The Student Room Group

Colouring over highlighted hair

Hi,
I've had my hair highlighted now for about three years and it looks nice but i'm getting sick of having to fork out the money for it, and as it gets blonder and blonder i don't like the way the roots show through so quickly. I'd like to try dyeing over it just a couple of shades down (still not back to my natural colour) especially as its coming to winter but i remember my old hairdresser warning me it would turn green if you use dye over bleached hair. Anyone done this, or know anything about it cos i can't seem to find anything on the web, and i can't afford to get it done at a salon at the moment. Cheers! :smile:
Reply 1
Simple! If you want a darker block colour shade, just buy a home hair dying kit, i still highly recommend l'oreal feria.
Are you going darker btw?
Reply 2
My friend's hairdressing tutor changes her hair all the time. She's overdyed highlights, and it looked fine.
I did it and it was fine, went from pretty blonde to dark brunette, the hairdresser was a bit weary but it turned out brilliantly :biggrin: I dont think id ever go back now
Reply 4
nicki04
Hi,
I've had my hair highlighted now for about three years and it looks nice but i'm getting sick of having to fork out the money for it, and as it gets blonder and blonder i don't like the way the roots show through so quickly. I'd like to try dyeing over it just a couple of shades down (still not back to my natural colour) especially as its coming to winter but i remember my old hairdresser warning me it would turn green if you use dye over bleached hair. Anyone done this, or know anything about it cos i can't seem to find anything on the web, and i can't afford to get it done at a salon at the moment. Cheers! :smile:


i used to have light blonde highlights put in my light brown hair which made my hair much lighter but i got bored so now ive started getting dark blonde put in with light blonde. its not too drastic but looks slightly darker and when the roots grow through they are much less obvious. one word of caution, if you dye your hair too dark a colour it will be very difficult for you to go lighter again. thats the advice my hairdresser gave me ! :smile:
Reply 5
i coloured over highlights with a much darker colour. but i didnt have many highlights, and my highlights were a dark blonde. if yours are very blonde then go to the hairdresser to get it done. often home dying kits are incompatible with the dye hairdressers use.
Reply 6
:smile: You should pre-pigment bleached hair with a red if you are planning to go darker otherwise it will go green! By bleaching hair, you have taken the red pigment out. So if you are gona colour over it, by a semi colour (mousse is better and easier) in a red colour then put the permanent over the top! the colour will last much longer too. How covered up do u want your highlights to be?
Reply 7
chocbiscuit
:smile: You should pre-pigment bleached hair with a red if you are planning to go darker otherwise it will go green! By bleaching hair, you have taken the red pigment out. So if you are gona colour over it, by a semi colour (mousse is better and easier) in a red colour then put the permanent over the top! the colour will last much longer too. How covered up do u want your highlights to be?


Yea, thats the one! I think that's what the hairdresser said to me. She said if your gonna die over it you need to choose a shade with red tones in it like a coppery brown. I'm scared now hehe might just go get it done at a hairdresser. I just want to take it a couple of shades darker,don't wanna cover up the highlights completely. So general opinion is if i use a home kit over it it will go green? :eek:
Reply 8
yeah go see a hairdresser, Im a hairdresser so thas how i know wot 2 do! But then if it does go green then they can sort it out there and then!
Reply 9
chocbiscuit
:smile: You should pre-pigment bleached hair with a red if you are planning to go darker otherwise it will go green! By bleaching hair, you have taken the red pigment out. So if you are gona colour over it, by a semi colour (mousse is better and easier) in a red colour then put the permanent over the top! the colour will last much longer too. How covered up do u want your highlights to be?


Yes! I panicked when my hairdresser said she needed to colour my hair red before making it a darker! I just stuck with the highlights though...I'm too scared to go back to my natural colour, because I was a very fair brunette anyway and I'm worried about going too dark, even with my hairdresser doing it!
Hey I have the same problem! My haircolour is naturally very dark brown, and I have caramel highlights so my hair has been bleached. Chocbiscuit, what kind/brand would you recommend using then? I wouldn't mind going towards a more red colour :biggrin: ... but you said to use a semi or a mousse..?

I'd rather not go to the hairdresser b/c I'm running short on money and I have LONG hair so it costs me upwards of $130 each time :frown:

I would like to do it at home buuut I just really don't want green hair lol
[Hey I have the same problem! My haircolour is naturally very dark brown, and I have caramel highlights so my hair has been bleached. Chocbiscuit, what kind/brand would you recommend using then? I wouldn't mind going towards a more red colour ... but you said to use a semi or a mousse..? ]



Well, Goldwell have a great semi colour, its in mousse form so really easy to use but it is a bit pricey! if not you can buy wella colour mousse's get that in a red. But if you want to go permenant red then it doesn't matter if you don't pre-pig first coz the colour already has red in it, so that won't go green! Although where the caramel colour is it will be slightly lighter/more vibrant....also thats warmer than a complete bleach blonde so it def wont go green! hope this helps xxx
It does help, thank you! :hugs:
nicki04
I'd like to try dyeing over it just a couple of shades down (still not back to my natural colour) especially as its coming to winter but i remember my old hairdresser warning me it would turn green if you use dye over bleached hair. Anyone done this, or know anything about it cos i can't seem to find anything on the web, and i can't afford to get it done at a salon at the moment. Cheers! :smile:
Yeah I have heard of that too, but this is not always the case. A friend of mine recently dyed her hair brown over platinum blonde hair and it just looks light brown. However she was lucky :p:

If you do DIY, make sure you purchase a good quality dye!

Good luck,

DB_x
Reply 14
one thing i can tell you is NEVER to Henna your hair after having blonde highlights....I did that about 2 years ago, and my hair turned a delightful shade of dark brown/GREEN! :eek:

Its pretty much gone now...however there are a few green strands which i am trying to cut out! :p:
so just dont henna
Reply 15
Me again :rolleyes: had a change of heart, what about if you use a blonde dye the same colour as your hair is at the mo, to make the regrowth from highlights less noticeable? I mean a dye that lasts 6-8 washes, not a permanent one, just to give the top bits a bit of colour and shine too. Will this also turn the hair green or is it just if you use permanent/brown dyes over blonde highlighted hair? Cheers people!!