Going blonde- how should I prepare?

[amaiaisabella]

Well, I just joined this site a few days ago so I am still pretty new to all the techniques/treatments/whatnot that you guys have perfected. I just started CO but I think I need to find a better conditioner to do it.

Anyway, I'm going to the salon this weekend to lighten my medium brown hair to dark blonde. :cheese: I have been coloring for a few years now, but the past few months I have tried to color a lot less- the last time I colored was 7 weeks ago with a permanent at home color.

I know that once my hair is colored that my hair will probably get dryer again. I was hoping you all had some suggestions of how I could prepare my hair for the color, and how to baby it after the big change!

[Riot Crrl]

I'm sorry that this probably isn't what you want to hear, but as someone who's been lightening my hair for many years in various ways, my only advice is... don't.

They will use bleach at the salon. Your condition will more than likely change permanently to coarser, rougher, and frizzier. It can be helped with babying but never reversed, until you cut it off.

[prosperina]

RiotCrrl is right, but there's another side to this story too. Highlighting isn't totally verboten, and this is coming from someone who bleached her hair at home for 10 years. shudder:

There's a few members here who highlight, and they have long, beautiful hair. Hopefully a few of them will pop in.

CO is a good idea. You'll have to be extra careful that your hair gets enough moisture. Also, getting it done at the salon is soooo much better than doing it yourself at home. I'm convinced the product is better, plus there's a professional to monitor the process and to adjust it to your hair. You have fine hair, which is more prone to breakage. I would suggest a deep treatment on a regular basis; this can be something you make at home, not necessarily an expensive product. Also, it doesn't sound as if you're trying to go too light, so that's good too. Best of luck.

[amaiaisabella]

I'm hoping that because I gave up blowdrying/straightening, and other damaging things, that my hair will perhaps take more kindly to me lightening it :)

I was talking with her originally and she wanted to put a straight color on my hair without any developer, which I read is gentler to your hair to do. The original goal was to match my roots, which I haven't seen in a very long time due to the constant coloring. Since I've been doing it less often, I have very visible roots :)

I really just want to get rid of this golden tone off my hair. If she says that the blonde will be too damaging, then I won't do it, but I really want to get this out.

[amaiaisabella]

Just to clarify, I won't be doing highlights, my goal is to change my whole head and touch up as necessary.

[Blueglass]

Henna and placenta, deep conditioning, no blow drying. Water and oil heavily before swimming.

[prosperina]

Oh, I didn't think you wanted to highlight per se....I'm just watching my vocabulary here. :) I find those who chemically lighten their hair are sensitive.... I knew you wanted a full hair color, just watching my p's and q's. People are sometimes turned off by the word bleaching, even though that's in effect, what they are doing.

Good for you for giving up highlighting and blowdrying.

[akurah]

Coconut oil will protect your hair if you are worried about damage. It won't prevent all damage, but I've read at least one or two studies that indicates saturating your hair with coconut oil prior to bleaching your hair will reduce/prevent loss of protein and your hair will be better for it than if you didn't use any at all.

[amaiaisabella]

Oh no offense taken, I was just clarifying! I know it's bleach :) I used to work in a hair salon so I definitely have seen all kinds of damage- I just didn't know how to fix it! That's what this place is teaching me.

I know it would be better for me to just put a straight color on, but I am rather sick of the brown... we will see how light she can go without using bleach though! Maybe a lighter brown will blend in.

Blueglass, the henna and placenta packet, are you talking about the one from HASK? And do I use it as a deep conditioner, or do I need to condition after?

[amaiaisabella]

akurah can I only buy coconut oil online or is there any chance of finding it in health food stores? I think it is edible, do I buy that one?

[Delilah]

If you really want to do it, and more importantly if it will make you happy and feel more attractive, do it. It's on your head, and there for your amusement, if you're taking to heart the good hair care tips here your hair will be far better off than the average person's anyways.

A lot of us talk about the '2 week rule', think about any major hair changes for 2 weeks and be positive before you do them. Keeps us from rash decisions and such.

Oil frequently, do a deep treatment of your choice the next day, and try to cut down your washing frequency for a bit. Dye will strip your hair of it's natural goodies, give it a chance to recover. If it likes protein, give it a protein treatment. It will help with the weakening of your hair's structure due to dye.

[akurah]

akurah can I only buy coconut oil online or is there any chance of finding it in health food stores? I think it is edible, do I buy that one?

The edible stuff will likely work fine. You'll probably want to get pure unrefined coconut oil, and there are a number of places that sell it. (I personally don't know if the edible stuff is unrefined or not)

I get mine at the VitaminShoppe in the mall. GNC also carries it. Any store that sells vitamins will likely have it.

Places like Whole Foods will have it, and *possibly* Trader Joe's. Some of the larger supermarkets who have an ethnic section will likely have coconut oil as well.

[amaiaisabella]

I will definitely try to wash less, but I have noticed that with the CO, it gets greasier faster :(

I've been thinking about it for more than 2 weeks- I made the appointment in February when I first had the urge! :)

I'm trying to figure out a more effective oil than jojoba. I'm trying to use a very little bit, since my hair is so fine, but it doesn't really make that much of a difference. Would coconut oil weigh my hair down?

[amaiaisabella]

I have a GNC near me! I can check it out tomorrow. Is it solid, and do I have to melt it? Or is it liquid like jojoba?

[Delilah]

Sometimes you just have to let your hair be greasy for a day. Put it up in a pony and go on with life, the world doesn't care. Your hair will be better off for it.
Do it enough and you will get greasy more slowly and be able to extend your washing frequency.

[Curlsgirl]

I used to bleach very light and sometimes pull it through, blow dry, iron, you name it until I came here. I decided I wanted as healthy of hair as I could have without giving up covering the gray. I didn't want red or I would have tried henna. Anyway, I went darker and as close to my natural color as I could with a semi-perm color and started touching up the roots ONLY from then on with a permanent color. I even got highlights at a salon a couple of times as you can see in my signature pic. I stopped blowdrying almost completely, stopped ironing and started treating my hair VERY well. I am very happy with the health of my hair now. I think if you are very good to it otherwise you can color chemically and get away with it unless you want to go EXTREMELY long maybe. Good luck! Be sure to post pics!

[amaiaisabella]

Thanks for the good wishes, curlsgirl! My goal is BSL, because my hair is very fine and I don't have the patience to have it any longer. I used to have it there in high school, so I know I can do it! :)

It takes very long to grow though, so I am trying the Monistat, but I am not sure I am doing it correctly or using enough cream.

Delilah, you are right. I hate ponytails though, because mine is stubby and looks frizzy at the end, no matter in what shape it is in. Usually I divide my hair in two and do pigtail braids, or I do minibuns, sort of like Princess Leia, but a lot smaller :) I'm coloring Saturday, and I COed yesterday, so I am going to try to leave it be until then.

[Curlsgirl]

If I am not mistaken it is better to wash at least a day before coloring and not use a leave-in if you want the hair to "grab" and hold on to the color better. That is what several colorists have told me anyway. Then after, you should condition/moisturize the heck out of it and wait as long as you can to wash again.

[spidermom]

Coconut oil will be solid at temperatures below about 75-80 degrees. Just scrape up a small amount and liquify it by rubbing it among fingertips or between your palms, then apply to your length. It is very light and will be completely absorbed, unless you use too much. It washes out easily; I do it with very diluted shampoo.

My hair responds very well to olive oil also, and it only takes about 2-3 drops for my length. If you haven't, give it a try. Start with 1 tiny drop.

[amaiaisabella]

Thanks for the info spidermom! I will look for it tomorrow at GNC.

Curlsgirl, since I just did CO and jojoba oil (no leave in) do you think my color will "stick" okay? I have always heard the greasier your hair is, the better the color will take.

My plan after is definitely to continue CO but I need a new conditioner- I don't like the Vo5 Passionfruit smoothie. It leaves my hair a bit too greasy. Is there any you guys would recommend? Preferably cheap since I have to use a lot of it! :)

I had tried the Hask henna and placenta before but am still confused as to whether it is considered a deep conditioner or a treatment where you have to use conditioner after. Even if I don't buy it again, the coconut oil is a must buy!

[justgreen]

I find I like the results from highlighting and lowlighting much better than whole head bleaching. But to each his own! It's really difficult to keep your hair properly moisturized when all of it is bleached. I find with highlights, it's much easier to have healthy looking hair all over, and I can honestly say I have very few splits. I only get a dusting taken off once a year.

[justgreen]

Just as an added afterthought (actually going back and reading page two of this thread), I don't actually use oil anymore on my hair , except in use with distilled water, and it's pretty durn happy. I make sure I use my spritzer (home made) on my ends after washing, along with a pea sized amount of cone free conditioner. I keep the ends wet, so they are the last to dry. Oil is not exactly moisture, but can help seal in moisture if you use it on wet/damp hair. It's also much easier to remove than a cone product.

I use distilled water, so as not to add more minerals to my hair from tap water. I do a final rinse with distilled water also, to help wash the minerals from my hair. Those minerals cling to hair as the water evaporates when your hair is drying. My spritzer consists of :
4 ounces distilled water
2-3 drops jojoba oil
1/4 ounce of orange blossom water (or 2-3 drops of your favorite EO scent)

Shake well each time before using, so that the oil blends in with the water.

That spritzer is one of my few holy grails and I don't leave home without it.:D

[Riot Crrl]

Oh no offense taken, I was just clarifying! I know it's bleach :) I used to work in a hair salon so I definitely have seen all kinds of damage- I just didn't know how to fix it! That's what this place is teaching me.

I know it would be better for me to just put a straight color on, but I am rather sick of the brown... we will see how light she can go without using bleach though! Maybe a lighter brown will blend in.

Now we are talking. I'm sorry if my first reply seemed rude at all, I did not mean it that way. It's just if I could time travel, I'd try to prevent my own self from most lightening experiences I have ever done.

Have you considered a product like ColorFix or ColorOops? I have used this successfully, though it was so long ago I can't properly remember which one. I think they both work pretty much the same. If it's damaging at all, then it's definitely much less so than bleach. It seemed like it at first, though. My hair was like rubber bands, and I thought I would have to cut it off. Then it dried to normal hair in a few hours. I've never heard of a stylist using this. They just use bleach to do it.

Strand testing will be key, but you would probably find you have to dye over it. It removes deposited dye, but if any dyes you used were lifting at all (and some darker dyes are) then you may have some weird shades going on under there. Try 1-2 shades lighter than natural color for dying over, and use deposit-only dye to avoid lifting the natural roots.

[Isilme]

just remember that you can't fix damage, you can do protein treatments and moisture your hair, and it will feel better. But you can never reverese damage, it's going to be there until you cut it off. You probably know this but I want to make sure you know it before you do anything. I coloured my hair two times in a row and fried it, but I though it could be fixed with some deep treatments. No. I wish someone had told me about the nature of damage before I went ahead and put those colours on my head. At waist length + I still have the damage left and that hair requires a whole different treatment than my virgin hair, I'm just lucky I found henna to improve the condition and blending in the colours.

[Katze]

I have to also add my cautionary voice, as the owner of fine hair that was bleached, dyed, highlighted, toned, foiled...call it what you want, I wish I had stopped maybe with one trip to the salon.

While it is true that you can minimize damage through bleach, the problem was that my roots kept growing in and so I kept bleaching...and even the salons "pulled through to the ends." When I suggested maybe only bleaching the roots, I got scoffed at.

No one ever told me that my hair was fine and needed extra treatment, and that I might want to consider letting my (actually quite nice) natural color grow in if I wanted long hair...until I came here. ;)

If you look at my avatar pic you can see some of the orange from my last "dye over the blonde to make it match my natural color" down at the bottom. It's mostly gone, but there was no way around the two-toned look. I just had to grow it out.

That said, it seems like you really are committed to dyeing, so I will give you a last bit of advice. Last summer, I bleached highlights into a friend's virgin hair. Her hair is very similar to mine in texture and color, and after the bleaching I did an SMT on her. She never bleached again, the highlights are grown halfway down her length now, and her hair looks long and thick and seems healthy. So a one-off bleaching isn't as bad as the repeated going-blonde that I did.

Katze

[Curlsgirl]

I never heard that coloring greasy hair is better than clean hair, always been told the 24-48 hour wash before thing that I mentioned. :shrug:

[justgreen]

I've always heard not to wash your hair the day before bleaching, as it gives some protection to the scalp. I also do not wash afterwards, usually the 3rd or 4th day, but then, I don't have an oily scalp, so I'm not bothered by it. I just bun it and go.

[Curlsgirl]

I've always heard not to wash your hair the day before bleaching, as it gives some protection to the scalp. I also do not wash afterwards, usually the 3rd or 4th day, but then, I don't have an oily scalp, so I'm not bothered by it. I just bun it and go.

Right. I have heard leave at least one day in between washing and color preferably two but not too long.

[amaiaisabella]

The thing with highlights is that I went to another salon and the stylist did straight bleach on my hair, then never put a color on top. So basically I had white streaks, which dried out my hair tremendously! I ended up putting a permanent color over it so the streaks were toned down to a dark blonde/light brown. Thankfully they have since grown out.

Katze, my plan is to get the whole head bleached, with a color put on after (say dark blonde), and then I will buy the boxed color and do only the roots. I color my mom's hair this way and it's fair to say that it's as healthy as any of yours (just quite a bit shorter! :)) Only rarely do we comb it through, say twice a year.

I definitely don't want to go too light, so thankfully the bleach will only be on my hair for a short period of time. My goal is what they used to call "dirty blonde", the dark blonde. My hair right now is a medium brown, so it's not too much of a lift.

My problem is that because I have been dying my hair so long, my color always fades to this weird unattractive red. The stylist told me that by using a deposit-only color, I can avoid the fading and thus have to color less. I'm hoping she can put one of those on after the bleach- if she even agrees to do the bleach! She's very cautionary, which is why I like her!

Thank you guys for all your help. You are great. :) One more thing- I have been using Vo5 for my CO (Passionfruit smoothie) and I am not too fond of it as it leaves my hair sort of limp and greasy. Is there any other you would recommend for CO?

[wintersun99]

............

[peachy.pudding]

The problem with giving up straightners and blowfrying is that once you have bleached the **** out of it, it will be all dry, fuzzy and kinky and i remember when i did that to my hair i needed straightners just to make it look decent.

Plus with all the hassel of doing the roots, and constantly overlapping the hairdye, because lets be honest it would be impossible if it didnt overlap by an inch or so.

I am not sure what your hair goals are but if you are not looking for hair that is too long or low maintenance.

Then your high maintence short hair will be achieved with lots of updos, no washing and a great deal of conditioner and oil. Good luck

[amaiaisabella]

Thank you guys! I will look for the Vo5 conditioners that were mentioned.

peachy.pudding, my goal is BSL or a little shorter, basically resting on the top of my chest. That's super long for me :)

The appointment is tomorrow- I'll be sure to post pictures! :)

[Delilah]

Cool, we love pictures.

Just a comment: although many of us have extreme lengths in mind and do every.single.thing.possible to protect our hair, not everyone has the same goal. amaiaisabella's goal length is bsl and it sounds like she is taking fantastic care of her hair besides the haircolor, which she is smartly going to a hairdresser to have done.
Different goals does not mean a person is any less committed. It sounds like she has made many positive changes in her haircare.

[amaiaisabella]

awww Delilah, thank you :) You guys have taught me a lot!

I went out and bought today Kiss my Face's Whenever conditioner. It smells so good! I'm hoping it won't weigh my hair down like the Vo5 did.

I'm still planning to CO a few days after she colors my hair, and I'm going to try to wash less often, but I have a feeling it'll probably be max 3 days between washes- my hair is just too fine to sustain longer than that! But CO seems like a good method for me :) and my hair hasn't felt better in ages.

[amaiaisabella]

Well, I went this morning!

I told the stylist my goal is to grow my hair long, and she immediately told me to stop coloring. She said bleach would make it even worse and stunt my growth. Because I have a reddish tinge, she put a semi-permanent straight color on my hair to get rid of the red that matched my roots. She told me if it did fade, then I would have to do it again in 2-3 months, but if it doesn't, then I can just grow out my hair!

I really wanted the blonde, but I do remember that my hair was dry and frizzy after the higlights. So I guess this is a better choice. I was thinking that once most of my hair is virgin again, I will do natural methods of lightening my hair (lemon juice, cinammon).

Here's a picture. I didn't get to do my usual methods of drying it straight since I was out:
http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z20/amaiai64/newhair.jpg

[peachy.pudding]

thanks for the pic, your hair is really dark!!! Not sure how you would have gone blonde without so much damage. I am glad you took your hairdressers advice. You could always go light brown, but anything involving lots of bleach for hours on end will obviously ruin your hair.

Hope you can get your hair lighter with natural methods, maybe you could opt for 20% highlights throughtout your hair in light brown as there is only so much lemon juice can do.

[amaiaisabella]

Yeah it is pretty dark. I'm not sure whether I like it yet. My mom said she can still see red, but it's more of a dark red/auburn. If I don't like it in a week or so, I'm going to make an appointment to see her again. She said if it fades or I am not happy within a month, I can come in and she will fix it for free.

[blackfrostqueen]

Sorry if someone as already mentioned this or what not...haven't had a chance to read the whole thread. But if you wanted to lighten up your hair a bit...or over time...why not try honey or cinnoman. They would lighten your hair and won't damage it any. Maybe a little dry when using the cinnamon, but that's easily fixed after conditioning a few times.

Cinnamon Thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2125)

Honey Thread (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148)

[Aljona]

I think your hair looks really pretty in that pic. It looks shiny and healthy, bleach would probably destroy it.

[amaiaisabella]

Thanks Aliona! I am gradually getting used to it.

Supposedly the semi-permanent is supposed to fade less since it is straight dye, no developer. If it does fade over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to go in to see her.

I was just really down because I was picturing myself as a blonde :( Realistically I know I shouldn't try for it until I get longer but... I built myself up and then she told me what I could do. I had picked out a lighter color but my hair absorbed more since it was so porous from all the damage.

blackfrostqueen, I had read the cinammon thread and I think it's something I'm going to try once my hair gets more natural, and I've stopped coloring. I'm not sure if it would have the same effect on dyed hair.

The thing is, I like dark hair on me, but I am very pale so sometimes I look a bit washed out and other times I fancy myself looking like Anne Hathaway :)

[Blueglass]

You are very far from light brown. Your color is very pretty. Once you've grown out your natural, may multiple application of BAQ henna would make a purply reddish overglaze. Looking at your haircolor I guess your a winter if thats similar to your natural color.

[amaiaisabella]

blueglass that sounds interesting. What is BAQ henna? Do you have any information on it?

Does winter refer to my hair or skin tone? I'm pretty pale :) But a purplish/red undertones on brown hair sounds really cool... I'm not sure how I would get it though!

[amaiaisabella]

I was hoping to find out more information about the BAQ henna, or any other method that will darken my hair. It is pretty dark since the dye but I am concerned about it fading. What are some things I can do to try to put off fading as long as possible?

I am definitely going to try to wash my hair less, and I'm CO.

I'm not sure whether I eventually want to go lighter or darker, as I'm pretty pale. I would like to try other methods besides chemical color. I am worried that it might fade and look uneven, and so long as it is all one color, at this point I don't care what color it is. I just want it healthy!

I think for me that my hair looks healthier when it is dark. Opinions?

[Isilme]

have a look at www.hennaforhair.com and read the henna thread in the henna and herbal things forum here at LHC. Also, in the articles section there is much information written by Nightshade.

[Blueglass]

Sorry I didn't answer. Henna tends to be very permanent, but if your hair is that dark it seems it wouldn't be very noticable. Winter refers mostly to skin tone. Do you look good in silver jewerly, and black outfits? you can learn a lot about henna and indigo on LHC.

[amaiaisabella]

I look good in black, but I mostly wear gold jewlery. My skin has a pink undertone.

I am going to look up henna here at LHC- am I correct in assuming that there is a dark henna as well, or is henna just red and you mix it with other things to get dark?

[Isilme]

yup, henna only comes in red and you can mix it with other herbs to get different colours. Remember that henna will not lift colour, only add red and orange (in sunshine and the first days before oxidation, it's actually not orange, just a little bit rusty and strawberry blonde red)

[amaiaisabella]

I don't really like red in my hair. I was hoping to get some blue or purple undertones but I'm not sure how to do that. I'm going to try to give my hair a rest, so long as it doesn't fade.

I looked up the cinammon as lightening, and it looks really interesting. I'm going to try to wait a few months to do that since I want to see if this fades first.

I really hope it doesn't though. I'm getting rather used to it :(

[Blueglass]

That sounds like winter. What about hibiscus. I've been thinking that would be a better red for you then orangly henna. Look up hibiscus, in the natural dyes thread.

[atlantaz3]

Back to the original question - my low lights are my natural color and my stylist does a very good job matching. I get low and highlights about twice a year and do SMT 3-4 times a month. I've been experimenting with the honey lightening treatments as an alternative to having another 'lights done this summer. So far I'm happy with the color and don't seem to see root grow out. She uses avada products if it makes any difference. I haven't noticed any major damage (yet) to the treatments I had and the last one was in August.

[amaiaisabella]

Thanks for sharing your experience :)

Blueglass, I went through reading the natural dyes thread but I got pretty confused. It seems like there is a lot to mix, but I wasn't too clear on what to mix with. Do I put it in boiling water and let it steep, like I am making tea? Do I mix the hibiscus with henna? How do I get henna?

First I'm going to see if this color fades. I really hope not, as it's looking nice and shiny and somewhat thick. The stylist did tell me that the color should add shine and silkiness but we'll see if it lasts after I CO.

[Blueglass]

Amaiaisbella, I think you should ask mellie about her hibiscus raise. If you want more then a raise
maybe you can get cassia from Henna Sooq or Henna for Hair, or a colorless henna from any place that sells colorless henna like Avigal, Rainbow, or Anthony Morrocco, (which has great customer service, but, others are fine too, and mix that with hibiscus. I'm really not sure red henna would be right for you, though, I don't see as it would be very noticable on your dark hair. Also save the hair from brush or comb, arrange it so it hangs straight, double it over, so you can experiment with it, especially because, you have chemicals in your hair, you will want to make sure that any substance will not react in some unforeseen way. Or create a permant, or hard to get rid of color you don't want.

[groque]

I color my hair and highlite and don't do anything special. I don't use heat so I know that helps a lot. but since you are doing that are you only doing the new growth or all over to the ends? I would think that using 10 vol to lighten your hair would help some since you are so light anyways. I would think doing it yourself you would be able to know what percentage peroxide you are using so that you could at least try to not damage your hair so much. You could even do the highlites if you ever do with 10 vol. you will still get a dark blonde with that.

just some ideas to help in your quest.

[amaiaisabella]

groque, I already went pretty dark so it's going to be very damaging at this point to go back to the dark blonde. I've already pretty much resigned myself to "natural" methods if I want to go lighter in the future.

Blueglass, thanks for the tip. It is pretty confusing to read about all the different rinses and dyes though, as I am confused as to what to mix each thing with. Hopefully I can get a better idea before I go that route.

[Delilah]

I think your new color is very pretty. Dark hair always seems shinier than light.
Because it is a deposit color it may fade significantly, give it a good rest to see what color it wants to turn into before processing it again.

[Melisande]

Amaiaisabella, I like your hair, and I like your hairdresser. Your color is beautiful, and the shine!

[amaiaisabella]

Thank you Melisande! It's always great to get a compliment from one of the wonderful hair guru's here at LHC :)

[missy60]

I was hoping to find out more information about the BAQ henna, or any other method that will darken my hair. It is pretty dark since the dye but I am concerned about it fading. What are some things I can do to try to put off fading as long as possible?

I am definitely going to try to wash my hair less, and I'm CO.

I'm not sure whether I eventually want to go lighter or darker, as I'm pretty pale. I would like to try other methods besides chemical color. I am worried that it might fade and look uneven, and so long as it is all one color, at this point I don't care what color it is. I just want it healthy!

I think for me that my hair looks healthier when it is dark. Opinions?

There are a few things that can help with the fading. Dont do any deep treatments with heat for at least 10 days after color. Protein also strips color so I would wait awhile on that, I wouldnt do any heavy oil treatments they are known to strip color. I basically dont do anything to my hair for about 10 days after coloring.

You used a semi and it does fade so expect some fading. Your stylist was very liberal with her policy of a month with a semi they are usually wash out color. There are exceptions though sometimes processed hair can grab the color and really hold on but with unprocessed hair that isnt usually the case. There is a plus side with a semi you havent altered your natural hair color so you wont have any grow out problems with the line of colored hair and uncolored hair.

[amaiaisabella]

Thanks for the info, missy60! I have not done any deep oil treatments, but I put jojoba oil on my wet hair after I CO. I noticed it's a bit less intense than it was when it was colored Saturday but it's still dark, though there are some glints coming through that are a little bit red.

I will definitely avoid deep treatments. I had been considering doing a reconstructor, but I'm glad I held off. All I've used since the coloring was Kiss My Face's Whenever conditioner to CO today, and then a bit of jojoba oil to smooth it down.

[Nightshade]

blueglass that sounds interesting. What is BAQ henna? Do you have any information on it?

Does winter refer to my hair or skin tone? I'm pretty pale :) But a purplish/red undertones on brown hair sounds really cool... I'm not sure how I would get it though!


have a look at www.hennaforhair.com (http://www.hennaforhair.com) and read the henna thread in the henna and herbal things forum here at LHC. Also, in the articles section there is much information written by Nightshade.

The two articles these lovely ladies referenced are linked in my siggy. Henna is great, but it isn't for everyone, so be sure to do lots of reading before making a decision. :flowers:

ETA: I found on my previously dyed ends that they didn't respond well to straight oils. I had much better luck with Fox's Shea Butter Conditioning cream.

Sniped from my journal:
Leave-Ins: After a shower I use Fox's Shea Butter leave in, which is 1 part coconut oil, 2 parts conditioner, and 2 parts shea. I use Frank & Myrrh Shea because I love the smell, and my Jason Henna-Hi Lights conditioner. To make it I add the shea to a glass bowl in the sink, surrounding it with hot hot water and mash with a spatula until it's melted, replenishing the hot water as often as necessary to keep the glass hot. Then I add in the coconut oil (it has a lower melting point, so it blends into the shea quickly. Then I take out the bowl, dry it off and add the conditioner and blend with a hand mixer. To make it set faster and keep it from getting grainy I put it in the freezer for a minute or two, take it out and hit it with the hand mixer again. Repeat until it's the consistency of frosting and well blended. Once its done I transfer it into a glass jar and put it in the bathroom. To apply I scrape up about two peas worth and smooth it between my palms, then start at the ends, smoothing them, working higher up as there is less and less shea on my hands.