Transitioning / Demarcation Line Help Needed

[hennalonghair]

My hair is almost waist length (33 inches) and is coloured Cherry Cola from henna / hibiscus and other herbs and I really love the colour but I'm transitioning to my natural colour which is very grey/silver . I also love my natural colour very much. I presently have 3 months of natural growth minus a few small streaks I did a while ago.
The part I have a problem with is the demarcation line from where the henna ends and the grey begins. Everywhere on my head the transition is clean cut but near my face / forehead the colour is murky with some orangey shares. The colour just doesn't take here as well as the rest of my hair.


My question is;
Will manic panic , directions or some other non damaging semi help with this line or is there too much of a colour difference for it to blend ?




Here's my roots in indoor lighting


http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpspn1uozmw.jpg.html?sort=3&o=12


Painted in streaks to try and help
http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps9zvy97m1.jpg.html?sort=3&o=14




In outdoor lighting
http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsycvdtrhn.jpg.html?sort=3&o=10


Two colours together
http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsyble7eov.jpg.html?sort=3&o=22


OR would I be better off just biting the bullet and let it grow out.?
Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

[Seeshami]

I think a semi will help. You'll have a line but it won't show as much because it won't be a red on white contrast. When I was growing out right before I gave in and bleached out my henna I used face framing braids and high buns to hide it and make it look cool.

The picture with the headband looks awesome. I love it. But it all comes down to what will make you more comfortable with while you travel to ombre land.

[hennalonghair]

I think a semi will help. You'll have a line but it won't show as much because it won't be a red on white contrast. When I was growing out right before I gave in and bleached out my henna I used face framing braids and high buns to hide it and make it look cool.

The picture with the headband looks awesome. I love it. But it all comes down to what will make you more comfortable with while you travel to ombre land.

Thanks Seeshami.
I had no idea you bleached out henna.
In other words I'll still have a line but with colour on top of the line.:hmm:
That's what I thought. Other than that there's probably not much I can do.
Do you think the henna colour will separate as it grows making it more orangey.
I do side braids and those lace braids often and they do look cool. I can make it look cool but I do want to eventually wear it down occasionally too. I'm sure the transition will be easier once I get a good 5 or 6 inches in. I'm growing bangs out also so it's a real change.
How does the purple hold over the henna? Has it faded at all?

[Seeshami]

I have washed the purple on purpose to fix the fade line because it was very much a demarcation line when it was done.

Yes my henna was removed for me to go and put it back in. I had a bug up my butt about being my natural color for my wedding. I dunno WTF was wrong with my brain.

And yup, the line would still be there depending on the colors you use but because it would be a red to red line or something like that it would be harder to see. In my fairy pictures in the sun you can't see the difference between my lightened hair and my virgin but in different light you can.

[hennalonghair]

Your purple transition is fabulous. That looks gorgeous and so does alpensongs. Bravo to both of you.:bowtome:
Lighting makes the biggest difference. In most lighting I love the colour of my hair but in some lighting I hate it:shrug:
I think I just need to 'suck it up buttercup,' and wait this out.
It's just that everyone has such beautiful colours right now and I'm growing in grey :justy:

[Fru fru]

Hennalonghair, I am going through this too. Here in the UK we have a shampoo called Touch of Silver, it's purple shampoo, I've found it to work really well at toning down the orange and making the grey less noticeable whilst growing in.

It doesn't last and on the washes I don't use it the grey against the henna is more obvious.

[Seeshami]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/20151024_172652_HDR_zpslgyuohpl.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/20151024_172652_HDR_zpslgyuohpl.jpg.html)
there is a demarcation line in that blond but you can't see it because of the light

can't really see it here either
But it is there
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/Mobile%20Uploads/6eb3aba5-e24e-45d5-8f7b-4ef780486131_zpsxbiokv35.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/Mobile%20Uploads/6eb3aba5-e24e-45d5-8f7b-4ef780486131_zpsxbiokv35.jpg.html)

You can really see it in these
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/465e39f8-ca88-481e-b677-273b6a24d3c2_zpsr5hlovll.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/465e39f8-ca88-481e-b677-273b6a24d3c2_zpsr5hlovll.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/red%20gold_zpshf86rwmu.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/red%20gold_zpshf86rwmu.jpg.html)

[hennalonghair]

Hennalonghair, I am going through this too. Here in the UK we have a shampoo called Touch of Silver, it's purple shampoo, I've found it to work really well at toning down the orange and making the grey less noticeable whilst growing in.

It doesn't last and on the washes I don't use it the grey against the henna is more obvious.thanks Fru Fru. Some of the ladies in the salt and pepper thread use something similar. It brings up the silvers and tones down the greys. I didn't know it would mute the Orange tones. That's good to know.
I actually like my greys , it just the face framing. I've got an ashy colour right at the front sideburn area and it looks almost greenish so with the orangey tones from the henna it's a hot mess right now. Lol
Maybe this type of shampoo made for silver hair would help
I'll give it a try.

[hennalonghair]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/20151024_172652_HDR_zpslgyuohpl.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/20151024_172652_HDR_zpslgyuohpl.jpg.html)
there is a demarcation line in that blond but you can't see it because of the light

can't really see it here either
But it is there
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/Mobile%20Uploads/6eb3aba5-e24e-45d5-8f7b-4ef780486131_zpsxbiokv35.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/Mobile%20Uploads/6eb3aba5-e24e-45d5-8f7b-4ef780486131_zpsxbiokv35.jpg.html)

You can really see it in these
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/465e39f8-ca88-481e-b677-273b6a24d3c2_zpsr5hlovll.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/465e39f8-ca88-481e-b677-273b6a24d3c2_zpsr5hlovll.jpg.html)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v190/BrokenCagedBird/red%20gold_zpshf86rwmu.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/BrokenCagedBird/media/red%20gold_zpshf86rwmu.jpg.html)
These pics are amazing. Yes there's a demarcation line but it blends so nicely. I think the last pic shows it the most BUT you went from coloured blonde to your natural blonde so there's not much difference in the colours.
ME on the other had there is some difference. A HUGE one.
You've got glorious hair no matter what stage of your hair journey your at:blossom:

[jt623]

When I used to henna, an orange sharpie helped blend the blonde and white roots in between hennas.

[hennalonghair]

When I used to henna, an orange sharpie helped blend the blonde and white roots in between hennas.

Thank you but I'm trying to get rid of the Orange tones. That's the 'only' part I'm not fond of which is why I went cherry cola in the first place. :lol:

[Razzles]

Purple shampoos do amazing things to brassy blondes when used frequently. However with such strong orange you need to do something a little less subtle. When I do blonde in my hair it only lifts to orange because I'm very dark haired. Then what we do at my hairdressers is use wella colour touch in purple. We tried a few so I can't remember which one we settled on now but it really is amazing when getting into the colour correcting side of dye! With your colour I would try a violet and a blue toner (these will fade over time) and see which one works best on a hidden patch of hair or some trimmed hair (I think it's probably not going to be as easy to see the colour effect on just a few strands of hairbrush harvested hair. You would have to be careful of not letting it sit on your greys so you don't end up with a purple or blue stain. If I were you I'd section off the hair, put it through the orange only with help from someone, or otherwise section of the areas that will be seen in an updo or hair down and parted then whack it on all the rest and be more careful around those visible areas. Good luck!

[Seeshami]

These pics are amazing. Yes there's a demarcation line but it blends so nicely. I think the last pic shows it the most BUT you went from coloured blonde to your natural blonde so there's not much difference in the colours.
ME on the other had there is some difference. A HUGE one.
You've got glorious hair no matter what stage of your hair journey your at:blossom:

Yup but putting on a semi will achieve the same effect. I just worry about the stickability of the red.

Ooh but the also have toner colors too like manic panic has virgin snow for helping keep white from going brassy. I used that at one point

PAAAASTIIIIINAAAA. Paging Dr. Technicolor Dream Buns!

[Razzles]

Sorry I meant wella colour FRESH which is their toner range. Like this but not necessarily this colour- http://m.lookfantastic.com/wella-color-fresh-dark-intense-violet-brown-3.66-75ml/10552783.html?utm_source=googleprod&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gp_bodycare&affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CjwKEAiAmqayBRDLgsfGiMmkxT0SJADHFUhPmTqzLpzO 5-ASI6i7l-3kY-ujWt_gfmHKumm3IoIdlBoCJ_Hw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMiy-qfNlckCFc6RwgodQzICgQ

[Fru fru]

That's interesting Razzles, I might give that a try thanks :)

ETA: I have also just coloured the greys in with eyeliner pencil as a quick fix.

[hennalonghair]

I think I'm going to hold off on doing anything because I'm not trying to cover up the greys/silvers.
Major research is needed here before I attempt anything. Thanks for the links. I'll check them out. I'm a complete novice when it comes to any colour besides henna and herbs so am keen or learning some new things.

Thank you very much for your help.

[Fru fru]

Hennalonghair, I'm the same. I don't mind the grey it's the orange henna I do not like, I only colour the greys with makeup to stop the Orange showing up so much:)

I have ordered some of the dye Razzles mentioned to try to correct the orange, hopefully it will work!

[hennalonghair]

Thanks Fru Fru. So we are on the same page then. I'm torn on just letting this grow in the way it is and maybe correct any colour once it's at least 6 inches from my scalp OR use something like herbaltint or elumen to try and cover and blend. I think I'd up with a line within a line though. I haven't tried this but it's supposed to last much longer than directions or manic panic.
http://www.amazon.com/Goldwell-Elumen-High-Performance-Haircolor-ALL/dp/B003BQJA5G

I have used herbaltint semi permanent colours also and they fade nicely. I stopped using them because I kept getting mahogany in the henna red bottle. It happened 4 out of 5 times.

[pastina]

Oh, was I paged? ACK! Days ago!? I'm sorry! Haha!

Ok, this is my thought: A semi-permanent seems like a good solution.

Here's my reasoning: Semis (eventually) fade, and hair grows. You're not looking to get rid of your gray, but you DO want to soften your demarcation. This could give you a gradient between gray and henna over time.

If I were in your shoes, I'd pick up a few bottles of Special FX in Blood Red. ...Seems like a good match to your cherry cola, here's a link to a gallery on beeunique. (http://www.hairdyegallery.co.uk/sfx-bloodred.html) ANNNYWAY. Special FX reds are known for being tenacious, but, like all semis, they do fade with time. Plus, you'll be dying over virgin roots, and dye tends to be less sticky with those, especially grays.

I'd do my whole head with the stuff. Maybe dilute a bit with white conditioner, but yep, whole head. Your blood red will fade as your hair grows, making the new demarcation less severe against gray, and the old demarcation less obvious. ...You could always repeat the process again once you've grown a few inches diluting the dye a bit more, so you have another layer to the gradient.

If this sounds like something you're interested in doing, I can help you with process (I can even point you in the direction of where to get it). Just PM me :D

[hennalonghair]

Hi Pastina,
Thanks for answering your page:lol:
I'm terrified to do this but I'm just hating this transition. I still want to grow in my greys but can't handles this look but that blood red is pretty bold:scared:
What about vampire red.
I'm pm you.

[Etna]

I would recommend going cold turkey and just growing it out. Once you get to a certain point it will look deliberate and be so much easier to pull off. Red veggie dye stains my brown hair pink or orange so I wouldn't recommend it. in my opinion only you would just be delaying your progress.

Of course it depends on whether the cold turkey grow out would be an acceptable look for your day to day business. Maybe some lovely scarves or hats will help to ease you through the worst of it.

Good luck!

*Source: I grew out dark cherry cola henna with ash brown hair.

[lapushka]

I would recommend going cold turkey and just growing it out. Once you get to a certain point it will look deliberate and be so much easier to pull off. Red veggie dye stains my brown hair pink or orange so I wouldn't recommend it. in my opinion only you would just be delaying your progress.

This. Only the first few inches are hard, after that it gets easier. If you must, I would use a conventional semi-permanent, that is for sure to be gone once you wash it out a number of times. Veggie dyes have a tendency to stick to light colored hair (light blonde, gray) and not disappear.

[spidermom]

I've done Manic Panic a few times for fun, and for me it faded out completely over about 4 months near the scalp, 6 months for the ends. To make it last that long, I had to leave it in for at least 8 hours and rinse first with a vinegar solution. Otherwise the color washed out within about a month.

You could also braid your hair with narrow scarves, ribbons, or yarn to break up the stark line of color transition.

[hennalonghair]

Thank you kindly for the much needed help and support. I don't think I've ever been through a hair transitioning phase that I've been more fickle and uncertain about in my entire life.
A big thank you to Pastina for the expert colour advice.:bowtoyou:

My biggest concern is the demarcation line. It isn't clean cut but has that separated colour look that henna is so famous for. That in itself was the reason for transitioning into cherry cola (blue/red) instead of regular orange / red. One thing I've noticed but only really understood this year , is that I have an ashy brown undercarriage of hair colour where my hair is most curly and frizzy and the break down in the colour there just looks hideous to me. It's got a greenish tinge to it that I didn't quite notice before but I've got hazel coloured eyes (green/amber brown) so my hair colour, in its natural state, compliments them. In fact my natural colour REALLY compliments my facial features where the cherry/ cola just made me look washed out. Since I don't usually wear much make up, it's like colour overload . With my natural silver coming in , now my light coloured make up actually looks MUCH nicer so I don't want to mess with that.
I think what's going on is that the flame orangish tinge at the demarcation line is right at the contour of my head so it shines and stands out more than ever and really plays up the contrast of this greenish/ ashy colour underneath. :justy:
Yes it's a TOUGH road to travel down but I honestly DO like that STARK contrast in colour; just not right against my face. Eventually this demarcation line will move further down where it won't be near my face and I'm betting that it will look similar to a fame, something like the look Seeshami has right now on her ombré ( minus the purple)
While doing a semi permanent is VERY tempting I tend to agree with those who say it will leave a residue of some sort and I still think I'd have that demarcation line only a murkier one. I'd just be postponing the inevitable , like some of you have stated. Also I think if I did it I'd love it at first but then would just end up going through this entire process over again; very similar to giving in on a diet. Sure that cheesecake was just the most wonderful thing you've ever tasted , at the moment, but it's a fleeting , passing moment. Soon you start regretting the decision because it doesn't fit into the end goal.

Etna - :agree: Since you've grown out cherry/ cola red AND have tried the vege semis I take your advice into serious consideration and from your avatar pic I see our colour and VERY similar.:lol:
Plus my hair is very porous, not because it's damaged because it isn't, but because it's just the type of hair I have. It soaks up colour like a sponge and hangs onto it forever and a day.

I considered adding herbal tint mahogany which turns my hair a nice eggplant purple BUT it eventually breaks down to henna red once again:rant:

Soooo yes I'm going to bite the bullet, stop whimping out, and stick with the plan. I've just got to be prepared to have many moments like this and understand that they are all part of transitioning and be ready to chomp at the bit when necessary.

Thanks again you awesome LHC members. You truly ARE the BEST!
I'm reloading my patience and persistence and moving forward as planned:applause
:flowers: :flowers: :flowers:

[lapushka]

Soooo yes I'm going to bite the bullet, stop whimping out, and stick with the plan. I've just got to be prepared to have many moments like this and understand that they are all part of transitioning and be ready to chomp at the bit when necessary.

Yaaay! :cheer:

[RavenRose]

.... I have an ashy ..... hair colour .... It's got a greenish tinge to it .... so my (natural) hair colour, in its natural state, compliments them (eyes). In fact my natural colour REALLY compliments my facial features where the cherry/ cola just made me look washed out. Since I don't usually wear much make up, it's like colour overload . With my natural silver coming in , now my light coloured make up actually looks MUCH nicer so I don't want to mess with that.

This- my natural color is a med/dark ashy blonde, that lightens with the sun, grey/blue eyes, and fair skin... I just realized this past year that the henna Just washed me out! I had to wear brighter, bolder colors and makeup, plus the Henna always made me look flushed/blotchy.... My roots were about where yours are now, when I was overwhelmed by this realization, and hence bleaching the henna. (Plus professional image blah blah) I am much happier with the color and the grow out is easier because of it, but I am having breakage due to damage. It is a difficult stage to go through! I am glad you decided to stick with growing it out as it is.

[Fru fru]

http://i1321.photobucket.com/albums/u556/suzehaylett/BCF6A50B-64EE-4498-85B3-3B88D421F623_zpsienllabj.jpg (http://s1321.photobucket.com/user/suzehaylett/media/BCF6A50B-64EE-4498-85B3-3B88D421F623_zpsienllabj.jpg.html)

Our issues are the so similar, I uploaded a photo of my roots and you can see the orange line. My daughter said the grey looked cool today so I think I'm going to stick with it also. You can see in the pic that I'm going to have a grey stripe at the front, not sure how I feel about that yet :)

Hennalonghair, I want cheesecake now!

[hennalonghair]

Fru Fru. Your daughter is right. Your silvers look very cool indeed. :applause
No we aren't in the same league at all. :nono: What you have going on right now is a dream transition.
Oh you should have no worries growing your natural colour in right now. Honestly that look fantastic. I wish my transition looked that nice. I couldn't even imagine a nicer henna transition.
Now you have me wanting to eat cheesecake:yumm:
Thanks for sharing your photos Fru Fru. Your transition rocks.

[hennalonghair]

Well thank you Lapushka :bow: :bow:

:lol:

Raven Rose - you just described my dilemma. The hair colour becomes over powering. In the pursuit of finding quicker more successful ways of doing my roots I was gradually darkening my hair in a vibrant rich colour that started to not suite me but I still loved it.
One thing I won't ever consider is trying to take my colour out. I'd rather live with miss matched colours than take the change of damaging my hair. My hairs too dry to attempt any of that.
My natural colour when I had some :whistle: was ashy light brown / dark blonde that got highlights from the sun ( medium blonde) to medium brown underneath that got reddish highlights from the sun.
Until now I had no idea I was THIS grey BUT I've just found 2 more big bold streaks at the back and one thinner one. It's exciting but scary.
There's a lot of 'other' colour I don't even recognize. I'd say it's closer to the colour of pepper corns so I'm technically a salt & pepper.
How about sugar & nutmeg.? :suspect:
Your siggie pics are quite amazing. That's a nice copper tone you have now.
It's good to have a colour we are happy with
Thanks for sharing your experience.

[Groovy Granny]

Soooo yes I'm going to bite the bullet, stop whimping out, and stick with the plan. I've just got to be prepared to have many moments like this and understand that they are all part of transitioning and be ready to chomp at the bit when necessary.

Thanks again you awesome LHC members. You truly ARE the BEST!
I'm reloading my patience and persistence and moving forward as planned:applause
:flowers: :flowers: :flowers:
Good for you :thumbsup:

You can do it :cheer:...bling it up :wink:



Our issues are the so similar, I uploaded a photo of my roots and you can see the orange line. My daughter said the grey looked cool today so I think I'm going to stick with it also. You can see in the pic that I'm going to have a grey stripe at the front, not sure how I feel about that yet :)


That is very pretty :)

Rock that stripe if it presents itself :rockerdud

[lapushka]

That looks really cool, Fru fru!

[hennalonghair]

I've done Manic Panic a few times for fun, and for me it faded out completely over about 4 months near the scalp, 6 months for the ends. To make it last that long, I had to leave it in for at least 8 hours and rinse first with a vinegar solution. Otherwise the color washed out within about a month.

You could also braid your hair with narrow scarves, ribbons, or yarn to break up the stark line of color transition.
Sorry I missed this Spidermom. I love your hair. You are lucky that you have the type of hair that these coloured dyes work well on because it truly does look amazing on you.

That's a great idea about the braiding in colourful materials to break up the hair some. I've seen so many very cool ideas from the ladies here but keep forgetting to try it. The great thing is that I have a lot of beautiful fabrics I can make things from.


Good for you :thumbsup:

You can do it :cheer:...bling it up :wink:


That is very pretty :)

Rock that stripe if it presents itself :rockerdud
Oh I'm blinging it up AND blinging it downnnn!:lol:

:thumbsup:


That looks really cool, Fru fru!
Totally agree. That's probably one of the nicest transitions I've ever seen. I'm a tad jealous :blushing:
Here is a link to a fun and lively bunch who are all growing in the greys Fru Fru
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=16951&page=2131&p=3122647#post3122647
Come join us:cheer:

[Fru fru]

Thanks for the nice comments Hennalonghair, Groovy granny and Lapushka, you have all made me feel much better about the henna line :) I think the purple shampoo has definitely helped.

I'm off to have a look at that link, thanks Hennalonghair:flowers:

[Silver Strands]

Hennalonghair,
I feel for you growing out your henna.
I did the same thing until I couldn't stand the contrast anymore and cut everything off.
I had been using Rainbow Lt. Brown and Medium Brown for about 2 years. It looked like my natural hair color.
Until I decided not to use it anymore.
Over the course of about 8 months, the "brown" color disappeared leaving behind pure orange red!
Inside my house I was still seeing the brown.
I had no idea it was changing color until DH took a picture of me outside on a bright day.
I was horrified to see how bright red/orange it was.
At first, I started cutting off 4 inches at a time thinking that would somehow change the whole look, but it didn't.
I ended up getting it cut into short layers about 3-4" long. And there was still some red on the tips!
It took years to grow it all out and trim off all of the layers.
That color traumatized me.
For years I was so paranoid that I still saw red.

Anyhow, you were saying how you can't tell what color your roots are because of the contrast of the red.
My roots looked lavender to me when next to the henna.
I uploaded a few pictures in an album so you could see how odd my roots looked next to the henna.
Then look at my profile picture which is my accurate color and you can see how different it looks now that the red is gone.

You won't know for sure what your true hair color will be unless 1) you only dyed for a short period of time and can remember what it was.
2) you let it grow long enough to pull the red back away from your face so you can see just your natural color next to your skin and face.
Or, 3) you can rip the band aid off and cut it all off like I did.
None of it is easy.

There was another woman on here who grew out red hair dye. She had classic length or longer and just let it grow out.
I think it took her 6 years before it was all gone.
Xandersgrammy, I think her name is.
Maybe she still has a photo album and you can see her transition.

Anyhow, good luck and i'll be interested to see how it all comes out.

And yes, hats and scarves tied as headbands will be your new best friends.

[hennalonghair]

Hi Silver Strands
I'm sorry you had such an ordeal with your hair and it's colour.
:hmm: The biggest difference between us is that I have used henna since 1979 , off and on, so am familiar with it. I actually like henna red a LOT along with all the conditioning and shine it offers which is why I've used it for so long.

Right now I'll soon be turning 56 and I've silvered a lot in the last year or two. If there is no pigment in my hair then the colour becomes very bright and neon orange / red hair just wasn't suiting me with all the silver near my hairline. I use pure henna with other herbs like hibiscus to get my cherry cola colour with no indigo.
What you were using is called a 'henna compound' where there's other substances combined including indigo which initially gives a brown with reddish undertones depending on your base starting colour. Henna (red/ orange) and indigo (blue/green) create brown but with many the indigo doesn't stick so leaves a murky red not a pure one. Been there, done that:justy:

I actually love the colour of my hair and have no plans of cutting it off. I'm going to grow in a reverse ombré . Silver blue on top , blue red on the bottom. I think it will look nice.:crush:

Again sorry for your traumatizing experience. I'm not quite there :shrug:
I've had 4 feet of hennaed hair before and loved it although it was more of an auburn copper / orange which suited me.
Once my silvers started coming in where I started noticing a orange halo at the top of my head was the time I should have stopped using henna but I didn't and just love colour so chose cherry cola.
Here's some pics from a year ago when I first changed colour.


http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/fedbca2c-63bf-450c-8860-a396ae552111_zps821bccad.jpg.html?sort=3&o=8

http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpskkwhcrrf.jpg.html?sort=3&o=32

http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsctsn1akj.jpg.html?sort=3&o=51

The biggest mistake I made was recently adding streaks to my hair. If I didn't like the orangey tones near my face , by adding those streaks I just made it worse not better.
This is the 'only' part of my hair I'm not as happy with because the colour bleeds out the closer it is to the roots.
Besides that I think the colours together look awesome

http://s50.photobucket.com/user/pollywoggle999/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsyble7eov.jpg.html?filters[user]=141797302&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=24

and have absolutely no intention of cutting off any length except to maintain a healthy thick hemline.

I do admit to being very interested in manic panic , directions and other colours but I think I'm going to hold off through this difficult stage and see if I don't feel differently about it later.

Thank you for commenting and sharing your experience and suggestions. We all learn things from sharing .

:flowers:

[meteor]

What a great thread! :D Hennalonghair, if you've already decided to grow out cold turkey (which, I also prefer, since it avoids the risk of any additional fading dyes or slowing down the overall process), there are a few things that can help with the demarcation line:

1) Jazzing up the scalp area right where the demarcation line is: adding texture with half-ups of all sorts, adding color with parandi/scarves, adding accent braids/twists, French/Dutch/lace-brading, crown-braiding, headbands and braided headbands...
This really means more time putting hair up, but it's doable and actually helps with distracting attention from the demarcation or making it look intentional.

2) Not expecting it to look absolutely perfect at *all* times. Seriously, lots of us have moments of weakness when we have to go to public events, etc and imagine like the whole world is checking out our demarcation lines, but other people probably don't notice or don't care or if not - well, then they'll just have to deal! :lol: Your hair looks so incredibly luscious and thud-worthy that a bit of demarcation is not going to take anything away from that gorgeous look! :D Gotta stay the course! :cheer:

3) Any unusual color at the roots is only temporary and totally normal and not representative of how the length will appear once the henna is cut off. It's influenced by the color right next to it, and henna red can make gorgeous ash/cool tones next to it look greyish/greenish. It's perfectly fine, and this too shall pass! ;) And if you need some help from products sometimes, you could use temporary hair chalk at the roots or hair make-up to disguise the demarcation temporarily.

4) I promise it will get much easier when the new growth has reached at least ear-level, and then, once all the old color is only concentrated in the bun, it's pretty much smooth sailing! :cheer:

Best of luck to you, hennalonghair! :D I hope the growing out henna journey will be fun and go extremely well! :cheer: