Maintaining highlights w/o paying an arm & leg
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free skin care · Fri Jan 12, 2007 1:04 pm

Hey...

So I've been getting blond highlights on my light brown hair for about a year now. I like the extra blond but I don't like:
1. the cost/hassle of upkeep
2. the obviousness of the highlights (no matter how good of a job someone does, it always looks like there's distinct "stripes" -- not to mention I think it looks trashy as it's growing out)

I recently tried using Sun-In to take some upkeep into my own hands and fix some highlights that were growing out. The Sun-In, as usual, created a gross orangey/brassy effect.

I'm wondering if there's a better way to maintain highlights by yourself, without paying a ton of money... ? Can anyone tell me about some at-home methods, natural or otherwise?

free skin care · Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:17 pm

Hi Janis, I had that problem beore, so now I have gone much lighter all over. I go to the salon every 12 weeks and just bleach my parting in between.

free skin care · Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:26 pm

Hi Janis!

I can report only my own experience to you, but maybe it can give you a bit of hope. I've been coloring and cutting my own hair for YEARS, and I just moved to Paris, where, not only do they not have my hair dye brand, they do not have any brand that would even match the color... And it's L'oreal, a french company--go figure. Anyways, the only thing I found here was a double-process otc hair color, by feria, that was in my range. Double process means that there is a base color, and then another complimentary color to go over it. I must admit that I planned only to use the base color and not the highlighter, but I became too tempted and used it. It came out so beautifully, and very natural, it looks like I spent time in the sun...

The colors in these kits are very 'close,' though, so if you have brown hair with, like, white highlights, then this kit is not for you. But if you want subtle highlights on a nice base color, then I certainly recommend this product to you. For the highlights, I basically used my intuition and separated out pieces (of different sizes), mostly around my face, and saturated them with the product. I also made sure to start about a 1/2 inch from my crown and to blend the product in gradually there. I think recent advances in hair dye have made most sensible diy-ers' choices a lot more foolproof. I must add a disclaimer that my hair takes very well to dye, and that I could go blonde without a dryer in a matter of minutes.
So just have a level head about it and decide for yourself. If you have very dark hair and you want to go light, even just highlights, don't do it yourself.

Best,
avalange

free skin care · Fri Jan 12, 2007 8:10 pm

I'm so with you on this one! The cost of going to the hairdressers is becoming ridiculous. My daughter just paid $360 to have her hair cut and highlighted. My other daughter had to pay $90 just for a blowdry.

I have short highlighted hair which involves allot of maintenance - so I have decided that I'd rather spend the money on my skin rather than on my hair! Consequently, for the last 6 months I have been cutting and highlighting my hair myself. My friends and both my daughters think it looks much better than before!!

However, colouring your own hair can be hit and miss (but it can be at the hairdressers too). The last three or four times I have used a Nordic streaking kit. I mix up the colour and apply it to my hair using latex gloves. I just pick up small strands of hair and coat it with the dye with my fingers - this way is relatively fuss free. The streaking cap that comes with the kit is much too much trouble.

I would recommend that you buy a streaking kit and just do a couple of test streaks - good luck!

free skin care · Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:27 am

I've finally reached aplace where I mix and match with going to have my hair cut and coloured, and doing it myself.

I find if I go to the hairdresser and never do it myself, I end up with what I feel is hair like everybody else.. a 'standard' cut and colour.

I have brown hair and blonde highlights. So what I do is go to have it done professionally every six months, and the rest of the time I do it myself.

Actually I usually change the highlights within days of getting them done by a colourist, because I like to have lots of different shades of blonde, and I'm as particular about it as I am about my make up.

I have lots of shades of blonde by kerastase, and lots of old toothbrushes for painting on streaks, that I wrap up in foil.

free skin care · Sat Jan 13, 2007 5:39 pm

I go to the hair salon on regular basis to get all over hightlights & cuts. I am very happy to get it done then to do my own. I notice a huge difference when women do their own colouring and the quality of the colour.

free skin care · Sat Jan 13, 2007 6:49 pm

I just got my hair cut and a friend asked if I had highlighted it. I realized that it was the white hair showing more that made her think that. Shock

free skin care · Sun Jan 14, 2007 8:10 am

I've used the L'oreal Color Experte kit. Not sure if that is the name but it has a base color and a highlight. It worked nice.

But usually I just use a one process color and my hair color gets more natural highligts as the color is exposed to sunlight (even in the winter). When I retouch the color I do the roots and use a higlighter brush (from another kit) and just use the one process color to make streaks that tone down the natural highlights. Hope this makes sense. It ends up looking very natural. Even my stylist comments and is amazed I did it myself.

I recently had highlights done professionally and was disappointed in how they looked for the money I spent.

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