Getting Those Red Streaks Done
Okay, so I’d been looking at my hair for a while. It’s black, always has been, and honestly, I was getting a bit bored. Needed a little something, you know? Not a drastic change, didn’t want to go full blonde or anything wild like that. Just… something.
I started thinking about highlights. Subtle at first, then I thought, why not a bit of color? Red popped into my head. Seemed like it could look pretty cool against the black, kinda striking but not completely over the top if done right. I spent some time just scrolling through pictures online, seeing how it looked on others with dark hair. Some were way too bright for me, almost pink. I wanted something deeper, more like a dark cherry or wine red.
Making the Decision and Finding Someone
Now, I’m not brave enough to mess with bleach and dye myself, especially on dark hair. Heard too many horror stories about orange patches and fried ends. Nope. Decided pretty quickly I needed to go to a salon. I asked around a bit, got a recommendation for a stylist who supposedly knew her way around coloring dark hair. Booked an appointment.
The Salon Visit: Bleach First, Then Color
Went in, sat down, and had the chat with the stylist. Showed her a couple of pictures of the kind of red I was thinking of. She got it immediately, suggested we’d need to lift some sections first – that means bleach – to get the red to actually show up properly on my black hair. Otherwise, she said, it might just look like a dull tint, if anything.
So, the process started. She sectioned off bits of my hair, painted on the bleach stuff, and wrapped them up in foil. This was the part I was most nervous about. Bleach can be harsh. It definitely had that strong chemical smell. I just sat there, flipping through a magazine, trying not to worry too much about my hair potentially breaking off. She checked the foils pretty regularly, scraping a bit of the bleach off to see how light the hair was getting underneath. Needed it light enough for the red, but not totally white-blonde.
After what felt like ages (probably 40 minutes or so?), it was time to rinse out the bleach. My hair felt a bit weird, kinda stiff, where the bleach had been. The bleached parts were a sort of brassy, yellowish color. Not pretty, but she assured me that was normal and just the base for the red.
Next up was the actual red dye. She mixed it up – it looked super dark and rich in the bowl. She applied that all over the bleached sections. Then more waiting. This time it smelled much better, more like regular hair dye.
Finally, the rinse, condition, and the moment of truth. She blow-dried it, and honestly, it looked pretty cool. The red wasn’t screaming bright, more like deep glints of color when the light hit it. Subtle, but definitely there. It felt like me, but with a little extra something.
Living With It: The Aftermath and Upkeep
- Washing: The first thing the stylist hammered home was using color-safe shampoo and conditioner. Apparently, regular stuff strips the color out faster. She wasn’t kidding.
- Fading: Red is notorious for fading, and yeah, it did. The initial deep cherry started getting a bit lighter, more coppery over a few weeks. It wasn’t bad, just different.
- Maintenance: Touch-ups would be needed if I wanted to keep that exact fresh color, which means repeating the bleach and dye process on the new hair growth and maybe refreshing the ends.
Overall thoughts? It was fun! Definitely spiced up my look for a while without being too extreme. The upkeep is a bit more effort than just plain black hair, gotta be honest. You need the right products, and you have to accept the fade or commit to regular salon visits. Was it worth it? Yeah, I think so. It was a good change of pace. Would I do it again? Maybe, or maybe I’ll try something else next time the boredom hits. But the process itself wasn’t too bad, thanks to going professional. Definitely wouldn’t try bleaching my black hair at home after seeing what it involved.
