a question for those who color dark hair & our resident stylists

[Nina]

I have dark brown BSL length hair and I'd been getting highlights in front around my face to blend some of my gray hairs. I found that highlighting became too drying on my hair (and the front was becoming too blonde) so I slowly transitioned to lowlights in front, which I like, but they don't cover all the gray hairs - and gray is more obvious against dark hair.

I am finding more grey creeping up and was considering an all over color in the same hue as my natural color but am worried that it will look too "flat." I like having different tones with the lowlights. I suppose I could do lowlights over the color, but that seems so high maintenance, and possibly more damaging. I would have the coloring done by my regular stylist whom I trust. (She even does micro trims - yay!)

I know a lot of members here use henna, but can you use henna over hair that's been colored?

Does anyone here get salon color for dark hair? How damaging is it?

I would also appreciate some insight from our resident stylists here on the process. I am not sure what to do.....

[burns_erin]

You can do henna over previously colored hair. But you ARE going to end up with some form of red hair that is very permanant so think twice.

[paper]

You sound like me! I have dark brown hair. I was highlighting to cover grey. When I got too many greys, I colored it all over. I couldn't afford the upkeep of going to a salon, having roots done etc. So, I did it myself. I had wonderful results! The dye covered my salt, pepper, and hightlights. I have been touching up my own roots for a yr now. My hair is shiny and very soft.

[Nina]

paper, your hair color is similar to mine. What type of dye do you use?

[paper]

I buy my stuff at Sallys.

30 Developer
I mix half light ash brown and light neutral brown
I put in unred, to help keep it from turning too red, I have a lot of red undertones.



ETA: I forgot to mention the brand name is ION.

[morguebabe]

I may be wrong but I have pretty lucky hair, so heres my answers.
I"ve henna/indigo'd over color hair, and I've put dye over henn/indigo.
I dye and color my hair ALOT (Check my albums)

I have used this brand Hair Dye (http://www.naturalhairdye.com/color/naturtint/naturtintp/index.html)
Wella (http://www.wellausa.com/consumer/products_consumer/international_line_consumer/color_perfect/swatch_charts/natural.jsp) I think is 'natural' Robert Craig is also 'natural' (http://www.robertcraig.com/php/index.php)

[Nina]

thanks paper and morguebabe. You guys have gorgeous hair.

Do you think it's easier to color dark hair? It's just depositing color, right? Not lifting or lightening.

Does the color create one solid shade or do you still have variation in tones? Do you deep condition often?

How hard was this for you the first time you attempted?

I would like to find an easier solution than salon color, as that would be pricey down the road.

[morguebabe]

Thanks.

Do you think it's easier to color dark hair? It's just depositing color, right? Not lifting or lightening.
I don't know I've be coloring my hair since I was like 14? I've had blonde, brown, red, and black hair. And purple, and green, and orange..and inbetwen. I've really never had a problem getting any color to take expect a terrible manic panic black which made my roots green, and my ends black.

Does the color create one solid shade or do you still have variation in tones? Do you deep condition often? I also have various tones in my hair. Due to the fact its so thick and long.. it just naturally ends up multi toned. I don't mind though the mild tone variations ads to my hair I think.
I maybe Deep Conditon once a month if that... I just use Kenra Moisturing everytime I wash it and thats a fairly deep one. But sitting there with a cap on for over 10 mintues..maybe once a month.

How hard was this for you the first time you attempted?
My hardest thing I have is maintiaing any color. Color fades out of my hair very fast, salon color, box home color, Hell I'll even say indigo didn't look dark after about month on me... I think thats just me.

My hair is weird with color. I'm just lucky that I can really color it as often as I do and it stays healthy.
Check my albums if you want to see the rainbow I've done to it, and maybe get a feel for salon/box/henna/indigo...

I would like to find an easier solution than salon color, as that would be pricey down the road.

[Silverlox]

I'll start with the disclaimer: It's been several years since I even looked at the colour section, so there might have been new developments regarding types of colouring products.

Before I gave in to my greys, I coloured my hair for years, so I do have experience. I only ever used boxed home dyes, as the thought of going to a salon for something I could do myself, never even entered my mind.

There are three different types of colouring products, from the gentlest to the harshest.

Type 1 will only tone your hair = deposit a layer of colour on top of your strand, but not change the actual colour of the strand under that layer. It usually comes in a pack with only one fluid, meaning that no mixing has to be done. Generally it's promise to stay in for 8 washes and gradually fade for each wash so you won't have a colour difference between the toned section and your new growth. It doesn't cover grey hair, but it does tone them a bit and make them blend in somewhat.

Type 2 is often called a deep tone. The pack usually contains two different fluids which have to be mixed. Anything you have to mix something that colour contains harsher chemicals and a bleaching agent. The bleach is there to even out your natural colour, before depositing the chosen colour. It is regarded as a semi-permanent colour and will fade slowly over 24 washes, according to the information on the package. Some brands promise to cover grey 100%, others will promise a variety of coverage. Read on the pack. It not only deposits a layer of colour on your strands, but also colours the outer layer of your strands.

Type 3 is a permanent colour. It is the harshest treatment of the three, containing the most bleach, but also the one guaranteed to cover all greys. This will not wash out much, so you'll have a clear colour difference between new growth and coloured hair. It is also the type most likely to make your hair all one solid colour. While it does fade a bit over time, it never disappears and has to be cut off, as the strands have been coloured to their core.

When I coloured my hair regularly, I used type 2. Not all brands covered the greys completely, but they did colour them somewhat, making them look like highlights. For me, that was good enough.

Please be aware, that no matter what it says on the box about including oils and special balms, type 2 and type 3 will damage hair in the long run. How much damage depends on your hair type, how often you use it and how long hair you want.

One of the reasons I stopped colouring was that I wanted longer hair. While dyeing, there was a limit to how long my hair could get and still look reasonable healthy. The fact that I permed it a couple of times a year didn't help much either.
My hair is ultra fine and very fragile, yours might be a lot more resilient.

As always, YMMV.

[burns_erin]

You might want to try

http://www.lorealparis.ca/en/haircolor/colorpulse/frameset.html

it is a depositing only washoutable that i used to cover my greys when I had no time for henna. It does a quite excellent job on my greys and avoids that all one tone thing. it also did not appear to be damaging. and since it is a mousse it is really easy to use at home. If you pick a color that is similiar to or slightly lighter than your natural color, your greys end up looking like highlights.I used red pulse which urned my greys to bright red highlights and lent an overall red cast to the rest of may hair.

...sorry for the lack of capitalization but my shift key is being finicky...