Hair Dressers/Colorists of the World, Help Me! This has happened to me before, and I think I'm

I have natural dark brown hair and I wanted to get red highlights. So one hairdresser said that she would have to strip the brown out and then put in the red highlights, but this sounded weird so I left. (I swear I've had red highlights before without having my color stripped) So I went a few weeks ago to another new hairdresser (she was highly recommended) and she said the same thing, and she in fact stripped my brown to put in red highlights. I asked for bergundy/cherry red and instead got brassy/orangy highlights. To me they looked brassy, deffo not the red/bergundy. Anyway, question is, do hairdressers really need to strip my hair to put red in or can they just paint on top of my brown? I know that red fades quickly so I understand that to have the color stay longer they might want to strip but is this really necessary? I walked out paying way too much money for brassy hair and I feel like I was lied to and ripped off. Was I ripped off or were they right? My hair is now fried, ugh!

Hair Dressers/Colorists of the World, Help Me! This has happened to me before, and I think I'm being rippedoff

well if your had virgin hair with absolutely NOOOO color on it at all they should have just put the red highlights straight on it. if you had box color you would have to have it stripped or color cleansed. but what they should have done if it was professional hair color (the all over brown) then they should have just enlightened the hair you wanted red and then put the red on top of it. think about it this way... if you have a brown sheet of paper and use a red crayon over it. the red does show up as much and will not stay as long. but if you use a red crayon over a yellow sheet of paper the red is more vibrant and will stay longer . (in hair) . if a stylist isn't trained correctly they can mess your hair. i would deep condition your hair. a product that contains keratin protein i highly recc. then i would go back to a stylist as for a full head foil. tell them you want brown and red highlights. specify what happened to you last time and that you really want a deep red. ask them to recc. a product that helps your color from fading. i highly recc going to aveda. there color is all natural and will actually help your hair and we are well trained professional stylists. then they will recc aveda color conserve shampoo and con-dish. this helps keep the cuticle closed in the hair follicle and distribute protein in the hair which you tend to lack as you chemically treat it. this will work i guarantee.

Hair Dressers/Colorists of the World, Help Me! This has happened to me before, and I think I'm being rippedoff

There was no need to strip your hair, that is why its fried now! All the stylist had to do was you a brighter red(not brassy) and once you had that first or second wash it would have toned down alot. You need to call the stylist if she is part of a company like great clips or raffles(depending on where your from) and talk to the manager and tell them the stylist messed up your hair and your demanding that they fix it or refund your money! You were ripped off Hun, and I wouldn't put up with it. Good luck

Hair Dressers/Colorists of the World, Help Me! This has happened to me before, and I think I'm being rippedoff

If you're wanting "red-red" highlights, 'cherry red' as you put it. They are going to have to "strip" or bleach out the sections of your hair. My hair is dark and I have the same problem, I love red, but it's a pain to get it as vivid as I want it. You can do the highlights at home, very easily (I just did my own last night), these kits that they sell are super easy to use. I think what you may be encountering is the same thing I got a few years ago, the hairdresser might be afraid that if they get it too red that you'll be upset, I have found that it's easier to do my hair at home.

As for doing the red at home, just buy a bleaching kit and some tiny rubber bands, band the sections of hair that you want red, "paint" on the bleach, wrap that section of hair loosely in saran wrap (just to keep it off the other parts of your hair) let it sit until the hair is very, very light, usually takes 20 -30 minutes with most bleaching kits, rinse in out (leave the rubber bands in it), read the directions on the red dye sometimes they'll want your hair dry and other times it doesn't matter depending on what you're using. Apply the red to the same section, and viola you've got what you're looking for. It's time consuming but the pay off is well worth it.

Let me know how it turns out!

Hair Dressers/Colorists of the World, Help Me! This has happened to me before, and I think I'm being rippedoff

those people here re wrong, your hairdresser was absolutely right. i also have dark brown hair and i also wanted it to be red, so i asked many haidressers they all kept saying the same thing - u want bright red colour they have to bleach it one tone and then put red die. i didn't want to spoil my hair like that so i refused. u could have done just many red stripes in your brown hair, it would have been less damaging. and in this case anyway a hairdress would have to bleach those stripes one or 2 tones brighter and then put red die all over your hair. hairdresser was right