What colour is my hair? (my hair story with pics)

[CurlyCaz]

Hello everyone!

I'm new here so thought I would post my story and see if I could get some tips for healthy growth (I've found some good tips already!)

Okay so here goes:

I'm a natural brunette (I think!) but for as long as I can remember I have been dyeing my hair. When I was about 8 my mum told me my hair would look so much nicer if it was blonde so she put dye on it. It didn't really have much effect as it was just a box dye so no bleach in it. But from then on and especially around the age of 13 I would dye my hair constantly. Red, black, brunette, blonde you name it - I dyed it that colour!
I also use to straighten my hair and blow dry it loads. I cringe now when I think of it.

I used to have thick hair and around the age of 16 it started to fall out loads. But did I stop with all the damage?! No. I carried on - in fact I even bleached it with highlights.

This picture is from 2011

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/Cazzeh/blonde.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Cazzeh/media/blonde.jpg.html)

I bleached it for about a year and then decided I should probably stop, so I dyed it brown again

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/Cazzeh/brown.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Cazzeh/media/brown.jpg.html)

FYI, this was the longest my hair has ever been. But as you can see the condition of it was awful.


About a year ago I decided I would like to get one of those bobs that is longer at the front and shorter at the back and hey presto, I dyed it again!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/Cazzeh/black.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Cazzeh/media/black.jpg.html)

I think after that I must have dyed it again because I somehow ended up with terrible looking hair that was dark at the roots, had a block of blonde in the middle and dark at the bottom again.

I gave up trying to dye it myself and went to the hairdressers. It took them 3 hours and a lot of money later to have my hair all one colour (she did three different things to each section of my hair)
My hair was now at my shoulders (the longest bit of the bob) and higher up at the back. I got her to cut it all one length so I could grow it all again.

It was only then that I realised what an idiot I had been. My hair was falling out loads. I've been taking Nourkin and haven't used any heat on my hair since about November (around the time I found this forum!)

My hair is now (I think) shoulder length. I trim it myself.

The only thing is...I have no idea what colour you would call it? The roots are coming through a dark brown, the sun has lightened it somewhat but I just think after all of those years of dye it's still a strange colour!

This is my hair now:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y208/Cazzeh/nowhair.jpg (http://s6.photobucket.com/user/Cazzeh/media/nowhair.jpg.html)

It's air dryed and wurly. Err hemlines a bit messy as I've been trimming myself and it's hard to get it straight :o

I am never dyeing it again! (Although every time I see my mum she tries to get me to!)

I'm trying to grow it to APL. I think it looks healthier than it used to.

What do you guys think? What colour would you call it? Can I claim shoulder length?

Thanks for reading ;)

[jacqueline101]

I'd say it's shoulder length and your hem line looks fine to me. I'd say you're a light brunette.

[Firefox7275]

Do protect your hair from the sun because that is damaging, especially on previously dyed hair.

[faellen]

Light brunette (maybe blonette?), warmer toned, and definitely shoulder. It's lovely!

[feathers]

I'd agree that it's definitely shoulder. You could say it's a warm, light brunette, but it looks so red in this picture you could even call it auburn. But the roots do look darker. It's still dyed, right? It looks like your natural color might be a darker brunette.

Good luck with the growing! You're off to a great start. :)

[rut.de.leu]

From this picture, I'd definitely say brown, not blonde. It's hard to tell what new growth will wind up being, though!
Often roots come in darker and will lighten over time from sun and other environmental effects; many people's roots are slightly darker than their length with natural hair color (at least until grey and white!) and sometimes hair color or shade will change with age and other factors.

Good luck this time around! I'm glad you're happier with your hair's health :D

[AmyBeth]

Blonette/brownette? Somewhere in between? The important thing is that the color is definitely quite beautiful. Natural hair color is as individual as a snowflake, and as finite. You may consider enjoying it while you can, because it will go away sooner than you think and can never be replicated out of a box. It comes from nowhere but your own scalp, and if you start really caring for it, you'll be surprised at how beautiful it can be.

[Kyla]

I would say light brunette, and that you have hit shoulder length. :) Congrats. Your hair looks quite smooth right now and healthy.

[CurlyCaz]

Thanks for all the lovely replies guys! :o

QUOTE=feathers;2470946]I'd agree that it's definitely shoulder. You could say it's a warm, light brunette, but it looks so red in this picture you could even call it auburn. But the roots do look darker. It's still dyed, right? It looks like your natural color might be a darker brunette.

Good luck with the growing! You're off to a great start. :)[/QUOTE]

Well since the hairdresser fixed it (which involved her matching the rest of my hair to the few cms of roots that were coming through as a dark brown) it was all one colour. However she did different things to different parts of my hair, I think the bottom half had to be stripped and then a semi colour was put on all of it.

Tbh I used to dye it red so much when I was a teenager that it always had a gingery hue to it. When I look at the roots and at my eyebrows they are definitely a dark brown but I guess as it grows and especially with the sun it changes.

I am enjoying it though and I want to grow it to waist which is something I am very focused on now. I always use to cut it short because I have been told over the years (like many of you I'm sure) that my hair is too 'thin' to have long. Since discovering LHC I know that, that is total bs :p

Thank you for all your replies. Firefox - I didn't know about keeping it out of the sun so thank you for that!

[Tini'sNewHair]

You have beautiful hair - I can just picture it being to your waist, it will look amazing!!! Good job at doing self trimming, I wouldnt be able to tell unless you mentioned it. Do you follow any specific youtube tutorials on trimming? I want to do it myself as well when the time comes but i'm so affraid of messing it up.

[MidnightMoon]

I'd call your hair light brown

[WilfredAllen]

light brown with a red undertone

[Etna]

It looks a very nice light brown to me. Is it dyed that color? I'm a bit confused as to how far it has grown out.

If that's your natural color you are very lucky. Happy growing :cheer:.

[CurlyCaz]

Thank you all!

Etna - that's the thing I don't know! The hairdresser had to spend hours fixing it putting different things on different parts - I think it has mostly faded now and I think it's natural, certainly the top like 4 inches would be but what with the sun and all I have no idea what's going on! It used to be a medium brown when I was younger (before all the years of dying!) But I do wonder if it's always had a reddish hue to it.

I just really want it waist length now!

[CurlyCaz]

Thank you all!

Etna - that's the thing I don't know! The hairdresser had to spend hours fixing it putting different things on different parts - I think it has mostly faded now and I think it's natural, certainly the top like 4 inches would be but what with the sun and all I have no idea what's going on! It used to be a medium brown when I was younger (before all the years of dying!) But I do wonder if it's always had a reddish hue to it.

I just really want it waist length now!

[carinkla]

Wel since its light, warm brown. I would call it hazelnut ;) (its meant as compliment I am always affraid due to the fact that english is not my mother tongue that I say something that is completely normal to me but happens to be an offence without me knowing it ;) )

[CurlyCaz]

Thank you Carinkla!

Hazelnut is a lovely way to describe it...that's what I will call it from now on! :o

[CurlyCaz]

Thank you Carinkla!

Hazelnut is a lovely way to describe it...that's what I will call it from now on! :o

[CurlyCaz]

I don't know what everything is double posting! Annoyingly!

[~honeyflower~]

Your hair color is really beautiful, I wish my hair was that same color.

[MermaidMane]

I would consider your hair a brown auburn.