How bad is lightening hair NO bleach.

[allmixedup88]

My natural hair is between a level 3 and 4 (reddish base/very warm). I would call it about a level 3.5. I want to add highlights to my hair around level 5 or 6. I want multi highlights with caramel, light reddish brown. How damaging would this be to my hair? I will not be using bleach. I want to only use hair color and 20-30 developer. I do not use direct heat, hardly wear my hair down, and I am just bored with my hair.

[Ravenwind]

I don't know how damaging it would be but any kind of chemical dye is damaging no matter what. I think if your hair is perfectly healthy it should be fine :) maybe do a treatment before you add highlights?

[allmixedup88]

I plan on using Aveda hair dye, because it is suppose to be the most natural and with no ammonia.

I will def. do a treatment before and after I start dying my hair.

[Ravenwind]

My sister is a hairstylist and used to work in an Aveda salon so that and Wella are good choices if you want the most natural dyes, besides henna :)

[allmixedup88]

Thank You! I had no idea wella was natural. Wella is easier to get and less money, so I may get wella instead. Thank You!!!

[Avenie]

Dying your hair* isn't going to make it all drop out. Hair is there to enjoy :) Dye it, look after it, follow the instructions, all will be well.



*Dying it, dying it again the day after, trying to bleach off some mistakes and then dying it again, yeah, probably going to leave you bald. But you're already careful enough not to do this.

[morrigan*]

Some members here oil hair with coconut oil before they colour it, because it help prevent some of protein loss in hair.

[allmixedup88]

Thank You! I use to dye my hair a different color every month. I would go from dark to light to dark again. My hair was a complete mess, so I've been pretty scared to dye my hair again.

[allmixedup88]

I have protein 2 step. I will probably use it before I dye my hair & then afterwards if it feels a little weird.

[ooglipoo]

Developer is bleach. Hydrogen peroxide is listed on Wella developer ingredients. If you're trying to avoid bleaching to prevent further damage, it may not be a great idea...

[Panth]

Developer is bleach. Hydrogen peroxide is listed on Wella developer ingredients. If you're trying to avoid bleaching to prevent further damage, it may not be a great idea...

This.

Any lightening is going to damage. It's just a question of whether your hair is resilient (and/or young (i.e. short)) enough to not show the damage at all / much. Oh, and also how much damage you're willing to accept. No one can tell you how resilient your hair will be. Your best bet, therefore, is to strand test.

[RancheroTheBee]

To add to ooglipoo and Panth, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to lighten hair without peroxide. For example, henna can make hair look brighter, but it will never lighten your natural or existing colour. As mentioned, there is a large thread started by ktani outlining how to prevent or reduce bleach damage using coconut or argan oil but it doesn't necessarily work for everyone and you will incur some damage regardless. I've been using her technique but my hair is very short and I am doing so under the presumption that one day, I'll be trimming that hair out. :shrug: If the hair that you used to dye constantly is still on your ends, it might not be as resilient as any newer growth, and it's important to keep that in mind.

[alexis917]

Developer is bleach. Hydrogen peroxide is listed on Wella developer ingredients. If you're trying to avoid bleaching to prevent further damage, it may not be a great idea...

Was just about to point this out.
Furthermore, any conventional "permanent" dye- (even those meant to DARKEN hair)- use chemicals that slightly lighten your hair first, because they enter the hair shaft by roughing up the cuticle.

[Firefox7275]

There isn't any fundamental difference between persulphate bleach (which breaks down to peroxide) and developer only (hydrogen peroxide) lightening. Same damage. Run strand tests on shed plughole hair when you run your skin patch tests, and dye over coconut oil and/ or hydrolysed wheat or soy protein to reduce damage.