Does anyone highlight their own hair?

[sunflower17]

I’m naturally dark blonde and get full foil highlights every 3 months. I’m due pretty soon. I don’t necessarily need full highlights, but if I could get something to just add some face framing/root area highlights it would be good.
Many years ago as a teenager, I used the home kit with the cap to highlight my hair. I guess I could use that stuff and just “paint” it on where I want it?? I’d prefer to buy something decent quality and a toner, but I’m clueless l, the internet is confusing on this and I don’t have any friends that are colorists.
Help!?
(PS- I know this isn’t a huge concern right now and I’m very anxious about everything going on, but I need a distraction and maybe to feel human. I have an 8 week old baby and I go back to work on the front lines in medical field in another 4 weeks 😩)

[rooster222]

Fellow highlighted blonde here. I would never attempt to do my own! I'm due to go next week but I'm not going and have accepted that this may be a rough hair period. I just wouldn't ever want to risk messing up my color.

[starryfish]

I feel you, thought about just dying my hair but I usually mess it up.

Gone 5 months now Bc I was waiting to get out of first tri...now it’s going to be even longer

[sunflower17]

Mar 22, 2020 20:13:45 GMT -5 rooster222 said:

Fellow highlighted blonde here. I would never attempt to do my own! I'm due to go next week but I'm not going and have accepted that this may be a rough hair period. I just wouldn't ever want to risk messing up my color.

Ughhh. I know I’m scared to mess up my hair, but also unhappy about roots.

[sunflower17]

Mar 22, 2020 20:19:01 GMT -5 starryfish said:

I feel you, thought about just dying my hair but I usually mess it up.

Gone 5 months now Bc I was waiting to get out of first tri...now it’s going to be even longer

Yeah I’ve never had anything but highlights. I’ve seen people that did box dye over highlights and it went VERY wrong so I’d never ever do that!

[rooster222]

Mar 22, 2020 20:20:22 GMT -5 sunflower17 said:

Mar 22, 2020 20:13:45 GMT -5 rooster222 said:

Fellow highlighted blonde here. I would never attempt to do my own! I'm due to go next week but I'm not going and have accepted that this may be a rough hair period. I just wouldn't ever want to risk messing up my color.

Ughhh. I know I’m scared to mess up my hair, but also unhappy about roots.

Extra makeup and lipstick! Also if I curl my hair I feel like the roots are less noticeable.

[sunflower17]

Mar 22, 2020 20:22:24 GMT -5 rooster222 said:

Mar 22, 2020 20:20:22 GMT -5 sunflower17 said:

Ughhh. I know I’m scared to mess up my hair, but also unhappy about roots.

Extra makeup and lipstick! Also if I curl my hair I feel like the roots are less noticeable.

Once I see my roots, it’s all I can see!! Lol even if it’s not terrible to others, it’s terrible to me.

[redpenmama]

Yeah, my roots are going to drive me crazy soon. I have light brown hair highlighted blonde. My next appointment is scheduled for 4/30, so I'm not in desperate need yet but obviously won't be going then. I would probably destroy my hair if I tried an at-home color, so I wouldn't try it. I figure everyone's true hair color is gonna be revealed once we re-enter society.

[ellipses84]

Can you call your salon or stylist? One I know that specializes in blonde coloring is not working right now and offering touch up kits for her customers to purchase, or even FaceTime calls for those she hasn’t worked with to see what color they need.

[sdlaura]

I’m also a highlighted blonde. When my colorist/stylist announced on Instagram that she was closing her salon due to shelter in place, she said ‘P.S. don’t cut or color ANYthing!’ My next appt is scheduled for April 6. It would be nice if shelter included place ended by then, but I’m not holding my breath.

[starryfish]

Mar 22, 2020 20:22:15 GMT -5 sunflower17 said:

Mar 22, 2020 20:19:01 GMT -5 starryfish said:

I feel you, thought about just dying my hair but I usually mess it up.

Gone 5 months now Bc I was waiting to get out of first tri...now it’s going to be even longer

Yeah I’ve never had anything but highlights. I’ve seen people that did box dye over highlights and it went VERY wrong so I’d never ever do that!

Yep made that mistake years ago

[pooh8402]

Blonde highlights, no. My hair is a medium brown with some red thanks to my ginger great grandmother. If I tried to highlight at home, I would have orange hair. Even the pros have to be careful with mixing and timing to not turn my hair orange. I have done box dye over grown out highlights to go back to my natural color, with success.

But doing colorful highlights, like manic panic? Yep. Especially if I have salon blonde highlights already.

I just dyed my hair purple ombre last night, on top of my balayage highlights.

[pooh8402]

Mar 23, 2020 0:16:13 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

I’m also a highlighted blonde. When my colorist/stylist announced on Instagram that she was closing her salon due to shelter in place, she said ‘P.S. don’t cut or color ANYthing!’ My next appt is scheduled for April 6. It would be nice if shelter included place ended by then, but I’m not holding my breath.

My appointment is April 6 as well (trim and cover grays). My stylist is not happy I went purple, lol. I keep reassuring her it washes out.

[sdlaura]

I'm bumping this thread. It's becoming clear that hairdressers likely won't be able to do hair in California anytime soon, and my roots are getting obvious on videoconference.

Does anyone have any advice on touching up your own highlights or "blonding brushes?" I'm a natural brunette and have blonde highlights.

[redpenmama]

May 1, 2020 16:44:06 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

I'm bumping this thread. It's becoming clear that hairdressers likely won't be able to do hair in California anytime soon, and my roots are getting obvious on videoconference.

Does anyone have any advice on touching up your own highlights or "blonding brushes?" I'm a natural brunette and have blonde highlights.

My salon recommend L'oreal Root Rescue. I bought some but haven't tried it yet. I watched people apply it on YouTube, and it seems like it is basically temporary spray paint that covers the roots and washes out when you shampoo. 

Our salons are reopening on May 25 but I want to see what protocols they have in place and how all that goes first. So, I'm going to be spray painting my hair soon enough...lol. 

[thebreakfastclub]

I have blond highlights on a dark blond base. I used Loreal 10 min root magic color to cover greys at my crown. I cut foil and put in like 5 lowlight foils and touched up a bit of the base. I wove the colors into the foils all the way to the ends to weave it in. It worked and freshened it up without being too hard.

[sunflower17]

May 1, 2020 16:44:06 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

I'm bumping this thread. It's becoming clear that hairdressers likely won't be able to do hair in California anytime soon, and my roots are getting obvious on videoconference.

Does anyone have any advice on touching up your own highlights or "blonding brushes?" I'm a natural brunette and have blonde highlights.

I’m the OP on this. I did some research online about toners and I ended up buying a revlon highlight kit and wella color charm demi permanent toner and activator. I haven’t used it yet, but plan to this weekend.

[sdlaura]

Those of you who bought stuff but haven’t used it yet, please report back!

[orval]

Don't flame me - but I use Sun In on my dark blonde hair. It works with a hairdyer so I can just do it gradually. My hair naturally gets blonde highlights in the summer so in the winter I touch up with Sun in. Somehow I got lucky with no gray and these "natural" highlights still at 50.
I used to do highlights but couldn't stand the roots.

[sunflower17]

May 2, 2020 5:41:37 GMT -5 orval said:

Don't flame me - but I use Sun In on my dark blonde hair. It works with a hairdyer so I can just do it gradually. My hair naturally gets blonde highlights in the summer so in the winter I touch up with Sun in. Somehow I got lucky with no gray and these "natural" highlights still at 50.
I used to do highlights but couldn't stand the roots.

I used to use that in high school! It made my hair platinum blonde. I didn’t know they still made it. LOL Do you just spray it on some strands?

[orval]

May 2, 2020 9:01:01 GMT -5 sunflower17 said:

May 2, 2020 5:41:37 GMT -5 orval said:

Don't flame me - but I use Sun In on my dark blonde hair. It works with a hairdyer so I can just do it gradually. My hair naturally gets blonde highlights in the summer so in the winter I touch up with Sun in. Somehow I got lucky with no gray and these "natural" highlights still at 50.
I used to do highlights but couldn't stand the roots.

I used to use that in high school! It made my hair platinum blonde. I didn’t know they still made it. LOL Do you just spray it on some strands?

I use it all over the top of my head and comb it through after my shower.  It does not go platinum for me.  It really looks natural -- my stylist has no idea and thinks its all natural.  
I think I actually have this brand

www.target.com/p/john-frieda-sheer-blonde-go-blonder-lightening-spray-3-5-fl-oz/-/A-13219499?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9009992&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkZ7C8cGV6QIVBIvICh0mdwkREAQYASABEgISmvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Raggedeannie]

May 2, 2020 10:42:12 GMT -5 orval said:

May 2, 2020 9:01:01 GMT -5 sunflower17 said:

I used to use that in high school! It made my hair platinum blonde. I didn’t know they still made it. LOL Do you just spray it on some strands?

I use it all over the top of my head and comb it through after my shower.  It does not go platinum for me.  It really looks natural -- my stylist has no idea and thinks its all natural.  
I think I actually have this brand

www.target.com/p/john-frieda-sheer-blonde-go-blonder-lightening-spray-3-5-fl-oz/-/A-13219499?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9009992&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkZ7C8cGV6QIVBIvICh0mdwkREAQYASABEgISmvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Welp this is now in my amazon cart!

[redpenmama]

May 1, 2020 22:17:57 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

Those of you who bought stuff but haven’t used it yet, please report back!

So, I used the L'oreal Root Rescue this weekend. It helped. My roots are dark brown so I think it'd be more effective on someone with lighter roots. I definitely still had roots but less noticeable.

If you are blonde, get the light blonde not the dark blonde -- my hair is highlighted dark blonde but I needed the light blonde to cover the roots better. Dark blonde is almost brown. It was easy to apply and washed out when I shampooed. I had to use probably half of the bottle, so it's like a $5 touch up every time -- so definitely not something I'd do daily. It felt like I had a LOT of hairspray in my hair, so it made for a weird hair texture but it wasn't anything someone else would notice.

I would say it's a cheap fix and worth doing if you're desperate but probably not something you'd want to do every day.

www.lorealparisusa.com/products/hair-color/products/root-touch-up/magic-root-cover-up.aspx?shade=light-to-medium-blonde

[sdlaura]

Thanks redpenmama! I had a big video meeting yesterday with a state governor and state treasurer and felt like my dark roots were super obvious, so I’d be willing to do something temporary like the root rescue for that. We’ll see.

[carolinagirl831]

I'm just waiting it out. I am starting to see patients again in the office this week.. and my hair looks terrible. Salons wont be opening until June here in NC. Everyone's hair doesn't look great right now.. so I don't think anyone really notices.

[sdlaura]

carolinagirl831 I think if my wait was only until June, I wouldn't do anything. But I'll be surprised if salons in California open before August.

[sunflower17]

Ok so I used the highlight kit and the wella color charm Demi permanent hair color as toner. (As described on a YouTube video).
I’m dark blonde naturally and have full highlights and sometimes lowlights.
It didn’t turn out horrible, but it’s not awesome either.i didn’t use the cap included with the kit because my hair is long and I only wanted to really do some roots of existing highlights around my face to get me by. The whole head on my own is just too much. I used foils. I fucked up in one area (that’s pretty easily concealed) by blobbing too much bleach at the root area. The color isn’t really platinum like my real highlights, but that’s likely just because I didn’t leave the bleach in long enough—I was scared to leave it on too long. It blends in ok. I then used the wella stuff in 10A lightest ash blonde and I don’t think it did much at all to be honest.

So, all in all...my hair is ok. In my extremely amateur hair colorist opinion—if your hair is darker than blonde and you have highlights, you should probably wait. If you’re some level of blonde already, just leave the stuff in long enough and you should be ok with just touching up areas around face.
Or maybe consider a demi permanent hair color near to your natural color??

ETA- I will try to add before and after pics

Attachments:

[sdlaura]

I think it looks awesome sunflower17! My hair is a little darker naturally. I really don’t care about it looking perfect in real life - I just need less of an obvious line in video meetings!

[sunflower17]

May 5, 2020 14:59:31 GMT -5 sdlaura said:

I think it looks awesome sunflower17! My hair is a little darker naturally. I really don’t care about it looking perfect in real life - I just need less of an obvious line in video meetings!

Thanks. You can definitely give it a shot with a kit and foils to do some face framing pieces.

[blondemoment123]

sunflower17 Your hair looks really good, especially for a first try!