Less damaging way to dye hair black?

[Sinthia]

Hello, I have posted about this before, and am looking for some other opinions. I have very thin damaged hair from box dying my hair black for many years. The last time I did, it broke off so much of my hair, leaving it more thin than it already was. I took advice from my first post, meaning I have been oiling my hair, no heat styling, no hairspray etc. I thought about using indigo, but I just do not like how permanent it is. I was advised to use a demi color ( I chose wella) with a 10 processor, and I dyed only my roots with that today. It took really well, cant tell if it damaged or not because I already had tiny breakage all around my roots from the previous box dye. Is there a way to tell if the short hairs sticking up on top are damaged hairs, or new growth?

I also bought adore black, and manic panic blue, in hopes of covering my length with it for added color and shine, because the box dye faded leaving my hair a brownish black color, which I do not like. I left on the semi dyes for hours, thinking they would take since my hair is so dry and processed , but it didnt hold the color well at all. All it did was lightly tint the brownish parts a light purplish UGH :( What do you think I should do? I really dont want to do the demi all over in case its too damaging, so should I just stick with the color I do not like? Do you think I should just suck it up and do the henndigo?

Also, my hair grows in very light blonde, ugh! I very much dislike my natural color, and have dyed it black for many years now

Thanks for reading!

[Sinthia]

Ugh and the blue is just rubbing off on everything lol, think I will keep searching for a semi black that sticks to my length

[Magalo]

Why don't you like how permanent indigo is? You've been dying your hair black for years...

[Sinthia]

I guess I am just nervous for when the time comes that I do not want it black any longer, perhaps when I am much older and it is too harsh for me?

[Magalo]

Indigo fades anyway... it's not like henna.

[akilina]

I like wella color touch. This is not the dye you get at Sally's. the one at Sally's is wella color charm which I'm guessing is what you used? I do not care for color charm but its not bad.

I absolutely LOVE wella color touch. If you can get some online I highly suggest it! It's very gentle for my fine hair. It always leaves it feeling better than when I started. Plus it's full of shimmery things and leaves my hair so shiny. It's Demi but it never ever fades for me.

[Firefox7275]

Try doing strand tests on shed plughole hair rather than experimenting on your whole head. How did you prepare your hair for the semi permanent? Did you have any silicone or oil residues or was it properly clarified? Very porous/ damaged hair won't hold colour unfortunately because the cuticle is either absent or permanently raised, if you've lost a lot of structural proteins you may find the henndigo doesn't take properly either. I wouldn't say the henndigo is any more permanent than the box dye you have at present, it doesn't sound like your hair is strong enough to use a colour stripper.

Reading your old thread I wonder if you didn't take in enough protein, overall calories or other nutrients when losing weight and your hair has grown in weaker, and the box dye/ heat styling is the 'straw that broke the camel's back'. Are you now eating a nutrient dense balanced and varied wholefood diet? If you feel you are and your hair is still growing in weak IMO see your family doctor in case you have an underlying deficiency or undiagnosed health problem. Really your hair should not be breaking at the roots from just a box dye, that is a red flag to me.

What is your full routine at present? Sadly for truly fried hair (split and breaking) there is nothing that will work other than a good cut. For any hair that is somewhat damaged, proven beneficial ingredient include hydrolysed protein, coconut oil, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol - ideally some combination as they act in different complimentary ways. Avoid sulphates, ideally all anionic surfactants, and alkaline soaps since these are particularly damaging to already porous hair.
http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/03/indepth-look-at-porosity.html
http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/products-ingredients/panthenol-hair-products
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/06/size-matters-protein-conditioning-part.html
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2009/06/protein-conditioners-for-hair-part-2-of_03.html
http://www.thenaturalhavenbloom.com/2010/08/ceramides-patching-up-damaged-hair.html

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

Is permanent dying only your pre-oiled roots still too damaging for you? It doesn't bother my hair. If your length was dyed with permanent dye for years it shouldn't be fading that much. Do you still use SLS'? They strip colour somewhat.

[Sinthia]

I am eating a balanced diet :) Do you think that the tiny hairs sticking up could be new growth? I was thinking maybe they are, because they would have been blonde before I dyed over them , and now that they are black perhaps I can just see them more?

I don't really have a set routine. I conditioner wash probably twice a week, and use a shampoo up to twice a week as well. I put dark castor oil and saw pilmento oil massaged into my roots, and coconut oil over the length several times a month.
I use a silk pillow case to sleep, and I waited months to dye my roots.

This is the shampoo and conditioner I have been using.

http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Naturals-Lavender-Moisturizing-Conditioner/dp/B001KYQ4XM/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1376927541&sr=8-3&keywords=naked+naturals+conditioner
http://www.amazon.com/Shampoo-Big-Body-11-Ounces/dp/B002VZMALY/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1376927517&sr=8-10&keywords=kiss+my+face+shampoo

Thanks so much for the replies!