AboutDana Sear Expertise I can answer questions on all types of hairstyling, cutting, designing, coloring, corrective color, perming techniques,product knowledge, and in general, anything that has anything to do with hair.
Experience I have been a designer and educator for 26 years. I have been a salon consultant for Redken, affiliate trainer for ABBA Pure and Natural and am currently a member of the design team and trainer for my company. I specialize in corrective color, perming and style support, and image updates (make overs)
Education/Credentials I have been actively licensed for 26 years. I have a college degree in another field, and actively participate in and teach cutting, perming, coloring, and business building classes. I am a certified Redken Consultant and certified to perform and teach Chi Transformation.
Question My natural hair color is a really dark blonde. For the past 3 months I have gone to a salon to go blonde. Right now my hair is a yellowish-light-blonde with very light (not quite platinum) highlights and chunks. I want to keep going blonde but doing so monthly at a salon is getting expensive (I want to try something out of a box...). Currently my roots have appeared, what do you recommend (in color, in brand, out of a box, from a beauty supply store, etc) I do? Also, is it better to retouch now since my roots aren't long (its been 3 weeks since my last salon visit)?
Thank you!
Answer Hiya Joanne,
Let's start at the beginning. It is going to be very difficult to duplicate at home what someone else has done when there is more than one color. So doing it at home is not your best option.
Instead, I would highly recommend talking to your stylist about more reasonable maintenance plan for your color treatments. You do not need to do it every month. The more colors you use the less the new growth shows. Most of my clients only get their new growth touched up every 2 to 3 months and roots are never a problem. Even those clients with naturally dark hair and very light highlights are able to go a couple of months. If your hair is dark blond and you are lifting to light blond, there is no reason to do it every month. If the color is applied correctly, the roots should just gradually get lighter avoiding that hard, dark line. You will not be able to do that at home either.
You also do not have to do your entire head each time. I do my clients full, all over highlights once and then do partial highlights 2 or 3 times before it is necessary to do the full again. Your hair will be healthier and shinier.
If you do the highlights too close together, say every 3 weeks, it is extremely difficult to apply the color to the new growth only without touching the hair that has already been lightened. You do not want to put color or lightener over hair that already has color or lightener on it. It will continue to get lighter and weaker and breakage will become a problem. This is another good reason NOT to do it at home and NOT to do it every month, at the salon or otherwise.
Whenever I get a new client, and frequently with my current clients, I talk to them about what they would like to achieve, how much time they have and how much they can budget toward maintenance. When we design a color for them, I take all that information into account and coe up with, not only a color forula and design, but the maintenance plan as well. I tell them how much the initial service is going to cost, when they will need to come back, what we will be doing on the next visit and how much THAT service will cost and what they can expect on a regular basis. If your stylist did not do this for you, talk to him/her about it. Have your stylist come up with a plan within your time and financial abilities. Color at home is never as good as someone who has training and expertise. I tell all my clients that there is a big difference between fine and fabulous.
Another thing to consider is this: If the color does not turn out as you hope, and you have to go to the salon to get it fixed, it will take longer, cost more and require a lot more training on the part of the stylist. Plus, fixed is never as good as right the first time. Only you can decide if it's worth the risk but keep in mind there is a lot more to understanding color than meets the eye. I just bought a house on a clientèle that I built doing corrective color.
If you still feel like you absolutely must give your color a go at home, you need to ask your stylist what brand and what colors he/she uses and what you can buy in the store that will match it. Most designers would rather find a way to work within in your budget than have you go home and mess up their work. (grin) There is a huge difference in the stuff you can buy at the store and a professional line of color. You cannot buy professional color and if you did happen to get hold of a pro line, it will not come with instructions. Plus, the color your hair is, and the color it has been lightened to, contribute to the color it will become so you have to be careful about what you apply.
I hope this does not sound harsh but I spend about 60 hours a week listening to people cry over the mess they have made at home.
I hope you will consider talking to your designer about a more reasonable maintenance schedule.
