Oops! I did it again. Remember that Britney Spears song? Well, it’s been my theme song this past week (sigh). If you are new here, you will want to go back and read this post. It will catch you up on the back story of my embracing grey hair journey. Today is more about going grey: an update on my hair journey.
This past week I went for my third full head of highlights with the goal of lightening my hair to a cool blonde to blend with my natural grey hair. My grey roots were on full display after 8+ weeks of no root touch ups. This process was started back in February.
Each highlighting treatment included a full head of foils, and toning afterwards. I was at the salon for approximately 4 hours and paid $350 plus tip. This last time was a complete fail and as I feared from a previous bad experience with highlighting…my hair is now damaged. Yes, I did it again. Despite going to an experienced hair color expert, I allowed my hair to be damaged yet again by trying to lighten it. I had a similar (yet worse) experience several years ago.
Not only am I disappointed in the stylist for not being more careful, I’m mad at myself for not learning my lesson the first time. The bottom line is that my hair cannot tolerate highlighting and now I need to rethink this whole process.
The Results
These photos were taken the day I left the salon. I knew my hair was damaged immediately and my stylist just said, “yeah, sorry about that” when I pointed out my broken off hair.
That evening I messaged her with these photos and she was kind enough to refund my money and apologized. She offered to remedy the situation or refer me to another stylist. I just accepted the refund.
Also, the back did not blend in with the top as it is much darker.
Here is what the front looked like. Despite the damage, I did not like all the grey showing. When I left the salon, I looked and felt 10 years older!
What I Did Next
I knew I was in a mess and I hated all the grey hair, so my only option was to apply a base color to my grey roots. I have used and recommended Madison Reed Hair Color in the past, but I had so much grey this time that I didn’t think I could do it myself at home.
My solution was to book an appointment at a Madison Reed Hair Color Bar here in the Atlanta area. I went the next day, and had a blonde base color applied to the roots only. It was very inexpensive, and the stylist was very nice. This is not the kind of place I would go on a regular basis, but if you just need a basic color service it is a good option.
I was happier after covering the grey.
What’s Next?
The short answer to what’s next is to rest my hair! Rest and repair to be exact. Minimal heat styling, minimal shampooing, and deep conditioning. The products I am using are:
- Madison Reed Bond Building Shampoo
- Madison Reed Bond Building Conditioner
- Olaplex No. 7 Bonding Oil
- Amika The Kure Intense Bond Repair Mask
- Wet Brush
- Keratin Salon Direct Leave In Conditioner
In the the future, the only thing I’m sure of is that highlighting is not for me and I’m not ready to embrace the grey quite yet. My short term plan is to do a keratin treatment that is free of formaldehyde and does not require flat ironing. This one from Amazon is great if you are interested in at home Keratin treatments. This should help the texture of my hair.
Also I plan to keep covering my roots with the Madison Reed hair color. This past time I used the shade Lusia Dark Blonde 8.5NNA
I have a recommendation from a friend to see a new stylist. I will have a consultation and decide what is the best long term plan for my hair color. I’m assuming some low lights and maybe a darker base color may be in the plan, but I really don’t know until I talk to a professional.
We all make mistakes, and learn from them…even at my age of 52! I thought I was ready to embrace my grey hair, but even if the damage hadn’t occurred I don’t think I would have felt comfortable with it. Hopefully some day I will get back to this…
What are your thoughts on going grey? Have you had success? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments down below.
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4 Comments
Kathy Terry
In Nora Ephron’s book, “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” she has an essay about how our ancestors looking much older than we do, is directly related to our ability to dye our hair. If my hair would grow out a gorgeous white I might consider it, but my hair, I suspect much like yours, has too much ashy blonde in it…even at 67 (almost) years old. I think it’s good to select a color that has dimension and depth, and isn’t too dark, and enjoy your luscious hair for as long as you can.
The Scarlet Lily
Thanks for your comment. I think grey hair looks beautiful on so many women…it just isn’t for me right now.
Cathy Jollie
Dear Kristin….I’m sooo sorry you had to go through this ordeal with your hair. I know you watched me go through my transition from coloring my own hair red (auburn) to my natutal gray. Michael had wanted me to go natural for a long time. It came at a good time during the covid season & I didn’t have to worry about going out. Also, I couldn’t find my reddish color anyway; I guess everyone was coloring their hair red. ? I have enjoyed my gray, even though I do miss my red at times. I have gotten alot of compliments & folks ask “who’s coloring your hair?” I say, “God’s coloring it now.” ? I’m sure you will know when it’s “your” time!
The Scarlet Lily
You look beautiful with your grey hair! Love you sweet friend.