help for orange brassy highlights on dark brown hair

i have dark brown hair and recently went to a salon for a full head of highlights. after toning my hair once, i was told i could come back the next week to tone it down again because of the brassiness. i like blonde highlights but i know since my hair is too dark, that wont look good, but can you please let me know what would fix my hair now. i am embarassed to say it looks like i did a really bad job with a box highlighting kit myself. thank you

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help for orange brassy highlights on dark brown hair

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Mar 17, 2008

Brassy Hair
by: Anonymous

There are options but I have a lot of questions for what you had and what you have now:
1) make the highlights darker to tone out the brassy orange. If you don't want to do this, you can highlight with a lightener, but that depends on the condition of your hair. If its frizzy or crinkly on the ends, just go darker.

2)If you had preexisting color on your hair, did it lift all the way to the ends? I would have matched your toning to that level before you left. I also would have used multi volumes through the hairshaft.

I have a friend who wants me to highlight her dark brown hair to platinum highlights, but I discourage her for 2 reasons: 1- she won't maintain it every four-6 weeks to keep the blonde even, and 2-she won't pay for high quality products to keep her hair with good integrity. As long as you are willing to take the time and money, it shouldn't be a problem.

Unfortunately, so many want to put that lightener under a dryer, which forces pigment out and creates so much of the brassy problems. My Schwarzkopf doesn't go under the dryer AND it doesn't take any longer, not including the correcting toner time. Another "timesaver" is thicker panels. Paperthin panels get blond faster and more evenly every time.

If you were in Tucson, I'd be happy to fix your hair and I'm so sorry you ended up with orangey highlights. It has happened to all of us at one time and we are just as devastated as you.

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Mar 17, 2008
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Submitted by: Anonymous

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There are options but I have a lot of questions for what you had and what you have now: 1) make the highlights darker to tone out the brassy orange. If you don't want to do this, you can highlight with a lightener, but that depends on the condition of your hair. If its frizzy or crinkly on the ends, just go darker. 2)If you had preexisting color on your hair, did it lift all the way to the ends? I would have matched your toning to that level before you left. I also would have used multi volumes through the hairshaft. I have a friend who wants me to highlight her dark brown hair to platinum highlights, but I discourage her for 2 reasons: 1- she won't maintain it every four-6 weeks to keep the blonde even, and 2-she won't pay for high quality products to keep her hair with good integrity. As long as you are willing to take the time and money, it shouldn't be a problem. Unfortunately, so many want to put that lightener under a dryer, which forces pigment out and creates so much of the brassy problems. My Schwarzkopf doesn't go under the dryer AND it doesn't take any longer, not including the correcting toner time. Another "timesaver" is thicker panels. Paperthin panels get blond faster and more evenly every time. If you were in Tucson, I'd be happy to fix your hair and I'm so sorry you ended up with orangey highlights. It has happened to all of us at one time and we are just as devastated as you.

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Apr 15, 2008

Similar situation....need a change!
by: Anonymous

I had almost the exact same situation happen to me. I have naturally dark brown, almost black hair. Previously I decided I wanted to try red....looked great for a while, but I wanted a change. I was well aware that red is the hardest color to lift, but I decided to take the steps to achieve the look I now wanted. My goal was to get kind of a chocolate base with blonde/platinum chunky highlights. I went to my usual stylist on 4/4, told her what I wanted, she attempted, but the best she could do was an auburn base with heavy highlights. TALK ABOUT BRASSY! I HATED IT! I felt I needed to go back right away because I was too embarrassed with it. Unfortunately, she books up fast,so I decided to try another salon. On 4/8, I went to another salon where they explained that I would have to put a deposit color in my hair (the safest for my hair) & I would have to wait another 3 months (with constant maintenance) before I could even think about going for what I wanted. I'm so angry, I could scream! The color she put all over my hair, except for at the base of my neck came out to be a cool caramel color. I'm so not liking it. It has been a week now & I'm going nuts with this. When is the soonest that I can get what I originally wanted, chocolate base with blonde/platinum highlights without killing my hair?

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Apr 15, 2008
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Submitted by: Anonymous

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I had almost the exact same situation happen to me. I have naturally dark brown, almost black hair. Previously I decided I wanted to try red....looked great for a while, but I wanted a change. I was well aware that red is the hardest color to lift, but I decided to take the steps to achieve the look I now wanted. My goal was to get kind of a chocolate base with blonde/platinum chunky highlights. I went to my usual stylist on 4/4, told her what I wanted, she attempted, but the best she could do was an auburn base with heavy highlights. TALK ABOUT BRASSY! I HATED IT! I felt I needed to go back right away because I was too embarrassed with it. Unfortunately, she books up fast,so I decided to try another salon. On 4/8, I went to another salon where they explained that I would have to put a deposit color in my hair (the safest for my hair) & I would have to wait another 3 months (with constant maintenance) before I could even think about going for what I wanted. I'm so angry, I could scream! The color she put all over my hair, except for at the base of my neck came out to be a cool caramel color. I'm so not liking it. It has been a week now & I'm going nuts with this. When is the soonest that I can get what I originally wanted, chocolate base with blonde/platinum highlights without killing my hair?

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Apr 16, 2008

chocolate brown with platinum
by: Anonymous

I'd say, forget platinum for now. Sorry, the only way you'll get it is to fry the heck out of your hair and it will just fall out anyway. There is a limit to what can be done within the Laws of Color. Luckily, Hair Colorists are Artists within Science, and we can just use some tonal differences to make your hair a pretty color.
If I'm reading right, you wanted chocolate brown like a Hershey bar. The highlights were too brassy so it all has an orange brass tone. what I'd do is lowlight your hair with a DARK cool tone, anywhere from level four to level one, medium weave. This will cool out all tones and give you some depth. The coolness will make your blonde look brighter. I'd then tone your lightest blonde pieces with a blue based deposit only toner.
Walk into a salon and look for someone who has your desired hair, or someone on the street. Ask them who does their hair. If its a hairstylist, ask them if they mixed the color and directed the placement. IF so, go with that stylist, if not, go with who did their hair.
Good Luck.

Apr 16, 2008

Brassy to Chocolate w/ Blonde Highlights
by: Anonymous

I do not have the brassy heavy highlights anymore to work with because; as I said in my previous comment/question, I got an all over color that came out to be like a cool caramel (that's the color of my hair now). So, I'm no longer brassy, but I'm wondering how long I will have to wait until I can get the chocolate base w/chunky blonde/platinum highlights? I ask this, because I know it takes time for the hair to come out of that shock stage & heal. By the way, I have had the chocolate base w/chunky blonde/platinum highlights before. Thank you for your advice, I appreciate it.

Oct 08, 2008

Brassy highlights
by: Hair Diva

Dark brown hair turns brassy, because the bleach has not lifted the color past the red/orange stage.
The best thing you can do is go to the beauty supply and buy a toner. You need a toner that will counteract the red/orange in your highlights.
Toner is only left on for a short time and should help greatly in drabbing out that brass.

Dec 11, 2008

new hair
by: Anonymous

I just had my hair highlighted blonde and I'm confused about why the stylist had to bring my all over color back to my natural color which is black. My hair was originally brown when I walked in. When I asked her, she said it was because doing so would make the color less brassy but now I have to go back in 3 wks to lighten further. Is what she did right or was she just trying to rip me off by making me come back. I wanted brown hair with platinum highlights.

Dec 17, 2008

brassy highlights
by: Anonymous

Its inevitable for anyone who is going from a dark brown to blonde to go brassy, violet shampoos are great!Also to get rid of that brassiness in a hurry, put a toner on it!You can buy them at your local beauty supply. Get a toner (corrective color) with cool tones like violet or blue. Just make sure you read the back for instructions for the type of developer to use!

Dec 24, 2008

Disaster. Help!
by: Anonymous

Okay so my hair dilemma started a longgg way back when i got blonde highlights all over my head. My natural color is really dark brown. Did NOT look good. So anyways..i've gone from color to color ultimately trying to get the right one. Most recently i dyed my hair black & of course it came out jet black. So i wanted to lighten it up a little. i did this color breaker thing that i got from target and it came out orange!!! Not to mention i didnt wait exactly 6 weeks so it was very uneven and spotted. Today i went and got some light-ish brown dye and it toned it down a little. But now at my roots its still orange! its christmas eve and i have to leave tomorrow at 6am to drive 3 hrs to see the family. How can i fix the roots!!? They're glowing. very brassy! its lyke im stuck in the wrong holiday. HalloMEAN. this is a disaster. Any suggestions are welcomed! Especially if its a quick natural fix! emphasis on quick! i gotta catch some Z,s here!

Jan 18, 2009

color person in Tucson--I need you too!
by: LYnne

Hi Color person in Tucson...I'm in a color bind--already went to a salon for a correction, and they made it worse.

If you are still on here, please email me at Linzee222@aol.com.

Thanks!

Jan 29, 2009

Orangey highlights
by: Anonymous

my sister used a blonde highlighting packet to make highlights in my hair.
they turned out terrible.
i went 2 the hairdresser and they dyed my hair brown.
sinse it's only a rinse, the colour has faded heaps and the blonde pieces (now orange!) are coming through!
how do i get rid of them?

Mar 26, 2009

how to remove brassiness from bleached hair
by: betty

I usually have a problem with brassiness after i bleach my dark brown hair blonde- but i usually just live with it -it tones itself down after awhile. But i am planing on doing my hair later today and i don't want to live with the brassiness this time.I am going to try Clquorumairol Shimmering Lite Shampoo- that was the suggestion from at least 2 Beauty/Hair sites.Maybe you want to try that, i know i am . Good luck.

May 15, 2009

Just a question
by: Anonymous

I wanted to go lighter because I'm going grey anyway and I'm allergic to hair color. So I had a full head of highlights last Dec and it was fine so I went back a month later for more highlights and it was nice but not quite light enough. So 5 weeks later I went back so she could pick out a couple more dark strands so I'd be where I wanted to be. She put bleach over my entire head.........then toner and under the dryer...........my hair is RUINED, it fell off in clumps........I'm devastated!!
What did she do wrong? Please help!

Jul 19, 2009

I need help!!!!!!!!!
by: Anonymous

i tried to lighten my hair with lemon but got yellow/ORANGY brassy looking hair i wantED a bright sun kiss look can i still get that?

Jul 27, 2009

Need help in fixing red color highlights with previous copper orangey color ahh! Normal hair is dark brown
by: Anonymous

June 14th, i got my hair highlighted at a salon (attempted red-i guess it was bleached first then over all color put on) it came out more copper red and it was ok for a little bit. Started to look dry and dead, went to salon and asked for the red i wanted initially. july 19th, salon guy said it will be two-toned and should look good. I'm hair color-challenged, so i said OK. So, colored hightlights (not bleached)on top of what I had...now it's red(turning light pinkish) and the old highlights look orange and even green to my eyes. I am an RN and need a quick fix, i refuse to go to work looking like this. I want to just color over it, won't mind going back to dark brown, as long as it looks normal (i'd like for it to look like i have some darker highlights still), and won't fry my hair anymore. Please help for my sake and my patients haha. I'm a great nurse, but i would think twice if I had a nurse with my hair color haha!!!

Dec 25, 2009

Brassy Highlights
by: Brunette

I have paid in the range of $150-190 US for highlights from 'Master Stylists'. I had non-dyed hair and got foils done in a beige-blonde shade (my hair is naturally dark brown). The stylist decided to put another tone in (chocolate brown) to make the blone highlights stand out more. When I went to another salon to re-do the roots, she wanted to add more highlights & told me that the chocolate brown dye was difficult to lighten. She did a good job but found that there were still brassy bits left over. I found this amazing stylist who re-did my highlights (and when I went back, he actually left the business!) I visited another salon to re-do my roots again and that's where the drama started. She turned my beige-blonde highlights to brassy tones & she decided to re-lighten them that same day (mistake!). The hair got worst & I had to go to a 'Color Correction Specialist' at the same salon to fix it. She tried her best but at that point, my hair was too fragile & the color was a weird blonde & very damaged. I asked her to dye it over brown (and when it faded, it looked like a nice light brown). I went to re-do my highlights again & my hair was dyed a muddy brown (another stylist had to dye my hair brown again!).
Funny how this seems to be the universal brunette problem - Horrible Brassy Hilights. Even if a stylist got you at a certain desired color (beige blonde for me), the re-highlighting process always has weird consequences.
Now, I keep my hair dark & have subtle brown highlights. I don't dye my roots - I do a thicker panel look of highlights where its more color at the ends.
Best of luck to anyone with their current hair situation. Ironic that the solution is always 'an all over color of brown'. Maybe natural IS better ;)

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Dec 25, 2009
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Submitted by: Brunette

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I have paid in the range of $150-190 US for highlights from 'Master Stylists'. I had non-dyed hair and got foils done in a beige-blonde shade (my hair is naturally dark brown). The stylist decided to put another tone in (chocolate brown) to make the blone highlights stand out more. When I went to another salon to re-do the roots, she wanted to add more highlights & told me that the chocolate brown dye was difficult to lighten. She did a good job but found that there were still brassy bits left over. I found this amazing stylist who re-did my highlights (and when I went back, he actually left the business!) I visited another salon to re-do my roots again and that's where the drama started. She turned my beige-blonde highlights to brassy tones & she decided to re-lighten them that same day (mistake!). The hair got worst & I had to go to a 'Color Correction Specialist' at the same salon to fix it. She tried her best but at that point, my hair was too fragile & the color was a weird blonde & very damaged. I asked her to dye it over brown (and when it faded, it looked like a nice light brown). I went to re-do my highlights again & my hair was dyed a muddy brown (another stylist had to dye my hair brown again!). Funny how this seems to be the universal brunette problem - Horrible Brassy Hilights. Even if a stylist got you at a certain desired color (beige blonde for me), the re-highlighting process always has weird consequences. Now, I keep my hair dark & have subtle brown highlights. I don't dye my roots - I do a thicker panel look of highlights where its more color at the ends. Best of luck to anyone with their current hair situation. Ironic that the solution is always 'an all over color of brown'. Maybe natural IS better ;)

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Jan 31, 2010

brassy by the sun
by: Anonymous

may natural color is med brown ,my hair turns brassy when in sun, any idea on just getting rid of brassiness which is primary on the top layer of hair where sun hits it,lol when I put it in a ponytail it looks like i stuck a hair piece in its such a color contrast. thanks