Punky Color Hair Badness

[Fierce Critter]

At the urging of my husband, I tried a new dye style today. Instead of the usual vermilion underlayer (just the undermost, back layer), I thought I'd try the "shock of red" on the crown, using my usual vermillion Jerome Russell Punky Color.

It looks like absolute crap. I look like I have a red toupee dropped on top of my medium blonde head. That style looks good on dark, dark hair, but not on blonde.

I had Jon help me wash it out with various household remedies, and it's barely faded a shade. When I used this same stuff years ago and my bosses told me it had to go, I used this stuff from Sally's (Metalex) that's specifically for washing color out of your hair - it went from vermilion to bright carnation pink, and I had to have a pro even me out.

I've read on a couple websites that mixing a tiny bit of powder hair bleach with shampoo and then washing that into your hair should take the dye right out. I'm planning to go to Sally's to pick up a packet tomorrow.

But if anyone has any suggestions, I'm VERY open and appreciative.

[Brenda Starrr]

Don't you just love when you try something different, only to discover that you've made a horrible mistake?? I'm my own personal guinea pig for haircolor, so I know what you're dealing with! Before you buy anything, ask someone at Sally's. Most of them are professionals or cosmetology school students. Don't buy another thing until you ask them what would be best. I've never been steered wrong.

[Ginevra]

I can't make any suggestions as far as what to do to get the colour out. If I have a bad dye, I usually just live with it. :doh:

Along the same lines as what Brenda recommended, do you have an Aveda there or some other beautician place? Better yet, usually the company who makes the colour has a number you can call for help and advice.

[Lilith]

i use powdered hair bleach on a reg basis,

i use the powder mixed with vol 30 or 40 creme developer, and i add Red Out to it to cut the brass color, all of this you can get at sallys.

the main key to hair bleach is to keep it wet or moist, ( keep a grocery bag on your hair while it is working or something similar) once it drys out it stops working

it does not have a time limit, although if you get it on your skin you do not want it on your skin more hten an hour

the longer you let it sit the more lift you will get

this can be very damaging to your hair so i also suggest getting a hair mask/treatment of some sort.

sallys usually has some type of hair fixer on sale for a Buck or so and it usually works well.

I also have to agree that most of the ladies at sallies are knowledgeable and they rarely stear you wrong. It may aslo be easier for them to offer help as they can see your exact problem and may have a better solution.

I wish you luck my dear i have had my fair share of bad hair, i am currently dealing it now, I know how yucky it can make you feel so i hope you can find something that is atleast OK for now.

[Marblez]

Have you considered having some fun with it first? Perhaps try a temporary black on the underlayers! Ohhh, I like that idea. :grin:

[Marblez]

Have you considered having some fun with it first? Perhaps try a temporary black on the underlayers!

Red on top to a black underneath. Ohhh, I like that idea. :purty:

[JaneDead]

i was thinking what marblez said ^. otherwise i have no other options either.

[Brenda Starrr]

and i add Red Out to it to cut the brass color, all of this you can get at sallys

It's actually called "Un-red" and it's good stuff. You only need 10 drops per ounce of whatever color/color removal product you're using.

[Soulrev]

Nothin worse than an experiment gone wrong.. Heh. I tried Hot Topic's shitty dye once.. Was supposed to get a nice brilliant blue. Turned out aquamarine.. Yay.

[JaneDead]

hey critter- i had recently had my hair black with super red chunky streaks in it. well that faded quick and i left it like that for a good few MONTHS. ack - looked bad but oh well.

so then i bought some black hair dye (forget what kind- something at the grocery store or target) and had a friend put it in.

well about a week later or so- it was washing out every time i washed my hair. i thought it was coming out every where or maybe just at the roots. turns out where my hair used to be red- that is where it is washing off. and still is. (this is going on a month now i think??) and now i am starting to have streaks show up again that look brown in some light, blonde in other light and GREEN even. i don't know what to do about it- so i feel your pain! thought my hair weirdness might make you feel better about yours

[Hermine]

Making the rest either dark or just red is what I would suggest too. If you're worried about the reds from the 2 dye sessions not quite matching, you could make the rest a different shade/

I love the black idea; it was what I envisioned too. There was this African-American chyck that I went to community college with; and she had black dreads tipped with red, which was absolutely the coolest hair I've ever seen!

Black and red hair looks really great. That effect would be really cool and novel too. I'd love to see it. Plus, if you don't like it, you can put black over the red too, for shock of red highlights, which souldn't be too bac.

The only disadvantage is that black is a commitment.

Purple and red is nice too, especially for Valentine's day.

But don't forget you have lots of options that have maybe not even been envisioned yet. The Sally's thing is a great idea (that helps me too, thanks; I'm going to replace my purple with a better one sometime this week & I was planning on going to Sally's) I bet they can give you even more options.

If you need a natural look (I don't know what you do for a living, but this is the first time I've had an unnatural look in nearly a decade, so I have some ideas for when it is an issue) is a great way to turn shocking red into no big deal (having a virtually unlimited supply of it myself) You end up with auburn. Burgandy is a reversible choice that I'm likely to use towards the end of the semester b/c it fades to something quite normal-looking on me.

[Fierce Critter]

Thanks for all the replies, girls.

I just came back from Sally's. They directed me toward a bottle of Clairol's Uncolor for removing semi-permanent color, just what I've got on.

You put it on dry hair, put a processing cap over it, and sit with a dryer on for 30 minutes. I'm sitting with the bonnet on right now, and we'll know in about 20 minutes how well it worked. (By the way, one reason Punky Color stays so well for me is because I process it for 45 minutes with a bonnet hair dryer on - I picked mine up at a yard sale for $1.00 - you know, one of those old fashioned ones that has a hose that connects to a big cap and folds up into a nice case. I HIGHLY recommend them for home use.

While I was massaging it in, it was already drawing a lot of the color into the suds. So I'm hopeful.

Just in case that doesn't work, I've got a packet of bleach at the ready. If I don't need it, I can return it.

Going with an addition of another color isn't an option for me. I'm very fond of my blonde shade, and while I don't mind adding a color in unique ways here and there, chances of me ever dying the whole shebang or even a majority of it are probably nil. And while I really like how the black/(insert unusual color here) thing looks, it's just not for me. At least not right now.

I'll report back on how all this works out.

[Fierce Critter]

Well, the Clairol Uncolor only did about as good as the Metalex.

Rather than try a 2nd attempt with the Uncolor, I'm trying the bleach/shampoo mixture. But I didn't see anywhere where you're supposed to mix any developer in with the bleach, so I didn't pick any up. Any clue if bleach works without developer?

The packet of bleach I got mentions two different developer strengths for different bleaching effects - a 6% and 9% peroxide formula. I wonder if a little of the 3% peroxide I keep on hand for cleansing wounds would work in the stead of actual developer. Any clues, girls?

[Lilith]

i only have every used the bleach withthe devloper i have no idea if it will work with regular peroxide,

the following is what i use

1 packet/ 4 scoops loreal quick blue

4 to 6 onces of loreal oreor creama 40 vol developer

10 drops ardell red/gold corrector plus

mix all in a none metallic bowl and spoon and i just apply it to the areas i need it

this is what was sugested to me by the ladies at sallys and then advised by my hair stylist

other then that i have no ideas