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Thread: blonde to brown. should it be done?

  1. #1
    mermaidnz
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    Default blonde to brown. should it be done?

    i have really really badly damaged blonde hair. im naturally a brunette tho. the damage is horrific! my hair is porous and breaking, i use treatments all the time, but its not helping, as im having to keep dyeing my roots anyways.

    i like it long, i hate having to cut my hair. but i know it has to be done in this case.

    im also planning on backpacking in thailand next month, i dont want the hassle of dying it blonde on the road. however, im going to work in japan again and want blonde hair for that (even tho i know bruntettes make just as much money there as blondes now) but i want healthy hair too.

    argh. i dont know what to do.

    im scared of going brown because i may not make as much money- i base my look around what i think custies prefer. but id love to have healthier hair.

    do i lose the bleach blonde and go to a light brown so there is less dying and ill stop blowdrying my hair too, or do i continue as i am, but with damaged hair?

    brown is a scary colour right now!!

  2. #2
    Featured Member kandie_kitten's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    ...how is your hair getting redamaged by dying just your roots? Are you also pulling the color through to the ends?

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    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I wouldn't go brown.

    Let your roots grow out while you're backpacking, then get a trim and a god professional colour right before you start work. Losing a bit of length is preferable to dying it brown, imo.

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  4. #4
    mermaidnz
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    ive been stupid, for the past 3 years ive been dying it was that crap you buy at the shop and do it yourself- well, my bf had been putting it all over.

    i dont think i will get alot of regrowth in just one month.

    its definatly getting a chop tho.

  5. #5
    aussiepunkshocker
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Agh, boyfriends, lol! My ex ruined my hair by bleaching it all over - they just dont get it do they?!
    If you take care to only bleach the regrowth from now on you'll probably be ok (mine just hangs in there...just lol). I say save the blonde!

  6. #6
    Featured Member Guenevere's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I would just be worried about the color being right. I hate when blondes go to brown and someone does a bad job and it turns greenish brown, icky! I think as long as it comes out ok you might look good in a light brown with warm undertones. Usually I tell girls to go for it but I really like you as a blonde!!!!! What about brown with a little blonde highlights, not the chunky streaks but the really subtle, barely noticeable highlights? If you do the highlights subtle you shouldn't have bad roots if it grows out a bit and you can't get a touch up.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    If your is hair is really damaged it might not even take the brown dye. That's what's happened to my hair; I've been dying it blonde for years and years, and now when I try to do something else the (permanent) color pretty much washes out of my hair. I went through a red head phase earlier this year and each time I re-dyed it, within a week (seriously, after just one or two shampoos) it would be pale, dull, and not even close to the color on the box. My hair never looked shiny or vibrant, except the day or two after I dyed it. It's sad. I actually kind of want my natural brown hair back, which I haven't seen since I was about 15, but I don't know how to get out of the blonde trap!

  8. #8
    mermaidnz
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    ok, ill stay blonde! (yay!! thanks for talking me out of it seriously!!)

    ill go into tony and guy hairdressers, and maybe go a darker more natural blonde, with a light brownish colour underneath, and keep highlights.

    im a little worried the colour wont stay- apparently the colour wasnt grabbing to my hair the other day when i got a toner put thru it

    thanks for the input girls!!

  9. #9
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    The color will fade. even perm will fade. You will just have to keep coloring it. Go for a darker blonde, use foil highlights instead of just dumping in the color. Cut it as short as you are willing to, get rid of some of the damage. Let a pro do it from there. I know some of the girls here prefer to do it themselves, but my hair would get so damaged I needed the pros. I've been dark for over 8 months now, and its still falling out from damage.

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    Member KinkySyd's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I had that same problem, I went from platinum blonde to brown - I am naturally light brown, and doing the roots every 2 weeks was a nightmare. My hair was really damaged too. I've been to a professional, had a pre-coloration in a light brown - almost red - tone to avoid the green color when the brown fades - and then a perm light brown color. It faded quickly, after 3 weeks I had to dye my hair again, then 1 month and a half later and 3 month later. I didn't have to dye since. It's a long process to get your healthy hair back, but it worth it. Coloring your hair darker won't damage your hair as much as bleach does and it will look healthier with time.



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  11. #11
    Featured Member MadisonM's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I just recently went from blonde to brown, and I love it. My hair was fried from always dying it (I would only dye the roots, but once in a while I would put the dye on all my hair for the last 10 minutes), and from blowdrying and curling or straightening all the time. I actually think I've been making more money with my brown hair. Even though I'm really pale and could pull off the blonde, I think the brown complements my skin tone better than the blonde. And even though my hair is still damaged, it looks so much shinier and healthier brown. I'm not saying you should dye it brown, but like some of the other girls have said, maybe go with a darker blonde, or even get some lowlights put in that are closer to your natural color so you can let your roots go a little longer and they won't stand out as bad.
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    Veteran Member Vampira132's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Im so glad that someone has posted this, you girls have given me alot to think about. My hair is falling out and im just sick of dying my roots all the time. This time I will go for a darker blonde, (I am a natural blonde but its very very dark) and see how that turns out.
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    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I would leave it alone. Being blonde seems to become part of your "identity", and if you dye it brown you're just going to want to bleach it back and it'll damage it more. If you're like most blondes, even fake blondes, you will hate brown.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Quote Originally Posted by ViolaStrings
    If you're like most blondes, even fake blondes, you will hate brown.
    aww, i dont agree with that! i'm italian but once i highlighted my hair for the first time i decided blonde was the only color for me. after about 4 years though i went back to dark.. a shade or two darker than my natural hair, too. i love my dark hair!!

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    Featured Member cameronfl's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I've gone from blonde to red to brown and all the way back several times. Do whatever will make you happy...yes going darker and sparing your hair the harsh bleaching process will make it healthier. Go to a pro...look at all the color samples and pick one you think you can live with. And DEFINATELY go to a pro to go back to blonde!!!

    If you dont like it dark..remember it is just hair and it can ALWAYS be changed!!!
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    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Quote Originally Posted by britt244
    aww, i dont agree with that! i'm italian but once i highlighted my hair for the first time i decided blonde was the only color for me. after about 4 years though i went back to dark.. a shade or two darker than my natural hair, too. i love my dark hair!!
    You have to admit, most fake blondes who go back to dark regret their decision. Blonde can be very empowering and almost becomes a personality trait.

    My theory is this: if your hair is naturally really dark, like a 6 or above on a scale of 1-10 (1 being playboy white blonde and 10 being black) then you're probably going to look best with dark hair, though light hair can look nice. If you're a 5 or below, you'll probably look best as a blonde, and rarely look better with darker hair.

    Highlights are probably different, but I color ALL of my hair and am almost embarassed when my roots grow in. My hair is about naturally a 4 on the 1 to 10 scale. I was WHITE blonde as a kid and golden blonde as a teenager.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I love blondes. However, I'd rather see healthy, flowing brunette than fried blonde.

    When Jenna Jameson went chocolate, she got 10x hotter. I'm a bit disappointed she's back to blonde.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    I say try brown for a change. I admit that I LOVE dark hair- the Darker the Better. I've seen some blondes go brunette, and they were HOT.

    If you don't like it, you can always go back- I suggest starting with a light, warm brown with highlights.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    For another anecdotal opinion: I liked the brown when I switched; all my friends hated it. People I'd never met as a blonde were neutral. But mine was done in the summer, I was swimming a lot, and by the time fall came around it had faded out completely back to blonde...

    so if you really want to try it...it's just hair, in my humble little opininon. I just know myself, and when I want to try something with my look, I don't really care what others say.

  20. #20
    Senior Member minemind's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    not wanting to hijack a thread or anything, but i had a similar question

    does dying your hair darker improve the condition of your hair?
    any thoughts/experience on this? i remember it being brought up briefly a few months ago but in an unrelated thread.
    i have ruined my hair getting highlights and strightening it all the time. i am unreluctant to dye my hair dark because of regrowth and stuff (it is quite dark but i do like it when it's near black), but if it will improve my hair condition, then i will!

  21. #21
    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Dyeing it darker doesn't undo the damage, not at all. Hair is dead and once it's damaged, there's no repairing it. Dyeing it darker makes it easier for you to let your natural, healthy hair grow back. It'll feel better at first because bleached hair is "empty" and dark dyed hair is "full". That's why bleach blonde hair glows under the black light, it's like fiber optic cable. All the pigments you took out bleaching are put into the empty spots in your hair shaft. It's going to look better, feel better, and be shinier - at first. But it really doesn't reverse damage.

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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Quote Originally Posted by minemind

    does dying your hair darker improve the condition of your hair?
    Most of what Viola said is true, once damage is done there are ways to improve the hair but not to repair it.

    Most blondes who go brunette tend to feel that thier hair is healthier because darker permanent haircolor contains lower percentages of ammonia and peroxide, or a demi permanent haircolor was used which contains no ammonia, very little peroxide and more moistizing ingredients permanent haircolor. Demi's also do not penetrate into the hair and chemically change the color of the hair, instead they color by coating the outer cuticle layer of the hair resulting in a glossy finish.

    I'm impressed, Viola. Most people don't know that decolorized hair is "empty". You're even familiar with the level system... Just flip it around (so that 10 is lightest and 1 is darkest) and you're half way to becomming a colorist!

  23. #23
    God/dess ViolaStrings's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    I'm impressed, Viola. Most people don't know that decolorized hair is "empty". You're even familiar with the level system... Just flip it around (so that 10 is lightest and 1 is darkest) and you're half way to becomming a colorist!
    I've been coloring my hair and all of my friend's hair since I was 14. Between interrogating hair stylists about how stuff works, googling, and making friends with the ladies at Sally's I have learned A LOT

    The only thing I can't seem to get is a nice shade of off-white blonde. I guess colorists just aren't leaving the bleach on long enough, and then they use a toner that makes it too dark and bleaching pointless. Ho hum. Time to shop for a new colorist, because I am NOT doing it myself.

  24. #24
    Senior Member minemind's Avatar
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    Default Re: blonde to brown. should it be done?

    thanks for the reply, maybe i'll just leave my poor hair alone

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