View Full Version : Natural ombre in long hair
Kajzh
October 24th, 2016, 03:42 PM
As hair gets longer and stays on our head without being trimmed, the ends can commonly become lighter than the roots with exposure to the sun. Does this happen to you? If so, do you keep the natural ombre, or to you dye/rinse/tint it so your hair is the same color from root to tip? I'd love to hear why or why not!
My hair has been on my head for 5.5 years with 100% length retention. Because my hair doesn't shed and I don't trim it, that means that everything at my hemline has been on my head for more than a half decade. As a result, my naturally darkest-brown hair has been lightened to a medium brown at the bottom. At times, I feel like coloring the bottom so my hair is dark from root to tip — I think my hair texture looks healthier when dark. On the other hand, I like the natural difference in color, and the ombre is very "in fashion" right now. It's unexpected, considering that I'm a homebody from Alaska, and my hair hasn't gotten much sun exposure at all!
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/500x500q90/921/fVI9mk.jpg
Sarahlabyrinth
October 24th, 2016, 03:47 PM
I love the way it looks just the way it is! Stunning :crush:
nekosan
October 24th, 2016, 03:50 PM
Ayup, my ends have always been lighter than my roots. ~5-6 years of wear and tear will do that.
Nope, it doesn't bother me. It's pretty mild in my case - I can only really notice when i pick up the ends and hold them against the roots. Then again, I've recently started hennaing my hair - that probably hides a lot of the difference, too.
lapushka
October 24th, 2016, 03:50 PM
I have a natural color difference in my hair from root to tip as well. It's usually how you can tell hair has been dyed (when it's uniform like that) or not. Usually.
Larki
October 24th, 2016, 03:51 PM
I think this happens to everyone, from cumulative sun exposure and age. I don't like it, and I use UV protection sprays when I know I will be outside to keep it from getting worse.
This is my hair from last year:
http://i62.tinypic.com/117wdc5.png
I haven't gotten much sun exposure in the last four years.
Sarahlabyrinth
October 24th, 2016, 03:56 PM
I think natural ombre is just the prettiest thing, and rare, too as most people use dyes these days.
MidnightMoon
October 24th, 2016, 04:29 PM
Mine doesn't as I avoid the sun like the plague, and I dislike this effect on hair coloured other tan very light blonde, but thats just me. If it were me, I would dye it and I have done so in the past so that my whole head looks one colour. I too, feel it looks healthier this way and more "well kept"
Connemara
October 24th, 2016, 04:56 PM
Firstly, your dreadlocks are gorgeous!
My partner had virgin dreadlocks until a few years ago, when they were 4ish years old we noticed a similar ombre effect; deep brown roots nearly bordering on brassy mid brown towards the very ends. Though I always put it down to him working outdoors a lot in summer, it's interesting to see that your ends have naturally lightened too. He never coloured because rinsing was a mammoth task in the first place due to the water in the area. Though the handful of others we know have always coloured their dreads with veggie dyes and one with bleach only.
On the other hand, I find that my dishwatery hair somehow becomes more of a light strawberry sand when exposed to sun. It can't be seen on the ends due to growing out bleach, though it was noticeable in my mid-lengths and top outer layer of hair (canopy? I don't think I'm describing it well :confused:) this summer. I don't colour my hair anymore personally. Mainly because it becomes an impossible shade chasing obsession that ends up in massive damage. Though I know more about the right and wrong way to go about it now; I'd like to achieve TBL with my natural colour before I reconsider.
vampyyri
October 24th, 2016, 05:28 PM
Mine definitely does this, you can really see it in my current signature photo! It's from sun exposure for me.
cailinbee
October 24th, 2016, 05:35 PM
Your hair is stunning Kajzh! The natural color change is really neat.
wispe
October 24th, 2016, 05:40 PM
I never noticed this with mine, but I am pretty much never in the sun (pale people problems haha). I think it's super pretty!
Anje
October 24th, 2016, 06:23 PM
I don't remember it being significant when my hair was uncolored, even when it was about waist length. But my base color was quite red-auburn at that point (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=8614&d=1389288409), and I'm not sure phaeomelanin breaks down as readily as eumelanin does (given that it sticks around through bleaching a lot longer, it's probably fair to say it doesn't).
My hennaed ends are a bit more intensely red than my roots, but they've gotten a few more applications of the stuff, so that's no great surprise.
Larki
October 24th, 2016, 06:49 PM
A look at the contrast between my ends and crown:
http://i64.tinypic.com/28tdni9.jpg
trolleypup
October 24th, 2016, 07:49 PM
A look at the contrast between my ends and crown:
http://i64.tinypic.com/28tdni9.jpg
Same kind of difference for me on the 10 year old tips...nearly black at the roots, reddish brown at the worn tips. The silvers are unchanged.
hypersensitive
October 24th, 2016, 07:50 PM
When I dyed mine all one color, it seemed very unnatural for me, especially since my hair was so long. I'd like to keep it naturally lightened!
vampyyri
October 24th, 2016, 08:01 PM
http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac27/Nyssa_Gomez/difference_zpsflvl2wjt.jpg
Here's my difference!
animetor7
October 25th, 2016, 04:55 AM
Absolutely!! Because I'm an auburn-head, my hair gets red when exposed to sun rather than blonde. So my ends are a very bright auburn/redhead color while my roots are a medium auburn/reddish brown. It's very noticeable to the point that when I grew my hair out most of my hair looks like a bright auburn/red now rather than brown due to sun bleaching I think, and my dad now calls me red. Which honestly, kind of makes me laugh since I'm not a full/true redhead and don't quite feel I deserve the nickname.
lapushka
October 25th, 2016, 04:59 AM
I do wonder if shampoo touches the natural color as well. And if those who wash with sulfate-free have less of an ombre, or whether or not that has nothing to do with it. Just something I was asking myself. :o
HeartofHaleth
October 25th, 2016, 05:30 AM
I definitely have this, especially since I only recently started protecting my hair from the elements. My hair is sort of a medium neutral-warm brown at the roots, fading to a golden color that almost approaches dark blonde. The outer layer of my hair is also lighter than the inner layers close to the scalp. Once an LHCer commented that my hair was two different colors! :D
animetor7
October 25th, 2016, 06:12 AM
I do wonder if shampoo touches the natural color as well. And if those who wash with sulfate-free have less of an ombre, or whether or not that has nothing to do with it. Just something I was asking myself. :o
I use mostly sulfate-free shampoos, only using sulfates to clarify occasionally, but I still get a strong ombre effect. I also use a vinegar rinse with almost every wash though, so perhaps that contributes. :shrug:
lithostoic
October 25th, 2016, 09:00 AM
I was a very blonde kid, who is now borderline brunette. I get a LOT of highlights in the sun as well as ombre. One might call my roots brown, but my ends (when natural) are definitely blonde.
I also have blonde streaks around my face that don't seem to go away even without sun exposure. All my baby hairs are white blonde.
GrowingOut
October 25th, 2016, 10:24 AM
I've got that too! My hair comes out of my head a medium-dark brown, and can take on a brassy-golden sheen by the end of my tips! It's only noticeable in crown braids unless you take the time to look at it.
Kajzh
October 25th, 2016, 10:38 AM
I do wonder if shampoo touches the natural color as well. And if those who wash with sulfate-free have less of an ombre, or whether or not that has nothing to do with it. Just something I was asking myself. :o
I use exclusively sulfate-free shampoos. Even my clarifying shampoo is sulfate-free (to protect my hair from poor water quality). To my understanding, the color change comes from UV damage, so maybe some products make you more susceptible to UV damage than others? I dunno, I feel like serums would have more of an effect on this than shampoos.
Larki
October 25th, 2016, 10:55 AM
I do wonder if shampoo touches the natural color as well. And if those who wash with sulfate-free have less of an ombre, or whether or not that has nothing to do with it. Just something I was asking myself. :o
I only use sulfate free shampoo or co-wash, but I've only been doing so since 2014.
truepeacenik
October 25th, 2016, 11:28 AM
I recently henna glossed the last six inches or so (classic mark onward-ish) because the ends were getting invisible unless oiled.
In sun, there's so much variation is my natural color that the henna doesn't show.
Artificial light, and the contrast is similar to Larki and trolleypup's description. Down to the silvers comment, with the exception of some red on the end, silver at the top hairs.
When I had a partial head of dreads, I had a very distinct fade pattern, likely because I used two hairstyles and was outside a lot, walking everywhere and covering events and news.
The fade patterns were different on the unlocked hair compared to the locked. Even the colors were slightly different. One was coppery, one was orange.
I really wish I had that old hard drive with the photos.
missrandie
October 25th, 2016, 01:35 PM
Mine gets that natural ombre pretty quickly; I love it.
My roots always look rather dark and kind of ashy, while the lengths tend to pick up more red and gold lights. Last time my hair had significant length, my ends were blonde. Granted, the blonde ends back then were probably blonde coming out of my head.. Its been several years :)
I will never dye my ends to match my roots again. I despise that look on myself, mostly because to me it looks flat and one-dimensional.
Olavi
October 25th, 2016, 02:38 PM
My hair does that too, it's dark ashy brown at the roots and turns bit lighter with ashy yellowish tone towards the ends :D (so many words for one colour...). I tried to tint it with colour mask conditioner at some point, but it did nothing to colour and I couldn't bother to continue after few tries :P
Kajzh
October 25th, 2016, 02:47 PM
I recently henna glossed the last six inches or so (classic mark onward-ish) because the ends were getting invisible unless oiled.
In sun, there's so much variation is my natural color that the henna doesn't show.
Artificial light, and the contrast is similar to Larki and trolleypup's description. Down to the silvers comment, with the exception of some red on the end, silver at the top hairs.
When I had a partial head of dreads, I had a very distinct fade pattern, likely because I used two hairstyles and was outside a lot, walking everywhere and covering events and news.
The fade patterns were different on the unlocked hair compared to the locked. Even the colors were slightly different. One was coppery, one was orange.
I really wish I had that old hard drive with the photos.
The front of my head is left unlocked. One thing I noticed is that my locks will appear a different color than my brushable hair if they have buildup. Locks collect buildup more rapidly than brushable hair and need to be intensively deep cleaned with alternate methods other than clarifying. So maybe that contributed to why your hair was different colors?
meteor
October 25th, 2016, 03:35 PM
I definitely have it, too. :agree: And the longer the hair gets, the more obvious it becomes. I know that UV exposure (a.k.a. photo-damage) is a huge factor here, but I have this natural fading going on even though I avoid the sun and always wear hair up and often cover it. Also, my temple (side canopy) hair always grows noticeably lighter and finer than the rest of my hair, which I think is not that uncommon. For those who follow hair blogs/YT, it's similar to what you see on Haartraum. The good thing about having color variations is that it kind of makes it easier to grow out dye/bleach, IMHO, especially if you wear braids/braided updos a lot, as color variations add quite a bit of interest. I'm growing out some old highlights at the ends, and they blend in very easily.
trolleypup
October 25th, 2016, 05:58 PM
I do wonder if shampoo touches the natural color as well. And if those who wash with sulfate-free have less of an ombre, or whether or not that has nothing to do with it. Just something I was asking myself. :o
When my hair was down more outside, the contrast was greater. I think most of my color change is accumulated mechanical damage...the tips are finer than the roots, and most of the color is in the surface of hair, so that makes sense. Routine is S&C mostly.
Entangled
October 25th, 2016, 09:52 PM
I noticed it a lot when my hair was about waist length. I spent the whole month of august outside all day for marching band, then after school for several hours additionally, well into october. I always wore a big hat and sunscreen to protect my skin, but my hair was down in a braid. I've since trimmed much of the lightest fade off (not the intention, just a side effect of trimming) and my hair's a bit more even now.
My roots also tend to be ashy, while my ends lighten to golden.
This picture illustrates it:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=17291&d=1431702039
EbonyCurls
November 23rd, 2016, 06:45 PM
To OP, I adore your hair. Both the locs and the colors. In fact I remember the instant I decided I wanted to grow my hair long, not just one time but throughout my life even after my hair turned gray. I was in the supermarket walking behind this older woman and she had thigh length locks which was stunning on its own, but what drew me in were the amazing colors. You could see the dark hairs of her younger days at the bottom, with the tips being slightly lighter and then it got lighter again as it turned gray and it just had this beautiful woven, earthy look, like years of striations in soil or rock, with all of the different natural hair colors. It was just gorgeous. I was so excited when I first started getting my gray hairs because I love the nuances of natural hair color changes. Nature is the best colorist IMO.
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