My blonde is bad - what do I do now?

[Anonymous]

My hair is over processed. I've been highlighting it for years. I hate the color it is now. How can I (or my stylist, rather) fix it?? If I try to cover it with a toned down blonde, will that work?

[Anonymous]

Reverse highlights? Ask your stylist to add some darker blond tones. Tell her exactly that your hair is what? overprocessed and too blond?

You can deep condition at home. Also, try a purple shampoo to tone down brightest blond or brassy looking. Lather a purple shampoo and then leave on for a few minutes.

Your stylist can do a great, "health" cut or trim to get the frazzled ends off...that will help, then ask for a deep conditioning treatment. Semi permanent color might also be good.

Not a stylist, but been highlighting, toning down, reverse highlighting, capped, frosted, foiled, ombre-d, lemon highlighting my mousy brown and now gray hair for 30 years!

[Anonymous]

Get a new stylist. One with experience with blond.

[Anonymous]

Make an appointment with an experienced, well-reviewed stylist. Scour Yelp, ask your friends for recommendations, and/or if you see someone with hair you like, ask them who they see. Be willing to pay more for a good cut and some lowlights. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Try Aykut. Expensive, but worth it.

http://izzydc.com/staff/aykut/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make an appointment with an experienced, well-reviewed stylist. Scour Yelp, ask your friends for recommendations, and/or if you see someone with hair you like, ask them who they see. Be willing to pay more for a good cut and some lowlights. That's it.

Forgot to add that you may need more professional "help" if you try the DIY route.

My hair is naturally dirty blonde. I tried lightening it with a home kit and ended up with brassy tones. I tried to fix the brass with an ash blonde home kit and ended up with greenish-toned hair. By the time I saw a professional to fix it, I needed more work done to correct the color. Don't do it!

[Anonymous]

Ugh god be careful of lowlights. They can go so, so, wrong. I know from experience. Honestly, you may not want to hear this but I suggest quitting coloring your hair for about 4 months. You will have a demarcation line and you will hate it. However, after you have some solid roots, your stylist can incorporate your nature hair color into your processed color more, breaking it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh god be careful of lowlights. They can go so, so, wrong. I know from experience. Honestly, you may not want to hear this but I suggest quitting coloring your hair for about 4 months. You will have a demarcation line and you will hate it. However, after you have some solid roots, your stylist can incorporate your nature hair color into your processed color more, breaking it up.

No need to look like crap for four months! They can figure out your color from the underside. If your stylist doesn't know what to do, it's time for a new one.

[Anonymous]

Go to a new stylist and tell them the issue. A good colorist can fix it. I’m a bottle blonde and have been going to Shari Ko at the Aveda in Georgetown for years. Really good colorist.

[Anonymous]

Stop coloring your hair. It's the only way to make it healthy again.

[Anonymous]

Get a cut, have a deep condition and a single color.

[Anonymous]

Lowlights wash out very quickly on blonde hair. It will look ok for a few weeks, but then you will be back to the over processed look.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the "don't color it" poster. Give your hair a break and let it grow in healthy again. Find your real self again.

[Anonymous]

Cut off as much as you are comfortable with. There's no fixing the texture of over processed hair. Perhaps try toning it down with color or low lights. It will still be frizzy and fragile though.

[a_jann]

I'm not sure I agree with just letting it grow out. A skilled stylist should be able to easily identify your natural color and add some similarly colored highlights throughout. These are my thoughts on how I would handle. My hair has always been very prone to breaking and damage, and I have gone through a lot of hair issues with overprocessing.

1) Olaplex steps 1 and 2. You can buy online. I would start with once weekly at home. Kind of pricey, but has allowed me to grow my hair an extra 4-5 inches using over a year, without damage from breaking, so I am a fan.

2) Deep condition/mask with every wash (which I would cut back on. Try to use dry shampoo and not wash very often).
- If you can get a heat cap and use this with a mask, even better.

3) Trim off anything hopelessly dead so hair looks healthier

4) Get a purple shampoo to help tone, but keep in mind a lot of these are very drying, making it even more important to use a good mask when you wash. I like Kerastase Masquintense, She Moisture mask, L'Oreal in the yellow tub, Neutrogena. Whatever you love that doesnt contain protein should be fine.

5) Find a good color who can help with the color. Lowlights can go bad (I have been there), but a good colorist should be able to get you to better place, even if it involves multiple colors of lowlights. Definitely use color safe shampoo after.

6) Try to avoid heat styling. Make sure you use a great heat protectant when you do. Look for ways to cut back. This could be a "compromise" styling. Like you still use an iron or rollers or whatever with heat, but you let air dry at night before styling.

7) Compromised hair can also need protein. Try every two weeks for a protein treatment at home. K-Pak is good and easy. Aphogee is probably the strongest, but a somewhat intense process and may dry out hair sensitive to protein. Always follow a protein treatment with a moisture only mask. (If you want to knock this out in one go...I like sitting around (working remotely) with the Olaplex. Rinse. K-pak. Jump in shower. Mask in shower. Done).

Good luck! You can bounce back with time, care, and patience.