Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 23

Thread: Gentian Violet?

  1. #1
    Member Raqdoll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Sasebo, Japan
    Posts
    119
    Length
    14"/33"/36"
    Type
    2a/M/C/ii

    Question Gentian Violet?

    So I'm struggling with having coppery orange hair that is from bleaching out black dye. I definitely DO NOT want to go dark again, so I was looking at trying gentian violet to hopefully tone down some of the brassiness in my hair.

    Is there anyone here who has experience with gentian violet? I'd be really grateful if you could share some tips with me!

    I ordered it today, so it should be here sometime next week. I know to use only a small amount - currently, I'm saving up some hairballs from my brush to test it out before putting it on my hair.
    "You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya

  2. #2
    Member Stub's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Pennsylvania
    Posts
    605
    Length
    3/8"/waist/???
    Type
    2b/F/ii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    I haven't tried it yet but I used Sun In in my hair a few days ago and it has some brass. Last night after I finally washed out the Sun In I decided to put just 4 drops of Gentian Violet in my almost full bottle of green VO5 conditioner. I'll try it tonight and let you know what happens. It did turn the whole bottle blue, and stained the side of the container where it was dripped in regardless of the amount of shaking.

    If you have never used Gentian Violet before, it will stain every single thing it comes in contact with so be careful! I got mine for a skin condition and it stained my skin purple for about a week after I stopped use, and it also stained clothing it rubbed off on. However it did eventually wash out so even if it turns my hair purple I won't worry. I hope. lol

  3. #3
    ~BleachedGuru~ justgreen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Paradise Garage
    Age
    67
    Posts
    11,737
    Length
    27/42+/ftip
    Type
    1b/M/iii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    Husband uses it on his feet, it cures atheletes foot. It does STAIN everything it comes in contact with, floor, socks, bath tub, sheets. And it doesn't fade fast. So if you were to get it on your scalp or face, good luck.
    Callie sez *meep*
    justgreen judiciously journals
    Lady Emeralde Justyce in the Order of the Long Hair Knights

  4. #4
    Member Raqdoll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Sasebo, Japan
    Posts
    119
    Length
    14"/33"/36"
    Type
    2a/M/C/ii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    I've heard about it's staining power maybe I ought to grab a bucket and do it outside LOL

    Can't wait to hear your report back!
    "You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya

  5. #5
    Member FluffSpider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Romania
    Posts
    334
    Length
    shldr/hip/bcl
    Type
    1a/1b/F/ii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    I've dyed my hair with gentian violet. If you use it undilluted, it will rub off and stain like crazy, but a few drops in a lot of water will stain very little. You can use rubbing alcohol to eliminate it(the stain). It WILL stain clothing, permanently. On hair, it fades in 2-3 washes maximum.(CWC. Not sure with CO or C-COW-C)

  6. #6
    Now-shorthaired mod Anje's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Indiana, USA
    Age
    41
    Posts
    20,377
    Length
    Fngtp/fuzzy/??
    Type
    1c/2a/F/ii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    I've heard of people using a few drops of laundry bluing to take the brass out of their hair. This might be similar, or that might be another option to try...

    A third thing to try: mix a teeny bit of Manic Panic or similar dye in the right purple or blue to fight your brassiness, into your bottle of conditioner. Obviously, too much and you'll build up color (maybe you need 2 bottles of conditioner?) but a little would do the trick every time you showered.
    Lady Physis, Lorekeeper of Nature in the Order of the Long Haired Knights
    SMT Intro to Henna How to post a picture Reporting posts Multi-quote feature
    Unless I type in moderator bold, assume I'm just speaking as a forum member.
    Long hair hiatus: short hair for now, buzzcut!

  7. #7
    ReMember Tabitha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    6,665
    Length
    -/Shldr/-
    Type
    2b/2c/F/M/iii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    What an interesting thread!

    I remember gentian violet from my childhood. My mum used it on my brother's foot for something or other and it stained the cork top of the laundry basket in the bathroom for EVER afterwards (they still have it somewhere, still stained).

    I have a few brassy highlights and a flaky patch on my scalp, maybe a few drops in my final rinse water (distilled ... I'm going to get some distilled water, Justy) will do double duty.

    © GRD, 3 March 2007

  8. #8
    Member Raqdoll's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Sasebo, Japan
    Posts
    119
    Length
    14"/33"/36"
    Type
    2a/M/C/ii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    Most of the recipes I've heard of have you using 1 drop in a sinkful of water (I think that's at a 2% concentration)

    What a great idea about Manic Panic, Anje!
    "You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means." - Inigo Montoya

  9. #9
    ReMember Tabitha's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    6,665
    Length
    -/Shldr/-
    Type
    2b/2c/F/M/iii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    Ah OK, one drop then!

    © GRD, 3 March 2007

  10. #10
    New Member macnik_the_6th's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    WNY
    Age
    49
    Posts
    21
    Length
    ??/59/??
    Type
    2a/2b/M/C/iii

    Default Re: Gentian Violet?

    I'm not sure how to phrase this, because although I am a newbie and I know very little about what is talked about in this forum, I have worked with Gentian Violet in the past. I know that there are a lot of nasty chemicals that find their way into commercial products, including sulfates, so I just wanted to let everyone know that Gentian Violet is one of them.

    Forewarned is forearmed, and if you're the type of person wanting to eliminate these types of things from your routine, you might want to think twice about it. Although repeated use and ingestion seems to be more hazardous than occasional use on skin or hair.

    It's mutagenic (mutates DNA), causes tumors in rodents, and "has been linked to increase in human bladder cancer" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_violet). It's a DNA stain, and pretty much everything that's a DNA stain binds to DNA, and that's not a good thing. Lots of early hair dyes has mutagenic chemicals in them, which is why they were linked to cancer. (http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerC...lace/hair-dyes)

    Now, I know it's the dose that makes the poison (I work in a toxicology lab), and it's been used in low doses safely in medicine for hundreds of years (like lots of other really nasty chemicals), but FDA won't approve it for use in animal feed because it might get into the human feed chain. It's been used in breastfeeding (!) but at higher doses causes mouth cancer (!). It does a pretty decent job of killing bacteria and yeast!

    I nearly had a heart attack when I saw this topic because we used to handle gentian violet with gloves and labcoat, and sometimes face mask, but we were dealing with the powdered version and VERY high concentrations in alcohols. Plus, you know, repeated exposures.

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •