I hate my two-toned hair!

[long.again]

I am going through the same thing. You can see it in my profile picture.

For me, my lighter shade is almost exactly what my natural highlight color is, it's just monotone and I hate. It was a TON worse but I dyed it to match (as best I could) my natural color. It's faded but it made it far less noticeable.I've also considered cutting it but my hair grows so slow.

I vote to dye the ends to match. At the very least it would allow for you to wear up dos that are not noticeable.

If you want to be a red head forever - go for it, but, if you want to go natural, decide now and stick with it. I had APL natural hair and I seriously regret dying it.

[Fethenwen]

Even if you henna it will still be two toned. If it really bothers you that much, I would suggest just dying the bleached part. It won't matter since you will be cutting it off eventually anyway, but you will be able to enjoy it more while you're getting there. No big deal. Waiting it out, to put if plainly, just sucks. I've done it before and it's horribly boring. Even just growing out my damage now is irritating. I'm right about at the stage that you're at of 8-9" of good hair and APL of not. Patience, patience. You and I will have long, beautiful, natural hair before we know it. You may be happier putting it up or braiding it so you don't have to see it while this all happens.

There is a huge risk that this will happen.

I really suggest you get lowlights on your lower parts. Lowlights aren't as damaging as highlights.
After that you would have to just grow it out, and cut of the lower parts if you want to henna it later on. Just to make sure you wont end up with two toned hair again. Henna takes on bleached hair differently than natural hair.

I think the red suited you well, but in my opinion the darker blond is really beautiful too

[Yarn Muse]

Wow, thanks everyone! I have read all comments though I can't respond to each one separately. I appreciate everyone who took the time to write.

For now I am going to keep henna glossing my roots, and I'm going to talk to my hair stylist friend about the possibility of low lights just on the ends.

Thanks to the ones who warned me about henna looking two-toned. I don't want orange ends! So I'll hold off on the henna and keep growing out my own color, eventually cutting off the colored ends. Happy growing everyone!

[dropinthebucket]

Yarn Muse, i had the same problem! I used to dye my hair blonde, and then I wanted to go back to my own colour. I let the roots grow out several inches, and then I coloured the length medium brown to blend. Looked good at first, but the chemical dye washed out pretty quickly - the damaged blonde ends just wouldn't hold it. Tried a few times, it kept washing out. I really disliked the two-toned hair, too!

If yours is not already deep red or brown, what about doing a light gloss, with proportions you'd need to push it in one direction or the other (light red, or light brown) of henna and buxus, on the lengths only, to get it to match the inches of own hair grown out?

I hennaed all over - if I had it to do again, I think I would have just done a light henna/buxus gloss on the previously-coloured length. I got a beautiful colour with the full-head henna, but it didn't look right on me. It did even up the colour difference between my own roots, that were now about 7 inches down, and the previously coloured portion. I was surprised, but it blended them really well! Since I didn't like the very red colour I got with henna, though, I went over it with a strong buxus gloss, and got a medium brown very close to my own colour!! it's a bit warmer than my own, but that's ok - I can probably grown my own out with very little demarcation now, I think! so happy!
P.S. - my avatar pic is *before* the buxus! I posted pics before, with henna, and then after the buxus on another thread - Recipes- Buxus Success, in case that is of any help! I think my starting colour was close to yours, maybe a wee bit darker?

[Henrietta]

I vote for henna... but I love henna!

There are so many henna gurus here that could help you with the effect you want, to cover your brassy ends and blend in your greys.

If you like being red, be red!

I agree. Personally I don't do henna, but I think that in your case it is best solution. And the fact that you like to be red is the most important.

[Ravenne]

I'm dealing with a glaringly obvious two-toned head too. It really does suck.. But I've learned that braids and buns hide it very well. Breaks up the line so to speak. A single french braid will weave the dyed part in with my natural color and give it a natural highlight look while it's braided.

I suggest delving into the land of braids and buns and trying to put the demarcation line out of your mind. It'll grow faster that way.

[SurprisingWoman]

I am delighted I toughed it out.

I cut my hair shorter than many on this board would have but I am glad I did.

I was tired of the whole coloring thing, the $$$, the time, the fake color.... so henna wouldn't have worked for me.

Do what makes you happy. In the end it's just you and the person in the mirror.

[Nera]

I would say henna too, because it will probably give you just what you want.
The only thing is; it's going to be permanent again. And you don't want to have to live with two tonedness the rest of your life.
So you have to be sure you want RED hair FOR EVER. If you're sure; just do it(:

[Blueglass]

At this point I would say get some speciality "henna" like light brown or Marigold from a reputable source like Morrocco method, or Avigal, but test strand to make sure it's highlight compatible. (That way chemical will remain an option) (test this by exposing the hennaed hair to ammonia/peroxide) If it is, use it on you ends along with Cassia to make them darker. Block the top with heavy conditioner. Once you get your ends more even in color to the top, then you can re-examine red henna, or henna cassia mix.

[natt i nord]

Looking at your avatar I actually think it looks good.

But if you want to be red, be red! I've thought that, too, and am a happy hennahead now for a few months after I decided to grow my dye out due to damage in September 2008.