Thinking about highlighting my hair for the first time before the wedding. Yay? Nay?

STOP RIGHT NOW! Rule of thumb is NO drastic first time hair changes before the wedding. You may love it but you may not and highlights are hard to come back from. You really want your wedding photos to reflect the truest form of yourself. Will you look back in 5 years and say "why did I highlight my hair"?! Being as close to your natural self on your wedding day is best IMO.

You've got time, try it now (like this week now) and see if you like it, if after a couple weeks you dont, you can always change it back, use a hairdresser you trust

(go with your gut, if you feel its looks "mousey" now, then you dont feel good about it, good luck, keep us posted

What Karen said. If you don't like it wait 2 weeks (so as not to overly damage your hair) and dye it back. Also tell your hairdresser/colorist what you've told us. . .that you've always been more blonde but recent changes yada yada. . .. This could make you feel like your "old self" again which is precisely what you want for all those photos!

The biggest mistake I ever did was highlighting my hair. I'm a natural red and my stylist talked me into it cuz she said I had greys here and there. Now I'm at the salon every 6-8 weeks to touch up the roots. It's expensive to maintain.

I would definitely not do anything different to my hair that close to the wedding. I would be so worried that I wouldn't like it. But then again it's just hair and you can always change it back if you dont. But like the other girls said, if your gonna do it do it now so that if you dont like it you have time to change it back.

Good luck and post pics if you decide to =]

Nay...Kris you're just bored.

I'm with Marie S. It's expensive upkeep! I have natrurally blonde highlights in the back of my hair lower so I decided to put atificial in the top. Holy upkeep batman! I too am a natural red head though. I wouldn't do anything to drastic prior to the wedding, I would wait and perhaps do it for your honeymoon?

Well I plan on highlighting my hair right before my wedding.... but I used to highlight my hair all the time.... I just stopped for a few years because of the money. If you've literally never done it and don't plan on doing it like the week before (have to because of roots).... don't. You might hate it. I mean sure you can dye it back... but before your wedding... its not worth it.

Highlights are bleach.... its been like 2 years and i finally finished growing out my highlights.... You have to keep dying your hair your natural color every 6 weeks or your hair is two different colors until all that blonde finally grows out.

Yes, if you can keep up with it. Like Marie said, every 6-8 weeks. if you don't keep up with it, it will look like ish. But for the wedding, for sure! I'm always changing my hair up so I'm pretty comfortable with colors and style and what not :-)

If you do it, make sure you go to someone who understand that you want natural-looking highlights, like you've been out in CO sun, not that you want to be crazy blonde.

If you do it right now, maybe, Otherwise I would be afraid. You are close but not that close if you want to try it do it immediately so that if you hate it you can still get it out in time.

No Kris You want to look like yourself for the wedding...plus I've heard some HORRIFIC stories about ladies' first times dying their hair. Don't take that risk (especially with your surgery coming up and everything)...you have plenty of time. Sorry but I wouldn't touch your hair before the wedding!

Natural Instincts is a semi-permanent hair color, if you want to try something at home.

I would definitely not try anything at home...if you are to move forward with this plan, then have it done by a professional. I'm just speaking from experience here...my roommate sophomore year had never died her hair and really wanted to try...she went and got an at-home kit...she had an allergic reaction to the dye and her face swelled up in a matter of minutes...I mean it was so bad that I couldn't see her eyes! She couldn't breathe and we immediately called 911 obviously...she was in the hospital for a couple of days while recovering.

I realize that it was a rare experience, but you just never know. That's why I said to not take any risks at this point in your life...it's just not worth it.

I agree with other ladies, no first-timers for your wedding.

I'm planning on getting highlights before my wedding but I have a lot more time to test it out than you do. I think if you're going to do it, you should try it now in case you don't like it so you'll have time to fix it if you hate it. I went for my hair trial recently and my stylist pointed out that highlights add depth to hairstyles. For me that's more important because my hair is pretty dark so you wouldn't be able to see all the details of a pretty style. But I obviously wouldn't change my hair color just because of that. I had been thinking of doing it for a while but I do see her point.

I don't see anything wrong with changing your hair before your wedding as long as it's not anything drastic. If you're already blonde and just getting highlights it wont be drastic at all! Or something else you could do is get some of that hair lightening shampoo or put lemon juice in your hair. Both are activated by heat so make sure to blow dry your hair and it will lighten up a little.

How about a haircut instead? Freshening up your look will make you feel and look better. nothing too drastic,t hough :-)

PS

I like the highlights. If they are done well, subtle and thin, you will still have to maintain them about every 3 months.

How about a haircut instead? Freshening up your look will make you feel and look better. nothing too drastic, though :-)

PS

I like the highlights. If they are done well, subtle and thin, you will still have to maintain them about every 3 months.

I don't know where my post went??

Anyway my main point was if you don't want anything too drastic, you could try using some of that lightening shampoo (Lighten Up by John Frieda) or lemon juice. They're both heat activated so you have to make sure to blow dry your hair or go out into the sun while your hair is wet but they both work and would give you a more subtle, natural highlight than bleach.

Now my other post showed up...weird. not sure if its just me or if WW is having issues today...maybe it's a sign I should do my work!