Hair color advice & suggestions: Going red to brown!

[fortworthgal]

My hair is naturally a light auburn-brown. I have been coloring at home for years to a light auburn, to cover gray and because I like it a little more red than it is naturally.
This is my current color:

For some reason as I've gotten older, my roots are now coming in plain light brown with almost no red. Because of this and how quickly red color fades, the red is a royal pain to keep up and I am sick of coloring every 4 weeks. I'm also starting to feel like my red might look unnatural or not great with my skintone, and I don't want to be one of those old ladies with bozo orange hair. I want a change, and I'd really like to go to a light brown with some subtle caramel highlights. Here's a pic of what I've got in mind:

I feel like the upkeep will be easier than the red, and it'll be more natural when my roots do grow out.

First off, how do you think the brown will look with my skintone? I'm fair with warm undertones (NW15), freckles, and dark brown eyes.

Second, is this something I can achieve at home? I am pretty adept at home coloring, including highlighting & color correction. But I also know that red is notoriously difficult to remove completely. Would it be possible for me to strip my color out with something like ColorFix, use a protein filler and maybe an anti-red/brass additive, and a light ash brown or even a dark ash blonde, and get the color I want? Or should I just visit a salon? Is this even do-able in a salon?

 

[vintageTink]

I had a heck of a time getting out the bad red that I didn't ask my stylist for.
The caramel color is pretty.

 

[olive bleu]

Well, I have no professional (or very useful) advice , as I know we have actual hair stylists on here. But, I will say, I think the colour is lovely and would really suit you. I have died my hair auburn since I was about 16, and also have some natural red. I can personally testify, that once you decide you are finished with the red, it is not easy to be rid of. Personally, I would recommend a salon. My method was to dye it dark brown every 4 weeks with a semi permanent at home and keep getting frequent trims until all the red was cut out. Very tedious. But my natural colour is dark brown so it did eventually get me where I wanted to be. Where you want to go light brown, I think it would need to have colour stripped out. I wouldn't attempt it myself, but then I have no idea what I am doing I can't wait to see the results though!

 

[fortworthgal]

Well, I have an appointment to have it done at 8 AM Saturday! He said they won't even have to strip my hair, just apply a medium ash blonde over it, then add the highlights and possibly a toner.

I know red is the most difficult to remove - especially since I've been using it for so long! I've colored my own hair at home for many years and am totally comfortable with color correction, highlighting, etc., so I feel like I could do it myself... but I am nervous. My husband said he'd rather I just pay to go get it done than try to mess with it myself.

 

[olive bleu]

Please post pics!!!

 

[fortworthgal]

Well, got it done and I LOVE it! It is a touch darker than I would have chosen, but covered all the red. Here are a couple of photos I snapped in the grocery store bathroom :laugh: I'll try to take some better ones that actually show the color. But overall I am really pleased with the result! My husband and my coworkers all said they prefer it to the red, so I'm pretty happy - and looking forward to less color maintenance & no more dreaded 'red fade.'

 

[olive bleu]

yay! i am at work and can't see the pictures. Can't wait to get home , so I can have a look. I love that you took pictures in the grocery store bathroom, lol, that is so something i would do.

 

[scarlett]

fortworthgal, the new color suits you very well. You look beautiful.

 

[olive bleu]

oh my gosh, FWG, its just gorgeous! Really, the colour is simply perfect Did you get it cut, too? or is that the style it was all along? It is beautiful all around.

 

[olive bleu]

oh never mind, I can see in the top picture with the red colouring, that the cut is the same, lol.

blame it on Monday, it can't be age.

 

[Grant Fan]

That is a lovely color. I have gone back brown a time or two ( mind you I am half Cuban so my natural brown is super dark) it always comes out looking like shoe polish for a few days then it fades and looks fine. My biggest trouble is after I make mine red for a while my roots grow out very red( not sure if this is possible but it's like my hair changes at the folicle) so that makes it interesting. Anyway the new color looks great. I hope you enjoy it.

 

[fortworthgal]

Thank you!!!

Grant Fan - I know what you mean. Red is so hard to remove, it seems to always come back! My natural color is a light reddish brown, but lately my roots are coming in just brown, so I do think it is possible for hair to change at some point. I have no scientific basis for that, of course. :laugh:

oh never mind, I can see in the top picture with the red colouring, that the cut is the same, lol.

blame it on Monday, it can't be age.

:laugh: No, I did get it cut about 2 weeks ago, after the top picture was taken. Bangs cut, a little bit shorter, more layering, and thinned out. So you aren't crazy!