highlights vs. all over color
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| I have mousy natural hair color that I've been highlighting for 20+ years, typically about every 10-11 weeks. Now 47, I have some grey coming in at the roots, though not tons. It seems like I need to get my highlights done more frequently just because I look kind of run down and generally bad. But it's so expensive and so time consuming -- it's a 2-3 hour appointment every time (I'm a working mom of three). Would I potentially be better off just dying my whole head to a light brown/dark blonde color? Do you think I could keep roots up myself or would I just be going in to get my roots colored all the time (how long does that take and how frequently do people go)? I need a new option -- I am spending a lot of time and money and honestly I don't look that good anyway. |
Anonymous
| I look forward to going glossy gray when it's time |
Anonymous
| I was doing balayage with my black hair but switched to all over color and roots I can do myself. |
Anonymous
| Do a gloss two shades lighter than your base until all of your highlights have grown out. Then you can go gray easily, whenever you want. |
Anonymous
|
My hairstylist does allover but makes it a liveable color...ie it can grow out for up to a year. I am picky and I usually go every 6 months.
Also red light therapy has reversed my grays. I have 4 panels I use a home and it's been worth it. I'm 47 too. |
Anonymous
Wow, tell me more about this? What magic witchcraft is that? |
Anonymous
Ooh, which color are you doing? Matching the black? I'm in the same boat. |
Anonymous
| I always understand that maintenance is much harder with all over color versus highlights which is why you want to delay it. |
Anonymous
|
I color my roots every 3 weeks @ a salon. Not cheap, but I don’t spend a lot on other items. But it’s also ~90 minutes with a lot of time being the blowout @ end. I used to do color/highlights and it took about 2 hours. Before I switched salons it took 3 hours as the guy just didn’t move too fast.
OP, I’m 62 and it took many years for me to go so frequently - imagine you would not need to do so @ 47. |
Anonymous
It doesn't always work that way. I hope it does for you - my grey hair comes in a different texture and a very dull color, and also not all over so I have some brown and some grey - not even some cool grey streak or anything. It also makes me look super washed out. I will dye until I die. |
Anonymous
Gray is bad, it ages and makes you disappear |
Anonymous
| Try all over demi-permanent that matches your natural |
Anonymous
I am using naturtint and a dark brown shade. |
Anonymous
I went fully natural for a few years and really liked it ... so easy and my natural hair was surprisingly not as mousy as I had built it up in my head  without the highlights my hair was shiny and healthy and less grey than I also thought it would be
All of this said, in the end... I didn't feel like myself (I'd been highlighting since I was maybe 12 years old!) so have gone back to blonde with a new stylist who understands my coloring better and has given me more dimension and brighter highlights |