Hi Sandy, I'm assuming the reason you want to color your hair is to cover gray??? It is not true that all over the counter color won't cover gray hair. However, some gray hair is very resistant and hairdressers have options you wouldn't for covering it. Permanant color is not all created equal some cover better than others. Peroxide volumes and color combinations can be altered to cover the gray, as well as pre-softening the gray if necessary. You didn't say if your SIL was using permanant color. If you used permanant color your ends will fade, but they should not turn gray. It makes me suspicious she used a semi or temp color when she applied the brown. If the gray is bothering you, my suggesting is to get a foil weave like your SIL did before, and then have your roots re-weaved. There are many ways to deal with gray hair. When we get lots of gray and the natural color isn't working well with highlights any longer it is common to add a color with the blonde like Petaloid is doing (a brown or blonde shade with another blonde shade). A haircolorist will weave and color the grow out at the same time using foils with two colors when desired. They will also refresh faded ends (any color will fade) as necessary with a demi or semi color that has lower peroxide so the least amount of damage is done to the hair. With long hair make sure the person is highly skilled and expect to pay big bucks. It is difficult to work with waist length hair especially if it is thick, and it requires more product. If you had short-med length hair, and got regular haircuts I'd say try the home products, but since you have waist length hair I would not do your own hair. Even if you are succesful the first time you will have a heck of a time touching up your roots with that length hair, as well as refreshing the color on the ends. Long hair has special needs and concerns. That's my two cents worth! good luck.

I think your colorist is completely out of line and I would go somewhere else. My hairdresser and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary - I've followed her from salon to salon until she finally opened her own place. I started getting white hair in high school and I've been completely white for many years (think Barbara Bush, the elder white) . To avoid the skunk stripe I get my color every three weeks. I'm not interested in doing it myself so I just pay. Over the years I've watched my hairdresser handle all kinds of customers and without fail - if the client is unhappy she'll offer to re-do the color. There are times when I think the client is too demanding and insisting that the end result isn't what she asked her. Yet Donna has always tried to make the customer happy - sometimes she just adds a toner which subdues the color. Perhaps it isn't as dark as you thought - after all you didn't notice it until your DH mentioned it. In any case you shouldn't have to be lectured by the colorist. As others mentioned if you do color your hair then you need to use a shampoo and conditioner that's made for color treated hair.

Thank you, again everyone. alwaysonestep, I will look into at home touch ups with semi-permanent color for sure. What you describe about the white showing two days later is exactly what I fear. lobby68, yup, I've been spoiled all these years. I'll be making up for it with monthly salon visits now. 4kids, it sounds like you have a great plan for keeping your hair looking good. It's great to have thick hair. tina, thank you for the tip about the glaze and getting various shades of highlights, that makes a lot of sense. And yes, I think it may be difficult to give me lowlights ;-) patl8, anything is better than having to sit in a salon chair more than once a month. I simply don't have the patience for that anymore. Thank you for the touch-up tips. lukkiirish, I really appreciate the pictures and the explanation about how the highlights/lowlights work. My hair gets red highlights naturally, so I imagine that is what will work best. whatsayyou, I am intrigued at the thought of DIY hair because I am traveling a lot these days for various crazy reasons, so that is one of the things worrying me about needing to be in a salon so often. You sound like you are a talented colorist though. ks92, this color WOW sounds awesome. So glad to know about it. ratherbesewing, I will check out WOW selection in person. Thank you so much for all the help. I feel much better having discussed this with everyone, truly.

Well ... I've just had another damn haircut! Went back to the guy who cut it last week when I was attempting the messy bob, but found it took too long to get it right before work in the mornings so I was just blowing it out straight, and it was a bit too long to lay right. I'm now shorter on the sides and in back, and very pleased with how simple it is to style this baby into a swinging little bob. I'm done with the changes for now. Only took a month of multiple stylists and entirely too much money to arrive at a style I'm loving. (Eeek. Entirely too much obsession over hair here!)