Harsh hair color...and overplucked eyebrows...

There are times when I wish I could just sit and people watch, all day long.  The things I see are just too whatever to make up (stupid, silly, etc.)  I was in Walmart the other day (not the store I actually work in) and noticed a cashier's hair color and eyebrows.  Sigh.

She's probably around my age (43), maybe a titch younger or older, kind of hard to tell.  Anyway, she's got those tell tale bags under her eyes, which tells me she's not living a "clean" life  (cigarettes, drinking, idiots in her life).  Otherwise, her skin was pretty clear (bonus in her favor).  Her hair color is quite dark (artificially so), and her eyebrows are plucked  with a poor shape and practically non-existent, which makes her facial features stand out in an unattractive way.  I'm not saying I'm the most beautiful person on the planet...to the contrary, I usually look very "relaxed" when I'm out and about on my days off.  However, this person was at WORK....she needs a make over, STAT!!

First thing I'd do...counsel her to step away from the tweezers.  Get her to let the poor things grow back in so we can actually see the shape they're supposed to be and work on them to get them there.  There's nothing worse than looking permanently surprised....Once the shape has been established, and getting her used to how they look, she will notice a HUGE difference in how people perceive what she looks like.  I know, it sounds shallow, but it's true.  A well groomed brow makes all the difference!!  (just look at anyone who gets their unibrow taken care of....what a huge difference!!)

Then, her color.  Right now, the only thing that can be done is to A) some very well placed highlights to lighten up her overall color.  Continue to highlight her for at least 3 total visits (spread out over the course of at least a year).  While these highlights are going on, taking care of her regrowth is very important.  I'd be using a lighter color, even if it's only one shade lighter, to move things along, making sure it all blends accordingly.  Once the highlights are plentiful, I would then start using a tinted glaze over the whole thing to bring the highlights to a newer, lighter shade of brown, which would be infinitely more pleasing than the harsh dark brown she currently has.

The one thing I'd explain to her is that this process takes TIME.  It cannot and should not be done in one visit.  The first visit would be a partial highlight to lighten up the over all color....fine highlights, spread out so there's a subtle change, making sure the highlights are placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation. Depending upon how much grey is being covered, I may not touch the regrowth areas, or I might start the process of making her overall color a half shade lighter.

The next appointment, I'd add another layer of highlights, the same amount as before, placed slightly closer together, to break up the color even more, and continue to touch up her regrowth with the new overall formula.  The third appointment (the highlight appointments should be placed roughly 2-3 months apart.  The retouch of her regrowth should be every month to ensure good coverage of any grey hair) would be the final application of highlights, still placed so there is no obvious line of demarcation.  At this appointment, I would match up a glaze color to coordinate with her new base color, lightening up her hair overall without damaging her hair.  The glaze will be a demi permanent color, which contains NO ammonia of any kind.  This will close down the cuticle and make the hair appear shiny and smooth, which equals healthy hair!!

Is this an expensive process, over all??  Yes.  Is it worth the time and money??  Absolutely.  Lightening up that harsh hair color does a number of things, most importantly, it makes you look younger than you are.  The darker the hair color, the older and harsher you look.  No matter how pretty you are, you will look HARSH and OLD with dark hair.  Why do you think all the kids want to dye their hair jet black???