I messed up my hair........

[a(TM)?Star]

I have dirty blonde hair, that has been highlighted for years. It looked really nice.........then I couldn't get to the salon after having dd, so I did it at home, a light blonde, single process. It looked okay, I was happy. But then I decided to dye it at home with a mahogony brown. I came out a little red, I HATE it. Now what can I do at home, to bring it back to blonde. I'm afraid to dye it again, because a: my hair is falling out BIG time since having dd, and b: I'm scared to have it come out that yucky blonde/brassy/red/brown color. What can I do? I know there must be some hairstylists around here.

[oneKnight]

You wouldn't like my answer:
I took my clippers and 1/2" guard to mine =D

[NotTheOnlyOne]

you need to go to the salon. If you try to lighten it at home, you will be orange... and thats a lot worse than red.

[GooeyRN]

I wouldn't try fixing it at home unless you like orange hair. It should wash out some after about 6-8 weeks if you can hang in there. Then it would be safer to fix. I would be afraid of stripping it now if it isn't real healthy. It will loose its shine.

[thriftyqueen]

I am a hairstylist and I would recommend absolutely do NOT try to fix it at home. There are a lot of color messes I have helped people fix on Mothering by explaining the process, but this is not something you can fix at home without royally damaging your hair.

You are either going to have to double process bleach it or use a color remover. Color remover is only available to stylists. With bleaching, you are going to end up flaming orange. This is okay when this happens at a salon because stylists know how to get the flaming orange toned with color, but it is almost impossible to get it right at home. Box colors are just very different from products used in salons.

The ONLY home option you have is to go darker with a dark ASH to tone out some of the red. I can help you through this option, but I don't know that you want to go darker. If you do, let me know and I will help you.

Sorry that I don't have a positive answer for you, but this is just a process that is beyond hard to fix. Reds are extremely difficult to get out of lighter colored hair.

[Tori Gollihugh]

It sounds like you may need to leave it for a little while... so you won't fear you've totally fried your hair. It's totally natural for hair to fall out a LOT ofter a new child is born...
When you do feel comfortable with seeing more fall out; if you look for a blue bleach it will help reduce the orange pull. It's a problem. You see, to get lighter, you'll either have to highlight, which will only get parts, or bleach, which will totally dry your whole head of hair. But, let's say you go with bleach. You have to start out with the kind of bleach mentioned so that you'll end up with a lighter foundation that is also NOT too orange. If what you get is pretty neutral, you could go with most of the colors you'll find (especially at a place like Sally's where they have hair swatches to look at AND you don't need a license to buy the products). However if your hair just always pulls red (which would mean any color you put on that has a gold or red base will be MORE red or orange than for someone else), you'll have to go with an ash blonde or a blond with a violet or purple base so that you'll get more the color of the swatch given what your hair does with color.

Oh, also, if you're worried that a color is just a tad too dark and you really don't want to go to the next shade lighter, you can use a higher developer. If you buy at a place like Sally's you have to buy the color in a little container and then the developer and mix them together in a bottle. Usually you'd use a 20 volume developer either cream or liquid (usually dependent upon preference, but sometimes the products specify one or the other). If you want the color you've chosen to be slightly lighter, just use a 40 volume developer. When I used to bleach my hair almost white I loved a particular golden yellow color, but it wasn't quite light enough and I didn't want the other options, so I'd use 40 volume and I'd end up with exactly what I wanted.

Back to what I said in the beginning. It might just be best to give your head a rest and then go to a salon when you CAN afford it. Ya know?

[N8'sMom]

Don't try to fix it at home. You will mess it up even more.
You just need to get to a salon when you can and try for a color
correction. In the meantime, do a deep conditioning treatment on it.

[nolansmummy]

please don't try and fix this yourself. You might end up with orange hair, spotted hair, or no hair. Unless you want to go darker, i would wait, or go to a salon.

[MilkTrance]

Find a style that suits you so you can wear it up (side-swept bangs look good on just about everyone). Buy pretty clips and pins and things. Wear it up for a couple of months until you save enough to get it done professionally.

[a(TM)?Star]

I can't get it done at a slaon because I can't leave dd, she screams if I leave. Thanks Tori for the great info, I'll PM you for more............

[a(TM)?Star]

Originally Posted by MilkTrance

Find a style that suits you so you can wear it up (side-swept bangs look good on just about everyone). Buy pretty clips and pins and things. Wear it up for a couple of months until you save enough to get it done professionally.

I was going to cut some bangs anyway, good advice.

[Mama Dragon]

Last time I *had* to go to the salon, I waited for DH to get off work and had him come with me to help with the kids. Can you do that?

Originally Posted by jacks mom

I can't get it done at a slaon because I can't leave dd, she screams if I leave. Thanks Tori for the great info, I'll PM you for more............