Ravishing Raven Hairs Unite!

[sweetbluesky]

There are so many threads for the other hair colors, I thought it would be nice to have our own. :cool: Calling all raven haired people (natural, bottled, and herbal)! Dark color reflects the most light, so usually it looks shinier. :) What do you love most about your hair? Do you have any special tips or tricks? What's your favorite thing about having raven hair?

[Aisha25]

I love my hair color its soo black just like in the old tales from India makes me feel so beautiful:D

[Peter]

My hair is naturally black, but last week I discovered some auburn/reddish-brown strands on the underlayer at the back. I was so thrilled. :)

[amaiaisabella]

My mom has black hair, and always thinks it is so dull, so I'd love to show her some tricks to perk it up a bit :) Any recommendations?

[Akiko]

My hair is naturally black. Now I use henna and/or indigo whenever I feel like. Works great on dark hair. I don't see demarcation as my roots grow out. Perfect for a lazy person like myself!

Any color goes well with black. So I have many many hairtoys in all sorts of colors. I consider my black hair as a little black dress.:cheese: Versatile!

[Bene]

natural black haired person here :)


i'm totally content with my color. i've seen ppl ruin their hair trying to bleach it into something its not, and i'm grateful that i haven't done that. my natural color is shiny, looks healthy, and suits my skin tone, which is more than i can say for a lot of ppl who chemically alter themselves.

[Akiko]

i've seen ppl ruin their hair trying to bleach it into something its not,

I must confess I did try a not-so-temporary temporary hair color. What was I thinking???:confused:I was stupid not reading the fine print carefully on the box. :eye:Hydrogen peroxide.:eye: Regretted so much. So I did two step henna indigo. Thank goodness.

[Bene]

I must confess I did try a not-so-temporary temporary hair color. What was I thinking???:confused:I was stupid not reading the fine print carefully on the box. :eye:Hydrogen peroxide.:eye: Regretted so much. So I did two step henna indigo. Thank goodness.


i hope you didn't have any permanent damage because of that. :confused:

[Aisha25]

Yeah I did same thing with stupid bleach cant believe I wanted to ruin all my natural black:nono: and all that ended up happening was orangey yellow hair and breakage had to cut first time in my life:( Never again though, I learned my lesson. I love my black:inlove:

[Akiko]

i hope you didn't have any permanent damage because of that. :confused:

It was only once. But it did some minor damage. My husband said my hair lost luster. I noticed more split ends. DH was surprised how shiny my hair turned after multiple henna applications. I did trim about 1 inch. It did help improve my hair condition. Never never use hydrogen peroxide. It's eeeevil.


Yeah I did same thing with stupid bleach cant believe I wanted to ruin all my natural black:nono:

You did, too! I think a lot of black haired people go through this crazy phase, "I want a different color." I say, "No" to bleach! Yes, black hair is good on us. :toast:

[RavennaNight]

*another ravenhead checks in* I hennindigo black. Before that I was dyeing black with chemical dye. I love black hair! My grandma remembers when I was a small little blonde child I always wanted black hair. Anyone remember Dutchess Ravenwaves from Lady Lovely Locks? Its a lot of upkeep, painting blonde hair black, but not something I will ever give up. And I love the shine of black henndigo hair.

[Shivahalo]

Huzzah! I don't think I have ever not liked my black hair. Gotta love my Celtic genes :p

Although being uber pale has its downsides. Burny Burny in the sunny sunny!!

[Deimos]

Originally blonde, I've dyed my hair black for 3 years now (chemically, shame on me ^^) I will keep the black, it suits my face way more. Also it is way shinier in my opinion.

[Medvssa]

A lot of people say I have black hair, but I think it is just boring dark brown :tongue: I used to dye it black when I was younger, and I loved it, I think it flatters me the most. But I have whites now, not gonna give that up :tongue: so I guess I don't really belong in this thread. I still temporary dye it black, sometimes.

[Leabhar]

I've bleached, highlighted, and even hydrogen peroxided my hair in the past. (I agree: never use HP! It is evil for black hair.) I cut all that off and started to grow it.

Now I just enjoy it for the color as it is (a blackish brown with red) and the condition. :)

Tips:
If you want to keep your hair dark, protect it from the sun; my ends are lighter than my roots because my hair naturally goes reddish and even blonde with sun exposure.

Black really does go with everything, but remember to take pictures of it against a light background. ;)

[Raven69]

Well, I am naturally a dark brown/light blackish hair...so I dunno - do I qualify? Check this out:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=2012&pictureid=24236

Why does a child at age 11 get gray hairs then 2 years later get white hairs? This white hair in this picture was taken in November/December 2008. I like to part my hair on the left so every time I do this - my white hair is visible!!!! ARRGGGHH!!!!! Next month I turn the big 2 - 4!!!! I feel so old...:rolleyes: :cry:

[LadyMoon11]

......... ARRGGGHH!!!!! Next month I turn the big 2 - 4!!!! I feel so old...:rolleyes: :cry:
Old? No, no no. You are at your prime, my lady! :queen:


I just wanted to pop in and say how much I adore black hair. I had it once, but it is just not a good color with my super-light peachy complexion. :(
I am now content with admiring lovely black hair on others.:crush:

[karenpetal]

I am black haired too ! Though have to admit have made 2 childish efforts to get blonde highlights and brunnette once - NEVER AGAIN !!!!!!!!!

[maunaloa]

I love having raven hair because of the sheen.

[FallenAngel]

Okay, so I'm not a natural black... :D Just had to check in and say that Raven Black is sooo beautiful! I've dyed my hair as black as I could for many years and I really liked it when it was at it's blackest. I envy you all your beautiful natural colour!

[Morticia]

My hair is black. I henna, so there's a reddish sheen in bright light. And, my whites are bright burgundy.

[skay]

Old? No, no no. You are at your prime, my lady! :queen:


I just wanted to pop in and say how much I adore black hair. I had it once, but it is just not a good color with my super-light peachy complexion. :(
I am now content with admiring lovely black hair on others.:crush:

Aww, LadyMoon11 your haircolor looks awesome!! I'll be admiring your hair color. :)

So, yup another black-haired one here. I also have some white hair sprinkled in there.

Because of the white hair, I dyed my hair (black) for years and then later hennaed. Now, I've given up the hair coloring and going back to natural.

I had forgotten how my hair looks naturally black.... And yes, it's nice to see the light reflection on the hair.

I like how my hair can look black one minute and then reddish-orange in the setting sun. :)

[cho_chang]

yes, I'm Chinese so I have black hair ^_^ It's a smidge lighter than true black-black though. Under a lot of lights it looks brownish/reddish, not well reflected in my default but I have a crappy camera haha :P

I agree, darker hair = uber shiny :D

I'm not gonna lie though, for years (I'm 18 now :P) I've wanted to lighten it to a chocolate brown like this (or maybe a smidge lighter), but am always scared of the damage over a subtle change -_-
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2092/2209088066_435058af51.jpg?v=0

Sorry for the newb question, but can that be done with henna? I just wanna try something new...a lil lighter. Just a teensy bit, so that it's noticeably brown, not just soft black

[~GypsyCurls~]

People always thought my hair was black but it's not, it's naturally a very dark brown with highlights that are a few shades lighter. I have chemically dyed it red mostly, but have dyed it black a few times since I think black hair is beautiful...it did not seem to go with my skin tone though, I wouldn't have minded if it made me look paler, but it made my skin look icky and sallow. It also would always be really dull and not shiny at all.

[YogaGirl59]

I love my naturally black hair. I have very white skin, so it's a contrast that I like and receive many compliments on. However, as I started going gray I found I could not just dye it black, it never looked natural that way, so I would have to go with a dark brown. Then I discovered Henna and Indigo! Now I have my black hair back and it looks natural, not dyed. My almost 80-year-old mother just loves it. She says I now look like my old self.

[Akiko]

Sorry for the newb question, but can that be done with henna? I just wanna try something new...a lil lighter. Just a teensy bit, so that it's noticeably brown, not just soft black

Henna does not lighten the color. But on black hair, it looks like it does. Just optical illusion. I think you can get noticeable brown color with henna. I have read many reviews on henna on Japanese site. Quite a few people say repeated henna applications turned their black hair very reddish brown. But you might be shocked to see this flash of red/orange glow outdoors. Henna give you a distinct red/orange glow.

Henna is a commitment. If you just want to try a little color change, hmmm, then you might avoid henna. Also it smells like hay and you may not like it.

These pictures were taken recently. It's the same hair. :rolleyes: I have done two-step straight henna/indigo gloss several times. But last time I applied henna, I omitted indigo.

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq15/kurupika/hairinsun-1.jpghttp://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq15/kurupika/20090123-1.jpg

The best thing would be to get samples from mehandi.com and do a strand test. Check the hair ball in various lighting, especially in direct sunlight. Oh, you live in NYC. I think you can get henna locally in your area. Maybe Patel Brothers?

[cho_chang]

thanks so much akiko! I was reading the article on Henna, and I think I may try the "henna gloss" version.


Oh, you live in NYC. I think you can get henna locally in your area. Maybe Patel Brothers?

I actually live in Westchester now, but yeah I think there are Indian stores around here, I can ask my Indian friends, anyway :)

[cho_chang]

oh, and (since I can't edit my posts) - what is your natural hair color? I really like the color in the picture to the right. you have very pretty hair! :D

[Forever_Sophie]

I love the natural shine and often wish I didn't get started w/ the highlights....I initially (and still do) love them b/c of the dimension they give my hair. Someday I'll have it all black, they way it started out :)

[daeana]

in poor lighting, my hair looks raven. but once you get me into good lighting, my hair starts looking brown. i used to want to make my hair darker, but now i like the color variations.

[Akiko]

oh, and (since I can't edit my posts) - what is your natural hair color? I really like the color in the picture to the right. you have very pretty hair! :D

Thank you, cho_chang. I am Japanese and have typical Asian black hair. My virgin hair is soft black. In the sun, you see reddish highlights. I think your hair looks very similar to my virgin hair. Almost 3 inches close to the roots are henna'd virgin hair. Bleached part has already quite blended. So you cannot see any demarcation.

If you go to an Indian grocery store, look for Jamila, Afshan or Mumtaaz. Those are good. Other brands, I am not sure. You want fresh henna. So look for the box which has not been sitting for a long time (no dust). I hear old henna smells a little worse and sometimes doesn't dye. Anyway, you don't want get anything with PPD. A gloss my be great. Although my hair ball test turned much redder than I expected. But as you know, my hair was slightly bleached. So the surface of m hair must have been roughed up and henna dye pigment grabbed onto it quite a bit.

[cho_chang]

thanks so much!! I think I'll start with glosses and go from there (I'm a bit tentative with permanents) :D

[joyfulmom4]

I don't qualify, but I wanted to chime in and say that I LOVE black hair! It is so beautiful and shiny. :)

[bluemoon1891]

cho chang and Akiko...I'm totally jealous of your hairs! I too am Asian (Taiwanese) but have chemically dyed my hair multiple times prior to discovering LHC and so it now lacks the shine present in your photos...:(

Bleaching is very popular in Asia right now so it's been hard to resist the looks you see in magazines and such. I've come to admire black hair though, it is just SO beautiful and mysterious.

[cho_chang]

thanks ^_^ protein treatments and treating my hair nicely really helped after I ravaged it with two terrible Japanese straightening treatments a few years ago. now it's mostly all grown out and virgin :]

[PatGear]

My hair is off-black. :D Other people (especially non-Asians) call it black, but to me it's very dark reddish brown. If I spend a lot of time in the sun, it's much lighter and redder. I used to be called "the red head" by a teacher in high school in Thailand.

[Juneii]

I used to hate my black hair but once I realized how shiny and smooth it could look compared to my friends lighter hair, I came to adore it :]

[carloota]

I used to hate my black hair but once I realized how shiny and smooth it could look compared to my friends lighter hair, I came to adore it :]

Me, too. I dyed my hair a dark, chocolate a few years ago. When I wear my hair down, you can't tell the color difference since my hair is usually heavily oiled. When I try to wear up-dos, one can see the contrast and it looks like my ends are severely damaged. I wish I had never colored my hair. I can't wait until I get to my goal length, then I can finally cut off the chemically colored ends (and maybe try henna/indigo :eyebrows:).

[chotee]

I join in too. I have never colored my black hair and i am trying to advice my teenage daughter to enjoy and love her dark thick hair too. She did streak it once but i let her do it so she can see the damage herself. Now she knows that you must respect, love, enjoy the color you are given by nature.

[Akiko]

cho chang and Akiko...I'm totally jealous of your hairs! I too am Asian (Taiwanese) but have chemically dyed my hair multiple times prior to discovering LHC and so it now lacks the shine present in your photos...:(

Bleaching is very popular in Asia right now so it's been hard to resist the looks you see in magazines and such. I've come to admire black hair though, it is just SO beautiful and mysterious.

Thank you, yufei. Oh, I know how it's popular to bleach. In magazines, on TV, wherever you look, it seems like so many people just bleach hair. And it does look good sometimes on the screen! I went through a phase I wanted to change my black hair to something else. But quickly found out it was not worth to do such a thing. Too damaging. I learned a lesson.

Seeing so many different colors, different textures on LHC, I realized how healthy hair is so attractive. I am learning how to take a proper care. This is a great place to learn. People are very kind and supportive. I wish I had known this place long time ago. I would not have done bleaching, heat styling, or so many other things damaging to my hair.

[ALenee]

Im joining! I adore my naturally black locks :happydance:

[Aisha25]

I join in too. I have never colored my black hair and i am trying to advice my teenage daughter to enjoy and love her dark thick hair too. She did streak it once but i let her do it so she can see the damage herself. Now she knows that you must respect, love, enjoy the color you are given by nature.
Yeah thats great we all have to learn no matter the age that hair like skin and all body has to be respected and cared for the best we can;) I hope she stays on this path:)

[MissMaryMac]

Hi there!:waving: Hope you don't mind if I join in too! People have always described my hair as black, but I think it's more of a dark brown.. Lately I have been considering coloring it super dark again...:ponder: I just can't decide if I want to commit to having color on my hair again after so long.

[Buddaphlyy]

Natural black hair here.

I absolutely LOVE my black hair. Even though I have experiemented with dyes before, something about having natural black hair does it for me. I remember when I was younger, people use to argue me up and down that my hair was not black, just dark brown, but I knew better. My hair was damaged from heat and chemicals and that changed my hair color, but my roots always told my true black tale.

Because my hair is so curly, it's very hard for it to "shine", though I can get a slight glimmer of sheen from it. I make sure my hair is clean and well moisturized so the color came come through. I am thinking of staring clear rinses and glazes so that my natural hue can be even more vibrant and alluring.

[milamaas]

My hair is naturally darkest brown. People call it black. whatever you call it I love having Raven hair.
It took me a while to appreciate it as growing up everyone seemed to be dying their hair blonde
(living in California adds fuel to that fire!) Once I tried on a blonde wig for a day and it was awful it just wasn't me! Having raven hair makes me feel mysterious, sexy, exotic, happy! Now I am starting to get grays, one of the only cons about being dark is that those grays come earlier and they show!
I have been using henna then indigo to cover then and it works great. I am working on the perfect mix to keep my grays the same natural dark color as the rest of my hair without getting too much red from the henna. I love my dark hair!

[BlackfootHair]

hehehe....can I join?? Hi Aisha! lol

[Aisha25]

Hi BFH welcome and so happy you can join in too:D Dont you just love it:wink: