I have been using box dyes for 20 years. I have hair almost to my waist and have been using box dyes since I was about 16. My hair is naturally a very dark blonde probably, and I usually buy the lightest ash blonde or Xtra light ash blonde that Loreal carries. The one that does not have a bleach powder. I think it's Excellence Cream. As I have gotten older it seems it is not lightening my hair as much as it used to. I am assuming my natural hair color has gotten darker over the years and that is why it isn't working as well? I can not afford to go to a salon every 4-6 weeks, or even for an initial coloring, so I need to find a way to do my own hair at home. I am hoping to get it about 2 shades lighter than what the box dye is acheiving at my roots. Also I feel it is much oranger than I would like even though I am using a extra light ash. Hoping to find some help here. BTW my hair is in pretty good condition except for the ends, but I would not want to damage the ends any more. The ends are probably as light as I want them anyway. Just need to add the right color to them or possible tone? Below is a picture I took in the car so not direct lighting. The roots and underneath are much darher than the ends and the front. The color I am wanting to acheive is the exact color on the xtra light ash blonde boxes. I am wondering if I need to get a bleach? I do not want to go totally white or platinum I just want to get to an xtra light/light ash blonde. Do I only add bleach to the roots and the darker parts underneath. I would like t to be a more even all over color than it is now. How do I be sure it wont get too light. If I do bleach do I need to add a color after that to get it to be the ash blone color I want or do I just use a toner? Or should I skip the bleach all together and just use a permanant color? Or maybe I just need a toner? Is my hir light enough at this stage. Anyone with expertise in this department would be so appreciated. I have 5 kids and am a SAHM so in no way can I afford to go to a salon. With my length hair it would be extremely expensive. Thanks in advance for your help.
Posted : October 16, 2016 4:06 pm
Do you find you are getting the brassy tones straight away after using the dye, or do they come through a little later? I'm wonderimg whether it is a case of the level that the dye is lifting you to, or a case of the tint in the dye fading!
Do you use purple shampoo and conditioner?
Posted : October 19, 2016 4:32 pm
It is immediately after. This picture is probaby after only a week or so and maybe 1-2 washes but it is exactly how it looks the minute I color it. I can see orange tint as soon as I wash the dye out. Here is another pic right before i touched up the roots. You can see my natural roots growing out. After reading through what a bleach bath is do you think that would work after using the box dye and then maybe doing my touch ups with actual bleach instead of box dye since the box dye is notgetting it light enough?
Posted : October 20, 2016 5:47 pm
Personally I think bleach bathing and using a separate toner (one without peroxide like the directions ones) and silver/ purple shampoo is better for acheiving light blonde, my hair is naturally very dark blonde to very light ash brown and blonde box dyes make mine really brassy but if I use bleach I only ever have to bleach bath, not use the full bleach!
Posted : October 23, 2016 2:10 pm
Thanks for responding. What aboot for touch ups and maintaining the color and when my roots grow ou? I also have very dark blonde naturally. Almost a light brown now that I have gotten older. Would you recommend bleaching the roots with maybe 20 volume developer or is there a way to do a bleach bath on just the roots? Also what are some good deep conditioning treatmemts or mask that I should use in between? Thanks so much for your help.
Posted : October 23, 2016 3:37 pm
Sorry for the delay in responding, I was away for a while!
You can easily use a bleach bath on just the roots to touch up when they come through and you shouldn't need to touch the lengths with it at all once they are the right colour. As you will be toning with a non-damaging toner you can reapply that as needed to keep the blonde the right shade so it will just be a case of lightening the roots each time you want to do them.
You'll just need to use a tinting brush and paint the bleach bath onto the roots, it will have quite a thick consistency so it's not too difficult to do. You may need help doing the back though - I have done my own with mirrors but it's a lot easier if you can find a friend who is willing to help!
I personally only used a 10 Vol developer in my bleach bath but my natural colour is extremely ashy with no traces of ginger, I think people most commonly use 20 vol.
I will leave the question of conditioning treatments to someone else as I'm pretty clueless when it comes to that side of things! I'm not very kind to my poor hair really!
Posted : November 3, 2016 11:57 am
Latest Post: 30 vol developer Our newest member: anna-lee-7 Recent Posts Unread Posts
