Coloring bleached hair back to my natural color? (with pics)

[Eleentje]

Hi everybody! I need some advice or - if necessary - a slap to the cheeck and a "don't you EVER dare bleaching that again!" :D

A year and a half ago a stylist bleached my hair. My hair had been dyed red for 7 years and I wanted to change it back to blonde - though it turned out my hair had darkened in those 7 years.

I decided to grow it out to my natural hair color and went back to the stylist for a few rounds of lowlights, so the bleached hair - new growth contrast wouldn't be that big. The last set of lowlights was in December 2011, because I wanted to stop coloring my hair to prevent more damage from happening.

I started taking care of my hair February 2010 - no more silicones/paraben/sulfates/SLS. I started weekly DTs, CO-washing and fell in love with EVOO :inlove: It had a lot of effect - I got my curls back after years of wavy hair. My hair started getting shiny and got healthier again!

From:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/haar4.jpg

To:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/100_7285.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/100_7294_zpsc55eca47.jpg

Now, there's a huge contrast between my bleached hair and my new growth and I kinda want to get rid of it, but only if it's possible without damaging my hair (too) much.

The contrast isn't that obvious from the front: (yay, fantasy festival clothing!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/P9161397_zpsedca610d.jpg

But it's easy to see from the back:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/P9161430_zpscbfa7cae.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/sherehzenade/haar/DSC_0736-1_zpsc3a41d13.jpg

Does anybody have any advice on how I can color the bleached part of my hair to match my natural hair color, without causing (too much) damage? I'd rather not have any more lowlights, because stylists here charge a lot for those...

Is it possible to use hendigo? If so, how much etc.?
Or any other advice?

Thanks ever so much! :crush:

[spidermom]

I'd go for a non-permanent deposit only hair color. Bleached ends really soak that stuff up, so go for a lighter shade than you think you need, and strand test.

A brand I see talked about quite a bit is Elumen.

[melusine963]

I have no advice on dyeing, but I honestly don't think your hair looks bad. It looks like you're deliberately sporting the ombre look, which I'm told many people spend a lot of money to achieve.

Hopefully someone will comment with something more useful!

[afu]

Id go for a deposit only dye to start with and see how you like it. As far as im aware hendigo doesn't work properly on bleached haie because there is not enough stuff to bind onto (I'm not a henna head so don't ask me what the 'stuff' it binds to is!). Deposit only is definitly the least damaging option, they are often really moisturising so could even improve the condition of your hair (not repair of course, but help it look/feel better)

[red-again]

The indigo portion of a hendigo tends to really soak into bleached hair. If you were going to hendigo, it would certainly match up your hairs bleached ends condition wise with the roots. You would need to strand test like mad though as you'd need to get your ratios right. I would say you'd need 50:40:10 of the following henna:cassia:indigo.
But without a strand test or three, you would be taking a jump into the unknown. And what with henna's permanence and indigos affinity with bleached hair you could end up totally the wrong colour to what you want.

On deposit tpe dyes that aren't damaging, adore and elumen both have shades similar to your hair colour and they are as non-damaging as poss.

Good luck though!

[spidermom]

By the way, I don't think you necessarily have to do anything. I think it looks like you spent a summer in Hawaii or the Caribbean. Just moisturize like crazy!

[Tisiloves]

Id go for a deposit only dye to start with and see how you like it. As far as im aware hendigo doesn't work properly on bleached haie because there is not enough stuff to bind onto (I'm not a henna head so don't ask me what the 'stuff' it binds to is!). Deposit only is definitly the least damaging option, they are often really moisturising so could even improve the condition of your hair (not repair of course, but help it look/feel better)

Henna binds to keratin, the protein in the hair. Bleaching strips your hair of protein (which is why part of post-bleaching rehab is protein treatments). More importantly hennindigo is fiddly and super permanent. I'd suggest a semi-perm instead, too, much easier to remove/fade.

[Eleentje]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I'm having a little trouble understanding some things, as English is not my native language :P

@Spidermom and @Afu: Deposit-only hair color... what does that mean? I know that's not permanent dye, so is it comparable to a color gloss? Or a 'wash out in ...' color?

@Melusine: Thank you :P I don't really like the look, though, since the blonde is too far up. So if I can get rid of it without damaging my hair, I'd prefer that... but I do prefer this look over hair damage!

@red-again: Thanks for the advice! What henna/cassia/indigo brand would you recommend? And I figure I should apply the mix on both bleached and virgin part of my hair, right? If I'd choose the henna option, I'd surely do some strand tests, otherwise I'd go from growing out bleached hair to growing out hennaed hair :P

@Tisiloves: I've heard hendigo is permanent like crazy... if I choose to use the henna mix red-again mentioned on my hair, what will the consequences for my hair be? Like... hard to color with dye or something?

[Tisiloves]

Basically henna doesn't tend to fade and is really hard/impossible to get out with colour strippers, additionally you can't bleach over indigo without it going "frog butt green".

[Freija]

I would be tempted to leave it, or to use a deposit-only dye. I'd avoid henndigo like the plague since there is a specific colour you are trying to match, because it is virtually impossible to do that with that sort of dye. It's always quite unpredictable, so you can't just mix up the right colour and apply. At the very least, you'll need to go in for a lot of experimentation first.

Also - henna always has a noticeably orange base, and indigo an obviously blue-green one. Together, you generally get bluish, purplish, burgundy or orange flares in the sun - very pretty, but probably not very much like your natural colour. Henna and indigo also have a certain clarity to the colour - a sort of vividness, a luminescence. They aren't soft and muted in the way that a lot of natural shades - like yours - are.

Go carefully!

[Eleentje]

@Tisiloves: Frog butt green? I love that description :D But I've learned - no more hair bleaching for me!

@Freija: Hmmm, I thought henna would be a good idea because of its conditioning properties... seems the henna-mix isn't such a good idea, though...

What is deposit-only dye? Is it like a shampoo/conditioner with a bit of color added? Or a dye you wash out in ... washes? I'm trying to find Elumen or Adore deposit-only dyes, but -so far- can't find it for sale in the Netherlands, hence why I'm asking ;)

[Ambystoma]

I don't think it looks too bad, but if you want to colour it then I agree with everyone else - don't use a permanent dye, there are lots of nice deposit only ones around and if you don't get it quite right the first time then it's easy to try again until you find the right shade. You're lucky, when I wanted to grow out my bleach fried hair I got a hairdresser to dye it back to my natural colour, I even made sure I had 2" of roots to show her but I guess her eyes weren't working that day because she did it super dark (and permanent) burgundy/plum :laugh:.

Edit: Be careful with box dyes from the store unless they don't come with developer, a lot of the so called "semi permanent" are pretty hard to wash out. Schwarzkopf LIVE might be available in your area but check it's just the 6 - 8 wash one.

[Accalia]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I'm having a little trouble understanding some things, as English is not my native language :P

@Spidermom and @Afu: Deposit-only hair color... what does that mean? I know that's not permanent dye, so is it comparable to a color gloss? Or a 'wash out in ...' color?

It's also called demi permanent. Although i've never heard it before in the netherlands. This blogger (sorry it's in dutch): http://naarhuis10.blogspot.nl/2012/02/demi-permanente-haarkleur.html explains it well.

Also I do think your hair it lovely! :D

[spidermom]

Deposit-only adds color and conditioners, but it gradually fades away each time you wash your hair. It does not have a developer like peroxide that allows the dye to penetrate your hair shaft. It's the developer that causes damage, not the color. (as I understand it; I am no authority on dyes. My hair has been natural for a long time.)

[Freija]

Yes - any commercial dye that you don't have to mix up before you apply it should be okay for you. Lots of dyes call themselves semi-permanent but they come in two or more bottles that you have to mix together - avoid these. They are longer-lasting, more damaging, and will actually bleach your hair even more, as they contain varying levels of peroxide. They will leave any hair you apply it to a shade or so permanently lighter.

You can get two main types of non-permanent dye: 6-8 wash drugstore brands, or temporary fashion colours. The drugstore brands are things like Schwarzkopf Live 6-8 washes, or Clairol Nice'n'Easy 6-washes - they tend to come in neat little boxes with gloves and instructions (but remember! Only one bottle inside and no mixing!). The fashion colours come just in jars and are things like Directions, Stargazer and Manic Panic. I'd avoid these fashion colours in your case because they don't always wash out as quickly or easily as they should (they have lots of pigment in them which can sometimes leave a coloured stain on the cuticle of your hair) and they aren't usualy good for creating natural shades (their black dyes, for example, tend to go on looking pitch black, then fade out after a few washes to a sludgy green or blue colour - they also don't usually have a good range of soft browns and blondes; they err more towards neon reds, yellows and greens. :o).

In my experience, the best non-permanent dye for really natural colours is the '6-8 washes' range by Clairol Nice'n'Easy (also called Lovin' Care in America). The boxes look like this:

1. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001RYWFCY/ref=asc_df_B001RYWFCY9742588?smid=ASX6I0L1PWUJG&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22218&creativeASIN=B001RYWFCY)

2. (http://www.underpriceit.com/nicen-easy-non-permanent---shade-73-medium-ash-blonde-517-p.asp)

I've used both the medium ash blonde and the light ash brown on my hair for toning down red tints left by old dyes. They work very well, and do give a noticeable colour change. They tend to last about three weeks on my hair (I use sulphates every other day), and by the end of that they're totally gone. I still wouldn't let any dye touch your beautiful natural colour - non-permanent or otherwise! - just in case your hair happens to hang on to it for longer than it should... but for colouring your bleached ends it should be absolutely fine. I do tend to be over-cautious now, though, ever since I had to endure a really nasty, painful chemical colour removal process when a bright red fashion colour I'd used left the cuticles of my hair stained orange...

The Clairol 6-8 wash dyes never seem to damage my hair, either, although they are perhaps slightly drying (that sorts itself out the first time I condition my hair, though). If you can find something similar in the Netherlands, that's what I'd go for. That sort of dye is quite cheap, too - about £2.50 per box here in the UK - and any leftovers can be stored in a cupboard until the next time you want to dye your hair, so it shouldn't be too pricey if you just want to touch up your ends every few weeks.

Hope that helps! I've used just about every type of drugstore, natural and fashion dye going over the years, with a lot of mistake-based learning processes. : p

[Freija]

Also - henna does have stunning conditioning properties, but there is the issue of the colour (it will always show through at least a bit reddish or orangey) and it can also change the texture of your hair a lot. You have gorgeous curls, and quite a common side-effect of henna is that the hair becomes straighter. I think it weighs it down, by coating it, though I'm not completely sure about that.

If you want to try out some of the conditioning benefits, what about using a non-permanent dye on your ends for colour, then applying cassia to all of your hair to condition it?

[lapushka]

I have no advice on dyeing, but I honestly don't think your hair looks bad. It looks like you're deliberately sporting the ombre look, which I'm told many people spend a lot of money to achieve.

Hopefully someone will comment with something more useful!

I think what you said is pretty useful! :) I agree totally. It's a pretty natural transition, at least from looking at the front. From the back, all you could say is you've got some pretty amazing ombre going on! I'd keep it and continue to grow it out.

[oktobergoud]

I have no advice on dyeing, but I honestly don't think your hair looks bad. It looks like you're deliberately sporting the ombre look, which I'm told many people spend a lot of money to achieve.

Hopefully someone will comment with something more useful!

This is exactly what I was going to say! I actually really like it this way and it sort of looks intentional :)

[Maverick494]

Finally a question I can actually help with!

I was basically in the same boat. So I first got my hair dyed closest to my natural color 2 years ago. It faded a lot, so you could still see the difference very clearly. Last year and today I got a deposit only dye put on my hair (Elumen) in a hair salon. I will post pictures this weekend when I'm home and have access to a good camera.

The good thing about Elumen is that you can mix shades to match your hair colour and they have lots and lots of ashy tones. Here's their site:
http://elumen.goldwell.com/en-EN/assortment_individual_creative_color_mixing_result s.aspx

I got it done at the salon, but you can do it at home too. They needed 3 bottles for my hair, but then it's quite long so keep that in mind. With me they mixed two parts of AB@6 with 1 part SV@10 but that was mostly to counteract the orange/reddish tint left in my length. For you, using BG@7 or SV@10 could be good or maybe even mixed up with a lighter color. In any case, go for the ashy tones to counteract the brassiness.

My natural haircolour is ashy light brown and right now (just had it done at the salon) it leans towards ashy medium brown, but this fades to my own haircolour quickly as I wash. Last year when I got it done I was dark brown and it still faded very well. It doesn't fade entirely though; some will stay on your hair and make it more even. The hair I went into the salon with today had way less of a demarcation line than it had before I first got it done.

The best way to work it in your hair is by sectioning off your hair in 4 to 6 sections and then work it in with a comb and use a brush to deal with the roots. It can get messy so do it in the bathroom wearing an old T-shirt plus some newspaper on the ground.

You may not get your desired final result after the first time has faded, but you will see a difference and you won't see roots from this. So it definitely helps and it doesn't damage your hair.

[palaeoqueen]

I would leave it be, it doesn't look bad at all.

[Greenfire]

Have you tried using herbal rinses at all to add very subtle colour? I know catnip can impart a yellowish tint over hair, which you wouldn't want, but there are other herbs and naturals that can give darker results and they tend to be temporary, as well as good for the hair! (just worth a thought if you're going to experiment)

Here's a link for some suggestions on this line: http://wellnessmama.com/5112/herbal-hair-color-recipes/

You could also see a hairdresser about matching professionally to your regrowth.

[celebriangel]

Um. Your hair is a natural dark ash blonde.

There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that you can replicate that with henndigo. You can get black or you can get dark brown, and that's pretty much it. You also can't get ash-toned shades.

deposit-only dye is probably the way forward, but honestly, I'd just leave it.

[Eleentje]

So many replies once again! Thanks! Also a big thank-you for the compliments, I'm almost giggling like a shy little schoolgirl here :inlove:

I'm not sure what I want to do just yet... Henna (or a Hennamix) seems to be a no go, so I'll not try that... Especially not when it weighs down curls!

Maybe I'll try demi-permanent, if I can find it somewhere around here. Maybe I'll grow it out after all; I don't like where the bleached part is right now, but I'd probably like it more if it's on the very ends of my hair and not so close to my head.

Thank you all for your suggestions and advice, I'll think about them and wait at least two weeks before I do anything (or not) with my hair ;)

@Maverick494: I'll also await your pictures, very curious to see how your hair turned out!

[Accalia]

Just a thougth I want to share... Also I have bleached (and dyed) hair. The color difference between my ends and roots are huge but the color transition is hard to see. Sometimes I think it's nice to have this transition. On the other hand, I keep searching for my new growth length. I think it's really nice to see how your healthy hair is growing in stead of the appearance of healthy hair all over... if you know what I mean... :)

[Maverick494]

@Maverick494: I'll also await your pictures, very curious to see how your hair turned out!

Here's the result from the Elumen treatment (no flash):
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/10095567/img/10095567.jpg

I washed it once with the Lush shine shampoo (sulfate free)
Sorry it's dark, I tried to edit it, but my software adds warm tones that do not represent the real result well.
I'll try to take a better picture later.

**EDIT** New picture:I got my brother to take this one with flash. Excuse the uncombed ends. I also have my head tilted forwards, so my hair looks shorter. But I can assure you it's taken today ;-)
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/10098315/img/10098315.png

My hair color before was basically this:

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/10095708/img/10095708.jpeg

It's an older picture but you can see the difference between the length and the roots very well.

I've found Elumen not to be damaging. Personally, I would not try to use Henna to attempt to match your hair colour, because it's virtually impossible to achieve ashy tones with it. The Elumen mix I used consisted of very ashy tones and it toned down my hair a lot, but the end result is still not ashy. Imagine what henna/indigo would do. Plus with Henna, there really is no turning back. Just my opinion though.

[RavenBaby]

be VERY careful when using any dye. I recommend only semi perm 6-8 shampoo dye for first time (deposit only and a very mild kind) but use a color lighter than you think. my friend with bleached hair got her hair dyed "blonde" semi perm and it turned out dark dark brown, so be VERY careful i suggest a very professional expert colorist! don't make any quick decisions. Think it out and never use dye without reading ingredients.