Lightening back permanent dye that has been henna'd over?

[Delilah]

As some of you might know I colored my hair black for a couple years with chemical dye, semipermanent dye, and even used indigo a couple times but it faded really quickly.

I'm interested in only using henna now but my ends are noticeably darker.

I am looking for some suggestions to try and lighten up the black dye. If it disrupts the henna a bit that is fine, but I want something that will affect the black dye and not just the henna that sits atop it.

Colorfix did nothing to the lengths of my hair, I even abused a strand test by using full-strength colorfix for 1 hour, 4 applications. The ends were still quite black and the hair was fried.

Bleach does lift the dye, but causes a lot of damage. I did carefully bleach some streaks in the lengths of my hair before using henna to break up the demarcation line. I know how to use foils and managed to time the bleach well and move it up the strand at time intervals for fairly uniform streaks.

Honey diluted as per the honey thread and left on for 6 hours made no change, but I am willing to revisit this and maybe use cinnamon too.

I'm also considering diluted peroxide, as some have had luck with it lightening their henna, I am just not sure if it will touch the black dye.

From what I understand it is the semipermanent color over porous hair that is really causing the issue as colorfix removes permanent color quite well. However it is possible I did use some dye which contained metallic salts.

I can deal with some lifting of the henna if I can find something that will lighten the black and not cause much damage, I'm going for a burgandy color on medium brown hair anyways so I have been henna'ing often.

[Nightshade]

Honestly, at this point I'd consider going to a professional :flowers:

[ktani]

This may help.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=433226&postcount=3271

feedback from those around her in real life
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=437566&postcount=3282

and this

gallows gallery - on the condition of her hair after 6 honey lightening treatments, the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=336261&postcount=2637

gallows gallery earlier pics, dyed black hair over henna, the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=336307&postcount=2638

gallows gallery new pics, dyed black hair over henna, the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=342871&postcount=2780

and this

Alley Cat - on chemically dyed, almost black, previously hennaed hair (which shows as red) - 4 to 1 dilution - after 9 treatments - 8 with no conditioner - 3 with ground cinnamon - the last 5 with just water and honey, the 3 most recent with distilled water and the new dilution
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=167875&postcount=1492

Aley Cat - on the condition of her hair following honey lightening
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=168110&postcount=1495

Alley Cat - more on the condition of her hair following her 9th honey lightening treatment - which was with Jarrah honey, which has a very high peroxide value
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=176704&postcount=1596

and this

nayver - on the condition of her hair following honey lightening this time (she had done it previously)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=347982&postcount=2861

nayver pictures on dark dyed hair, with the new dilution, after 1 treatment, with distilled water
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=348680&postcount=2868

nayver pictures, after 2 treatments, with the new dilution, using distilled water
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=349878&postcount=2878

[lapushka]

As some of you might know I colored my hair black for a couple years with chemical dye, semipermanent dye, and even used indigo a couple times but it faded really quickly.

I'm interested in only using henna now but my ends are noticeably darker.

I am looking for some suggestions to try and lighten up the black dye. If it disrupts the henna a bit that is fine, but I want something that will affect the black dye and not just the henna that sits atop it.


I'd not bleach when your hair's been treated with indigo. It might turn green, no kidding. The only color you'll then be succesful in applying over it is red.

[ktani]

Honey lightening and henndigoed hair
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=291759&postcount=2341

[Delilah]

I'd not bleach when your hair's been treated with indigo. It might turn green, no kidding. The only color you'll then be succesful in applying over it is red.

I have bleached streaks in it myself as I stated in the original post, they turned a deep red/brown without any greenishness.
I used indigo twice over a year ago, I guess it is gone or no longer noticeable.

[Delilah]

Ktani- thanks for all the well-organized links, i will go over those and try a series of honey treatments. The results look promising and my hair likes honey.

Nightshade- I understand why you would suggest a professional but I have a deep distrust/almost phobia of hairdressers... since far before I started growing my hair long I dyed and cut it (and that of both my sisters and some of my friends) myself.
I am very careful in whatever I do, I always strand and patch test and in the case of using chemicals I spend the entire time in the bathroom checking every 2 minutes. I believe I am far more careful than a professinal would be with my hair.

[ktani]

Ktani- thanks for all the well-organized links, i will go over those and try a series of honey treatments. The results look promising and my hair likes honey.

You are most welcome.

wintersun99 had 2 step henndigo on her hair, which takes deeper colour and for her, the process took a long time. However, she did make changes to both her recipe and method and that, like for others, made a significant difference in results.

It depends on how much colour is on the hair but for you, I do not forsee problems.

If you have any questions about any of the information in the links, please do not hesitate to post in Honey or here and I will reply.

[wintersun99]

True. I managed to go from (2-step indigo'd) dark brown/black to auburn using a variety of methods, but 95% of it was the honey method.

I did do 1-2 peroxide treatments but because I was afraid of the reaction with indigo, I only left the treatments on for an hour. It appeared to have no effect.

I also used ColorOops (not ColorFix) 2-3 times to remove any lasting chemical dye (both permanent and semi-permanent). ColorOops worked really well to remove chemical dye that was buried under layers of indigo/henna. I did see some lightening from this and did not turn my indigo to green (only bleach did this).

As Ktani mentioned, the honey method did take a very long time to get to auburn. I started with honey/conditioner, than to 4:1 (current recommendation) and in total, the time was about 6 months. However, the last month or so of 4:1 ratio lightening had a lot of effect.

[ktani]

True. I managed to go from (2-step indigo'd) dark brown/black to auburn using a variety of methods, but 95% of it was the honey method.

I did do 1-2 peroxide treatments but because I was afraid of the reaction with indigo, I only left the treatments on for an hour. It appeared to have no effect.

I also used ColorOops (not ColorFix) 2-3 times to remove any lasting chemical dye (both permanent and semi-permanent). ColorOops worked really well to remove chemical dye that was buried under layers of indigo/henna. I did see some lightening from this and did not turn my indigo to green (only bleach did this).

As Ktani mentioned, the honey method did take a very long time to get to auburn. I started with honey/conditioner, than to 4:1 (current recommendation) and in total, the time was about 6 months. However, the last month or so of 4:1 ratio lightening had a lot of effect.

Thank you for the (as usual, great clarification details).

I no longer refer to the new dilution as the 4 to 1 (it is technically) but that is by weight.

An easier way to describe it, (courtesy of iris, who pointed out the difficulty of international measuring standards, involved in oz and grams and measuring devices), is 1 tablespoon honey to 6 tablespoons distilled water, as the minimum starting point, for a honey lightening recipe.

[Delilah]

After reading up on the thread I may have had my dilution wrong.
Plus, my hair is not just indigo'd or dyed black once... it is some seriously dyed black hair. Dyed many times with many products for 2 1/2 years. My hair must really grab color too, when virgin roots are dyed with Natural Instincts (semipermanent-24 shampoos) diluted half and half with water dyes my roots a permanent black, a black that does not fade even with daily scalp washes with a shampoo bar for 3 months.
I'll give honey another shot... but not expect to see anything for several treatments if at all.

[ktani]

After reading up on the thread I may have had my dilution wrong.
Plus, my hair is not just indigo'd or dyed black once... it is some seriously dyed black hair. Dyed many times with many products for 2 1/2 years. My hair must really grab color too, when virgin roots are dyed with Natural Instincts (semipermanent-24 shampoos) diluted half and half with water dyes my roots a permanent black, a black that does not fade even with daily scalp washes with a shampoo bar for 3 months.
I'll give honey another shot... but not expect to see anything for several treatments if at all.

Give it a try with the spices, after patch testing. You can also order Jarrah honey online, which has a high peroxide value or try the fireweed honey.

[earthymamawitch]

I realize this is a really old thread but I was curious if Delilah had ever tried the honey lightening method and gotten positive results. I just posted earlier in the Conventional Products forum about the issue I'm having with layers of chemical dye that colorfix is not only not moving but it actually darkened. I'm looking for any solution at this point, short of bleach.

Jenn