Cassia result...bad

[sybarite]

I used cassia for the first time today on my (almost) arm-pit length hair--one year virgin regrowth, the rest very faded red dye/bleached-- and I am disappointed!

I mixed the cassia (from mehandi) with good drinking water and let it sit for almost three hours (I sort of forgot about it). This didn't seem like an issue because I thought I wouldn't mind a some golden tones. I stirred a little olive oil in at the end and applied it to just washed damp hair. I left it on for nearly two hours with it saran-wrapped to my head. It was easy to wash out with a soak and conditioner. I actually shampooed.

And now my previously dirty blonde hair is a very warm light brown! All the highlights/variants are gone. The strangest thing is it completely covered my slightly warm-toned ends (faded red synthetic hair dye) and now my hair is one monochromatic color.

I will take pictures tomorrow.

So, now I'm considering doing a few honey treatments to lighten it again? Advice?

The horrible part is I had been so good: red dye addict for three years. I stopped almost exactly a year ago and haven't done anything since. I was considering henna to go back to red, but it wasn't urgent. Now I actually have to do something. :(

[lynnala]

In my hair the cassia fades out pretty quickly anyway, so I wouldn't panic. The first pic in my sig is about a month after a cassia treatment, it's pretty much gone. The second is freshly treated. Probably in a month I'll be back to the look of the first pic.

[espressokatzi]

Although cassia does not change my haircolour I also heard that it fades pretty quickly.
I suppose you could quicken it with a honey treatment, but the shade will certainly be gone in a few weeks, I think.

[mellie]

Wow, I didn't realize that cassia could impart that much color! Please do post photos! Thanks!

[khyricat]

I too would love to see pictures, I didn't realize it could impart that much color.. though I normally use henna, I have been thinking of using cassia as a washing agent, maybe I won't let it sit at all before putting it on! don't want to lose my color.

[Nightshade]

Mix honey and baby shampoo, put it on damp hair for 20 mins or so, then rinse and condition, that should lighten it up for you considerably. :)

Color aside, how does your hair feel?

[Babyfine]

Yes , I'd like to know, too, as I'm thinking of doing a cassia treatment.
Does your hair feel heathier?

[spidermom]

Thank you for this. I was contemplating a cassia treatment, but I think not. I want my silvers to continue to shine silver, not yellowish.

[sybarite]

It doesn't feel healthier, to be honest. It is quite tangly (except for the new growth) and my formerly normal bleached ends seem stringy again. I'm going to give it a few days/shampoos though, and I'll get back to you. Most people say that cassia/henna is tangly for a little bit at first---I can't run my fingers through mine. The ends are a little shinier than usual if you actually look at individual pieces in sunlight, but otherwise it is pretty drab looking.

But for a bad hair experiment at least it doesn't smell horrible and my scalp is fine!

Nightshade: how much honey to how much shampoo?

Here are some pictures with my face horror-movie-blacked-out (hehe). I can't get a good picture of how brown it actually is because the crown is shiny and the ends appear more reddish than they actually are in the flash (the non-flash is better for that).

BEFORE

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2336/2348463894_b0e3a32907_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2265/2347618035_53c11f664a_o.jpg

AFTER

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3054/2347626433_5f93f2042e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/2347623997_82fd54bc0b_o.jpg

It will probably look better after a honey treatment and a few washes, right?

[sybarite]

Here is a much better picture of the "after" brown color:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2001/2347671375_b764dd7bb6_o.jpg

[Nightshade]

Half and half :)

And I don't think it looks bad at all, but we're all our own worst critics :o

[mellie]

Thanks for posting photos! You're right, it does look darker and a little less smooth than the before photos. Please keep us posted on your long-term opinion. BTW, your before color and shine is so beautiful! :-)

[ktani]

sybarite

If you do not want to wait for the cassia to wash out - it should - you could try a honey and conditioner treatment - considering the tangling problem I recommend 2 to 1 conditioner to honey - on wet hair - covered and left on for at least an hour. You could also do a 50:50 honey to conditioner treatment. Follow either with a weak vinegar rinse - 1 tsp vinegar to 24 oz of water, left on the hair for 30 to 60 seconds and rinsed out.

This is the list of conditioners from the Honey thread for use with honey lightening treatments.

Preferred Conditioner List
Note: This list is a guide. These hair conditioners have been reported to work well in the recipes.
Alberto V05 Champagne & Strawberries, Alberto V05 Honeydew Smoothie, Alberto V05 Kiwi Lime Squeeze, Alberto VO5 Sun Kissed Raspberry, Alberto V05 Vanilla Mint Tea, Citre Shine, Herbal Essences Hello Hydration, Kiss My Face, Mane 'n Tail, Tigi Oatmeal & Honey.

This post from the current Honey thread has the basics from the Honey Article with links to specifics.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=16864&postcount=31

The current Honey thread
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148

[Blueglass]

It doesn't look that different to me, a tad darker maybe, but it also depends on the light. Your color is very pale in any case. I wish my color were that light. Maybe a deep conditioning treatment?

[Velouria]

Based on the pictures, it looks to me like the cassia did just what it's supposed to do....added golden tones. I don't think it looks anywhere near brown, just a slightly darker golden blonde (not even *dark* blonde) than your starting virgin color, which was nearly platinum.

[prosperina]

Sybarite,
Call me crazy, but I think your hair looks better and more even colored in the after shots, although I do know that the color it is doesn't always show in pictures due to flash, lighting and various other things. Good luck!

[detritus]

I think it looks very pretty, but if you don't that's all that matters.

Next time try what I've started doing: add only a couple tablespoon cassia powder to a deep treatment (I like the caramel treatment) and glop it on right after you mix it together. Leave on about an hour.

Initially I was using cassia as you did and found it made my hair stronger, but dry and tangly for the first couple days afterwards and a little too dark. The color fades pretty quickly, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Adding just a bit of cassia still adds strength, without the added color or tangly after effects. It's also a lot easier to get into and out of my hair (less mechanical damage is a very good thing with fine hair like mine). Also cassia isn't cheap, so using just a little stretches out my supply.

[Unofficial_Rose]

Something I'd suggest that I find gets the most out of a cassia treatment is to follow it with an overnight olive oil treatment on damp hair. Shampoo out and afterwards - shiny strong hair, with some of the excess goldening lifted.

My hairtype looks similar to yours, and cassia darkens my highlights, so this might work -certainly won't harm.

By the way, your after photo still looks blonde, not brown, so I wouldn't worry too much :)

[jojo]

i really like it but id call it more a strawberry blond or beige blond rather than brown. It looks very healthy too, you gotta a thumbs up from me!

[Alaskanheart]

I also dont think it looks brown, and the color looks more even than before,It also looks shinny to me, especially the virgin hair but if you dont like it then thats all that matters.

I will repeat what others say about it fading very quickly and about it being a bit dry and tangly at first.

Ive done cassia 2 times now, and the first time I used cassia with chamomile tea, and I noticed a slight beige darkening for about a week , and then It was just golden and shinny and soft.

The second time I did cassia + olive oil+ honey, and I didnt have any darkening at all, just shine and golden highlights

I also didnt let it stand quite as long as you did, I just left it under a sunny window, covered for about 30 minutes, and then left it on for an hour.

I will second the deep conditioning after and overnight if you can do it.

Also I know alot of people shampoo after , but I dont because It drys my hair out and makes it tangly. I just condition it out, but with the olive oil and honey it was much easiler to rinse, than just the tea.Oh and I used distilled water both times, because my hair likes it.

Its not for everyone though, we are all different, but I like it, and want to do it regularly.