I tried to cover my grays with semi-permanent dye (review + pictures)

[Lisa-K]

NOTE: Long term update on page 3

Hi everyone, this is a follow-up post after I asked for advice concerning Hairprint. Link to original thead: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=141546 People who responded to my questions in that thread, asked if I could post an update once I tackle my hair color. So here I am!

Basically, to resume: I'm on two missions wrapped into one:
-1- I'm trying to regain my natural color after years of dyeing it several shades blonder
-2- I'd like to cover my freshly discovered grays while doing so


I was initially dead set on giving Hairprint a shot. But many members here discouraged me from buying it, based on the list of ingredients, which could apparently be a bit damaging on the long run. I've been in touch with Hairprint's customer support several times and they assured me that it's 100% natural and causes zero damage. Who's right? Who knows!


Most people here advised semi-permanent dye instead, such as Adore.


Now, considering the fact that Adore costs almost nothing, while Hairprint is very pricey for me due to shipping to Belgium; I decided to first give Adore a try and see how that goes.








So here's my hair and a closeup of my grays before I did anything to it.

BEFORE:


https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/610/32949689891_7f8d627744_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3715/32261066563_7afd86dbec_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2630/32949689351_a51e10d434_b.jpg




I got 2 bottles of Adore Medium Brown (number 108), as I wasn't quite sure how much product I was going to need and didn't want to run short. I'll just go ahead and say that I ended up not even needing one whole bottle, so I've got plenty extra left. I got a little scared at first that it would turn much too dark, even though it will apparently wash away for the most part after a while. So, since I was planning to give my ends a good trim anyway, I put my hair in two equal braids, and basically dipped the ends in the dye, covered them in plastic, and let the product do its thing. I figured if the color test on my ends turned out nothing like I had hoped, then no problem, I was going to chop off the ends anyway. Adore's instructions specify that heat must be applied over the plastic cover, but I didn't want to mess with heat, so just left it as is. Now, I was told that grey hair is particularly stubborn with dye, and that it might be a good idea to leave the product in for much longer than the instructions say (=15min). So, to give this a safe try before doing my whole head: I left the product in for 30min on one braid, and 1h30 on the other braid. I was worried that the 1h30 braid would turn out a lot darker than the 30min one. Conclusion: it didn't. The color turned out exactly the same.


This gave me a boost of confidence. I went ahead and slathered Adore over all my hair, put a plastic cap on it, and let it sit for 2 hours, instead of the 15min instructed on the bottle lol








Here's the result. Don't mind the waves, I had braided my hair the night before.

AFTER:


https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/402/32261066153_17e4d06851_b.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2253/32949689651_39b1fe83fb_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3934/32261065383_ddffa0ce00_b.jpg

Apart from the fact that these series of pictures made me realize just how much hair I lost after I gave birth, and basically wanted to cry when I uploaded them to my laptop :cry: ...




1- I'm very pleased that the medium brown seems to match the color of my virgin roots.


3- It doesn't cover all the gray, which - to be fair - Adore never claimed it would; this product is not marketed as a gray hair solution. Now, I can't tell if it enriched my natural color at the roots, or actually made it darker. Thoughts?






CONCLUSION:


I'm sorry to say that this was not a good suggestion for covering gray hair. However, it did fix the overall color, which looked really messed up with brassy dyed ends and contrasting dark roots. My hair is finally one color. I'm hoping that - even though I realize it will partly wash away during the next few weeks - it will help me stay away from chemical dye in order to "fix" my roots. Now I can just let it grow and new growth won't be so obvious. Obviously, I will re-apply Adore if needed.

Also, for now, the color stuck great over the length. But, most of the length was box dyed (and thus peroxided), so it's porous and takes new color very well. The roots though ... not so sure if the color took that well. I can imagine that 2 years down the road, when I'll have mostly un-peroxided hair, Adore might not stick well at all, and thus become quite useless. Especially with grays being quite clearly even more stubborn.

So, I'm still considering Hairprint in the future.






A FEW QUESTION MARKS FOR THE FUTURE:


-1- I don't know yet how quickly Adore will fade. I only know that it will. And I'm not sure what it will look like when it does (will it turn brassy? Or reddish?). I was told that to slow down the fading process, I could regularly add some Adore to my conditioner.


-2- I don't know how it will react to sun exposure in the Summer. Will my hair turn lighter like it does naturally when it's virgin? Or will it turn brassy?


-3- Can I do white vinegar rinses every now and then? Or will it affect the color?


-4- Can I oil my hair without risking any disaster?






On a side note: I still cannot believe that Adore causes zero damage and could practically be used each time I wash and condition my hair. Are you all really sure that it causes no damage at all? It seems too good to be true considering how cheap this product is!

[Aphra]

I don't know if it causes no damage at all (although I haven't had any from manic panic or directions), but because it works by depositing the dye on the outside of the shaft, not using ammonia or alternative to let it get inside, it is certainly less damaging than normal box dyes. That said, I personally wouldn't use any dye every wash - I only redo my colours every fortnight at the most frequent, and usually a lot less, not so much because of damage to the hair as not wanting to risk absorbing too many extra chemicals through my skin (all dyes are a combination of chemicals - what they differ in is their action on the cuticle).

Making the colour last - stretch shampoos for as long as you can tolerate (conditioner is ok), and wash it in cold water as far as you can tolerate. Sun will probably fade it faster. Oils should be fine. Vinegar I don't know about. Some people use it after dying to fix their colour so it can't be disastrous, but I don't know if using it later will change the fade. Brassiness will probably vary between users, specific dyes, and the underlying hair. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a bit brassy on the lengths when your underlying colour starts to show through.

Grey coverage - it may be worth trying a few different colours or brands (if you can find others that do natural colours). I find manic panic reds stick to my greys way better than to my brown and will last weeks. Manic panic purples don't stick to any of it for more than 1 wash. Directions red doesn't last long in my hair, but their blue is still clinging in some parts of my grey from a dye in October. I also find the colours that stick better do build up a bit over time, so coverage and longevity improves.

By the way, "100% natural" is a completely meaningless phrase from a safety point of view, and any company that uses it to indicate safety gets glared at over my lab glasses. Natural compounds are still chemicals with potential for detrimental reactions. My only full scale chemical irritation came from a "natural" shampoo, as uv in sunlight caused a reaction in the fruit extracts in the residue. The important questions are "what is the purpose of each of these ingredients" and "how will they act on my hair and skin?"

[Tosca]

By the way, "100% natural" is a completely meaningless phrase from a safety point of view, and any company that uses it to indicate safety gets glared at over my lab glasses. Natural compounds are still chemicals with potential for detrimental reactions. My only full scale chemical irritation came from a "natural" shampoo, as uv in sunlight caused a reaction in the fruit extracts in the residue. The important questions are "what is the purpose of each of these ingredients" and "how will they act on my hair and skin?"

Case in point, arsenic and cyanide are both natural, and I certainly wouldn't consider them safe. Also peanuts are natural, but they have definitely killed people.

[mizukitty]

I don't know if it causes no damage at all (although I haven't had any from manic panic or directions), but because it works by depositing the dye on the outside of the shaft, not using ammonia or alternative to let it get inside, it is certainly less damaging than normal box dyes. That said, I personally wouldn't use any dye every wash - I only redo my colours every fortnight at the most frequent, and usually a lot less, not so much because of damage to the hair as not wanting to risk absorbing too many extra chemicals through my skin (all dyes are a combination of chemicals - what they differ in is their action on the cuticle).

Making the colour last - stretch shampoos for as long as you can tolerate (conditioner is ok), and wash it in cold water as far as you can tolerate. Sun will probably fade it faster. Oils should be fine. Vinegar I don't know about. Some people use it after dying to fix their colour so it can't be disastrous, but I don't know if using it later will change the fade. Brassiness will probably vary between users, specific dyes, and the underlying hair. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a bit brassy on the lengths when your underlying colour starts to show through.

Grey coverage - it may be worth trying a few different colours or brands (if you can find others that do natural colours). I find manic panic reds stick to my greys way better than to my brown and will last weeks. Manic panic purples don't stick to any of it for more than 1 wash. Directions red doesn't last long in my hair, but their blue is still clinging in some parts of my grey from a dye in October. I also find the colours that stick better do build up a bit over time, so coverage and longevity improves.

By the way, "100% natural" is a completely meaningless phrase from a safety point of view, and any company that uses it to indicate safety gets glared at over my lab glasses. Natural compounds are still chemicals with potential for detrimental reactions. My only full scale chemical irritation came from a "natural" shampoo, as uv in sunlight caused a reaction in the fruit extracts in the residue. The important questions are "what is the purpose of each of these ingredients" and "how will they act on my hair and skin?"


Case in point, arsenic and cyanide are both natural, and I certainly wouldn't consider them safe. Also peanuts are natural, but they have definitely killed people.

Beautifully put, both of you!

[meteor]

- Fading definitely occurs faster with UV exposure. This is true for natural colors, as well, but even more pronounced for dyes. I think your ends (which are older and have had exposure to peroxide before) will be the first to fade, simply because bleached hair is more porous and both absorbs and lets go of dye molecules faster. So ideally, I'd recommend wearing hair up and using sun hats/scarves when you are out in the sun for a long period of time.

- Washing hair less frequently, avoiding too frequent clarifying washes and maybe trying scalp-only washes instead of full washes when your length is not greasy should help prolong the color.

- Acidic rinses (e.g. with vinegar) can help right after coloring by lowering pH - this is supposed to be better both for the condition of the hair and for helping "lock in" dye for longer. That's also why post-dye masks normally have lower pH.

- For better grey coverage, I'd research thoroughly all sorts of temporary, "true semi" dyes (e.g. by Manic Panic, Directions, etc) specifically on the topic of grey coverage. It's not just about brands though, different colors stain differently, are some are known for better grey coverage than others, though of course some people have more dye-resistant greys, so results will vary. If you want to stick specifically with Adore products, maybe you could check out Adore Plus, which is supposed to provide better coverage for greys and be long-lasting, according to the manufacturer (http://creativeimagesystems.com/adore/adore-plus/) ?

[Lisa-K]

- Fading definitely occurs faster with UV exposure. This is true for natural colors, as well, but even more pronounced for dyes. I think your ends (which are older and have had exposure to peroxide before) will be the first to fade, simply because bleached hair is more porous and both absorbs and lets go of dye molecules faster. So ideally, I'd recommend wearing hair up and using sun hats/scarves when you are out in the sun for a long period of time.

- Washing hair less frequently, avoiding too frequent clarifying washes and maybe trying scalp-only washes instead of full washes when your length is not greasy should help prolong the color.

- Acidic rinses (e.g. with vinegar) can help right after coloring by lowering pH - this is supposed to be better both for the condition of the hair and for helping "lock in" dye for longer. That's also why post-dye masks normally have lower pH.

- For better grey coverage, I'd research thoroughly all sorts of temporary, "true semi" dyes (e.g. by Manic Panic, Directions, etc) specifically on the topic of grey coverage. It's not just about brands though, different colors stain differently, are some are known for better grey coverage than others, though of course some people have more dye-resistant greys, so results will vary. If you want to stick specifically with Adore products, maybe you could check out Adore Plus, which is supposed to provide better coverage for greys and be long-lasting, according to the manufacturer (http://creativeimagesystems.com/adore/adore-plus/) ?

Thanks for the advice! I washed my hair with lukewarm water yesterday, finished with a cold white vinegar rinse, and then put a bit of jojoba oil throughout the length while it was damp. I find that my hair seems to feel more dry since I applied Adore. I'm not too happy about that. I even ended up cutting a solid inch off my ends in the hopes of improving things a bit. I'll just continue my routine of oiling and occasional vinegar rinses, and I won't worry too much about fading. We'll see how it goes. Maybe I'll give Adore Plus a shot, maybe not. I haven't decided yet, but it's an option I'll keep in mind. After 2 washes, my roots are back to exactly the same now. So really, the only thing Adore (the regular one) was somewhat good for, was to even out the color from top to bottom. Although, even that remains to be seen with the expected fading.


In response to other previous responses: I don't know why arsenic and cyanide are even mentioned here, because clearly, Hairprint does not contain anything like that. The only thing some members here felt a bit iffy about was the fact that it contains peroxide; and even that is only 1% ... hardly a health hazard, if you ask me. At worst, it will dry my hair a bit. But so does Adore after only one application.

It seems like this topic always seems to veer off in some random essay about how many natural compounds in the world can be deadly, when those aren't even part of the ingredient list lol And as far as allergies are concerned: obviously, that's a risk with both natural and chemical products, even after long term use. Most people are aware of that. But yes, I would like to stay away from chemicals as much as possible. And no, I won't buy arsenic and cyanide instead :lol:

[Entangled]

In response to other previous responses: I don't know why arsenic and cyanide are even mentioned here, because clearly, Hairprint does not contain anything like that. The only thing some members here felt a bit iffy about was the fact that it contains peroxide; and even that is only 1% ... hardly a health hazard, if you ask me. At worst, it will dry my hair a bit. But so does Adore after only one application.

It seems like this topic always seems to veer off in some random essay about how many natural compounds in the world can be deadly, when those aren't even part of the ingredient list lol And as far as allergies are concerned: obviously, that's a risk with both natural and chemical products, even after long term use. Most people are aware of that. But yes, I would like to stay away from chemicals as much as possible. And no, I won't buy arsenic and cyanide instead :lol:

It's because many companies try to throw around how "natural" they are to prove how safe and gentle they are. But natural is not a synonym for safe or gentle, and it makes me suspicious when they keep insisting they're natural when a person wants to know the composition. To me it looks like they're avoiding the question. Hairprint has definitely "green washed" their product descriptions from what I can tell (I've seen a few threads on it).

Also, if there's one thing I've learned here, it's to take advertising with a pinch of salt. So many commercials and labels drone on about how revolutionary and next-to-magical their products are, when in reality many of those claims fall short. I've learned it's not so much the advertising, but the ingredients that matter. So Hairprint is claiming that they can do something completely revolutionary: "undo" hair that is grey. In reality, it seems they're just another dye, but thy claim to be revolutionary even when their claims do not make scientific sense. That's what bugs me, and I suspect similar thought processes were behind the arsenic comments.

[Lisa-K]

It's because many companies try to throw around how "natural" they are to prove how safe and gentle they are. But natural is not a synonym for safe or gentle, and it makes me suspicious when they keep insisting they're natural when a person wants to know the composition. To me it looks like they're avoiding the question. Hairprint has definitely "green washed" their product descriptions from what I can tell (I've seen a few threads on it).

Also, if there's one thing I've learned here, it's to take advertising with a pinch of salt. So many commercials and labels drone on about how revolutionary and next-to-magical their products are, when in reality many of those claims fall short. I've learned it's not so much the advertising, but the ingredients that matter. So Hairprint is claiming that they can do something completely revolutionary: "undo" hair that is grey. In reality, it seems they're just another dye, but thy claim to be revolutionary even when their claims do not make scientific sense. That's what bugs me, and I suspect similar thought processes were behind the arsenic comments.

Yeah but the list of ingredients is available for everyone to see on their website. It's not like it's a secret. I don't know if anyone who has gone on to criticise the "natural" label has even read the ingredients, because they generally mention stuff that's not even in there. I get what you're saying, but the point is mute if it doesn't specifically refer to ingredients in the actual product that's being discussed here. Like I said, the few members here who have bothered to read the ingredient list only found a slight objection about the 1% peroxide in it ... that's all. And like I said, 1% peroxide may not be that bad in the end, because semi-permanent dyes don't seem to be that damage-free either. And at the end of the day, it's still less damaging than chemical dyes such as l'Oreal. Besides, how else are they going to label their product anyway if it doesn't contain chemicals? The point is: it is 100% natural. Whether it's 100% damage free is another thing; but it's not like they're lying about the "natural" part, so I don't get the big deal.

[lapushka]

Lisa-K, if you are that dead set on Hairprint, then just please use it. ;) :)

It's become a bit useless trying to discuss why some of us think it's not that natural. I know that things like Adore, Directions, Manic Panic are definitely better choices, because there is absolutely no developer used in the process.

And even water is a chemical, so... I think what Entangled tried to say is that companies often "claim" to be natural while not being that natural at all. You have to be aware of the ingredients and what goes into a product.

But if you're willing to risk it, then go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you.

I just want to say that your hair looks amazing right now, and I can see some, not much, but some gray coverage in there. :flower:

[Fru fru]

Lisa-K, I use two different shades of directions to cover grey temporarily while I grow it out. I recently used poppy and ebony mixed together and it did a good job of covering the grey. I have quite a bit more grey than you (I've had a hard life :p). I colour it every 2-4 weeks because my hair grows about an inch a month and in between colouring I have a powder root cover called spilt milk.

I also wanted to say that when you grow out grey it can make hair look thinner than it really is because of the lighter roots, the powder root cover helps with that :) I can't comment on hairprint because I've never heard of it.

[Aphra]

For the record I didn't mention any ingredients of any kind, or any other compounds. I just said, after offering 3 paragraphs genuinely trying to be helpful with your questions:

"100% natural" is a completely meaningless phrase from a safety point of view, and any company that uses it to indicate safety gets glared at over my lab glasses. Natural compounds are still chemicals with potential for detrimental reactions. My only full scale chemical irritation came from a "natural" shampoo, as uv in sunlight caused a reaction in the fruit extracts in the residue. The important questions are "what is the purpose of each of these ingredients" and "how will they act on my hair and skin?"

I'm sorry if that irritated you - I didn't read all your other thread so I don't know exactly what was said before - but I'm an environmental chemist, and the sheer amount of bunkum talked about natural vs chemical on the internet drives my pedantic, heavily Asperger's traited scientist brain to distraction.

With regards to the bolded part, I personally wouldn't use hairprint because of the sodium bicarbonate more than the low peroxide levels. However you probably don't want to hear about that, so I'll just say I honestly have no opinion either way on whether you should use it. Its your hair and your money, so just do what you prefer and don't bother about what anyone else thinks.

[Aphra]

Lisa-K, I use two different shades of directions to cover grey temporarily while I grow it out. I recently used poppy and ebony mixed together and it did a good job of covering the grey. {snip}.

I do this as well - usually manic panic infra-red and raven, which I used to cover both grey and other weird colours for interviews last year. It did fade out really rather red on me though.

[Reyesuela]

I don't know if it causes no damage at all (although I haven't had any from manic panic or directions), but because it works by depositing the dye on the outside of the shaft, not using ammonia or alternative to let it get inside, it is certainly less damaging than normal box dyes. That said, I personally wouldn't use any dye every wash - I only redo my colours every fortnight at the most frequent, and usually a lot less, not so much because of damage to the hair as not wanting to risk absorbing too many extra chemicals through my skin (all dyes are a combination of chemicals - what they differ in is their action on the cuticle).

Making the colour last - stretch shampoos for as long as you can tolerate (conditioner is ok), and wash it in cold water as far as you can tolerate. Sun will probably fade it faster. Oils should be fine. Vinegar I don't know about. Some people use it after dying to fix their colour so it can't be disastrous, but I don't know if using it later will change the fade. Brassiness will probably vary between users, specific dyes, and the underlying hair. I wouldn't be surprised if you got a bit brassy on the lengths when your underlying colour starts to show through.

Grey coverage - it may be worth trying a few different colours or brands (if you can find others that do natural colours). I find manic panic reds stick to my greys way better than to my brown and will last weeks. Manic panic purples don't stick to any of it for more than 1 wash. Directions red doesn't last long in my hair, but their blue is still clinging in some parts of my grey from a dye in October. I also find the colours that stick better do build up a bit over time, so coverage and longevity improves.

By the way, "100% natural" is a completely meaningless phrase from a safety point of view, and any company that uses it to indicate safety gets glared at over my lab glasses. Natural compounds are still chemicals with potential for detrimental reactions. My only full scale chemical irritation came from a "natural" shampoo, as uv in sunlight caused a reaction in the fruit extracts in the residue. The important questions are "what is the purpose of each of these ingredients" and "how will they act on my hair and skin?"

It should be illegal to put citrus extracts and essential oils in things that go on hair and skin. People have gotten 2nd degree burns!!!!

[Reyesuela]

Also, any company that put sodium bicarbonate in a hair product is not going to get me buying it. Seriously??????

[kidari]

I have similar issues as you. I'm growing out my natural color and I have some grey. Also, the rest of my hair is lightened so I'm dealing with warmth/brass. I was part of the giving up bleach/dye growing out natural thread but I stopped because I actually used a demi for my greys. I use a semi for my length and the demi I only put on the top portion of my hair (the only place where I get greys) and on the roots only. It really sticks extremely well. I've tried semis and none of them really fully cover the grey and it seems to wash out faster on virgin hair and especially on grey hair. As far as brass goes, I think if you use an ashy brown it should fade nicely. You could also add some silver or purple or lavender semi to it as well to help neutralize the brass even further. Personally, I don't want to darken my length. I really like this sombre thing going on so I use semis in purple shades that are heavily diluted with conditioner and I use the demi to smudge out and blend the line of demarcation from my virgin roots with the bleached length (which also happens to cover greys better).

The demi uses a 10 vol peroxide developer and is supposed to fade in about a month's time. What I like about it is that the demi doesn't lift/lighten so I don't have to worry about hot roots or anything. It adds a really nice sheer glaze of color that blends the line of demarcation from virgin to dyed/bleached so nicely. I've found that semis in natural colors wash out extremely fast but semis in bright fashion colors (certain colors more than others) tend to stick around longer. Therefore, I like blending bright fashion colors and diluting them with conditioners over using semis in natural shades.

[Lisa-K]

Also, any company that put sodium bicarbonate in a hair product is not going to get me buying it. Seriously?????? That's baking soda ... The exact same ingredient that a bunch of people here swear by for their "no poo method".

[Lisa-K]

I have similar issues as you. I'm growing out my natural color and I have some grey. Also, the rest of my hair is lightened so I'm dealing with warmth/brass. I was part of the giving up bleach/dye growing out natural thread but I stopped because I actually used a demi for my greys. I use a semi for my length and the demi I only put on the top portion of my hair (the only place where I get greys) and on the roots only. It really sticks extremely well. I've tried semis and none of them really fully cover the grey and it seems to wash out faster on virgin hair and especially on grey hair. As far as brass goes, I think if you use an ashy brown it should fade nicely. You could also add some silver or purple or lavender semi to it as well to help neutralize the brass even further. Personally, I don't want to darken my length. I really like this sombre thing going on so I use semis in purple shades that are heavily diluted with conditioner and I use the demi to smudge out and blend the line of demarcation from my virgin roots with the bleached length (which also happens to cover greys better).

The demi uses a 10 vol peroxide developer and is supposed to fade in about a month's time. What I like about it is that the demi doesn't lift/lighten so I don't have to worry about hot roots or anything. It adds a really nice sheer glaze of color that blends the line of demarcation from virgin to dyed/bleached so nicely. I've found that semis in natural colors wash out extremely fast but semis in bright fashion colors (certain colors more than others) tend to stick around longer. Therefore, I like blending bright fashion colors and diluting them with conditioners over using semis in natural shades.

Very interesting!! I will look into all of that.

The medium brown I used has a purple base. It's a very "cool" tone. After several washes now, I've come to the conclusion that I really don't care if any brassiness shows through later on lol The long term effect I'm hoping for is something as natural as possible; which means that the ends will lighten somewhat properly in the Summer, like they would if I hadn't dyed my hair at all.

I also noticed from feedback posted by users that the crazy colors seem to stick much better than the natural ones. That's a shame, since I'm only interested in natural colors.

Your method of applying something specific to cover grays on the roots only, and then lighter or more temporary stuff on the length is the approach I started considering a few days ago. This has further convinced me that it might be a good method on the long run. Especially since I don't mind slight color variations / subtle ombre effect. In any case, something needed to be done to unify the virgin roots and dyed length, because the contrast was much too strong. So at least I've achieved a first step in the right direction.

I'm still quite puzzled as to why Adore seems to have dried my ends so much though. I don't recall anyone ever mentioning this. I'm thinking about cutting off a couple of extra centimeters soon, just to get rid of the problematic ends that always get tangled; which they didn't do before.

[Reyesuela]

That's baking soda ... The exact same ingredient that a bunch of people here swear by for their "no poo method".

I know what it is. It's highly basic. It gives body by roughening/damaging the hair shaft. It does have a place. If you have hair that is super slick that won't hold a style and is flat basically because it's so healthy, roughening it up a bit helps. But that's really only if you don't want hair more than BSL. People put all kinds of things in hair. Companies should know better.

[lapushka]

I know what it is. It's highly basic. It gives body by roughening/damaging the hair shaft. It does have a place. If you have hair that is super slick that won't hold a style and is flat basically because it's so healthy, roughening it up a bit helps. But that's really only if you don't want hair more than BSL. People put all kinds of things in hair. Companies should know better.

You are right, it is highly alkaline; the days that it was "recommended" here for no-poo are long gone, Lisa-K. ;)

[Lisa-K]

You are right, it is highly alkaline; the days that it was "recommended" here for no-poo are long gone, Lisa-K. ;)

Oh ok. I thought the "no poo"/baking soda method was still a thing lol I was never convinced enough to give it a try, but to each their own :D

Alright. I just want to thank everybody for their input :) I really do appreciate it! And whenever I play the Devil's advocate, I promise it's only because I'm trying to understand things better; not because I'm necessarily dead set on a specific thing. I get what some of you tried to explain about dyes working as oxidation being more damaging than other methods, and I have to agree; it's not the best option.

I will post more updates with pictures as I progress in my quest to have non-gray hair / yet my natural color lol It's tricky, for sure!

[Reyesuela]

Oh ok. I thought the "no poo"/baking soda method was still a thing lol I was never convinced enough to give it a try, but to each their own :D

Alright. I just want to thank everybody for their input :) I really do appreciate it! And whenever I play the Devil's advocate, I promise it's only because I'm trying to understand things better; not because I'm necessarily dead set on a specific thing. I get what some of you tried to explain about dyes working as oxidation being more damaging than other methods, and I have to agree; it's not the best option.

I will post more updates with pictures as I progress in my quest to have non-gray hair / yet my natural color lol It's tricky, for sure!

I did that as a teenager.

Learn from me. LOL. Bad mistake!

Sometimes I reply very factually. I'm not offended or trying to be brusque. I'm just a direct kinda gal sometimes.

[lapushka]

I did that as a teenager.

Learn from me. LOL. Bad mistake!

Sometimes I reply very factually. I'm not offended or trying to be brusque. I'm just a direct kinda gal sometimes.

I have that too. I try to give some nuance when I can, because on a forum it's important, I've learned. Also, it's more difficult for me to type (health issues), and so I need to sometimes be briefer than I wish.

[Lisa-K]

Okay, here's a long term update about my experience with semi permanent hair dye. I tried several bottles from Adore in the past 5 months. Sadly, I have to report that I'm done! It was the worst advice I have ever gotten from this forum. :( Sorry! There were many negative sides to semi permanent dye. These are the main ones that bother me the most:

-1- It fades SUPER quickly. After only 2 or 3 washes, there's already an obvious difference since the first application. I think it's mostly made for peroxided hair, so I assume it will stick much better if you peroxide everything first. But, that defies the point of people here advising me semi-permanent so as not to damage my hair, since peroxide will damage it. So, nope, doesn't last enough to make it worth the time and effort. Some people here advised Adore Plus instead, which is made to stick better and cover greys more efficiently, but I never bothered trying it because of the next few points ...

-2- When it fades, it fades all over the place. Towels, pillow covers, sleeping mask, you name it. Horrible.

-3- Once it has faded somewhat, it lets the strangest undertones shine through. With the first bottle I tried, you could tell the color was made to be toned down with some purple pigments. After several washes, I was left with purple shining more and more brightly through; especially in broad daylight. With the second bottle, it got even worse, because it was green!! I still haven't been able to get rid of the horrible green shine. I absolutely hate it. And since I'm trying to stay away from damaging dyes, I'll just have to cut it off.

-4- It DOES damage hair. Right after each application, it literally feels like plastic Barbie hair. It wasn't quite as obvious the very first time I tried it. But then with each new application (3 in total, with more than a month and a half between each) I realized more and more how synthetic my hair feels right after. It goes back to feeling more natural after a few washes, when enough product has been washed out. But the ends are left more dry and brittle than they otherwise would.


Seriously, to whoever might be reading this thread as they are looking for a non-damaging way to cover grey hair: Don't go the semi-permanent route. It's not worth the trouble. I know, it's cheap as dirt - fair enough - but it's messy and the end result is poor. Even when respecting strict washing rules, such as using cool water, no harsh shampoo (and only a minimum amount), the lovely color will still fade ridiculously fast and leave the most horrible shade behind. And that shade, will not go away. Just don't do it. You can thank me later.

[divinedobbie]

Thanks for the update!

I was contemplating going the Adore dye route since I wanted my grown out dyed blondes end to match my natural colour but wasn't willing to use anything with peroxide/ammonia. It however is not cheap where I am, in fact it can't be bought in any local store and online shipping costs double what one little bottle does.

I do want to mention I used Adore plus in medium and in dark brown back in probably 2015 maybe early 2016. I really liked it. While I did find that it faded fairly fast, the reapplication did not bother me and I never noticed funny tones being left behind in my hair. It also never rubbed off on anything like my pillow or towel (and they're yellow so I would've noticed!). I also don't recall the plastic-y hair feeling, and I used it for several months. I do agree its messy! :D I was using a different version than you so its hard to say of course.

Overall I think that for someone who was not willing to cut off length and is willing to sacrifice some time and money into making the length enjoyable, it was worth it. If I do end up ordering some more, I will update how the second time around goes.

ETA: In the absence of Adore, I have been using manic panic in some purple shade to counteract the brassiness. I don't love it. It seems to last even shorter on my hair before fading, it really stains my shower, and it does leave behind purple tones especially in the most porous ends.