDE!!!!! FORGET IT, my hair reminds me of the teacher I used to have many, many years ago with the blue coloring overtone. Not only do I not have my beautiful white hair the whole head is a STEEL GREY and NOT BEAUTIFUL!!! Loreal tells me it will wash??? out. Well it hasn't yet and I hesitate to color it so soon again so will have to wait on that too and THEN will use another brand.

Reply »

Kathy, 7-01-2010, 2:37AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Kathy

www.Product.NetWellnessSalon.com - read info about "Wellness Actives COLOR CORRECTION formula". This will solve your problem.

»

Kim, 6-30-2010, 11:56PM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Kim

If anyone out there is considering dying their hair a darker shade, remember that when you dye your hair (any color) routinely (every few months or so) that your hair will become porous and it will absorb darker pigments easier on the ends touch up the roots then pull through the rest of your hair at the end of the timing session. And someone told me that if it gets too dark, instead of using hair color remover kits, (WHICH ARE VERY HARSH AND DAMAGING), use regular dandruff shampoo to help fade the color, instead. Over a week or so you will notice the difference without damaging your hair. I thought the person was nuts but I tried it to see and it did help and saved my hair from being damaged. Dying your hair dark brown then putting another color on it will not give you a true color result... It will make your hair darker and add barely visible undertones of the added/new color...New colors should be put on uncolored hair for a true result... Otherwise you will be adding one color on top of another color and it will just look darker... I learned all of this the hard way and thought I would share with people who are coloring for the first time to save them the disappointment and money. Also, if in doubt call L'Oreal (or whatever brand you bought) consultant number on the box of hair dye. They have saved me more than once. The L'Oreal consultant was awesome. I hope this helps someone...

Reply »

Kathy, 7-01-2010, 2:46AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
Kathy

I agree with your comments Kim. Most, but not all color corrector kits are damaging.
I just posted a message about a product called Wellness Active Color Corrector which I have used when I asked to have my highlights toned down and they went too dark and the ends came out ash. You can read about it www.Product.NetWellnessSalon.com
I was scared but the person used this miracle product (not the same hairdresser who made my hair dark and ashy. I won't be going back to her) which is also sulfate free and it actually left my hair feeling better. I don't know how it works but it's also non toxic no peroxide ingredients. It's a powder which foams up into a shampoo. She didn't wear gloves, so I know it's not harmful.

»

myprofile, 7-01-2010, 12:23AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
myprofile

will it damage your hair if you'll highlight it after rebond?

Reply »

dfc4385, 7-01-2010, 12:51AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
dfc4385

If you say your white hair is beautiful, why do you color it?

Reply »

storeysound, 7-01-2010, 2:06AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
storeysound

Best thing you can do? Leave your hair the color it is. You're not fooling anyone. Your complection matches your natural hair color, and you can't really change the color of your skin. Plus, there are no white-blondes over the age of 12 (aside from some Scandinavians). Grey is not evil, embrace it.

Reply »

kinoshika, 7-01-2010, 2:57AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
kinoshika

I like this particular article it gives me an additional input in the information a round the world. Thanks a lot and keep going with posting such information.
=====================================================
Best Fashion Info

Reply »

david, 7-01-2010, 3:01AM

2 stars vote downvote upReport
david

I like this particular article it gives me an additional input in the information a round the world. Thanks a lot and keep going with posting such information.
=====================================================
[url=http://bestfashioninfo.com]Best Fashion Info[/url]

Reply »

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