Ask Karen - September 2001

September 30, 2001
Adding Depth To Straight Hair?

Question

Dear Karen,

I have bone straight hair and no matter what I do I don't seem to be able to achieve the depth or thickness that I want with my shoulder length bob.Do you have any suggestions? I was told by one stylist that using color could somehow help. Unfortunately I zoned out when she was talking to me and I wasn't sure what she was saying although I do remember something about adding color underneath my hair. If that makes any sense?

Any help you could give would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for a fabulous web site. The first time I visited HairBoutique.com I literally did not leave for over 6 hours (except for a bathroom break :-)

Please help.

Thanks.

Julie Anne

Answer

Dear Julie Anne,

Thank you so much for the nice compliment on HairBoutique.com. We do try to make the site the best it can be although we know that there is always lot more than can be done.

Although I can not speak for the stylist that you talked to, I am going to make some general assumptions. Many colorists have discovered that if you color the underneath sections of hair with a deep contrasting shade, you will instantly add depth and thickness to the hair.

This technique works better on some types of hair than it does on others. For example, straight hair that is shoulder or ear length will look deeper than other hair textures. The point of this is that you need to consult a colorist or stylist that understand how to blend deeper shades with lighter shades to accomplish a certain look.

I recently attended a hair show where hair models with blonde hair had shades of chocolate and cocoa tipped underneath the blonde. The result was spectacular. However, this should not be undertaken at home by the average hair consumer. A skilled colorist would be required.

It is amazing the difference color can make with just about any type of hair. The key is to understand what you want to achieve and finding a colorist that can help you achieve your desired results.

Best wishes,

Karen

September 10, 2001
How To Fix Hair Highlights At Home?

Question

Dear Karen,

My hairstylist convinced me to put highlights all over my head. They looked good in the salon but now I hate them and so does my husband. I don't want to go back to the stylist because she will definitely try to talk me into leaving them in place. I guess I want to try and fix this at home. I am wondering what will happen if I apply a hair color like Feria over the highlights. Will it cover completely?

Thanks for any help you might be able to offer. I am really bummed out about now.

Jane

Answer

Dear Jane,

I am not sure how your hairstylist added the highlights. She may have used bleach or she may have used another color. Whatever she did, keep in mind that to highlight color you have to remove darker shades which requires opening the cuticle in some way to allow for the lightening.

Most hair colorists and experts do not advise applying permanent color over highlighted hair. There is no guarantee that the color will cover the entire hair or that the highlights might not pick up an orange or other odd color hue.

If you don't want to go back to your stylist consider going to a different color expert that can help you with color correction. If you are unable to do this, buy the box of Feria with the color that you like and then look for the toll free help number either on the outside or inside of the box. Call the toll free line BEFORE you apply the color and ask their opinion of the expected outcome. If they anticipate a problem they will most likely make suggestions to help you be successful in your home color repair efforts.

For additional insight check out Hair Color Tips.

Best wishes,

Karen

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