Okay, so I decided it was time for a change. My plain black hair was starting to feel a bit boring, you know? I kept seeing folks with these nice, subtle brown highlights mixed in, and thought, yeah, I could try that.
Getting Started
First thing, I wasn’t about to mess this up myself. Black hair can be tricky, especially when you’re trying to lighten it. Didn’t want orange stripes or fried ends. So, I booked an appointment at the salon I usually go to. Felt safer that way.
I went in with a couple of pictures on my phone, just showing the kind of look I was going for. Nothing too drastic, just some warmer brown pieces to break up the solid black. We talked it through – how light to go, how many highlights, where to put them. She suggested starting subtle, which sounded good to me. You can always add more later, right?
The Process Itself
Then came the actual work. She started by sectioning off my hair. Lots of clips everywhere. Then she began painting on the lightener.
- Mixing the stuff up.
- Carefully painting it onto thin strands.
- Wrapping each strand in foil.
This part took a while. Just sitting there, listening to the salon buzz, feeling the tugging as she worked through section by section. The smell of the lightener wasn’t too bad, thankfully. Once all the foils were in, I just had to wait. Felt kinda like a robot with all that metal in my hair.
She checked a foil strand every so often to see how the color was lifting. Black hair is stubborn, so it took a bit. Didn’t want to push it too far and cause damage, though. Patience is key, I guess.
Washing and Toning
Finally, it was time to wash it all out. This is always the best part, the head massage at the basin. After rinsing out the lightener, she put on a toner. This is important, apparently, to get the right shade of brown and cancel out any brassy tones. More waiting, but not as long this time. Then another rinse.
The Reveal and Living With It
She towel-dried my hair, combed it through, and started blow-drying. As my hair dried, I could start seeing the highlights properly. It was pretty cool seeing the brown strands appear against the black. It wasn’t a massive change, but definitely noticeable. Soft, warm brown pieces catching the light. Looked pretty much like the pictures I brought in.
Walking out of the salon, my hair felt lighter, looked more interesting. Took a few days to get used to seeing the different color in the mirror. Washing it requires a bit more care now – definitely using color-safe shampoo and conditioner to keep the brown from fading weirdly or getting brassy. Sometimes I use a purple shampoo too, just in case.
Overall, I’m glad I did it. It’s a nice little update without being too extreme. Added some dimension. Yeah, it was a bit of a process, sitting in that chair for hours, but worth it for the final look. It just feels a bit more me now.
