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View Full Version : I want to color SO badly, but is it worth it?



lind01
August 25th, 2008, 08:58 AM
I have a dilemma- I have been planning to color my hair a deep, rich brown for some time now because my hair was lightened by the sun this past summer and I've always wanted to go darker. I did research to find a good, slightly less damaging hair color (tocco magico). I even made the appointment, which is coming up this Thursday.

But.. now I seem to be having second thoughts-- will I regret coloring my hair? Will it set me back horribly on the road to healthy hair?

Do any of you color your hair (non-henna) and have success with it? Or, has anyone had serious setbacks from coloring? I would love to hear what you have to say!

lilalong
August 25th, 2008, 09:02 AM
I would just use a temporary dye. That way, you can always change your mind later.

trixiebelle
August 25th, 2008, 09:21 AM
With regards to the health of your hair, I've found that of all the people I know who've coloured their hair, those who went darker didn't feel like their hair had been damaged at all. In some cases they had said it felt better.

MeMyselfandI
August 25th, 2008, 09:25 AM
What happens in the winter, does your colour get darker again?

Changing the colour of your hair is not a one time deal just to get darker.

As soon as your hair has grown a bit about 10 days to 14 days you will notice roots. Think that in 4-6 weeks, you will need to do it again. For as long as you want that colour. Then you may not be able to get back to your colour again. You may be able to get bleach a bit lighter and then coloured to match your roots so they do not show as much as your hair grows.

Many semi-perm hair colours stay in for 6 or so month and never completely fade. (As friends of mine were surprised to discover, when they just wanted to try it out for fun.)

teela1978
August 25th, 2008, 09:27 AM
The problem with dying is that you have to keep on dying. Your natural hair will never look the same as your dyed hair, so you will have to upkeep the roots until you decide to grow them out. Personally, I find that my hair gets very damaged from coloring, and that it causes a ridiculous amount of shedding. This does vary from person to person though, some people can dye their hair with no problems/damage and get to very long lengths.

If you're ready to commit to touchups every 2 months or so then go for it.

wintersun99
August 25th, 2008, 09:27 AM
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Shanarana
August 25th, 2008, 09:32 AM
I have been coloring my hair for the better part of 20 years now. My hair always seemed to manage to look well though I knew I was doing somethng not very healthy for it. I have gone a more natural route now, but I'm sure if you just do a full head dye and keep up with roots you should be fine.

There is a social group called "chemical heads" or something to that affect.....when you get enough posts perhaps joining that group will give you extra support and advise. :)

trixiebelle
August 25th, 2008, 09:35 AM
I'm guessing your natural hair is darker as you said it was lightened by the sun, and you are going back to a colour close to your natural colour. If that's the case then root touch ups wouldn't really be an issue. Hair colour does tend to fade over time so it should blend into your natural colour.

FrannyG
August 25th, 2008, 09:45 AM
I'll tell you my little tale of going a darker shade when I was younger. Although my hair was dark blonde (looking light brown to some people) I went with a reddish shade about two shades darker than my ordinary colour. It didn't damage my hair much at all.

The big problem was that within just a few days, my roots started to show, and they looked surprisingly light. It made my part look much wider than it was. From a distance it looked almost like a bald spot.

Eventually, I just couldn't handle the "bald part" look, and I bleached (:bigeyes:) the dark colour out. That did damage my hair, very badly, and I ended up with a 2 inch pixie cut afterward. :wail:

I'd think long and hard before colouring your hair much different from your natural colour. Light roots are almost worse than dark roots. Just my :twocents:

lind01
August 25th, 2008, 10:13 AM
All very good thoughts.
Trixiebell, your last post is what I was thinking- my hair is naturally darker- I've just been out in the sun too much and not taking care of it. I would only want to dye once, and then let my healthier, darker hair grow in. And I've also heard that going darker isn't as damaging as going lighter. Maybe I'm just looking for a quick fix...:o
Ahhhhhh-- lots of good points to think about!

Curlsgirl
August 25th, 2008, 10:55 AM
Just wanted to say if you do this be sure to not pick a shade that is too dark. That is very easy to do as the shades on the box are usually lighter than they will be on your hair. Since it's only once then I would go to a very reputable salon to do it if you do.

wintersun99
August 25th, 2008, 10:59 AM
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Chromis
August 25th, 2008, 11:43 AM
If you are only looking to go a little darker, perhaps you might look into some herbal methods. Rosemary and a few other herbs have a darkening effect when used as a rinse and you might also do a search for molasses on the boards for another good gentle darkening method.

Ohio Sky
August 25th, 2008, 11:56 AM
Going darker doesn't have to be incredibly damaging. You can use a demi permanent or deposit only dye that won't contain peroxide or bleach, and that will minimize damage greatly.

I think we're all allowed at least one vice. I color my hair regularly, and have less damage and fewer splits than a lot of non-colorers I know because I make sure I pamper my hair all the time.

But, like Chromis said, there are other options as well. If you don't like the idea of coloring, check them out first.

Katze
August 25th, 2008, 11:58 AM
I agree with the "once you dye you'll have to keep dyeing" theory.

As a long time hair dyer, I finally stopped coloring my hair in July 2005. By June 2006, it was so terribly two-toned that I went to a salon and had it dyed darker - "dark blonde" - what looked brown to me - see my horse pic in my profile.

That dye faded out really fast, and I was left with another two-tone layer that is STILL growing out.

In my opinion, it's not worth it for just this reason. Dye is permanent, and will always (at least in my case) lighten/change the hair it's on enough so that you have roots, no matter what. Besides which, it's not good for your hair.

teela1978
August 25th, 2008, 02:35 PM
All very good thoughts.
Trixiebell, your last post is what I was thinking- my hair is naturally darker- I've just been out in the sun too much and not taking care of it. I would only want to dye once, and then let my healthier, darker hair grow in. And I've also heard that going darker isn't as damaging as going lighter. Maybe I'm just looking for a quick fix...:o
Ahhhhhh-- lots of good points to think about!

Trust me. You'll have visible roots. They might not be all that obvious, but they'll be there. I think wintersun's idea of lowlights is actually a much better idea than a whole head color for what you're trying to cover. Your dyed hair will fade, but it will end up off color of your normal hair (mine for example goes reddish), its not going to match the rest of your hair very well.

lind01
August 27th, 2008, 10:36 AM
I canceled my dye appointment today. I really want to see what I can do with my hair with all the things I am learning on here. Though they won't be quick fixes, I feel it will be worth it in the long run to not chemically alter it at this point. Thanks everybody for the feedback.

wintersun99
August 27th, 2008, 11:13 AM
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