Elumen?

[maryva]

Hey everyone -- I just rinsed out my elumen! I went ahead and used it without the lock. I can't tell for sure because it is still wet, but I think I like the color on my length -- it is actually pretty dark considering I used AB@9. But it didn't completely grab my grays; some of them look tinted, but some are still gray. I left it on for 1/2 hour with no heat. Would heat help it grab the grays? Should I leave it on longer than 1/2 hour? Also, I wouldn't mind it being very slightly less ash color, but definitely not darker. Any suggestions for another shade to mix in? Thanks so much

[ktani]

Hey everyone -- I just rinsed out my elumen! I went ahead and used it without the lock. I can't tell for sure because it is still wet, but I think I like the color on my length -- it is actually pretty dark considering I used AB@9. But it didn't completely grab my grays; some of them look tinted, but some are still gray. I left it on for 1/2 hour with no heat. Would heat help it grab the grays? Should I leave it on longer than 1/2 hour? Also, I wouldn't mind it being very slightly less ash color, but definitely not darker. Any suggestions for another shade to mix in? Thanks so much

I cannot help you with the shade to choose but I would go back over the posts here, to see if there was anything that you may have missed, regarding the application and timing. Some of the posts are very thorough, and there is a lot of information to absorb. I find that I often have to reread both the research I read and the posts of others, to get everything from them.

Here is one on greys.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...1&postcount=28

Here is one on timing.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...9&postcount=44

[maryva]

Now that my hair has dried I can see where the elumen totally grabbed the length(that has been previously colored) and deposited a nice color. But there is about 1/2 inch at the root that is a totally different color, and a lot of the grays were not covered. Has anyone tried recoloring immediately just the 1/2 growth at the roots with success? Is there any reason not to do this? Should I at all consider using henna just at the roots to cover my gray and then using elumen over that to tone down the red? Any suggestions would be appreciated very much.

[ktani]

Hairstylists discussing Elumen
http://www.behindthechair.com/forum/...1651&PID=43641

[iris]

maryva, what color did the 1/2 inch at the roots turn out?

I would advice against henna, because 1. from the color of your hair I'm guessing that your complexion is one that absolutely does not work with the type of warmth henna gives (which is very brassy), 2. there is no guarantee that the grays that are resisting elumen at the roots will take up henna, 3. henna will give a shade that is completely complementary to your own color and to the AB@9 on the length, 4. it seems likely that elumen over henna will take even less well, so 5. you run a serious chance of ending up with yellow-orange roots and ashy length. I've been the opposite and these colors form a pretty stark contrast that in no way look attractive or natural together.

All in all, I don't see any logic in hennaing for you, but if you want to try it nonetheless, for the love of all that is holy, do a patch test before you do all your roots.

Heat should help the dye to penetrate (but bear in mind that it will then penetrate better on your pigmented hairs as well). There's no reason to not try again right away. It may actually be better to try again right away, since the solvent action may still be present or something, I dunno.

Other than that, I can only repeat what I've said before about gray coverage: Goldwell recommends to color new growth with a regular oxidative dye. And general advice for covering gray is to use some warmth in the color (I use a smidgen of the BR@6 for that, what you want to use depends on your own skin tone and preference).

[iris]

You know whats really fabulous? If I had my hairdresser colour my hair for me, it would be that much more expensive than doing it myself.

I've been going to her for 12 years now and have seen her go from young assistant, to owning her own salon. She's a lassie with natural flair (so to speak) and she only employs people who think the same way.

Its only a little salon in a small place so her prices are very competitive. I'm very lucky I think

I think so too - she sounds like a real find .

[maryva]

Iris -- the 1/2 to one inch at the roots of new growth actually looks pretty dark; my natural hair color is dark brown, but I've had highlights for years. The length past where my old color was looks like a slightly warm medium brown. So I've still got some grays showing in the new growth area plus the rest of the hair in that area actually looks slightly darker than before the elumen. I may try one more application of the AB@9 and see what happens -- I wonder if it would work to apply it at the gym and then go in the sauna for 30 minutes for heat? Any idea if this would work? Any other suggestions? Thanks so much

[iris]

Iris -- the 1/2 to one inch at the roots of new growth actually looks pretty dark; my natural hair color is dark brown, but I've had highlights for years. The length past where my old color was looks like a slightly warm medium brown.

OK, so your roots look darker than the length - because they haven't been highlighted. And the elumen darkened the length to a medium brown. So far nothing strange.

So I've still got some grays showing in the new growth area plus the rest of the hair in that area actually looks slightly darker than before the elumen.

So the elumen did take on the new growth, it just didn't take well enough on the grays?

I'm confused because you say you got a weird color, but it sounds to me like what you got is exactly what was to be expected.

I'm not sure what I'm missing. Maybe you thought that the elumen would make all your hair one color? It can't, it's deposit-only. It lays exactly the same shade over all your hair, but where the color of your hair underneath the elumen was different, the resulting shade will be different.

An oxidative dye would bleach out part of your own pigment, so you would get a more equal color over your whole head (because the natural pigment is removed and the pigment from the dye then replaces it). Elumen can't do that. It doesn't lighten. Your natural pigment stays where it is. The elumen only lays a translucent layer of color over your existing color. The elumen and the existing color combine to a new color.

So, AB@9 is a purplish gray by itself; over your previous highlights it would cancel out some warmth and make the color darker; over your natural color it will do the same but since your natural color is darker than the highlights, and already quite ashy by itself, the result will be even darker and ashier; and on gray it will show up quite light (because gray hair is usually a bit more dye-resistant than pigmented hair, plus gray/white hair has only very little color itself to contribute to the end color - so the end color over gray will be the closest to the color of the AB@9 itself).

Does that make sense with what you're seeing?

And yes, sauna = heat.

[maryva]

Iris or anyone -- do you notice that the elumen does not give the same extra body to hair that traditional colors do? I guess it would be because the hair shaft isn't opened up? I got the comb applicator in the mail today, so will try recoloring my roots with that and see what happens. Have you tried your comb applicator yet?

[iris]

I got my package in the mail today, thought I'd post the ingredients to all the stuff:

Elumen dye
Aqua, propylene carbonate, alcohol denat., lactic acid, hydroxypropylated polysaccharides (probably some sort of coating ingredient), dimethicone copolyol, sodium hydroxide, parfum.
May contain: Acid black 1, acid red 52, yellow 10, ext. violet 2, orange 4, red 33. (No directions on the bottle).

Lock
Aqua, alcohol denat., PEG-8, Benzyl Glycol, Sodium Isethionate, Butylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Carbomer, Dimethicone Copolyol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Amylcinnamyl Alcohol.

Some nice Scrabble words in there!

Application time 5 minutes, towel dry hair.

Treat
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicocoylethyl Hydroxy-ethylmonium Methosulfate, Benzyl Glycol, Steartrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Malic Acid, Isopropyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Quaternium-80, Sodium Hydroxide, Methylparaben, Parfum. (Application time 5 minutes, damp hair).

Care
Aqua, Alcohol Denat., Panthenol, Benzophenone-4, Cetrimonium Chloride, Propyle Glycol, Malic Acid, PVP. DMDM Hydantoin, Parfum.
(Leave-in, apply to towel dry hair).

Wash
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulphate, Coco-Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Chloride, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, PEG-160 Sorbitan Triisostearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Citric Acid, Benzophenone-3, Sodium Benzoate, Polyquaternium-10, Quaternium-80, Fragrance, Acid Violet 43/C.I. 60730.

Clean
Aqua, Trideceth-12, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Bicarbonate, Benzyl Glycol, Sodium Carbonate, Parfum.
(Rub on with cotton ball until color is gone, rinse with water).

That completes the whole collection, except for the Prepare, I think. And no I don't think it's necessary to get the whole line, normally I wouldn't have, I'm just on a Mission To Spend Money Before Inflation Eats It, and I was curious.