Highlighting on Top of Colored Hair

[Tanya]

I color my own hair light blonde--natual color is an ashy dark blonde. It's easy to do (with DH's help) and turns out fine, so I haven't been paying a colorist to do it for me. Lately I've been thinking I want to do some highlights so my hair doesn't look so one-dimensional. I know my stylist can do this just fine over my colored hair as we've talked about it. I've tried those kits with both color and highlights but the highlights turned out crappy and I vowed I'd never try the "brush on" kind again. I was reading on another thread how the Loreal "Frost and Glow" is pretty easy with the cap (I know, old-school, but how can you mess that up?).

So, I bought the kit on a whim and in the directions, it said not to use over color-treated hair. Of course I'd do a test-run either way, but why does it say this? Are there special kits you'd have to buy to go over colored hair, and if so, I didn't see any except for the 2-in-1s I mentioned earlier, and those looked like the same ingredients. Are they just covering their butts so people don't fry out their hair, or do you really need a different product? I assumed my stylist would use the same product as she would if my hair was untreated, but maybe not? FWIW, my hair is in good shape.

[Kanga]

Are they just covering their butts so people don't fry out their hair, or do you really need a different product? I assumed my stylist would use the same product as she would if my hair was untreated, but maybe not? FWIW, my hair is in good shape.


Both. And your stylist would likely use the same bleach product, but may need to use a stronger developer (the liquid part you mix into the powder bleach) depending on your natural hair color and the color your hair is now. FWIW - box dye is extremely damaging to your hair no matter how you go about it. Most kinds have more ammonia than windex, and the low ammonia ones just use a derrivitive of ammonia. When you color your hair first and then highlight it, your adding to the damage. Obviously as you said, definitely do a trial run. It could turn out fine, it could not. After you do a test strand, take it and pull it - if it immediately snaps it's too brittle, if it keeps on stretching and stretching it's too elastic and you shouldn't go through with it if end up eith either of those.

[Sophia]

I found a highlighting kit with cap that is safe over dyed hair, but it's been a long time and I can't remember the brand. If I remember, I'll post the info. I found it at Target, if that helps, and it was a common brand.

[Tanya]

Both. And your stylist would likely use the same bleach product, but may need to use a stronger developer (the liquid part you mix into the powder bleach) depending on your natural hair color and the color your hair is now. FWIW - box dye is extremely damaging to your hair no matter how you go about it. Most kinds have more ammonia than windex, and the low ammonia ones just use a derrivitive of ammonia. When you color your hair first and then highlight it, your adding to the damage. Obviously as you said, definitely do a trial run. It could turn out fine, it could not. After you do a test strand, take it and pull it - if it immediately snaps it's too brittle, if it keeps on stretching and stretching it's too elastic and you shouldn't go through with it if end up eith either of those.
Thanks for the advice. And I know it's been discussed on this board before about the high ammonia, but I'm pretty sure that's a myth. According to my stylist (and others I know), box dyes are the same strength stuff they use. No different. I know there's some stylists on this board, anyone care to weigh in?

[Tanya]

I found a highlighting kit with cap that is safe over dyed hair, but it's been a long time and I can't remember the brand. If I remember, I'll post the info. I found it at Target, if that helps, and it was a common brand.
Thanks! I'll try to look next time I'm at Target.

[Kanga]

I know there's some stylists on this board, anyone care to weigh in?


I am a stylist.:) AFAIK it's true, or at least that's what I was told by the instructors in school. The reason why it's so much harsher is because the boxes are "one size fits all". Meaning somebody with dark brown hair could also use the same box as you, so it has to be strong enough to bleach her hair as well as yours. If you go to a stylist the stuff she would use on your hair probably wouldn't hardly touch somebody with dark brown hair, and if it did, it would never get blonde, only that awful orange color.

ETA - If you use a cap, be careful not to touch your head at all if you can help it once the bleach is applied. The first time I did a cap highlight, I was surprised the product got warm and kept touching my head. That made the bleach bleed back into the holes in the cap and got lovely cheetah spots all over my head. Didn't.look.good.

[Tanya]

The reason why it's so much harsher is because the boxes are "one size fits all". Meaning somebody with dark brown hair could also use the same box as you, so it has to be strong enough to bleach her hair as well as yours.
I don't mean to argue as you obviously know this stuff better than me:D, but I thought that was the case many years ago with the box stuff, but in the past 10 years or so, they've made them a lot less strong? Meaning if someone wanted to use the blond dye on dark brown hair all they'd get is an orange mess, not blonde? I assume that's why they are very careful to say what color hair should use what dye. Thanks for the advice on the cap, cheetah spots are not good:eek:.

I think I'll pass on using this one as I guess there is a reason it says not to use on colored hair, and they do seem to make them for colored hair, so I'll have to search a little more.

[Kanga]

I don't mean to argue as you obviously know this stuff better than me, but I thought that was the case many years ago with the box stuff, but in the past 10 years or so, they've made them a lot less strong? Meaning if someone wanted to use the blond dye on dark brown hair all they'd get is an orange mess, not blonde? I assume that's why they are very careful to say what color hair should use what dye.

They are a lot less harsher than they used to be and blonde box dye probably would be a disaster for dark brown hair, but highlights are usually not dye. The highlights you have are probably bleach, and not dye. (If it has a number followed by a letter somewhere on the box - usually on the top -, such as "9W", then it is dye.) Last I knew they did not make OTC highlights in dye, only bleach, but they may have changed that. Antoher reason it may say it's only for non-colored hair is because if your hair has grown out any since the last time you've colored it, when you go to highlight it, your roots could turn a different color than the rest of it. I'd call the 800# on the box and ask why it's not for colored hair. From what I've heard, the reps on the phone are usually really knowledgeable on the product. If all else fails, return the box you have now and get one that is ok for colored hair.

Let us know how it turns out.

[Tanya]

Ohhh, I thought we were talking about the dye being too strong. I'm sure you're right about the highlights being bleach, which I guess is why they say highlights are more damaging than dye. I will give them a call to see what they say, thanks!

[manda_kate]

I'm a stylist, too, and I agree with Kanga. If your kit is dye and not bleach, it likely won't work anyway, as color does not lift color. I hope whatever you find works for you, let us know the outcome!
Thread hijack for a minute, Kanga, I am orginally from Iowa, what part are you in? It's weird to see anogther stylist from Iowa here!

[Kanga]

Wow, that is crazy manda_kate! I live in Des Moines. What part are you from?

[manda_kate]

You might not have ever heard of it...it's really small. But, I grew up in Eldora, and then went to college in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area.

[Tanya]

Ok, I think I might have confused the issue. The highlights are not dye, they are typical bleach highlights. And therein lies my confusion: what would be the difference between this and a bleach highlight made for colored hair or kits with both color and highlight? I'm really just curious now, I don't think I'll actually try them since it says not to.

[manda_kate]

I have no idea why they say they can't be used on colored hair if they are a bleach. I supppse they just say that to cover their own @sses in the event someone fries their hair off!