Hair Dye: colors, product reviews, and tips

[Lau Mo]

Thanks for the help!

The red has been a real pest. As much as I liked it for a while, I just wish it would go away!

I think I'll just dye it again, making sure to leave it on the light areas for WAY longer than the roots.

 

[kamikat]

Thanks for the help!

The red has been a real pest. As much as I liked it for a while, I just wish it would go away!

I think I'll just dye it again, making sure to leave it on the light areas for WAY longer than the roots.

Woa! I'm a stylist who is a certified colorist and a red hair color addict. Don't leave the color on WAY longer on the light areas than the roots. If your hair is very damaged, the lighter areas with grab the color and come out black, with the roots being color you wanted them to be. I highly recommend going to a salon for a corrective color. With a red permanent color, the only way to get your natural hair color back is to grow it out and keeping trimming the old color off. If you're not willing to do this, the best way to go is to choose an ashy (green based) semi-permanent color that is the same level as your current color and do not apply it to the roots. This might tone down the red without doing too much damage to your hair.

 

[Lau Mo]

I fixed my hair!

I ended up buying professional hair color at Sally's and a 10 developer instead of a grocery store hair color kit. I used it like I normally use the box kit, and it worked perfectly!

Thanks for the advice ladies

 

[harvesthobo]

Go Blonder?

This is a good thread! Right now I'm trying to decide if I should go blonder. My hair is naturally pretty blonde but it seems that for the past year it's been rapidly losing it's blonde color and turning into a dishwater blonde/brown color that looks really mousy and gross to me. Consequently I've dyed my hair at home a few times in the past year, first a golden blonde, then a neutral blonde, now an ash blonde. I was trying to get it so that the color would be on the same "temperature range" as my natural color, so that when the roots grow out it'd at least seem plausible that it was just sunbleached (which happens to my hair in the summer).

The colors all seem slightly too warm compared to my natural color though, even the ash blonde (9 1/2 A, L'oreal Superior Preference) http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#page=top{media:_blank|overlayroductdetail//objectid+HCo12_29//|userdata//d+d//|main:brandpage:superiorpreference|diagnostic|nav}. I'm pretty happy with the ash blonde anyway, but I can barely tell the difference between it and the neutral blonde it was before. I was hoping for something slightly cooler/lighter.

Anyway, should I go blonder? I've never had problems dyeing my hair at home, and since I'm a natural blonde I don't think I'd be risking horrible results really... and I'm not going to bleach it or anything. I was thinking maybe something like the "Pure Orchid" color on this page - http://www.lorealparisusa.com/_us/_en/default.aspx#page=top{media:_blank|overlayroductdetail//objectid+HCo16_4//|userdata//d+d//|main:brandpage:dreamblonde|diagnostic|nav}. It looks a lot lighter than the color I have now, but I don't think it really is. Also, it's a 9A, and my hair right now is 9 1/2A, so theoretically my hair right now would be lighter? It really doesn't look like it by comparing the swatches, though.

Sorry for writing a book ha. I don't know - do you think I should go for it? If it looks bad I guess I could always just dye it back ha. My hair is really healthy, and I only wash it every 3 days or so, so I'm not too concerned about over-processing it at the moment. I think I'm just nervous about going so much lighter ha, even though I think it would probably look fine.

 

[C-dot]

I understand where you're coming from. I used to dye my hair blonde too, and believe me, going lighter gets addictive.

My hair was also very healthy until I went lighter - although I had to use a higher volume developer to take the natural red out of my hair. Since yours is naturally blonde, and the shade you want isn't too much lighter, I don't think you'll have much of a problem.

Also - you think you aren't bleaching your hair when you do this, but the blonder the shade, the more the bleach! Every colour has some amount of bleach in it. When you want to go lighter, you have to strip your hair to create a "blank canvas," otherwise the colour will mix with whats already there, and that's not what you want.

One more thing - the closer you get to platinum blonde, the faster it will turn brassy. I recommend a purple or silver shampoo, used once or twice a week, to combat the brass tones you will discover with time.

Good luck - do post pictures of the results!

 

[Emer]

BUMP!

I'm wondering how many of you out there dye your own hair? Specifically, if anyone uses Henna dye? I found some (via another thread, I believe) on Lush's website that could be used for dark hair (I'm a brunette). Anyone ever tried their Henna dye? What shampoo do you use to keep your color from fading too quickly?

 

[C-dot]

Brunette shades are by far the easiest to maintain. I speak from personal experience, having had every colour in the spectrum.

Henna dye is great. You may have seen me rave about natural dyes in other threads - but it's because they are amazing! No damage, smell, or stains. I haven't tried the Lush one, but I've never had anything but great results with other Lush products.

Insofar as shampoo goes, colour shampoos are wide ranging, and some do work - But getting a shampoo made specifically for your hair colour is best, because it contains ingredients that work only for that colour. Matrix Shade Memory (http://www.matrixhaircare.co.uk/our-product-matrix-haircare-shade-memory.aspx) is choice, but John Freida drugstore brand works just as well, and cheaper.

Sorry to sound like an advertisement ticker - But I have an extensive history in salon and beauty supply!

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I do my own color all the time, with out-of-the-box products. Once or twice in the past I got a salon color job, with a style, and it was fine, but really I couldn't tell the difference from my drug store product. Except it was a lot more expensive!
Henna products are interesting to me, though I've never used them. There used to be all kinds of horror stories about all the things never to mix with henna, and randomness of color, unpredictability, etc. It sounds like the products have been much improved over the years, but I think I'd want to be in the company of someone experience in henna before I purchased & used it.

Oh, I just remembered: there used to be a couple color preserving/enhancing products on the shelf, that I don't see anymore. One was John Frieda, if I remember correctly. Not sure of the other, but the line included a color glazing rinse intended to retain and boost color between dye jobs. Being a reddie, I was excited about it, but it seems gone now. At least in my area.

 

[Emer]

Brunette shades are by far the easiest to maintain. I speak from personal experience, having had every colour in the spectrum.

Henna dye is great. You may have seen me rave about natural dyes in other threads - but it's because they are amazing! No damage, smell, or stains. I haven't tried the Lush one, but I've never had anything but great results with other Lush products.

Insofar as shampoo goes, colour shampoos are wide ranging, and some do work - But getting a shampoo made specifically for your hair colour is best, because it contains ingredients that work only for that colour. Matrix Shade Memory (http://www.matrixhaircare.co.uk/our-product-matrix-haircare-shade-memory.aspx) is choice, but John Freida drugstore brand works just as well, and cheaper.

Sorry to sound like an advertisement ticker - But I have an extensive history in salon and beauty supply!

No worries! Sometimes being a brand ticker is a good thing! I've been debating on trying out henna hair dye, simply because 1.) we move around so often, keeping up with new hair stylists is difficult; 2.) last time I had my hair colored, I spent nearly $200 at the salon; 3.) henna dye is more vintage!

 

[kamikat]

No worries! Sometimes being a brand ticker is a good thing! I've been debating on trying out henna hair dye, simply because 1.) we move around so often, keeping up with new hair stylists is difficult; 2.) last time I had my hair colored, I spent nearly $200 at the salon; 3.) henna dye is more vintage!

Be very careful about using henna! There is a chemical reaction between henna and chemical dyes. The hair will burn and break off at the new growth. I know this happens when you put chemical dyes on top of hennaed hair, but I don't remember if it happens when you put henna on chemically dyed hair.

 

[Lollipop]

I'm not sure where to put this so I figured this would be the best place...

Does anyone have any "magic tricks" in getting color off of skin?

 

[Emer]

Be very careful about using henna! There is a chemical reaction between henna and chemical dyes. The hair will burn and break off at the new growth. I know this happens when you put chemical dyes on top of hennaed hair, but I don't remember if it happens when you put henna on chemically dyed hair.

Thanks for that!! Oh my gosh that would have been horrible! I won't be trying it for a while then as my hair was just dyed about a month ago!

Lollipop--try rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover, depending on where it's at. I used to use these two things when I would do spray tans and get all streaky.

 

[Hestia]

Thanks for that!! Oh my gosh that would have been horrible! I won't be trying it for a while then as my hair was just dyed about a month ago!

Actually, this bad reaction only happens if your henna is not pure- many "henna" blends used to contain metallic salts, and that is what caused the extreme damage when combined with other chemical dyes. Plant dyes alone will not react badly.

Definitely do a strand test, but the Lush henna you were considering is all natural and shouldn't cause any bad reaction with your chem dye.

Henna for Hair is a great website about natural plant dyes, there is tons of information there.

I brighten my blonde hair with cassia, another natural plant dye, and I love it.

 

[Tikismall]

I'm wondering how many of you out there dye your own hair? Specifically, if anyone uses Henna dye? I found some (via another thread, I believe) on Lush's website that could be used for dark hair (I'm a brunette). Anyone ever tried their Henna dye? What shampoo do you use to keep your color from fading too quickly?

I used henna dye when I was in highschool, went jet black. It worked! but it was rather messy and kind of looks like a mud pack on your head. I loved the color though, really rich and dark.

I will say that hennas are great but if you use metallic dyes like Feria you can risk melting your hair. My beauty school instructor always said that Hennas are best to use over virgin hair and when you're not using other dyes.

 

[Caity Lynn]

Ok kids. I'm going to try something today. Little worried, but I figure at its worst it'll wash out in a few weeks. I'm going to attempt to dye my hair with Tea. I'll post pics when It's done.

 

[CherryBubbles]

Ooh, this is timely thread for me! I've been doing the blonde thing for several years now. I originally planned to stop dying and embrace my increasing greyness. But I just can't do it

I'm thinking, now, of changing to a darker shade - maybe back to my natural medium ash brown, or, maybe possibly maybe, a shade of red as my husband suggested. Are there any dyes that are particular good with grey coverage?

 

[Jenniferose7]

I really like henna.

Interesting stuff about the chemical interactions. I've used a henna cream over chemically dyed hair to stretch the color and go longer in between chemical dyes and never had a problem.

This is the only brand I use and love. I can't master using henna powder for the life of me so this is a good alternative.
http://www.amazon.com/Surya-Henna-Cream-2-31-Ounces/dp/B0007DHMFQ
Interestingly enough it has notice on it stating that it can be used over previously chemically treated hair. The company also has their own line of shampoos and conditioners that are supposed to help the color last but I have yet to find a shampoo/conditioner that really does it.

 

[clubwitsend]

I've been dying my hair flat black for years, and after trying many brands, I've actually been REALLY impressed with that semi-new line of Herbal Essences hair color....the color has never faded on me- super colorfast!

 

[zombi]

I'm wondering how many of you out there dye your own hair? Specifically, if anyone uses Henna dye? I found some (via another thread, I believe) on Lush's website that could be used for dark hair (I'm a brunette). Anyone ever tried their Henna dye? What shampoo do you use to keep your color from fading too quickly?

I use henna on my hair -- not the Lush kind, the body-art-quality kind. I don't use a special shampoo because it does not fade. I think I posted about that in the red hair thread maybe.

Henna will not melt your hair if it doesn't contain metallic salts, IE if you're using straight henna instead of a pre-mixed box. I buy mine powdered and mix it myself with chamomile tea. I hennaed over Feria dye without any difficulty -- but you do have to be careful, because a lot of those boxed hennas contain weird stuff [huh] which is why I have never used any of them.