Why don´t I get the color on my hair ?

**jaquelines** · March 12th, 2011, 10:44 AM

I have been posting on and on in the past issues with the henna color. Is not like I was getting a really awful color, but it was a ugly brownie orange color, everytime.No matter what I was trying ( lemon, water, yoghurt ) . I have been doing this for years and I had enough. Than I have let my hair grow and starting dying with L´oreal Cooper.
First time the color was superb. After that, I only did the roots and the rest of the hair I dyed with a 90% plant color, also from L´oreal, Epicea ( http://www.alexanderseidel-shop.com/...ksts2ob981gcl1 ) . This was the first link on google, so no relation linked to it.

First of all : after the first wash the color goes away.It never styes on my hair, although it has been very carefully applied by my hair stylist.

Second : Again, the same problem with the dull color. The first 2 times the color looked shiny, very nice, but after reapplicating the 3rd time, there was no shine in the color anymore, and again and again it´s the same problem as with henna - no shine, and the color looks dull.
At this point I would like to say that my hair is in a very good condition. No breaks, not dry, it´s quite fine, and not so much volume, but healthy. I do conditioner, from some time protein ( SMT with avocado and eggs sometime ).
That is why my hairstylst doesn´t know what to do anymore.
At the begging was the perfect solution. I only dye the roots and the rest with epicea, to avoid the bleaching. But now I get the same problem.
Is it the hair ? Is it a buildup ? What is it ?
I am having this problem since years, i though it´s only with henna, but apparently it´s also with Epicea and maybe all other plant dyes.

**Firefox7275** · March 12th, 2011, 01:51 PM

I don't really understand what you've been doing yourself and what has been done professionally.

Have you consulted another stylist/ another salon or contacted L'Oreal? Maybe you have build up; have you tried a clarifying or chelating shampoo? Have you tried laying off the protein treatments, using oil-based treatments instead? Is your hair only dull when coloured or dull all the time? As far as I understand it shine is a sign of health, so maybe your hair is more damaged than you think?

**jaquelines** · March 12th, 2011, 02:50 PM

sorry for the misunderstanding. i have henned by myself. I have colored the hair at a professional salon. yes, i have clarified my hair, protein i am doing like one time each month. well. it´s not so easy to answer that shine question because my hair is dyed red and as the most people with colored red hair experienced, this is the color which fades the most, so after the color gets out my hair does not shine that much. i mean - it´s not clumpy after washing, it does not brake, i don´t know unfortunately what else to say, i apologize for that. but when i have colored the hair with l´oreal the first time it was pretty shiny. until the color got out..it was shiny when i have first and second applied that plant based color. but after that not anymore.

**Firefox7275** · March 13th, 2011, 06:50 AM

No need to apologise, it's probably me not reading properly!

I am new so I can only tell you by what I have read here, my hair is not in the best condition. My response will bump your thread so hopefully someone more experienced will reply too.

My hair is also dyed red, so I understand how easy it is to lose the colour.

Either your hair is not taking up the dye at all, just sitting on the surface (so something is blocking it) OR it is being taken up into the hair but not held there (the cuticle is open or damaged).

For my colour the worst thing is water - when it's fresh I try not to wash or wet it very often. So I use dry shampoo if possible, and leave-on conditioner instead of wash off. There is one redhead who keeps semi-permanents for ages by CO washing or only wetting the scalp and not the lengths.

Also I don't think your shine should rely on colour; lots of LHCers only have henna or no colour at all and they have beautiful shine. I *think* protein is for restructuring the inner part of the hair, but oils are for smoothing and protecting the surface layer. Maybe do a heat treatment with coconut oil or shea butter every week? This thread is inspiring to me

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ad.php?t=67260

**jaquelines** · March 13th, 2011, 07:48 AM

thank you for your answer. you are wright, i think also , even though i am no expert, but it must been either build up, or is sitting on the surface, or is not held there. but how could i find out which one it is.

**Firefox7275** · March 13th, 2011, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by jaquelines

thank you for your answer. you are wright, i think also , even though i am no expert, but it must been either build up, or is sitting on the surface, or is not held there. but how could i find out which one it is.

Change your routine/ learn by trial and error: clarify again, consider a chelating shampoo. Start doing coconut or shea heat treatments - it can't do any harm and it doesn't have to be expensive. Even if the colour still doesn't last you will have glossy hair!

As far as colouring goes, IMO you are wasting your money with that hairdresser. If you can manage henna you can do a semi-permanent at home, plus the combined experience of LHC has got to be more than one stylist!

**jaquelines** · March 13th, 2011, 09:57 AM

the thing is-he´s like the best in our town, hard to change it. i will try to figure something else, someone else. i searched on internet and did all the test ( elasticity, porousity, hair root ). seemed fine, but to make sure, i will do it again on fresh washed hair.

**GRU** · March 13th, 2011, 04:35 PM

Red is the HARDEST color to keep chemically.

Henna will not lighten hair at all, so if your hair is brown to begin with, after henna it will be brown with a copper / orange / red tone to it.

Chemical hair coloring tends to damage the cuticle, and shine comes from a cuticle that is nice and flat and regular. If parts of cuticle are missing or sticking up instead of lying flat, you're not going to get an even color and shine.

**aenflex** · March 13th, 2011, 04:38 PM

Red is tricky. If your hair is damaged and porous it won't hold the red colour very well.

**ange1ito** · March 13th, 2011, 05:41 PM

Hi, i have dyed hair about 6 inches semi permanent wella colourtouch 675 the remaining ends loreal perfect 10 in shade 6, lower half is damaged as it is permanent.
My hairdresser recommends semi's over permanents particularly if you are covering greys every few weeks as overlap with permanents causes more damage.
To ensure the dye would remain in my hair she claified, i had deep coconut oiled the night before and went to the salon with it drenched. I regularly coconut oil, olive oil, or use an indian oil with alma, castor, and coconut oil combined. The coconut is apparently supposed to help chelate the minerals prior to dying, meaning more build is being removed. I have heard soda is suposed to be good too but have yet to try this.
When applying the semi hair dye she washes first and applies it to wet hair, this opens the cuticle up. Leave the semi on up to 45 minutes, you can cover it and apply heat or just keep scalp warm too at this point, and then wash with colour shampoo and style. Then do not wash hair for at least 24hrs if you can try longer. When you do start washing yourself try to avoid overloading with conditioner as she said it will trip colour in the first few washes.
This gave me great coverage particularly to my grey which a semi usually does not cover, if i apply to dry hair it i literally just get a slight colour. Hope it works for you.