Keep hair dye off highlights during recolor

February 9, 2014 2:02 PM

Is there a product or technique for protecting peekaboo highlights when recoloring hair at home?

I have medium brown hair dyed red with two thick blonde peekaboo highlights on either side. I had it done professionally but was unhappy with it and did it with drugstore products at home the next time with much better results. I'm well past due for a recolor with the red but since the blonde is on a lower level of hair, the roots are not a problem and I'd like to skip re-bleaching that part if possible to keep my hair a bit healthier (maybe do It every other time). Is there something I can do to keep the new red off the blonde streaks? I could put foils on during the coloring process but still concerned about bleeding during rinsing. Thanks.

posted by waterlily to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

I'd try putting the blonde parts in little ponytails; braiding them to keep them tight together, and wrapping the little braids in plastic wrap, with another rubber band holding the plastic wrap on at the base. Keep it until you've shampooed the dye out of the rest (then take off and rinse still in the shower.)
posted by fingersandtoes at 2:20 PM on February 9, 2014 [3 favorites]

I'd saturate the blonde parts with conditioner before wrapping them up in whatever you end up using. That's what they did at the salon when I was dying my hair a few shades darker, but wanted to leave some little pieces of my natural color as "highlights."
posted by Weeping_angel at 5:29 PM on February 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

I've seen (shower caps?) at Sally's and the like that have holes that you pull the hair that needs treatment through. You can dye the hair and rinse it out without impacting the other hair.
posted by getawaysticks at 6:04 AM on February 10, 2014

I have dyed red hair, and the dye continues to rinse out for several washings after I have it done. I can continue to stain white clothing with my wet hair for a week or so. I tried blonde highlights once, but they soon became pink highlights.

So my advice would be to saturate the highlights with conditioner, as Weeping_angel suggested, and wrap them in plastic wrap and then foil. And when you rinse the color out, make sure you wash it like crazy to avoid future staining. Honestly, it would probably easier to have someone else do that.

And be prepared to go to a salon for re-bleaching if your highlights turn pink.
posted by thejanna at 7:13 AM on February 10, 2014