Henna removal - about to take the plunge

[Domino]

Hi all :)

So for 5 years I've been hennaing my light-mid ash brown hair. I was hoping for an Irish Setter color but never got it, and kept up doing roots only since then. I'm currently BSL with long layers. I am so sick of doing roots every month, and I don't really think the warmth of henna works well with my complexion. I searched and searched, this thread gave me hope because my starting color and the goal color are identical to the OP:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=33860&highlight=removal

I decided to go to my stylist tomorrow and ask for some lightening and then dye with the ashiest color possible. I would love to try Color Oops, Color Fix or Color B4 but these are not available where I live and cannot be imported, also I'm not sure if L'oreal Effasol or Color Remover is available. If they are, I would go with these but if not, looks like I have to ask for bleach. I have applied peroxide to my hennaed virgin hair a few times to help get that irish setter color, it looked nice but I'm afraid the bleach tomorrow may ruin it. I have accepted that I may lose some length after this, shows how much I'm fed up with the color.

Also my natural color is so ashy-yellow toned that I don't think the henna will ever be invisible even with a dye on top of it. Oh well, if it blends with my natural color better, I can live with it while growing, right?

Do you think I'm setting myself up for a horrible mess? I'm pretty scared actually:confused:

[melusine963]

You may be able to ligthen your henna a little by crushing some vitamin C tablets and mixing them in with your shampoo. Some members here have found this helpful. Good luck!

[Oldfashioned]

I've been doing the same thing. I loved the henna but I hate maintenance more than I thought I would. Tee tree essential oil has helped it fade for me the most (mixed in with however much shampoo I'm using for the day), I've also tried the ivory soap which helped but didn't do much. My hair loves dye! But the henna is much less noticeable growing out now. Hope that helps.

[Isilme]

While it may not give you amazing results, deep treatments, oil treatments and honey can give you subtle results! And they can be done both before and after bleach:)

[spidermom]

Do what you feel. I know I wouldn't risk destroying my hair with bleach. I'd just grow out the color (as I have in the past). Two- and more-toned hair doesn't look bad, especially when you wear it up a lot, braid ribbons into it, wrap it with scarves, etc.

[Domino]

Thanks everyone! I already applied some coconut oil to my hair to protect it if I have to get it bleached, prepared my deep condish and oils to take with me to the salon. I have thought about growing it out and even tried it for 4 months but the difference is horrible and because the shades are so different my face looks ghostly like I've been sick for months. I also tried ivory soap but it didn't budge the color, I use tea tree oil every other day. I've also noticed that I don't like my hennaed long hair like I loved my virgin long hair. The texture is just not the same, very wire-y and with weird bends (mine is a mix of 2a/2c). I'm pretty sure I want it gone, but I afraid it might turn neon orange or burnt-gummy or not different at all. Strange feeling :)

[akilina]

Soak your hair in coconut oil before you in if you can.

Just be ready to possibly lose some length, and potentially not as healthy as before. Don't have super high expectations but I believe you can get out of it with minimal damage and a color you might be happy with. Especially if you have only done root applications and not built it up alot on the length.

Best of luck!!! D what makes you happy :) sure, you could spend 6 months using home things to lighten it slowly but it sounds like you are ready for this change all at once. I know I hate waiting. If you don't have very many levels of color to lift then all the better. Just know that it's very possible that red ness is going to shine thru, and the color will fade and possible need dyed over a few times periodically (unless you don't mind the warm tone)

[Domino]

akilina, I found it quite interesting that I have only done root only applications, all under 1 hour, without lemon juice, only mixed with cassia tea...and the tips, which are about 3 years old, did not fade at all. I know it would still shine orange in the sun, but I just want it close to my natural color so I can grow out. I realize that my mousy light brown was actually pretty. I'm okay with cutting to APL or a bit below shoulder length. Do you think the dyeing a few times over the next year would be very damaging, considering it will already be bleached?

By the way, my hair is soaked in coconut oil already :)

[akilina]

Honestly I have not seen any professional color be particularly damaging...box dyes? Damaging every single time in my experiences and in what I have seen.

I use kenra for permanent, and wella color touch for Demi..both I love and have not once seen damage from. It's all about your color formulation and the condition of the hair prior. I don't think anything will really go wrong for you.
I don't see it being too damaging to dye your hair only a few times in a whole year. When I had black hair, I'd dye it every month with zero damage. It's going to be different for everyone..there is no way I can really say how your hair will be exactly.

[Domino]

Thanks, that's a relief. I will update tomorrow, hopefully it all goes well :)

[Domino]

UPDATE:

I did it! So after sleeping with heavily coconut oiled hair, I went to my stylist. We discussed the color first, he said my natural color is around 6.5-7 but we should go for 6 because it will lighten with every wash. I chickened a bit and asked for a mix of the ashiest 6 & 7 dyes, with a larger percentage of 7. Anyway, we first applied the bleach (I don't know the strength unfortunately but it was pretty mild IMO), waited for 8-10 minutes, washed it out and dried the hair. At this point, I was basically a darker strawberry blonde with ginger tendencies and pale ash blonde roots :) I took some pictures but they turned out too dark. Anyway, then we moved on to the dye, applied it roots first and kept on for 35 minutes. Upon washing I thought the roots did not blend in well but it looked perfectly fine when dry. Several people have told me that the line between my newly dyed virgin hair and hennaed hair is invisible. The color in the end turned out to be dark caramel-ish but really depends on the lighting. Indoors it is a warm dark ginger-ish color, outside it looks more ashy with golden highlights, in the sun the dreaded henna glow but nowhere as red as it used to be :)

I think I will need to touch up the ends for about a year but then I can grow out my natural color. Also the next time, I will trust the stylist and go for the level 6 color because even though what I have now is a beautiful caramel color, it doesn't feel "me". There is no visible damage, not one split end, hair feels quite nice just a bit dehydrated, and I did not need to ask for a cut at all! No length lost in the process :) My friend today told me that it now looks like a very dark ginger highlighted by the sun instead of the dark auburn I used to have. All in all, I'm quite happy with how it turned out.

Thanks for your ideas and support, I wouldn't have the courage to do it without LHC :)


ETA: As always, photos don't do hennaed hair justice. With flash I look quite ginger and without, it looks simply like a dark brown. Duh.

[jel]

Well done, glad you're happy with the result! Great that you have no damage, I'm sure coconut oil helped.

I went the slow way and have been growing the henna out for 2.5 years now. I love my length (around BCL, though I went below classic) and did not want to risk having to cut it off because of bleach. I also used Colour B4 several times, and it lightened the henna - but did nothing to the red Elumen strands... Still, I'm happy with my fun two-toned hair! :)

[DrachenBelladon]

Even if you manage to lighten the henna, you're going to end up with some ultra damaged strands.

[kpzra]

Even if you manage to lighten the henna, you're going to end up with some ultra damaged strands.

She already did it and it didn't really damage her hair. ;)

[red-again]

Just watch the damage doesn't creep up on you, mine did. Baby it now and you will hopefully never get that stage!
Glad it went well though!

[Domino]

Thanks for the warning, I know I'll be doing a lot of babying for a long time :) I was so ready to have it damaged to the point of needing a cut but there is not a single split end in sight. I am willing to trim it as it starts showing damage though.