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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 3:03 pm
LOL! Ok, I came in here for the same reason as War and now I'm going to wait until she does hers before I do mine! (I am blonde though. It was strawberry blonde in high school, red in my early 20s and turned blonde again while I was pregnant was kid #1.) I finally found some hair styles on the internet and got 7-10" cut off and I love it! I didn't wait too long either because I was afraid I'd lose my courage! My neighbor, who is about 10 yrs. younger than I am, said I look at least 10 years younger! (I am 44.) But...that took a lot of my lighter blonde away and now there are more grays than ever! Well, the grays are more noticeable. They are actually white. (and thick and wavy and sometimes stick straight up!) My kids have been after me for a long while now to color my hair to take the gray out. But I know once I start, I'll have to do it forever.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 6:02 pm
If Wardog's turns green, are you still going to do it, Happymom? <races out before anybody can catch her in this thread>

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Landileigh
Member
07-29-2002
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 6:48 pm
you should have it done the first time by a hairdresser, so you know exactly what color. we all think our hair is lighter or darker than it really is.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 7:08 pm
I use Preference too, to color up the little grays. My hair is a lighter brown but I use Chocolate Brown and go a bit darker, which I like. I have no idea about red hair though.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 7:38 pm
What landi said.. first time and she can get all the grey "roots" however long they may be. Then in the future (well, OK, I guess I'm talking permanent color here) you'll just have to make sure to get the roots. I think you'll enjoy the results. My natural color is darkish brown but I have foils and she weaves in bleach so it is a mix of natural dark, bleached and some whole white/grey. My hairdresser says it also depends on HOW the grey/white comes in.. some get it in patches, or streaks, some as salt/pepper. She promises she'll tell me if I get patches. My grandmother's hair went solid white (from very dark) in her thirties, and it was beautiful. Her sister, on the other hand, had very dark black and kept it very dark well into her 70s. Quite the contrast. My mom and aunt did the salt/pepper but my aunt's was lighter than mom's though hers had been much darker. You just never know. You know, War, you could try out the color on just a streak to see how you like it.. Caleb I'm sure would be quite straighforward in telling you if that streak had no grey in it.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 8:01 pm
Just one word of caution: You can just try it on one streak to see how you like it, but once it's mixed, you need to either use it or lose it. Don't ever try to store hair color once it's been mixed. I had the light auburn hair as a kid and it got darker as I got older. In my younger years, I used to just put a lightener on the roots and it was all I needed. Somewhere around 40, I noticed the dreaded gray. So I use a permanent shade of light reddish blonde, or strawberry blonde. In the past I used LOreal, but now I use Garnier Nutrisse. In my experience,if you go to a hairdresser at a salon, expect them to tell you that you should NEVER color your own hair since they can do it so much better. Maybe a friend who is a hair stylist will be more giving with advice.
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 11:14 pm
LOL Happymom, so I get to be the guinea pig??? I think I'm gonna talk to my hair dresser friend. Reading everyones posts shows me I know absolutely nothing about doing it myself, lol. She does a great job dyeing hair and besides helping to find the right color, I know she'll take her time to show me how to do it myself if I decide I want to do that later on.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Tuesday, February 03, 2009 - 11:33 pm
Juju, funny you should say that...in college I used my roomies hair dye on just part of my hair and went home for Christmas break with a green stripe in my hair! It was blue color for her very dark brown hair. War, I think it would be great if you would be the guinea pig! My biggest problem with this whole thing is the money. I don't want to spend money this way, especially knowing that it isn't a one time thing. The next is that I want it to look good and not different. I also have a thing about my hair ever since my brother, helpful teen that he was, told me I was nothing without my hair when we were in high school. I actually have a lot of self confidence, but that feeling from all those years ago just has really stuck with me. I am glad to hear several different home products that some of you are using. Maybe I can even find coupons for those...if I ever do make the leap to color my hair. I can't see myself parting with the money to go to a professional, I have a hard enough time doing that for a haircut.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 2:36 am
I think home coloring is fine if you have someone to stand over you and do it so they can really see where they are covering. When I was 19 and just married I had long hair and wanted it blonde so I used stuff to strip the color and then put color in. It was all fine as far as the color but then when I'd do the roots, I really couldn't see in back. and it got messy rootwise. Eventually I went to a salon and had it cut short and then had them put it back to my original color. After the haircut you could really see what a mess it was and how much dark hair was there. but just going to cover grey is different. I was thinking first time if you did a test AT the salon, she would just mix up the amount of color she needs, of her own products. At least my hairdresser doesn't use a finite package, but just mixes up what she uses on me. In fact she almost always ends up going back and mixing up a second batch before she finishes my hair.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 8:20 am
Happymom, cost is indeed a consideration at a salon. The cost you should aim for in L'Oreal Preference is $6.99. Watch the Walgreens, RiteAid, or CVS ads every week. Amongst the drugstores, you will see it somewhere on sale for $6.99. I color mine about every three months. I usually keep a box ahead. You will also see pretty good coupons for that product every now and then. I got a $2 off a few weeks ago and used it at Kmart on double coupon week, came home with hair color for $5.
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Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 8:47 am
I usually have Elizabeth do my hair and I'll do hers. It's so easy. I can't afford to have my hair colored at a salon, sorry not an expense I want. I buy my color at Target. It's always cheap and I find it does a great job in coloring the grey.
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 10:56 am
Juju, even though you are banned, thanks for coming back in! $7 every 3 mos. is not so bad! I guess I thought it would be a lot more often that I would need to do this. Also, I had no idea about the price. So, from what everyone is saying, do you think it would be best to go to a salon first, tell the person that I want to keep my natural hair color but get rid of the gray, then when the gray starts showing again in the roots, match my color to the little strands in the store/picture on the box and have someone else touch up my roots at home? Also, re: salon, in your opinions, can I go to one of those cheaper places (if they are indeed cheaper for this type of thing, I'll call around) like the no appt. necessary places, or does it need to be a more expensive appt. only place? Maybe it doesn't really matter. I am surprised that I am intimidated by this! I did color my daughter's hair once. She bought the stuff and told me what to do. (basically I just put on gloves and worked the stuff in with my fingers) Sea, when you said but just going to cover grey is different did you mean that if things get messed up that it won't be as awful/noticeable?
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 8:12 pm
<sneaks back in> Happymom, do you have long or short hair? If you have short hair, it is a whole lot easier, as you can just slop the hair color on the whole thing, and not have to worry about touching up roots only, so you won't damage the rest of your hair. By the time you get to where you could be damaging your hair, the short hair has grown out and been cut off. Especially if you can manage to go for three months at a time. If you have long hair and just need to touch up roots, I think that would be harder, and you might want to have somebody help you with it.
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Frootjuuce
Member
02-25-2007
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 9:32 pm
Happymom, I have used the Preference by Loreal for at least 15 years, and I love it. I have longish hair and I do it by myself with no problems. It has cream stuff to put on the ends before you start, then you use the color. It's real creamy, too, so it doesn't drip everywhere. It takes about 30 minutes to complete. Then there is this wonderful conditioner to use afterwards that makes my hair so soft! I love the way my hair feels and looks when I am done. The other thing that I like about it is that the colors are pretty true to what you see on the box. On the side panel, there is a picture that shows you what results you should get. I have actually messed up and got the wrong box before, but it was very close to my usual color...and no one even noticed!
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Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 9:33 pm
Talked to hair dresser friend today. Or rather sis talked to her and by the time I showed up all she wanted was to see the top of my head, lol. Said, yep, yep, you want to come to the shop, here, or your house? Then when she heard Darren and my bil teasing me, told me we'd do it as soon as both of us have the time to stop that, lol! I told her I'm not as interested in changing color as covering the grey, though I'd be willing to go a shade darker than my natural color...she said she was thinking a shade lighter. I told her we'd have to talk about that, lol, since that'll leave me a little more blondish than I want to be.
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Urgrace
Member
08-19-2000
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 9:47 pm
every 3 mos. is not so bad! I guess I thought it would be a lot more often that I would need to do this. It depends on your hairs growth rate. I have to do mine every four weeks, because it grows very fast.
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Watching2
Member
07-07-2001
| Wednesday, February 04, 2009 - 9:48 pm
My DD helped me do mine a couple of days ago. I always buy my color when it's on sale and sometimes, there's some really good sales. I'm out now, but I had two boxes in the closet since it was such a good price the last time. DD decided she would use both boxes to get a good cover on all of my hair instead of trying to stretch one box to get the roots and then comb it through. I have very thick semi-long hair, so it helps to have someone help me. I can get by on the months when I have no help and concentrate on the roots and then have a DD check it every few times.
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Escapee
Member
06-15-2004
| Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 8:19 am
I colored my hair last night (have to do it about every 6 weeks to cover my birthmark) and I use Feria. It covers the best because I have thick dark hair, plus they make is smell good.
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Thursday, February 05, 2009 - 1:12 pm
I used to use Feria a couple of years ago but they discontinued my color! I like Garnier Nutrisse color, the smell isn't so bad and the greys are gonzo!
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Happymom
Member
01-20-2003
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 1:11 pm
Juju, I have shoulder length hair at the longest and lots of layers everywhere else. I appreciate all the info in this thread. Thanks everyone! I was looking at the hair color at Target and saw they have kits that are gray coverage. Does anyone use those?
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Native_texan
Member
08-24-2004
| Friday, February 06, 2009 - 1:26 pm
Reading through this read I realized I couldn't remember what my profile picture was. Travis is cute but I'm.....UGH!!!! I quickly replaced it with a more recent photo. I use Garnier religiously when I was doing one color. It was great at covering the gray. I've been getting highlights for over a year now and I go to a hairdresser who is a friend of mine. I would not even dare to attempt it on my own.
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Benji
Member
01-13-2008
| Friday, April 03, 2009 - 12:19 pm
Okay! I finally found a site that is all about hair. so I do not feel too silly asking a dumb question. I am a sixty three year old male that visits the hairdresser every five weeks. my hair styled cost $30. I usually leave a tip of $10. Is this the proper amount?
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Merrysea
Moderator
08-13-2004
| Friday, April 03, 2009 - 12:21 pm
Wow, I'd say you are very generous! I'd probably tip $5 or $6.
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Serenity
Member
06-28-2005
| Friday, April 03, 2009 - 2:53 pm
I'd tip $5.00 too. 
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Benji
Member
01-13-2008
| Friday, April 03, 2009 - 6:44 pm
hi guys: thank your for your answers on tipping. well at least I know I am not cheap. My stylist is very nice and she has a 2 year old and has just had a new baby 1 month. So I guess I feel that I am helping a little. thanks again, Benji 
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