Should I dye my hair ?

[hikarilu]

Hello :-)

I'm not happy with my current color. I find it dull and uneven, if that makes sense. I don't know if this color really suits my face and would like something that highlights my fair skin and my face in general.
I'm quite tempted by henna coloring (hoping it would add some volume and shine too) to get a redder color.
When I was younger i experimented a lot with box colors : red, violine, blond all ended up looking red. Guess my hair's destiny is red hehe :)
I know that if i box dye again it'll damage my fine hair so much i'll have to cut it so the only real option i have is henna.

But having virgin hair i'm scared to regret it and also scared of the maintenance necessary to hide my roots since i hate having roots.

This is how my hair looks now :

Indoors
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/643025Capture2.png

Outdoors
http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/752537IMG20140410171617.jpg
(those are messy bun or braid waves, i have naturally straight and veeeeery fine hair but i don't have the patience to let it air dry down)

Based on what my hair looks like now, what would you advise me to do ?

Thanks and sorry for the possibly bad english :)

[stachelbeere]

oh wow! I think your natural hair colour is absolutely beautiful and I love the ombre you have going on.
I know that because you are around your hair all the time you get annoyed and bored with it but from my perspective, seeing your hair for the first time it looks shiny (not dull at all) and so soft... I wouldn't do anything with it colourwise.

[Budgie]

I also think your hair color is beautiful. How dark do you want to go?

[lapushka]

I would also leave it alone. Henna is *very* permanent, so permanent that it is hard to remove, so you'll basically have to grow it out if you don't like it unless you want to damage your hair quite a bit. Test strand! For sure!

[divinedobbie]

I absolutely love your natural colour. If I was you, I wouldn't dye it!

[hikarilu]

Thank you so much stachelbeere, budgie and divinedobbie !!! I'm really moved by those compliments since i'm not used to. Most people tell me my color is dull and ashy...
I actually don't want to go darker, brownish make my face look more stern. I guess i'll always want to be a natural strawberry blonde :D or get back my childhood venitian blonde... I don't know if something like this is possible with henna though...

[divinedobbie]

Henna will only make your hair darker if anything, especially with repeated applications if you don`t do root-only applications. I have also heard of people doing their roots as often as every three weeks with henna to keep up with growth, and that`s in 5+ hour sessions each time!

[Henna Girl]

I can't see anything wrong or dull with the colour of your hair. I actually think it is beautiful. If you feel like doing henna, do a test strand first because it is very permanent.

[Kherome]

Hello :-)

I'm not happy with my current color. I find it dull and uneven, if that makes sense. I don't know if this color really suits my face and would like something that highlights my fair skin and my face in general.

Of course it suits you, it's your natural color.

[Lady Mary]

Your hair is really stunning actually. The color is beautiful. I don't think I'd change it if it were mine. However, if you wanted to change it slightly, you could look into a henna gloss.

[SleepyTangles]

I honestly think your natural colour is really lovely, plus I love the "ombre"-like thing it does on the end: it makes it even more interesting, there are so many hues in your hair!
If you need a change, why not a deposit only temporary dye? Unlike henna, you can always change your mind!

[BrendaLoan]

I think your natural color is beautiful :flower:

[abauer789]

I love your natural color!
Coming from someone who has spent the past 16 months growing out damaged hair, I would advise against coloring. Especially if you don't like to see roots! :o

[ErinLeigh]

I love your natural hair. Natural hair has certain variations and nuances in color that can get lost in dye.

Maybe sit in the sunlight and really look at your strands. You will see all kind of gorgeous colors reflecting back. I love how it naturally blends to lighter hue. People pay big money to have what you have naturally :)

If you ever really feel the need to "do something" they have clear glosses you can apply for a little added volume/shine. I personally do not see the need though. Your hair beautiful.
It's harder to see things from your own eyes. I understand that completely. I think its good that you posted so you can read positive feedback and see your hair from another point of view.

[Salmonberry]

If you want a little more of a reddish tone, you could try a henna/cassia gloss. I've got medium blonde hair and do henna/cassia glosses from time to time. I end up with a nice almost-strawberry-blonde. You would probably end up with a golden-auburn sort of color (if that's even a real color, just guessing). Glosses fade on some people (they fade on me). But I've also heard they're permanent on others. I never get stark roots, but I also use a shampoo that contains henna and it helps blend the roots a bit.

[Nope]

When my hair was virgin and ashy, olive oil treatments seemed to give it some shiny gold tones. Also, cassia is known to deposit goldish tones and also has the conditioning effects of henna. You could also just do the underneath of your hair red for a change instead of doing all of it.

[kellinaturalmom]

Love your natural! Don't henna it! My hair is very fine and while henna does make it smooth and shiny it does NOT add volume. It weighs the hair down, loosening my curl pattern. And it's my opinion that EVERYBODYS natural color suits them!

[Redvelvetdragon]

I think it's fine and don't pay any mind to those who are critical of your hair. If you really want to do something, I agree, a clear gloss will add a little twinkle. If you really really want to color, I would maybe pick a few strands, not many, and make them a different color, either lighter or darker. I have a friend who has tailbone midtone reddish brown and she puts in a few dark streaks to frame her face. It's not a lot of color and just enough of a difference to make her feel that it's a little different.

[hikarilu]

Thank you so much everyone, I feel quite better :o
I guess a part of me was just down about my hair, so I'll wait a bit more before deciding anything :-) Maybe until this summer, when my hair lightens a lot.

I have a question for ErinLeigh and Redvelvetdragon though, what exactly is a "clear gloss" ?

[Anje]

Oh, that's a very nice color, especially in the sun. It sort of glows. I don't think it's ashy at all, actually -- I see some golds and warmer tones in there.

If anything, maybe tea rinses would bring out a few subtle tones to it. But I honestly wouldn't mess with it much. You've got a gorgeous honey color happening, and I'll bet it suits you better than something more intense would.

[lapushka]

I have a question for ErinLeigh and Redvelvetdragon though, what exactly is a "clear gloss" ?

Might they both be referring to henna glosses? Or cassia glosses?

[snuflan]

I agree with everyone else, you have amazing hair with great colour! I think you look great as it is, but if you really feel the need to change, perhaps you could use one of those leave in conditioners that deposits a little dye would be something for you? :) They only last for a few washes and then you could maybe decide if it's something you really want or so.

[ErinLeigh]

Gloss? Here are links with really brief explanation. http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-a-hair-gloss-treatment.htm
http://www.ehow.com/how_7657936_apply-clear-hair-gloss-home.html
I don't think you need it at all and honestly. I never had virgin hair so I always think of it as something very special. Was just trying to think of something that wouldn't change your gorgeous color :) I mix them with my color when I dye at home.

The cassia was a good suggestion too though. That fades so if you don't like it you don't have to live with it long.
There is a cassia thread in the henna section of forum. I would love to try one but am hesitant to do one over bleached hair. Instead I read the thread and wish.