Dark to blonde - restore condition to coloured hair

©iStockphoto.com/Valua Vitaly

Dear Hair Doctor,

I have naturally blonde hair but dyed it brown last year. I’ve recently tried to go back blonde so the hairdresser put bleach on it and then a base colour, left it for two days, came back to put another base colour on and then put some foils in it. I hate the colour – it’s gone a ginger colour and the foils aren’t really that blonde. Is there anything else I could get done to it? My hair is in really bad condition now.

Many thanks,

Anon, UK

Hi,

Firstly, it’s quite difficult to recommend a course of action for your hair as it does depend heavily on the condition, which I can't assess without seeing it. Assuming your hair is fairly damaged as you say, the best solution is to firstly re-build the condition of the hair using a reinforcing shampoo and conditioner (such as L'Oréal Serie Expert Force Vector), and in-salon professional treatments. Once the hair has regained its optimal condition, it may be possible to highlight the hair again to achieve a lighter shade and apply a base colour. The improved condition of the hair will mean that the colour will last a lot longer and you won't experience such a quick colour fade.

James Kelly, Royston Blythe

Hi,

You sound like you need some hair TLC! I would firstly suggest that you go to a very confident colourist and go armed with all the necessary information of what you are wanting and be honest when telling them all the prior colours you have had on your hair. If the hair is very damaged I can suggest a Biolustré treatment, which is a protein-based product that restructures the hair. It works by rebuilding the hair from the inside out and fortifying it.

Colouring the hair should be possible once the condition is better in the hair. If you over colour the hair now when it’s not in the best shape, then you are running the risk of further damage and the colour not being the best it could be.

Hope that helps!

John Clark, Brooks+Brooks Hairdressing

Hi,

I would recommend an intensive treatment ritual for yourself using a protein-based product before you consider highlighting your hair further. The ginger colour you describe is unfortunately down to the raw undercoat, which remains once a dark colour is cleansed. However if you really can’t live with your colour at the moment I would advise you return to the salon and ask for a subtle toner to counteract the excess brassiness.

Maria Brand, Cobella

Hi,

When taking your hair from dark to light or vice versa it is best to book in for a consultation with your technician so that you can discuss exactly what is achievable in one salon visit. At HOB Salons we offer the perfect consultation process, discussing what you like and dislike about your hair and where you would like it to be. Your colourist will work with you to create a colour tailored to you, your natural colouring and hair history. Working with visuals, your expert colourist will communicate the right tones for your natural skin tone and colouring so that you understand what is and isn’t achievable and the colour journey required.

In the meantime invest in an intensive repair mask to target the damaged areas such as Wella Professionals Repair Mask (£21.50 @HOB Salons). If you really can’t live with the colour that you have I would suggest that you have a semi –permanent gloss colour
(from £32.50 @HOB Salons) to tone down the warmth of the ginger hue that you do not like and once your hair is in better condition, your technician will be able to discuss taking the hair lighter.

Christel Lundqvist, HOB Salons and Academy