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View Full Version : Hi all. New and on a hair mission! Question re. coconut oil



BlondGirl
March 27th, 2014, 08:21 AM
Hi all! This is my first post

breezefaerie
March 27th, 2014, 08:26 AM
Welcome :)
Did you have a question about coconut oil?

BlondGirl
March 27th, 2014, 08:35 AM
Oh dear! Didn't start well. I accidentally posted prematurely thanks to my tablet! I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. I found the forum because I'm on a hair mission. I have gone from having long luscious locks to a mane of broken damaged bleached hair. It has taken me approx two years to accomplish this hair disaster! I already know I can't reverse the damage but want to STOP NOW before I end up with a crop. So my bleaching history is lots of switching between full head highlights and full global bleach and with lots of overlapping that my hairdreser couldn't avoid to give me the clean one tone very light blonde I so desired. I have experienced breakage which has finally become quite apparent. Well anyway for most of my hair processes I have been using coconut oil pre process. Well here is my query for you guys that understand this stuff. I am looking to switch to a high lift tint from bleach. I want to do this myself as my hairdresser doesn't agree it will lift enough. Any how, I would like to use CO before processing my hair....so....I did a strand test on hair I collected. I put CO oil on the strand and proceded to process the hair with the HL tint. When it had processed for the recommended time I noticed the strand was 'patchy', meaning there were still some darker bits in there like it didn't lift properly. So I decided to try on my own head WITHOUT CO. Well it lifted very well and not patchy at all. Now I am worried about using the CO before I do the full head tint. Has anyone had this experience or got any advice? Thanks in advance.

QUOTE=BlondGirl;2678044]Hi all! This is my first post[/QUOTE]


Welcome :)
Did you have a question about coconut oil?

breezefaerie
March 27th, 2014, 11:30 AM
I am no expert on bleach and the damage it causes, but I feel sure that our gurus will weigh in. I do know that many people here use coconut oil pre-processing with great results, and many here use bleach quite successfully without a lot of damage to their hair.

So, I'll address the damage you mentioned. Odds are, it's the processing that is causing the damage.
May I ask what your washing routine is? What products and how often?
Are you also heat styling?

And again, welcome :)

Rosetta
March 27th, 2014, 11:48 AM
Welcome, BlondGirl! ;) I have used coconut oil prior to every hair process for some years now, and I can only say it hasn't caused the result to be patchy or uneven. Of course I can only speak for myself in that, but it does sound to me like the problem would be with that hi-lift tint, not coconut oil...?

FallingDarkness
March 27th, 2014, 12:19 PM
If your hair really is damaged, and if you want it to be repaired, your best option would be to cut off the damage. It'll continue breaking if otherwise!
It takes a while to take damaged hair and to make it healthy again, and after it is damaged, it can't be reversed.

But knowing your regular hair routine would definitely help with all of us who are here to give advice.

I have no experience with bleach or hi-lift tinting though, so I can't help out there. :(

muddblood21
March 27th, 2014, 12:48 PM
Welcome! I am here recovering from bleach damage as well! This is a great place to rehab ;) As far as you question about the hi-lift tint...what is your natural color? Did your hair dresser happen to mention what level you are naturally? or what level it is you are trying to achieve? I am just curious. I am guessing you are using the tint on regrowth/roots, but are you using it on the length as well or just trying to match the roots to the length? I ask because continued processing of the length is going to cause damage over and over, but just processing the roots every 4-6 weeks means there is far less "double processing". Since you are moving more toward the "root only" route by doing your whole head all at once, it might be a good time to get a few inches trimmed off the refresh the ends and do everything you can to baby your hair that is already damaged. You can't reverse the damage, but you can help your hair out until you feel comfortable cutting all the damage off (that is where I am now). I don't know much about using coconut oil in with chemical processing (I never protected my hair during bleaching, that is how I got here LOL), but you have come to the right place for support and information!

Oh, and just an after thought, but if your natural color is not too terribly dark, you might look into honey lightening...I am interested to try it myself!

jacqueline101
March 27th, 2014, 12:49 PM
The last time I bleached my hair was at a beauty shop and I used a blend of oil coconut was one of them. It did seem to keep my hair soft supple and it didn't break off. My highlights turned out alright it wasn't botched as a result of the oil. Welcome to the forum.

BlondGirl
March 27th, 2014, 03:05 PM
Well thanks to everyone who replied! I was so pleased when I logged back in to see how many of you responded so thanks so much. For those of you who were asking about colouring my lengths, no I only do roots currently but the lengths in the past have had more than one bleach process say for instance when I have had low lights then go back to full blonde. Or for a while I was just having highlights and didn't like the contrast so went to full global bleach root tint again but ofcourse my hairdressers slapped bleach on all my lengths to match the roots. One thing that also annoyed me is that when touching up my roots she would ocassionally bleach them to white, which isn't necessary (and not the colour I wanted) so I feel there is a lack of control and more damage than necessary. I've also had a previous hairdresser only get me to orange and then reapplied a few days later afer I complained. Basically, I've been having difficulty maintaining the colour I like...which is another reason I'm looking to do my own hair. My natural base level I am told is a 5-6. I was hoping I could switch to just doing the highlift tint to get me to a 9/10 and maybe some bleach highlights every now and then to brighten it up instead of bleaching the whole thing. My hair is strong. I take MSM every day and have just started Biotin but even my strong hair cannot take anymore double processing, but I want to stay light. I'm really hesitant to take several inches off incase it does evrer get long again! Can anyone reassure me that it will if I only keep colouring the new regrowth? I'm really grateful for any input and I'm so glad I have found somewhere that I can get and hopefully give support. Hairdressers don't seem to have any time for this!

Hi and thanks so much for your input. I didn't respond to your questions in my precious post because I didn't want it to get too lengthy. I like to think I am careful with my hair. I never striaghten or use curling tongs on it but I do use a hair dryer. I will try to air dry when I can but because of my job I need to be well presented and it doesn't tend to look good without blow drying as it's dry and fluffy. I wash mainly with 'Naked' sulfate and silicone free poo and conditioner. I do use some styling and heat protectants that use cones because I've tried going without and my hair doesn't agree. I use protein treatments once a week and soak my hair overnight in coconut oil every now and again. Although my hair is dry, it doesn't respond that well to CO treatments. I want my hair to be long and strong again. I know processing is very bad but I was hoping if I do everything else right I still might accomplish the long beautful hair I once had. Length right now is jaw length around the face then it gets gradually longer and the back is mid shoulder blades. I recently also had a bad cut where she put in layers and because there is breakage in my hair it just highlighted the fact more so and my right side is jaw length from the front of my face all the way towards my ear so I end up putting this side behind my ear when down to hide the difference! Stupid I know, but I'm hoping I can keep cutting the longest parts every few weeks until this front bit catches up!

Sorry the above reply was meant for Breaezfaerie's questions. I thought I quoted you but obviously can't get to grips with something so simple :eek

breezefaerie
March 27th, 2014, 05:07 PM
No, you are good :)

It sounds like you have a good care routine. Of course, any heat and bleach will cause damage, but I think you can minimize that with good care.
Do you wear your hair down or up for the most part?

Wearing hair down all the time, especially damaged hair, can worsen that damage.

BlondGirl
March 28th, 2014, 06:38 AM
Thanks for your input once again. I wear it down 80% of the time. Didn't realize that was more damaging tbh. I know people don't recommend use of cones but like I said I struggle without as my damaged hair is unruly. Do you know of any products to help hair that are cone free?
No, you are good :)

It sounds like you have a good care routine. Of course, any heat and bleach will cause damage, but I think you can minimize that with good care.
Do you wear your hair down or up for the most part?

Wearing hair down all the time, especially damaged hair, can worsen that damage.

ErinLeigh
March 28th, 2014, 07:58 AM
Thanks for your input once again. I wear it down 80% of the time. Didn't realize that was more damaging tbh. I know people don't recommend use of cones but like I said I struggle without as my damaged hair is unruly. Do you know of any products to help hair that are cone free?

I am a broken record on this one.
Redken extreme builder plus. Deep treatment conditioner for bleach damaged hair. I swear by it. It contains every ingredient recommended for bleached hair and is cone free.
There is a protein in it that is from a cone derived ingredient based it is water soluble so it will rinse right out when you rinse the conditioner out.

I posted the the ingredient to it in the conventional products section of this forum under the "products containing ceramides and 18-mea thread". It's probably only a few pages back.

I cannot think of one single product that does all this does and I have tried pretty much everything. It is amazing for bleached hair. I actually use this then follow it with another deep moisture conditioner afterward for extra conditioning. (Not mandatory, it works great alone, I just prefer hair ultra conditioned ) I do it every Monday. 30 minutes each conditioner. It changed a lot for me. My hair was beyond fried and now it feels like silk. It's shocking actually.

this was my hair 5 months ago - I could not even get a comb through it. It would tangle, snap and crumble off.
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg.html)

this is my hair as of Tuesday - and this is with continuing to bleach and color once a month (and 2 were full head applications, not just roots)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg.html)

Hair was blow dried and product free in both pics for fair comparing.

To work with my damage I did choose to trim. As you can see from before picture damage was all the way to root so the hair that was fried is still on my head. I have 2.5 inches of new growth and that is already bleached and colored too. The rest is the old hair. It just looks better now. I wanted to slowly remove the old hair, so I after initial cut (to my siggy picture) I trimmed off all new growth for last 5 months. Personal choice to grow out layers. I could have kept a lot of the old hair.

My hair was a mess. I needed lots of moisture. I also need the right proteins. Once you find the right stuff your hair will not feel so damaged and unruly.

I made it my mission to learn as much as I possibly could about ingredients in my products and what they do. I started buying accordingly. The right ingredients make all the difference when dealing with damage I have learned. There is a wealth of knowledge on this site and on other sites that will help you lean about your hair. Take the time to read up on care for damaged hair, best ingredients for damaged hair, best way to care for damaged hair etc etc. Just a few tweaks to routine and a few tweaks in product purchasing can make a huge change. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see the results myself.

There are a lot of similar stories on this site. I see all these gorgeous heads of hair and I am stunned when they share stories of how their hair used to look. It seemed to me once these people started making changes it gave results. It gave me hope so I began my own journey. It was very inspiring. I spent a lot of time on archived threads, googling, asking questions here. I am grateful I found the site actually.

I wish you the best luck getting the color you want so you can begin root only applications. That alone will make a difference.
From there, it just about finding what works. I went thru a lot of products to find my routine that is for sure, but I did find it. You will too.

So to sum it up, to answer your question, yes it will grow and be beautiful. Root only applications are so much better than constant recoloring. It is the going over the hair over and over that gives the issues mainly. You sound like you are already on the right track to meeting your goals.
What is your hair like now? Is it still breaking or did it stop? Is the color uniform except for roots or do are you going to try to correct it all one last time?

kganihanova
March 28th, 2014, 08:30 AM
I am a broken record on this one.
Redken extreme builder plus. Deep treatment conditioner for bleach damaged hair. I swear by it. It contains every ingredient recommended for bleached hair and is cone free.
There is a protein in it that is from a cone derived ingredient based it is water soluble so it will rinse right out when you rinse the conditioner out.

I posted the the ingredient to it in the conventional products section of this forum under the "products containing ceramides and 18-mea thread". It's probably only a few pages back.

I cannot think of one single product that does all this does and I have tried pretty much everything. It is amazing for bleached hair. I actually use this then follow it with another deep moisture conditioner afterward for extra conditioning. (Not mandatory, it works great alone, I just prefer hair ultra conditioned ) I do it every Monday. 30 minutes each conditioner. It changed a lot for me. My hair was beyond fried and now it feels like silk. It's shocking actually.

this was my hair 5 months ago - I could not even get a comb through it. It would tangle, snap and crumble off.
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg.html)

this is my hair as of Tuesday - and this is with continuing to bleach and color once a month (and 2 were full head applications, not just roots)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg.html)

To work with my damage I did choose to trim. As you can see from before picture damage was all the way to root so the hair that was fried is still on my head. I have 2.5 inches of new growth and that is already bleached and colored too. The rest is the old hair. It just looks better now. I wanted to slowly remove the old hair, so I after initial cut (to my siggy picture) I trimmed off all new growth for last 5 months. Personal choice to grow out layers. I could have kept a lot of the old hair.

My hair was a mess. I needed lots of moisture. I also need the right proteins.
I made it my mission to learn as much as I possibly could about ingredients in my products and what they do. I started buying accordingly. The right ingredients make all the difference when dealing with damage I have learned. There is a wealth of knowledge on this site and on other sites that will help you lean about your hair. Take the time to read up on care for damaged hair, best ingredients for damaged hair, best way to care for damaged hair etc etc. Just a few tweaks to routine and a few tweaks in product purchasing can make a huge change. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see the results myself.

There are a lot of similar stories on this site. I see all these gorgeous heads of hair and I am stunned when they share stories of how their hair used to look. It seemed to me once these people started making changes it gave results. It gave me hope so I began my own journey. It was very inspiring. I spent a lot of time on archived threads, googling, asking questions here. I am grateful I found the site actually.

I wish you the best luck getting the color you want so you can begin root only applications. That alone will make a difference.
From there, it just about finding what works. I went thru a lot of products to find my routine that is for sure, but I did find it. You will too.

That is quite the difference Erin :)

breezefaerie
March 28th, 2014, 11:53 AM
I don't know that you need to go cone free unless you find it builds up on you.
Cones are excellent for masking damage and I find with my fine, thin hair, cones are wonderful.

If you do decide to go cone free, there are loads of threads around here for recommendations.
Erin Leigh has a great example of a cone free treatment that worked for her! And gorgeous hair to boot.

Wearing your hair up, or contained in a braid will help control damage from spreading. I don't know how long your hair is now or what your goal is, but wearing it up will help.

BlondGirl
March 28th, 2014, 04:18 PM
Wow!...is all I can say. Thank you so so much for sharing your story with me. It truly gives me hope. My hair does still break when wet. I'm extra careful washing it and handling it wet because it's so fragile. Dry it's not breaking as much right now but I do see pieces of hair on clothing extra. I have been trimmimg the longest part every 4 weeks myself and I do snip off any splits I find in the meantime. I was actually considering going back to my natural brown colour but in all honesty I'm a sucker for blonde, but i must emphasise., only when it looks good! Lengths are a good colour but I really had little hope for keeping it this colour until I read your post. I will continue with only retouching roots and will definitely invest in the Redken product. I do think most of the damage has been from double/triple...etc processing as you said. You have been wonderful sharing pictures and your stoty. Can't thank enough!


I am a broken record on this one.
Redken extreme builder plus. Deep treatment conditioner for bleach damaged hair. I swear by it. It contains every ingredient recommended for bleached hair and is cone free.
There is a protein in it that is from a cone derived ingredient based it is water soluble so it will rinse right out when you rinse the conditioner out.

I posted the the ingredient to it in the conventional products section of this forum under the "products containing ceramides and 18-mea thread". It's probably only a few pages back.

I cannot think of one single product that does all this does and I have tried pretty much everything. It is amazing for bleached hair. I actually use this then follow it with another deep moisture conditioner afterward for extra conditioning. (Not mandatory, it works great alone, I just prefer hair ultra conditioned ) I do it every Monday. 30 minutes each conditioner. It changed a lot for me. My hair was beyond fried and now it feels like silk. It's shocking actually.

this was my hair 5 months ago - I could not even get a comb through it. It would tangle, snap and crumble off.
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg.html)

this is my hair as of Tuesday - and this is with continuing to bleach and color once a month (and 2 were full head applications, not just roots)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg.html)

Hair was blow dried and product free in both pics for fair comparing.

To work with my damage I did choose to trim. As you can see from before picture damage was all the way to root so the hair that was fried is still on my head. I have 2.5 inches of new growth and that is already bleached and colored too. The rest is the old hair. It just looks better now. I wanted to slowly remove the old hair, so I after initial cut (to my siggy picture) I trimmed off all new growth for last 5 months. Personal choice to grow out layers. I could have kept a lot of the old hair.

My hair was a mess. I needed lots of moisture. I also need the right proteins. Once you find the right stuff your hair will not feel so damaged and unruly.

I made it my mission to learn as much as I possibly could about ingredients in my products and what they do. I started buying accordingly. The right ingredients make all the difference when dealing with damage I have learned. There is a wealth of knowledge on this site and on other sites that will help you lean about your hair. Take the time to read up on care for damaged hair, best ingredients for damaged hair, best way to care for damaged hair etc etc. Just a few tweaks to routine and a few tweaks in product purchasing can make a huge change. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see the results myself.

There are a lot of similar stories on this site. I see all these gorgeous heads of hair and I am stunned when they share stories of how their hair used to look. It seemed to me once these people started making changes it gave results. It gave me hope so I began my own journey. It was very inspiring. I spent a lot of time on archived threads, googling, asking questions here. I am grateful I found the site actually.

I wish you the best luck getting the color you want so you can begin root only applications. That alone will make a difference.
From there, it just about finding what works. I went thru a lot of products to find my routine that is for sure, but I did find it. You will too.

So to sum it up, to answer your question, yes it will grow and be beautiful. Root only applications are so much better than constant recoloring. It is the going over the hair over and over that gives the issues mainly. You sound like you are already on the right track to meeting your goals.
What is your hair like now? Is it still breaking or did it stop? Is the color uniform except for roots or do are you going to try to correct it all one last time?

Your 'old'damaged hair looks a lot like mine without product but I have to say your hair is beautiful in your siggy pic. I will add pictures when I get round to it. I have jaw length hair from the right side of my face up to my right year. The rest is layered with the longest layers reaching bottom of shoulder blades. But as you can imagine I'm looking a bit odd with bob length hair one side of my face. I put that side behind my ear to disguise it. I just can't bring myself to cut the rest to that length in fear it never gets long again. I'm hoping with regular trims it all evens out!!


The main reason I have been aiming to go cone free is because some sites I've been on say that in the long term they can actually be damaging as moisture does not penetrate the hair. I know there are bad cones and not so bad, it's just educating myself properly. I will also be wearing my hair up more often now ;)


I don't know that you need to go cone free unless you find it builds up on you.
Cones are excellent for masking damage and I find with my fine, thin hair, cones are wonderful.

If you do decide to go cone free, there are loads of threads around here for recommendations.
Erin Leigh has a great example of a cone free treatment that worked for her! And gorgeous hair to boot.

Wearing your hair up, or contained in a braid will help control damage from spreading. I don't know how long your hair is now or what your goal is, but wearing it up will help.

Laccaria
March 28th, 2014, 05:53 PM
I bleached my hair for the first (and last) time last summer. I am weirdly compulsive about the texture of my hair, and I immediately decided that I didn't like the feeling of the bleached hair. It did seem ridiculous, though, to not really experience the blond for awhile since the damage was already done. So, I switched to touching up just the roots with 30V peroxide and level 10 ash blond dye. I am sure this is doing some damage, but it is obviously waaay less harsh than bleach for my hair. I can sit here and run my fingers over my hair and feel the spot where I switched from bleach to dye because the texture is just so much rougher and dryer on the bleached portion.

That being said, the dye does not lift my level 4-5 hair to light blond in one go. I've been overlapping the dye jobs with each other a bit each month, and I've now got a gradual fade from the light blond lengths to the medium/light brown roots. I like that it softens the line between roots and bleach, but the first few goes with the dye on my virgin roots do tend to lift my hair to a more coppery color before it goes golden. I don't mind this at all, but if you are die hard about your light blond, you might be disappointed by switching to dye.

As for taking care of the bleached hair, I haven't found a magical product yet, but protein treatments have made my hair feel much less fragile. I'm currently using and liking the GVP version of Joico K-Pak, but ErinLeigh's photos make me want to try the Redken product she's been using. That's crazy awesome improvement!

BlondGirl
March 28th, 2014, 06:01 PM
This is so intersting because I was hoping that tint would be less damaging than bleach and here is the proof. I also feel the same about the texture. I intended on using a high lift tint and 40vol but this colour would contain more ammonia than a level 10 and also 40vol is more damaging than 30vol so I might try your way. I don't want to be ultra light. Level 10 is good for me. Can I ask what brand colour you use? I would also definitely prefer the gradual fade between roots and lengths. Also, do you use coconut oil on your befits you colour?
I bleached my hair for the first (and last) time last summer. I am weirdly compulsive about the texture of my hair, and I immediately decided that I didn't like the feeling of the bleached hair. It did seem ridiculous, though, to not really experience the blond for awhile since the damage was already done. So, I switched to touching up just the roots with 30V peroxide and level 10 ash blond dye. I am sure this is doing some damage, but it is obviously waaay less harsh than bleach for my hair. I can sit here and run my fingers over my hair and feel the spot where I switched from bleach to dye because the texture is just so much rougher and dryer on the bleached portion.

That being said, the dye does not lift my level 4-5 hair to light blond in one go. I've been overlapping the dye jobs with each other a bit each month, and I've now got a gradual fade from the light blond lengths to the medium/light brown roots. I like that it softens the line between roots and bleach, but the first few goes with the dye on my virgin roots do tend to lift my hair to a more coppery color before it goes golden. I don't mind this at all, but if you are die hard about your light blond, you might be disappointed by switching to dye.

As for taking care of the bleached hair, I haven't found a magical product yet, but protein treatments have made my hair feel much less fragile. I'm currently using and liking the GVP version of Joico K-Pak, but ErinLeigh's photos make me want to try the Redken product she's been using. That's crazy awesome improvement!

Laccaria
March 28th, 2014, 07:02 PM
This is so intersting because I was hoping that tint would be less damaging than bleach and here is the proof. I also feel the same about the texture. I intended on using a high lift tint and 40vol but this colour would contain more ammonia than a level 10 and also 40vol is more damaging than 30vol so I might try your way. I don't want to be ultra light. Level 10 is good for me. Can I ask what brand colour you use? I would also definitely prefer the gradual fade between roots and lengths. Also, do you use coconut oil on your befits you colour?

Hah! I'd be leery of calling it proof. If there's one thing that becomes clear after reading this forum for a bit, it's that different hair likes different things. It's vexing really! :mad:

But, yes, my experience so far makes me think dye, even repeated applications of high volume peroxide dye is easier on my hair than bleach. I dyed my bsl hair, full length application every month, for years without noticing more than a little bit of dryness. One bleaching and it's now crazy brittle, dry and fragile.

I've been using Ion Color Brilliance purchased at Sally's. I can't remember exactly how I picked it, I probably read good reviews on MakeupAlley or something like that. Anyway it's the only one I've tried so I can't really compare. It does contain ammonia. It says "Low Ammonia" on the side of the box, but without numbers who knows what that actually means? Like I said it doesn't lighten my roots to a 10 in one application, and the in between stages do pull orangish. I don't mind this at all because the strawberry blond actually suits me pretty well. I've done full on coppery red before and loved it. I know, though, that some people consider any hint of "brass" to be a major hair coloring disaster. Purple shampoo/conditioner helps it from going crazy, but it's still very warm around my face when I pull my hair back.

There is a chart on this http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aabj_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-SA-Site/Sites-SA-Library/default/v1341850547506/PDF/Perm_ION87_ION88/perm_ION87_ION88.pdf page, which is basically the insert from the Ion dye box. It outlines what you need dye and peroxide level wise to take your hair from it's current level to your desired level. I have found it very useful.

I've experimented a bit with the coconut oil before coloring and as a treatment for bleach damage, but I can't personally really tell the difference. Some people seem to love it, though, and I've never had a problem with dye uptake or anything. I'd say it's worth a try. Coconut oil is delicious, and my skin likes it. So, if your hair isn't sold there are other ways to dispose of extras!

BlondGirl
March 28th, 2014, 07:25 PM
Thanks so much for all your help and advice. My hair doesn't seem to like the bleach either and I'm happy to know there are options. I'm also quite warm toned so coppers look ok on me too. I think this is a route I want to try out to move away from the bleach. I will say though that oil based bleaches do seem kinder on the hair than powder. I just want to get my hair long, strong and silky again. I also think dye gives hair a sparkle you don't get from bleach and tone. I will definitely let you know how I get on and am glad to hear from you, helps a lot :D

Hah! I'd be leery of calling it proof. If there's one thing that becomes clear after reading this forum for a bit, it's that different hair likes different things. It's vexing really! :mad:

But, yes, my experience so far makes me think dye, even repeated applications of high volume peroxide dye is easier on my hair than bleach. I dyed my bsl hair, full length application every month, for years without noticing more than a little bit of dryness. One bleaching and it's now crazy brittle, dry and fragile.

I've been using Ion Color Brilliance purchased at Sally's. I can't remember exactly how I picked it, I probably read good reviews on MakeupAlley or something like that. Anyway it's the only one I've tried so I can't really compare. It does contain ammonia. It says "Low Ammonia" on the side of the box, but without numbers who knows what that actually means? Like I said it doesn't lighten my roots to a 10 in one application, and the in between stages do pull orangish. I don't mind this at all because the strawberry blond actually suits me pretty well. I've done full on coppery red before and loved it. I know, though, that some people consider any hint of "brass" to be a major hair coloring disaster. Purple shampoo/conditioner helps it from going crazy, but it's still very warm around my face when I pull my hair back.

There is a chart on this http://demandware.edgesuite.net/aabj_prd/on/demandware.static/Sites-SA-Site/Sites-SA-Library/default/v1341850547506/PDF/Perm_ION87_ION88/perm_ION87_ION88.pdf page, which is basically the insert from the Ion dye box. It outlines what you need dye and peroxide level wise to take your hair from it's current level to your desired level. I have found it very useful.

I've experimented a bit with the coconut oil before coloring and as a treatment for bleach damage, but I can't personally really tell the difference. Some people seem to love it, though, and I've never had a problem with dye uptake or anything. I'd say it's worth a try. Coconut oil is delicious, and my skin likes it. So, if your hair isn't sold there are other ways to dispose of extras!

BlondGirl
March 28th, 2014, 07:53 PM
Already purchased this online... can't wait to try. Would you also mind sharing which moisturising treatment you use? Thanks in advance :D
I am a broken record on this one.
Redken extreme builder plus. Deep treatment conditioner for bleach damaged hair. I swear by it. It contains every ingredient recommended for bleached hair and is cone free.
There is a protein in it that is from a cone derived ingredient based it is water soluble so it will rinse right out when you rinse the conditioner out.

I posted the the ingredient to it in the conventional products section of this forum under the "products containing ceramides and 18-mea thread". It's probably only a few pages back.

I cannot think of one single product that does all this does and I have tried pretty much everything. It is amazing for bleached hair. I actually use this then follow it with another deep moisture conditioner afterward for extra conditioning. (Not mandatory, it works great alone, I just prefer hair ultra conditioned ) I do it every Monday. 30 minutes each conditioner. It changed a lot for me. My hair was beyond fried and now it feels like silk. It's shocking actually.

this was my hair 5 months ago - I could not even get a comb through it. It would tangle, snap and crumble off.
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/c0f9aa84-8923-40ce-83c6-ba089346ace7_zps122c7027.jpg.html)

this is my hair as of Tuesday - and this is with continuing to bleach and color once a month (and 2 were full head applications, not just roots)
http://i1012.photobucket.com/albums/af244/coconutcraze/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg (http://s1012.photobucket.com/user/coconutcraze/media/Mobile%20Uploads/04737c18-855a-49e6-9b5b-19cd7c12a460_zps53ee1c8a.jpg.html)

Hair was blow dried and product free in both pics for fair comparing.

To work with my damage I did choose to trim. As you can see from before picture damage was all the way to root so the hair that was fried is still on my head. I have 2.5 inches of new growth and that is already bleached and colored too. The rest is the old hair. It just looks better now. I wanted to slowly remove the old hair, so I after initial cut (to my siggy picture) I trimmed off all new growth for last 5 months. Personal choice to grow out layers. I could have kept a lot of the old hair.

My hair was a mess. I needed lots of moisture. I also need the right proteins. Once you find the right stuff your hair will not feel so damaged and unruly.

I made it my mission to learn as much as I possibly could about ingredients in my products and what they do. I started buying accordingly. The right ingredients make all the difference when dealing with damage I have learned. There is a wealth of knowledge on this site and on other sites that will help you lean about your hair. Take the time to read up on care for damaged hair, best ingredients for damaged hair, best way to care for damaged hair etc etc. Just a few tweaks to routine and a few tweaks in product purchasing can make a huge change. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see the results myself.

There are a lot of similar stories on this site. I see all these gorgeous heads of hair and I am stunned when they share stories of how their hair used to look. It seemed to me once these people started making changes it gave results. It gave me hope so I began my own journey. It was very inspiring. I spent a lot of time on archived threads, googling, asking questions here. I am grateful I found the site actually.

I wish you the best luck getting the color you want so you can begin root only applications. That alone will make a difference.
From there, it just about finding what works. I went thru a lot of products to find my routine that is for sure, but I did find it. You will too.

So to sum it up, to answer your question, yes it will grow and be beautiful. Root only applications are so much better than constant recoloring. It is the going over the hair over and over that gives the issues mainly. You sound like you are already on the right track to meeting your goals.
What is your hair like now? Is it still breaking or did it stop? Is the color uniform except for roots or do are you going to try to correct it all one last time?

ErinLeigh
March 29th, 2014, 07:40 AM
This is gonna be a long answer. Sorry but there were so many different products used and I have so many internal struggles with what do regarding coloring and bleaching.

So to start...
I went cone free during this 5 month time. I too was worried cones were going to interfere with moisture getting in or my coconut oil not penetrating.
When I put coconut oil over cones it stays on top of my hair. When I am cone free it seems to absorb. Same with conditioners.
I am just now starting to use cones again occasionally and now when I use them I only mostly only use water soluble cones. I am trying to rid my self of the "cone fear" but it is challenging. Especially after I did get results when I ditched them.
Water soluble cone conditioners I really like are Paul Mitchel Tea Tree Conditioner and the matching leave in (Sally's makes a knock off of both)

Over the last 5 months was a little of everything.
I started easing back on sulfates. I would do a cowash, then next wash would be a gentle sulfate free shampoo, then another co wash, then a sulfate wash, etc etc. I figured the less I was using the sulfates the better for me (since my hair was so fragile)

For cowashes, If you ever want to ease into them I would try Curl Junkie Daily Fix. I just got this one and love it. I think this one is an excellent product to start cowashing with as it is one of the few cleansing conditioners I found that has an actual sulfate free shampoo ingredient instead of conditioning agents to cleanse hair. You get the benefits of shampoo with the gentleness of the cowash. If I was to to wean someone into cowashing with advice, Curl Junkie would be the one I recommend to start with. Its shampoo and cowash all in one!
It even removes all but the heaviest silicones it claims (and I agree, got my Loreal split end repair coney serum right out) I really love EDEN Cleansing Conditioner also. It is perfection for me. Loreal has a good one too.

With hair being so different for each person there is no telling if anything in there is helpful or will work, but I really did find for me the "magic" was in using lots of different ingredients so hair got everything it could possibly need. I have learned damaged hair is very different than healthy hair. Healthy hair doesn't seem to NEED a lot of special ingredients. It may like some or react to some, but it does not NEED them to look nice. Severely damaged hair needs help. Bleached or colored hair has had so much stripped away it will welcome and thrive by being replentished with ceramides, 18-MEA, emolliants, hydrolyzed proteins, panthenol and penetrating oils. Google will direct you to ingredients and what they do and you can match them up to your personal hair needs.

Just a couple cone free products I like (i have a long list but will pick a few for the sake of not being ridiculous)
GVP Generic Biolage Conditioning Blam (at Sallys)
Loreal Eversleek (Sulfate Free) Shampoo and matching conditioner
Nexxus Color Care Shampoo (sulfates)
ION Reconstruct Conditioner
Redken Extreme Builder Plus
Creme of Nature Argan Shampoo (sooo gentle)
Pureology Precious Oils Serum (works exactly like a coney serum for me)

For coney products: L’oreal Nature’s Therapy Mega Moisture Hair Treatment Deep Conditioner is awesome. And for a serum Loreal Split End Repair. Its a 10 leave ins are nice to.


Basically, I don't advocate being bad to hair. It's just I AM bad to hair so I had to figure out something to fix the mess I brought upon myself.
If you are trying to grow hair really long then bleaching is not going to help. But if the blonde is really important to you then the sooner you start doing root only applications and leaving the length alone, and start getting some much needed love into the hair, the happier it will be. You have to make some tough choices and trade offs to keep color. It isn't the easy way to grow that is for sure. At some point you may find you love the feel of healthier hair so much that dye may start to turn you off. I keep finding my priorities are changing. It seems the healthier my hair gets, the more reluctant I am getting to want to ruin it. I am not there yet, but I am feeling the draw away from such damaging practices. It sure is tough when your natural color isn't your preference, yet you get sick of dealing with damage. It is exhausting and I am tired of having to choose between length and color.

To me going to brown color or a darker blonde sounds nice actually, but I do understand the lure of light blonde. It just has to be worth it, If I had to chose between healthy hair and color, I would choose healthy hair. My decision would have been different a few months ago though. It just sure is easier when hair feels nice. There could be a healthier compromise in there somewhere even - such as going darker for the base and just adding a tiny bit of blonde around the face. A few pieces of blond do make a big difference in the overall look without all the extra risk. That is where I am going now I have decided..from there who knows.

Oh, regarding dye...I use the ION Color Brilliance also. I like it a lot. I keep my hair around a level 8. I couldn't find the 8 last time so I bought a 7 and mixed it with IONs clear gloss and the shine was incredible. I may keep doing that who knows. As far as developer, I can get a nice lift with 20 developer on roots and my hair is ultra dark naturally. I use never more than 10 on my length (if i am doing length at all) Sometimes I will just use a 10 developer on roots depending on mood. (takes me to strawberry which I don't mind and I also like the different fades I get as well) I mix the little bottle of protein filler into the dye too. Do you all use it? I feel I have a lot of stuff getting mixed in lately with the coconut, the gloss and the protein .lol

I think 40 developer is really harsh. That fried my hair like bleach can. Even 30 I find causes me to not enjoy the texture. I am scared to go higher than 20 ever again. I even mix my bleach for the highlights with a 20 I am so scared of 30/40.

Sally's has the ION Reconstruct Conditioner in single size packets or a whole bottle (red and white label) It is ION's only cone free and it is an amazing deep conditioner. I grab a packet anytime I drive by the store. It is so thick and creamy. I use it every single time I color.


I really hope you find what you are looking for as far as color and condition of hair. I cant wait to to check in and see how you are doing and what you decide on. I always can relate to hair frustrations as I have dealt with the my whole life. I am forever ruining my hair and I want it to stop. Maybe together on this board we can all find that perfect balance and keep sharing experiences. :)

P.S. I am super loopy Been up 36 hours for work so this post is a rambling mess I just realized. I am too fatigued to edit but sorry if it is all over the place. I started typing on phone and have no idea what I wrote as I cant see it! lol

Laccaria
April 2nd, 2014, 09:58 PM
I snagged a tub of the Redken Extreme Builder Plus, and I have to say I really like it so far. It really does seem to bring in...something....that my hair was missing, though I can't really put my finger on exactly what that something is. It didn't quite feel like a protein treatment or a moisture treatment, but it did feel nice. I don't usually buy salon products because I tend to find them overrated and overpriced, but if this one actually continues to improve my hair, it will be well worth the price.

I used it according to the package directions, i.e. applied to shampooed and towel dried hair, left on for ~15 minutes and rinsed out. I ended up using lots more of my regular coney serum than usual because I needed the slip to detangle. Next time I think I will follow the Redken with a coney moisturizing conditioner. My thick, dry wavy hair loves moisture and silicones.

ErinLeigh
April 3rd, 2014, 12:34 AM
I leave mine on 30. For some reason 15 minutes doesn't give me as much of a kick. I wash then towel blot, apply, stick a shower cap on and let penetrate.
If I do use for less than 30 minutes (like just in a typical shower) I make sure to not rinse it out all the way so I am left with some slip.

I know what you mean about giving it "something" I think it is the 18-MEA and ceramides being brought back. Bleaching makes hair need those added in. It took me about 3 uses to see good results if I recall correctly. I liked it instantly but the smoothness and strength came back to hair later after a few uses.

I know what you mean about slip. I follow it with a good protein free moisture based conditioner (like Biolage Conditioning Balm or the Sallys generic version) or with a Paul Mitchel water soluble coney one depending how my hair is feeling. For a really good coney conditioner to follow, I find Loreal Natures Therapy Mega Moisture Deep Conditioner is awesome to follow it with. After rinsing the Redken I put in the Loreal and leave on about 3-5 min. That combo is amazing for me. I get the rebuilding from the Redken and then incredible moisture and slip from the Loreal. It's hair heaven for me but I only do it once in a while as I am trying to stay with water soluble cones only since I cowash. The lure of the Redken and Loreal is just so good I break "my rules" once in a while.
Using the Redken on its on I get a little stiffness from the protein or something.

Laccaria
April 3rd, 2014, 09:11 PM
My goodness, ErinLeigh, you are a terrible influence on me! I have soooo many conditioners and products right now. Since the great bleaching incident of 2013 I can't seem to stop buying them. And, here you are talking up even more products that I want to try now! I keep telling myself it's time to work through the stash, not add to it! Once upon time, not that long ago, I owned one shampoo, one conditioner, and a small handful of leave in and styling products. Now, however... :justy:

Seriously, though, I do appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and pictures. The pictures were what convinced me! I just did a SMT with some Biolage Conditioning Balm and followed with my favorite coney conditioner, Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter. My hair is not quite fully dry but it feels nicer than I can remember it feeling in ages. I've done loads of SMT's since I bleached, so it's definitely not the SMT alone. I'm giving the credit to the Redken. Thanks for the tip!

ErinLeigh
April 4th, 2014, 05:11 AM
My goodness, ErinLeigh, you are a terrible influence on me! I have soooo many conditioners and products right now. Since the great bleaching incident of 2013 I can't seem to stop buying them. And, here you are talking up even more products that I want to try now! I keep telling myself it's time to work through the stash, not add to it! Once upon time, not that long ago, I owned one shampoo, one conditioner, and a small handful of leave in and styling products. Now, however... :justy:

Seriously, though, I do appreciate you taking the time to share your experiences and pictures. The pictures were what convinced me! I just did a SMT with some Biolage Conditioning Balm and followed with my favorite coney conditioner, Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter. My hair is not quite fully dry but it feels nicer than I can remember it feeling in ages. I've done loads of SMT's since I bleached, so it's definitely not the SMT alone. I'm giving the credit to the Redken. Thanks for the tip!

Trust me I know. I used to product experiment but I would have maybe 3 at time. I never used to read labels
but when I fried my hair and went cone free at same time I needed all new stuff and the product hoarding began. I have tried so many things and finally found what i like. I'm still so used to buying things to test I have to literally tell myself enough! I am glad I experimented as it helped but I did take it too far. Lol