How to Highlight Your Own Hair

Note: I have now updated this post with a much more detailed version here.

I think I look better with Blonde hair but I hate the cost, £100+ every 6 weeks, that's over £800 a year! So I now do the half head fill-ins myself. I still have my full head highlights every 6 months but other than that I do my own.  Not only does it save me £600 a year it also saves me a whole 24 hours per year sat in a hairdressers.  I hate hairdressers they are always giving you poop hair advice, selling you dud products and leaving your hair a slightly gingery colour.

Now this is only for the brave or stupid, (I'm both) If you don't get your hair highlighted regularly, don't try this, you need to have a good idea of the process before you have a go yourself.

I use the Wella products for this, but any Salon grade ones would do, if it can't be bought in Boots etc.. then your on the right track. It is essential that use professional products if you don't want orange hair. You can buy all these items on e-bay or through websites.

Here's what I use, it is all available from Amazon;

• Wella Welloxon Perfect 20%vol use a less strong bleach, say 9%, if your natural hair is light brown or dark blonde)
  - (I got mine from ebay for about £20 good for about 20 uses)
• Wella Blondor Lightening Granules You can buy this in smaller amount this size is good for 10-20 applications
• L'Oreal Easi Meche Easimeche Excel Long 200 I obviously have long hair, but you can buy them in a short version too.  200 usually lasts about 10 root touch ups.
  
• Pin Tail Comb
  
• Tint Brush
  

I mix the granules; 1 part Blondor to 2 parts Welloxon in a non-metallic bowl.  Then I get going, there are loads of youtube videos showing the technique for highlighting, so I will spare you an awkward on-camera presentation.  I really recommend that you use easimeche instead of foils on yourself, as the sticky top part helps the section stay in place whilst you are applying the bleach.



My main tips are;

• When applying the bleach to the hair on the Easi Meche don't let the bleach go off the end of the packet near your roots or you'll end up with stripes.
• Work fast! this is important you only have enough time to do the central stripe and maybe 3 or 4 rows either side of your hair line.  Unless you are massively quick at this, the first packets of highlights you created at your crown will already be developed and the front of your hair will not have had chance to go pale enough (again you get orange hair)

This usually takes me about 1hr15 including washing it out and drying, but I spend about 20 mins of that faffing, waiting for the bleach to do it's stuff.

Has anyone else had tried this and had success.