My hair REFUSES to change color! (with pics)

[EvilPigeon]

After 7 years of straight henna, I decided to try henndigo. The indigo refused to stick. I tried special FX hair dye(shades of red and purple), manic panic amplified (dark purple), and Ion semi-permanent(black). Special FX & manic panic amplified yielded beautiful colors. Sadly, they lasted no longer than 1-2 weeks. Ion did absolutely nothing.

This is the color that I am stuck with:

https://31.media.tumblr.com/250b8c50c32dba04433fa652f81f7aea/tumblr_inline_mxlxejAyoM1qa0uu2.jpg

Out of desperation to darken the henna red, I've been experimenting with health food store permanent box dyes- still to no avail.

First I tried Naturtint 4m:
http://vitanetonline.com/images/products/224.jpg

Next, I tried Naturcolor 3N:

http://www.naturcolor.com/pics/3n.jpg

Neither dye worked. :confused: I've always been aware of henna being notorious for resisting lightening and/or removal, but I am shocked and frustrated that my henna'd hair is resistant to going darker.

Finally, this is my ideal color & the color I was able to achieve with manic panic purple haze(if only it would stay this color for more than a few washes...):

https://24.media.tumblr.com/aa8a8fc665378ca45280706e0744dfa2/tumblr_mxlxtcL4641qa4grto1_400.jpg

I am desperate enough to go dark chocolate brown, or possibly even black! But it doesn't seem like anything would work with my stubborn hair. :rolleyes:

[Anje]

Maybe Elumen's the way to go?

[Unofficial_Rose]

Have you tried Adore? It does wash out after a few washes, but if you redo it it sticks around longer. Especially if you wrap in cling film, use hairdryer on it and leave for an hour. Easy enough to get online e.g. at Astral Moon (that's in UK, not sure of Canadian equivalent).

[katiebeans]

I have used manic panic several times before and I agree, it does not stick around despite how pretty it is. Oh why manic panic, why? :cry:

I have been using n'rage color since august. I found that it lasts around a month for me, though I don't use shampoo so I'm not sure what effect that has. Even so, I was swimming in chlorinated water 4-5 times a week for much of September and October and I was surprised at what little effect that had on the dye.

They make a purple plum color, which is realllllly dark and blue based so it tends to fade blue-ish. I mixed it with a ton of conditioner to lighten it up and some of their crimson red color to balance out the blues. That gave me a really nice purple :)

[spidermom]

I wish you had posted pictures of your hair after the dyes you used so that I could see for sure that your color didn't change.

My hair is porous, so it soaks up color and hangs on to it like a champ. I would guess that your hair is non-porous.

[OrganicJewel]

I recommend special effects virgin rose if you're okay with being a pinky- magenta, it's lasting power is like no other of the bright funky colours like Manic Panic. It's seriously THE best. I had bright pink hair for 1.5 years and once I went with special effects I hardly had to redo it, even when I went on vacation to the mediterranean, it didn't bleach out at all.

[Isilme]

I only tried the red Elumen but that one did stick, and lasted like forever. Do like Anje suggested, I'm sure black or brown would stick.

[chen bao jun]

If you are low porosity (probably you are if your hair won't dye), you need to use heat to open up the cuticles to make any changes in your hair. Look in the low porosity thread.
I'm low porosity and won't even try to bother to dye- it was a nightmare when I used to chemically straighten, stronger and stronger formulations left on longer and longer until my scalp bled--and still barely any straighter, or at least it didn't last.

[EvilPigeon]

I only tried the red Elumen but that one did stick, and lasted like forever. Do like Anje suggested, I'm sure black or brown would stick.

Do you think Elumen would work over henna?

& Chen, that is awful! It must be very frustrating.

I have found that as I get older, even henna doesn't stick as well to my hair. At the same time, it is likely decreasing the porosity of my hair even more so!

[maegalcarwen]

I had the same problem.. Try a color remover, like Color Oops or ColorB4, but leave it on for 2-3 times longer. Then rinse for longer too. Then you can work with a lighter color which does change with dyes:D

[Firefox7275]

What is your porosity? If it is low semi permanent colours will penetrate very poorly on virgin hair, you might try either overnight soaks or pre treating with an alkaline shampoo or baking soda to encourage the cuticle to lift.

With permanent dyes run strand tests on shed plughole hair instead of using your head as a laboratory: heat can accelerate or facilitate the process, even just a shower cap. Even a permanent that takes poorly may help a semi take better after.

[ErinLeigh]

I had the same problem.. Try a color remover, like Color Oops or ColorB4, but leave it on for 2-3 times longer. Then rinse for longer too. Then you can work with a lighter color which does change with dyes:D

That's not a bad idea actually. The color removers although they may not work with henna will make hair more porous. You could use it and then try your color. The color b4/color oops boxes specifically warn that hair will become porous after using so if you color to leave on no more than 5 min. If you color stripped and then colored like regular it may stick better. Although these strippers make hair porous I dont find it to be permanent or anything . I have had no damage using them in the part. I think the porosity effect only lasts a few days. Someone can correct me on that, I am just going off of personal experience.