PIC HEAVY: Color-Correction & Repair of Light Brown Hair-- with Henna & Indigo!

[tabitie]

Thank you to Girltron, Iris, Nightshade, Aisha25, jojo, Mellie, and many others for this wonderful experience.

BEFORE HENNA AND INDIGO, AFTER LOREAL CHEMDYE:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34596


AFTER COLOR-CORRECTION WITH INDIGO & HENNA
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34602[/URL]

I have been reading these boards for the past month, trying to figure out how to cover my gray without changing my light reddish-brown color (I don't want to go dark or red) with natural dyes. After a very negative experience with Loreal Natural Instincts #6N and #7N, my pride and joy (my hair) was fried and bleached several shades lighter. The grays were also visible within a week or two of coloring. My scalp was also starting to itch from all these chemicals-- and I resolved to "go natural."

At first I thought henna would be very expensive, based on the grossly exaggerated 500g recommendations of Mehandi.com. However, after reading the recommentations on this forum, I realized what I really needed was probably 10-50g per application. At that point I purchased the powders from ebay and a local Indian grocery store.

I started doing vinegar and amla rinses, and washed my hair with shikakai once. The vinegar rinses immediately stopped the scalp itching. Thanks to Katze, Ktani, and others, I learned that any acid rinse would do, as long as the ph was equal to skin. White vinegar, citric acid, vitamin C, immuniC, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar-- all could be used to acidify the skin's ph down to its normal level after shampooing. All clear pores. All close the cuticle and make the hair very shiny (remember to rinse afterward). Thanks to Aisha25 I started using amla and the hair felt thicker and stronger.

Before using these "basic" treatments my hair felt like wires and stuck together like doll-head hair, without the special conditioner in the green tube, that comes with Natural Instincts. These natural techniques cut my dependence on this conditioner. As you can see, my hair is blindingly-shiny now despite being color-processed.

The picture below was taken in a sunny room, without a flash.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34589


PROBLEM: 4" Yellow Roots from Loreal Nat. Instincts #7N
(All chem dyes bleach hair in order to color it!! Not Henndigo.)
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2749&pictureid=34561


Nightshade, Girltron, jojo, and many others helped me to realize how little henna and indigo I actually needed to cover the gray spot and match my light brown shade.

I did dozens of strand tests, and was finally brave enough to try indigo on my 1/4" grey roots and 4" yellow roots. At first the indigo failed to take because I was using oils to "cut" it, which blocks its action (commercial conditioner, eggs, etc.) Girltron told me to use the paste straight. I did, and after three applications finally got the darkening I wanted with a 15-35 minute treatment, after waiting to see the first signs of dye release. I started at the back of the head and the grey spot, working in quarter-inch sections to cover the "problem" 4" yellow roots... the result was what seems to be a perfectly-blended color.

So I'm no longer two-tone! That was yesterday, after the indigo applied to the roots and covered for 15 minutes with a plastic bag over my crown:

AFTER CHEMDYE, AFTER 4" INDIGO ON ROOTS, BEFORE HENNA
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2749&pictureid=34567

Today I did the henna. Very conservative here! I know henna is forever. But indigo can be scrubbed out with baking soda and shampoo the first few hours.

So based on a strand-test of pure henna for 50 minutes, which originally looked to be my goal shade (reddish brown from my teen years) that darkened over the next 7 days to be Irish Setter red, I decided to play it safe.

50-MINUTE STRAND TEST WITH HENNA WAS TOO RED
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2712&pictureid=33982

I decided to cut the henna in a 1:4 ratio of henna paste, made with tapwater, and the addition of 2 eggs and some hand lotion. I picked these things because they were available and cheap. The egg provided the perfect consistency and the mixture stayed put and was VERY EASY to apply to my 4" roots, starting at the back of the head. After 10 minutes I added the rest of the mixture to the lengths, wrapped with plastic, and gave it another 10-15 minutes before washing out the dark brown liquid in a "mermaid soak."

The results were exactly what I wanted. I am going to wait a week before I henna again, but I think a touch-up to my grey spot is all I will need. I don't need more color!

AFTER HENNA! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYY!!! :queen::puppy:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34603[URL="http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34603"] (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34602)

[tabitie]

Feel free to post your own light-brown stories or color correction sagas...

And my question to everyone is, how do I maintain this "perfect balance" now that I've achieved it? Just like chemdye, indigo and even henna will fade with time, at varying rates, albeit much more slowly.

How do all you brown and dark blond people maintain your henndigo so that it covers the gray, but doesn't get darker?

After oxidation, I'm sure I'm as red as I want to be!!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2750&pictureid=34607

Who uses:

FOILS

CAPS

ROOT-TOUCHUP ONLY

CINNAMON-HONEY LIGHTENERS and other treatments to keep lengths lighter than roots?

OTHER METHODS?

[ktani]

You are most welcome for any contribution I made, that helped you.

Your hair looks gorgeous, shiny and healthy. Great results. You absolutely did the right thing by taking it slowly, IMO, and your results show that.

Well done!

[tabitie]

Yes! It's such a subtle difference some people might not be able to see it.

The best thing is to visit my albums and look at the before and after thumbnails side by side.

That way I can see the before was more like a mushroom, the after is a richer, slightly darker color with darker roots, and much, much more shine!

Thank you longhaircommunity!!!!! Thank you ktani!!!

[ktani]

Yes! It's such a subtle difference some people might not be able to see it.

The best thing is to visit my albums and look at the before and after thumbnails side by side.

That way I can see the before was more like a mushroom, the after is a richer, slightly darker color with darker roots, and much, much more shine!

Thank you longhaircommunity!!!!! Thank you ktani!!!

You are forgetting someone. Thank yourself for the patience and willingness to ask questions and follow through, and do strand tests. You did all of the work!

[kdaniels8811]

Hendigo glosses will help maintain the color and shine - which is pretty awesome, by the way! I do root touchups with hendigo, let it sit on my head for a few hours, then mix the balance of hendigo with conditioner and apply to rest of hair - I only need to leave on 20 minutes or so! Rinse the whole thing out and you won't be darkening the color, just maintaining it. By the way, your results are awesome!

[iris]

Your hair looks gorgeous, shiny and healthy. Great results. You absolutely did the right thing by taking it slowly, IMO, and your results show that.
Seconding that!

For upkeep, you could start with just roots-only, or even only applying to the gray in your roots if you can isolate the grays. For the part that you henndigoed now, it really depends on how much fading you'll get (and if you get fading of only the indigo, for instance). Only time will tell. If you get fading, you can just add back what was lost.

[tabitie]

Kdaniels, thanks for the tip! I will surf your page now to look at your color!

Yes, 20 minutes with henna and 30 minutes with indigo seem to be about right for me too. So we are in the same neighborhood.

I also used Girltron's method of using a paintbrush (in my case, a bottle cleaner brush) to paint the indigo onto my grays and let them "cook", before slapping it on the bleached blonde hairs.

[tabitie]

By the way, my

AVATAR PICTURE = MY NATURAL COLOR

So everyone can see how much the Natural Instincts bleached my hair out, in order to get its chemdye to stick. As my hair grows out, the roots will tend to be darker and redder.

[Autumnberry]

Kdaniels, thanks for the tip! I will surf your page now to look at your color!

Yes, 20 minutes with henna and 30 minutes with indigo seem to be about right for me too. So we are in the same neighborhood.

I also used Girltron's method of using a paintbrush (in my case, a bottle cleaner brush) to paint the indigo onto my grays and let them "cook", before slapping it on the bleached blonde hairs.

Congratulations! Herbal hair coloring is really an art, and we are learning so much by your experience. It looks very natural, and I just love the idea that yes, you can achieve so many shades and do color-correcting with natural dyes. Thanks for posting!

[jojo]

I love your result it looks beautiful.

[mugglemomof3]

Wow. You are just the "this worked for me" recommendation that I've been looking for! Your hair looks great and I've been wanting to try pretty much all that you've mentioned, but keep getting chickenfeet. I actually ordered some henna and indigo today, and now I can't wait to try this kind of stuff myself.

Thanks for this thread. Keep up the good work! :heartbeat

[Nightshade]

Oh, WOW! Nice job!!!! THank you for posting pics :inlove:

[tabitie]

Hi MuggleMomof3,

Thanks for the compliments. :} I would say go for it but remember to do strand tests first.

Nightshade told me to put the strands in a ziplock baggie inside my clothes, to simulate body heat.

Remember, my henna was diluted in a 1:4 ratio with more eggs and lotion than henna.

The indigo was not diluted, so I had to be careful applying it. Since it took 20 minutes to apply, the backs and gray spot got 20 minutes more than the part side of my crown. If you have a lot of hair, you might want to split the indigo into two sessions.

Egg works great for making the process less messy. But you still want to put paper down. the indigo made spots on my fiberglass and plastic bathroom fixtures and on latex paint.

Be careful!!

KDaniels is right on the mark when she says she leaves it on her roots for a couple hours, but the rest of her hair for only 20 minutes. My grays are still dark blond compared to my brown hair. That's why next time I touch up, I think I'm going to have to use foils or something.

Unlike commercial dyes, the natural ones don't just provide a matte result with all the hairs the same color. So as you try to touch up the grays (which grow twice as fast as the colored hairs) you are darkening the surrounding colored hairs, too dark. Foils can mitigate this. So can applying the color with a paint brush like Girltron does. See her article in the 'articles' section.

[mellie]

Wow, that looks beautiful!!! Yay!!

[mugglemomof3]

Thanks again for all the tips!!!! :flowers:

[tabitie]

I took another picture today to show the change in my roots: I AM NO LONGER 2-TONE!

BEFORE / AFTER COLOR-correction with HENNDIGO:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=34711&albumid=2695&dl=1237695617&thumb=1 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=34712&albumid=2695&dl=1237695617&thumb=1

Both pictures were taken with the same camera and setting in identical lighting conditions, wearing the same jacket. They were taking one week apart and the only variable that changed was the henndigo. See my albums and page for discussion of techniques used.

bigger pictures...

BEFORE HENNDIGO AFTER HENNDIGO!!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2695&pictureid=34711 http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2695&pictureid=34712

[rach]

BEFORE HENNDIGO AFTER HENNDIGO!!
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2695&pictureid=34711http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2695&pictureid=34712
you can definitely see a difference, well done!

Unlike commercial dyes, the natural ones don't just provide a matte result with all the hairs the same color. your completely right, i adore the mixture of colours it brings through. super natural colouring :p

[tabitie]

Thanks Rach!! I'm also enjoying some of the texture benefits of henna... ummmm... better than dimethicone! (Even the tiny little bit that I used... I can only imagine how yours must feel after the heavy coating of lawsone!

I would never have believed how it can repair the damage... it's just surreal. It feels like I almost never used the Loreal at all!!

It makes me want to try cassia/rhubarb root to get the conditioning without the color...

[rach]

henna, cassis
hair says - yum , yum

i did a cassia (neutral henna) treatment the other night to treat my hair and had the same feel. i'm on a hair repairing mission and my hair loves it. does not feel like the same evil brittle hair which i did have. think it might start growing further now it's been looked after, yeay! :P

[tabitie]

Hmm. Interesting. I'm sure your hair was pretty dry and fried (even though it didn't look it at all, by the way!) given the delta in color between your dark brown roots and very light (platinum) highlights.

My hair felt rough and wiry just from the Vol 2 that chem dye uses to rough up the hair so the dye will stick to it. It almost feels like it was never processed, now.

This stuff is amazing.

I just ordered some rhubarb root yesterday, hoping it has the same effects as cassia and will allow me to stretch the times between touchups (mask grays), to decrease the risk of the henna getting too dark (overlapping).

[Canarygirl]

I just ordered some rhubarb root yesterday, hoping it has the same effects as cassia and will allow me to stretch the times between touchups (mask grays), to decrease the risk of the henna getting too dark (overlapping).

That's a very smart idea. Your hair turned out great! Will you use the rhubarb root in the same quantities/ratio as you did with the henna?

...Were you just kidding earlier about gray hair growing twice as fast as regular hair?

[BlackfootHair]

Just wanted to chime in that your hair does look nice and shiny! :)

[tabitie]

Thank you blackfoot hair. So does yours. :}

[tabitie]

Here it is 4 weeks after my first henndigo color correction (almost exactly) and 1" roots are really showing!

I have "blue haar" right now, and will try to post some more pics of my root touchup experience.

Two weeks ago I used some rhubarb root, on my whole head, and the texture was not great but the color was a lovely light auburn (strawberry honey color in the sunlight). That has washed out completely now, but I'll try to document the next application (10 minutes boiling the root powder was not enough to kill the acid; that's why it dyed reddish, not blonde like cassia, I gather.)

[flapjack]

Those are some awesome results, I'm really impressed that you were able to fix that without damaging your hair. What you've done is going to be a good lesson and stepping stone for a lot of people.

[rach]

tabitie - keep us updated :D

[tabitie]

tabitie - keep us updated :D

Well, I'm already getting cocky. Instead of using Girltron's Method (see articles) to paint the indigo on the roots only, using a paint brush-- applied it liberally to my entire 6" roots that were bleached from the Loreal chemdye.

I also forgot to use salt again, with indigo.

Result: The indigo was very dark blue/brown. And I have a feeling it won't stick much past 6 weeks.

So I did 2 henna glosses with 2 tbs henna and 3 eggs, mostly to the roots, but then applied to hair. Total time on the roots was about 1:15, and total time on the ends for henna was about 40 minutes. I love my color right now. It is a very rich brown, reddish-brown tone. With naturally darker roots than ends.

The mushroom tone of the Loreal chemdyed hair is completely gone. So is the wiry texture. It is as if the hair was totally repaired and the clock rewound (split ends are still there of course, but the doll-head hair, velcro-hair, wiry texture of the chemically treated hair is AS GOOD AS my virgin hair before chemdye. The unprocessed roots of the hair (Now about 1.5 inches) is super-silky, as if coated with dimethicone 'show sheen' for humans.

[bunnikins]

JoJo, your hair is amazing! I think my natural colour is the same as yours (well... I want to believe so :)) Could you please tell me what do you use on your hair? Do you also henna it? Do you use herbs to wash it? Please, I will appreciate the information. I want to achieve such healthy beautiful hair too. I am new to LHC and my hair thinned out a lot whilst using bcp and after stopping it got even more thin but I use all the natural ways to restore it back.

[bunnikins]

JoJo, could you please tell me what you use on your hair? It is so natural and beautiful! Do you henna it? Use herbs on it? I also would like that colour :)