Dealing with lighter roots

[badgercurls]

I've been having my hair colored a few shades darker than my natural color (medium brown). I love how it looks when it's fresh from the salon, but after a few weeks my lighter roots start to grow in and they look strange. I'm trying to figure out the best way to deal with the roots besides going back to get it colored more frequently, because I can't afford to go that often. (Darn this hair that grows really fast!)

I've seen root touch-up kits in the hair dye section at Target, but I'm a little afraid that I'll mess up the color. Has anyone tried them? Or have any other ideas or tips for dealing with lighter roots?

[eche428]

I haven't tried them and have no answer for you. Sorry. I can just commiserate but would love to hear others thoughts.

Guano: I love your avatar pic. Is that your kitty?

[KrazyCurlsMatt]

you could try an at home semi permanant color they wash out over time so you could actually stretch out your current color appointments i like natural instincts because when youre cg it doesnt wash out that much! they also have alot of colors here's a link to their site
http://clairol.com/naturalinstincts/...hart_brown.jsp

[badgercurls]

Thanks, Matt. I may try a semi-permanent dye after my next appointment (next week). I've used a bunch in the past and liked HE, too.

Eche - that's my boy kitty when he was a baby. He's a year and a half old and not that little anymore, but he still has the cute face.

[eche428]

Originally Posted by badgercurls

Thanks, Matt. I may try a semi-permanent dye after my next appointment (next week). I've used a bunch in the past and liked HE, too.

Eche - that's my boy kitty when he was a baby. He's a year and a half old and not that little anymore, but he still has the cute face.

Oh, he's so cute I just want to "kish his widdle fashe!"

[crazywaves]

I would say go for it if you were going to stay with coloring your hair yourself but if you plan on still having it done professionally live with the roots.

Professional color and store color are different so my stylist says. And I have to agree with her since I tried this a few months ago. It took her a couple of appointments to correct the color. It took a toll on my curls and for that reason alone its not worth it.

I think we tend to notice our roots more than others really do. I have switched from 4 weeks to 6 weeks.

[Koukla72]

Salon color is different from store-bought in that different brands or lines will always have variations in their formulas and colors (one brand's Chestnut won't be the same as another's Chestnut, for example) and salon brands are not the same ones as sold in boxed kits in stores. Boxed kits are also limited in the developer level they use. It's always level 20, and sometimes a weak 20 at that.

If you're having a simple single-process color done, though, there's no reason you can't find a color similar to the one you have now at a beauty supply, from a brand that also carries both permanent developer and semi-permanent. That way you could use the pigment you buy from them (it's always sold separately at beauty supply stores) with either developer, and keep the color almost exactly the same. That's what I do. I use Satin brand in Light Titian, but because reds fade quickly I sometimes do a mid-growth color in the same shade but using their semi-permanent developer instead. It works pretty well to boost my color back to what it should be until my next "real" coloring. Plus you'd save money on the salon expenses. I wouldn't advise this if you get more complex processes done, though, like highlights as well as color.

(If you do do this, I'd use level 10 developer for your permanent color, since you're trying to go darker than your natural color, rather than 20 or higher. Level 10 is for depositing color rather than trying to lift it lighter.)

[badgercurls]

Thanks, everyone! I've been having my hair done at a salon, so you've confirmed my suspicion that using something from a drugstore to color my roots is not a good idea. I have a hair appointment this week, so I won't have to worry about roots for three or four weeks after that, but I will keep in mind your advice. My guess is that you're all right - it looks a lot more dramatic to me than it does to other people!

[elliephant]

This is long, sorry. I hope it helps you out though. I'm a natural dark blonde and I frequently dye my hair pretty dark (I actually just frequently dye it, but I always end up going back to the blackish-brown). The reverse roots are the worst and I felt like after a week it I looked like I had a wide scalp or like one of those old ladies with bad white roots and dark ends. The best way to deal with it is demi-permanent dye (preferably not from a drugstore because sometimes they'll switch formulas on you or use some weird color bases). I go to Sally's and they have pretty good products there and I know clairol makes a line of color that has permanent and the equivalent demi-permanent dye. Depending on how dark your hair is, you may have luck with these. Keep in mind, if you end up dying your own hair with permanent color, choose a color a couple shades lighter than what you want. When I first started dyeing my hair, I picked up a "Level 4N" and was planning on it being "medium brown". It was definitely black and ended up "fading" to black with a brown sheen to it (fortunately I liked it). I don't know if you have pictures of your hair up, but I could tell you what color I would get (I think I've had my hair dark at least 6 times in the last 3 years and I've tried almost every major hair dye at Sally's. I think they know me). Or if you are feel comfortable with your stylist, you could ask her for a recommendation for something for root touch-ups.

[summersOVER]

Hi,

I naturally have dark golden blonde hair. However, I have been dying it (myself) dark brown for a while. I did this a while back, but then when I wanted to go back to blonde for a bit, I had to pay a ton of $$ and sit at the salon for like 5 hours while my hair was severly damaged from the whole ordeal.

I have been trying to figure out if this plan would work- keep dying it dark brown, but monthly with Natural Instincts. Then perhaps the permanent brown could grow out undetected?

Is this plan too good to be true?

[crimsonshedemon]

I don't know if you can add semi-permanent over permanent hair color?

If you're adding color and not bleaching/highlighting, what about doing it yourself? Then you could touch up every few weeks with no problem.

I'm a dark blond and dye my hair red. The reverse roots are funny. It's not often that people cover up their blond hair.


I had to quit going to the salon every month so now I just do it myself. I use Robert Craig products. I don't want to deal with developer, toner, etc, etc and I didn't want the smell that I used to get from Feria.
RC is simple and very easy to use. It's very gentle on the hair and there's no smell.
My color doesn't fade, turn brassy, etc. I have no problem keeping the color true. I dye the re-growth every 4 weeks.. the last 5 minutes or so, I pull the color thru the length. And that's it.
www.robertcraig.com

[summersOVER]

I just am looking for an easy way out of having to go to a salon whern I want to go back to lighter...I just dyed my roots/hair with a dark brown natural instincts, so I guess I will see how that holds up...