Ladies: Hair Color???

[Liesje]

I kind of want to color my hair but I need advice. I've never done ANYTHING to my hair before besides have my friends or mom cut it (no highlights, no hair salons, nothing). My hair color is I guess a light-to-medium brown. Kind of a dry, dirty brown color. I want it to be a bit darker brown so it's more of an even, sheer color. Can I do it with something I buy at the store or do I have to shell out big bucks for a professional do? Also, will sun do anything to it? I'm in the sun a LOT during the summer. Below is a picture of me and my hair (it's a bit lighter in the real pic b/c of the sun and it gets lighter over the summer):

What do you guys think?

EDIT: I guess it looks kinda red there b/c of our bathroom light...but it's not red at all.

 

[Liesje]

OK, well, uh Ellen just scanned my hair so here is a better representation:

I don't know exactly how I want it, just darker, so please post suggestions

 

[AvsGirl41]

You could totally use a box dye if you want. It can be messy doing it at home and hard to get it even. If you go to a salon supply shop and buy a brush and put the dye in a bowl, that generally gives you a better application.

There are several good brands right now in the stores--My sister and I have had good luck with the newest Garnier and Loreal ones. They're gentle on your hair and last a long time, and the color they advertise are what you really get!

When picking out a color, you might want to go one *darker* because they tend to come out lighter than they say, or fade quickly.

I say go for it--dye whatever color you want! It's always fixable.

 

[BAW]

If you have someone help you, doing it at home is really easy...and like AvsGirl said, Garnier and Loreal are really good brands.

Just a warning though...I used home color for 20 years with really good results but screwed up my hair BIG TIME with do-it-yourself highlights so now I'm paying someone $125 for a full weave every 3 months to bring back my natural color. So yeah, regular color is fine to do at home but save the more complicated things like highlights for a salon.

 

[Liesje]

OK, sounds good. I'll NEVER try highlights 1) b/c I just really don't like them (I've always wanted darker hair) and 2) I've done them to others and they're a pain in the ass to do right

 

[beli]

You can buy shampoo in colour ie you wash you hair in every day and it goes a little bit darker each time. Just to try if you like your hair darker. Thats what I did the first time I decided I wanted to go brown.

 

[meegannie]

If you want to just change the tone a little bit and not do anything permanent at first, try something like Casting or Natural Insticts....level 2 dyes that wash out in four weeks or so. They usually just a different tone to your hair, instead of changing it completely. Though permanent dyes usually fade out pretty quickly too. Anyway, it helps if you have someone else put the dye on for you, especially to get the pieces in the back.

 

[Liesje]

You can buy shampoo in colour ie you wash you hair in every day and it goes a little bit darker each time. Just to try if you like your hair darker. Thats what I did the first time I decided I wanted to go brown.

Lol, this reminds me of the time I got this liquid black color that you comb in and it rinses right out. I got it b/c I was Bono for Halloween and it didn't work (wasn't thick/dark enough) so I ended up streaking black mascara through my hair. It was such a mess to wash out, but it definitely made my hair like Bono's!

 

[arw]

If you don't want to do it yourself you could find a salon that doesn't charge much. My brother owns a walk in, no appointment type of salon and they do colors for people all the time. I have no clue what he charges (I get it done free ) but it has to be a lot cheaper than other places with the amount of colors they do.

 

[Liesje]

Yeah, I could make an appoinment with my aunt and probably get a discount, but then I have to try to schedule a time and I have no way of getting there....I'll just try a store one and if I mess up, give her a call later!

 

[anitram]

I personally never do dyeing or highlights at home. I figure it's worth it to go get it done, and if you don't do it often, even more worth it. And definitely pay for foils, much better than the cap if you ever do it.

Your hair colour does fade out in the sun, it's something you should be aware of. This is why I generally like to get new highlights in September, because if I get them in June, my natural hair colour lightens and there is much less of a contrast on the surface than there was originally.

It's a bit hard to tell how much darker your hair will get because you don't have experience with hair dye. Some people take up dye a lot, and some people don't, and it washes out sooner or their hair ends up being lighter than anticipated. Usually the straighter or finer your hair, the less dye it will take up than someone with coarse, wavy or curly hair (this is just because of the chemical structure of bonding).

I think darker brown will look great on you!

 

[OzAurora]

I am the queen of hair colours, as my hair is very fine I have never been too adventurous in my cuts as fine hair dosnt really 'do' any styles, so my hair is just usually long (just below my shoulders) and dead straight, so to make up for this I use colours quite a bit. In the past year I have gone from blonde to black underneath and bright red on top, black all over and about two months ago I had my hair 'foiled' with blonde, dark brown, burgundy and copper. My natural colour is kinda like yours and about the same thickness. I would recommend foils, but to get these you do have to go to a salon, unless you have a friend who is a hairdresser and I would get some dark brown foils and maybe another colour that you like. The best thing about foils is that they dont damage your hair as much as streaking (which is what you want if you have fine hair) and you can use a mixture of colours.

Home hair jobs can work, I know that I used to do mine all the time, when I was just blonde all over, but I think that if you want anything like streaks, foils or a mix of colours it is best to get it done in a salon. But all in all, hair jobs always look best when they are done by a professional....

oh and I dont know if this would work for you, but maybe you could try getting your hair done at a hairdressing college. Last year I had my hair coloured for free at a Redken training college in Brisbane. It was great and basically I was able to pick the colours that I wanted, the hairdressers were all experienced and were just being trained in the application of a new range of redken products, maybe this is something that you could look at in your area

 

[Angela Harlem]

You've got a great natural colour for putting a dye onto.
Try and avoid any ammonia based colours as they will strip your colour first before filling in the with dye and they look fake.
Also look at a colour wheel. All dyes are based on a particular colour so base the one you choose on a colour that will not clash or alternatively show up in the dye if it doesn't 'take' properly. For example, I am blonde and if I wanted to use a DIY colour and was trying to put Ash tones in, Ash is a blue/green colour base and therefore would mix with the yellow/gold of my hair and turn out more green than anyone would ever wish to do on purpose. Work out what your hair predominantly is, then go for a colour which wont literally mix to a colour you dont want.
I dont think I explained this well lol.
Will you post pics?

 

[Liesje]

I'll post pics if/when I do it (no $$$ right now). I think I'm gonna go with a do-it-yourself b/c I want an even color, NO highlights . So the sun won't have any effect on a darker shade of brown (like does the sun do anything to the dye and make the hair turn a weird color?)

 

[AvsGirl41]

No, sun will only fade color, it shouldn't alter it.

I dyed mine burgundy once by accident--actually, it wasn't me, it was my stylist--and I went to a water park the very next day. Despite sun and chlorine, it didn't even change. And that was one time I wouldn't have minded if it faded...

 

[cass]

I wouldn't describe your hair as dry dirty brown. It looks lovely as it is. But if you feel the need for a change, do it.
I started dying my hair myself when there started to be just too many grey hairs. I'm a bit worried they have stopped manufacturing the one I like to use, Loreal Open 8N Natural Blonde, I've only got half a packet left I love the conditioner they supply with it. It smells fruity and makes my hair soft. I had foils done once and loved them, but they are too expensive for me. I cut and dye my hair myself (it perhaps looks like it?) ah well). Actually my husband combs the dye through for me. It is good if you have a friend who will help, it's hard to get it spread evenly at the back yourself.
One thing the hairdresser adviced me. Don't use Pantene shampoo for a couple of weeks before you dye it. It is a silicone product and it prevents the dye penetrating the hair shaft.
I saw a recent pic of Bono the other day here. Someone said they thought he had a "mad scientist" look going on. That made me laugh I did think how similar our hair colour is and with the same amount of grey showing through. I just can't submit to the ageing process gracefully yet.
PS: I just held my hair up to the screen on your scanned hair and they are almost identical in colour. Your hair is a lot healthier than mine.
Have fun

 

[Liesje]

My hair probably looks healthier b/c I never do anything to it, lol! I don't even own a curling iron or any of those straightener things. My hair won't stay curled or straight anyway.

And I will avoid the Pantene! Actually, I only use Suave b/c it's 69 cents at Target. Does that have silicone?

 

[cass]

I'm not sure LivLuv, I only have been warned about Pantene.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

i agree with the meegs, try a temporary thang first like casting or something. it washes out gradually so you can get a better idea of what you wanna dye it.

but yeah, as long as you're just going for something non-drastic like that (just a couple shades darker), at-home colour is fine. but for really drastic stuff, like blonde or highlights, should be done in a salon. trust me.

i really like clarol's natural instincts dye, it smells really good too so when you're leaning over your tub rinsing it out, you won't want to pass out from the fumes. it smells a lot like their shampoos do (kinda fruity and floral), not really chemical-like at all.

 

[fah]

More advice...

I have been gradually going from reddish blonde to reddish brown. The one thing that my hair stylist told me I was going to have to do going to a darker shade was wear more makeup because I have fair skin. I'm not big into makeup but if I don't wear it, my face (eyes/lips in particular) just seem to disappear.

I think you'll look great with darker hair but only go one shade darker the first time.

 

[meegannie]

I have been gradually going from reddish blonde to reddish brown. The one thing that my hair stylist told me I was going to have to do going to a darker shade was wear more makeup because I have fair skin. I'm not big into makeup but if I don't wear it, my face (eyes/lips in particular) just seem to disappear.

I bet this is my problem....I'm really pale and my hair is naturally reddish blondish brown and if I don't wear lipstick and eyeliner, I look dead. When my hair was strawberry blonde last summer, I could get away without wearing lipstick.

 

[Sue DeNym]

My hair probably looks healthier b/c I never do anything to it, lol! I don't even own a curling iron or any of those straightener things. My hair won't stay curled or straight anyway.

Your hair is very beautiful the way it is. You're right; the less one does to one's hair, the better it looks.

You can try a new color if you want, but the more often you color it, the more it gets damaged, then you have to keep working on it to get it to look half-decent.

I think it would be good to just stay with what you've got; keep your hair healthy and naturally beautiful for as long as possible. Wait until you have grey hair to start coloring. If you really want to color it, consult a professional first; they can tell you what will work best with your coloring and hair type.

 

[Klaus]

No advice, just an opinion Black hair would fit excelent.

 

[The_Sweetest_Thing]

be careful no to go too dark, especially if your eyebrows are light.

I did that and walked around for months looking horrible...especially since this was right after the summer and my eyebrows were quite blond (I had dyed my hair a really dark brownish/red).

 

[Klaus]

Of course your eyebrows should be dyed the same color