Don't know what to do - cut/color???

[2luvmycurls]

So in July, I did henna. I really liked the results - people said it looked natural and it totally got rid of my dermatitis of my scalp. However, I had lots of growing out highlights, so that area was much more copper shaded, then the area up from that to my roots were a more auburn. I haven't hennaed since late November, and now I have 3 colors! Eek! My natural ash brown hair, which has blond at the front sides. I've never pulled out a few white hairs I've spotted!!! Crazy! So, needless to say, I have no clue what to do. My sister and mom dont' think the red that is closest to my roots looks so natural - they much prefer the more coppery red on me, which can't happen with henna since my natural color is ash brown. I've actually thought of getting it cut so all the lighter color is cut off and .... I really don't know what to do, so I haven't done a thing ...really, my hair is a mess. I've taken some pictures to try to show, but of course, lighting always changes colors with cameras. (I had my hair in a braid for the past 2 days, so sorry it looks so gross)

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1025/dsc08911r.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/3033/dsc08913b.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8416/dsc08914n.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/347/dsc08915j.jpg

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8227/dsc08917i.jpg

So, any ideas at all? I have a vacation to CA this July, so I'd love to like my color by then. I love how henna got rid of my flakes, so ... ahhh, I just don't know!

[SheWolf]

I like the color you got from henna. I'd do that again, if it were me.

[marialena]

I agree with SheWolf. Henna color looks very natural on you, you have so white skin after all.. If I was you I would dye them again and I would retained the color.

[AutumnLeaves]

I can't answer this one because it is so personal. When I ended up with 3 colors, I cut to the root line and started over. I hated the dying and root growth merry-go-round. I like the dark auburn color, though, if that is any consolation...

[Furiana]

Give your roots highlights (maybe using lemon?), then henna over it again?

[Flynn]

I love the gradient effect! It really looks good to me as it is...

[wackyredtangles]

I personally think the whole two/three tone thing is really cool. If I had the guts and wanted to dye my hair I'd do it!

I have a friend with hair almost exactly like yours, and that is almost naturally how her hair looked. It would grow in a darkish brownish color, get lighter somewhere in the middle, and then at the ends be almost blondish.

If you henna again, it might even up the color. I hennaed over dye, old highlights, so on and so forth, and I got a mostly even color, and any tone change looked mostly natural.

Maybe try a series of henna glosses instead of a full on application? The last time I hennaed I mixed it with coconut milk, and I really liked the effect that gave.

Anyways, good luck!

[windinherhair]

I think the other shade of color looks pretty! I hope I can get the courage to try it myself someday when I am ready. I think the henna looks beautiful.

[Katze]

I think your hair looks really nice the way it is. My best friend's hair often looks like that from old henna or dye, and I envy the colors - ike you she is pale and it suits her.

AS I understand it repeated hennaing will build up even on the roots, but also might deepen the color on your ends. If you like the henna, why not stay with it, especially since it is so nice to your scalp?

www.renaissancehenna.com has some nice before and after pics and mixes for different colors, and she's nice, too...

[mugglemomof3]

Back when I was a blonde teenager, my hair always had at least two colors in it. During the summer my hair would get really light, and then in the winter it would darken up, so as the years progressed, I'd have different colored sections. I think it looks more natural that way.

I wonder if there's any way to mix up two different colors of henna and put one on your ends and a different one on your roots (like mix one with indigo and the other with cassia?) and comb through to get a feathery effect??? There's an LHCer on here who does this sort of thing - I think she has an article in the articles section. I'll try to find her.


ETA2: You might read this article and see if it gives you any ideas:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=102


ETA: Katze - that's a cool site! Thanks for posting about it. :waving:

[Gutterfayrie]

I think your hair looks great with henna, and I LOVE your curls!

[2luvmycurls]

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond everyone! I'm thinking *maybe* I'll try soaking my hair in lemon juice on the top 2/3 of my hair to see if it will lighted it a bit...if it does, then I think I'll henna it again, maybe this time with PP instead of Yemen. If the lemon juice doesn't work, I'm still not sure. I have mixed feelings about the red on my natural color -- I like the actual color, but agree with my family that it isn't the best shade for me. The other way I've had my hair that I really like it was with it natural color (ash brown) with very blond (like a pale ash blond) highlights, but to do that would probably mean having to cut a great deal off or finding a close enough boxed shade..plus that doesn't take care of my scalp issue. I'm just kind of thinking out loud here. Thanks for the suggestions/advice. I'm open to anything - I'm sure I haven't thought of everything. :)

Oh, I also have some pictures in my album *I forget what it's called, but it has pictures of me growing up* that shows my hair as a natural blond when really little and then with my natural ash brown.

Thanks again!!!!

[Heidi_234]

2luvmycurls, if continue on hennaing is not something you want, you can try and honey lighten the line between the hennaed length and the new virgin growth. It won't drastically lighten it, but it will blur the line and make the transition more subtle.
I think the ends look okay in comparison to the rest, because ends tend to lighten and become highlighted. I really love the look of brighter ends on many (and would love it on myself too). Henna is very permanent, didn't you expect to have to do root touch ups once your hair grows?

[2luvmycurls]

Thanks Heidi. Yes, I knew I would have to do roots, but because I had so many highlights and now, after 6 months of regrowth, I guess I just didn't realize how dark it would be. I don't mind dark necessarily, because the rest of my family all have very dark brown (almost black) hair, but they think the red on the upper part of my head borders on fake looking. However, they thought the lighter red color looked very natural.

[Heidi_234]

You can try henna\cassia mix, it would the color warmer, lighter, and maybe more natural looking (like Nightshade's color nowadays as opposed to the red she had when doing straight hennas).
If you did just one henna (as far as I understand, if you did just few it applies too), then you could try lighten with honey the darker part, and carry on on the new growth with henna/cassia mix. Honey lightening is not damaging, and my hair actually feels heavenly after it (and if you add the cinnamon, even a little bit, it smells great :)).
I'm repeating the suggestion on the honey since it's a color fixing we are talking here, honey is not one way street as other things like coloring or cutting.

[feralnature]

Actually, I like how your ends are lighter than the hair near the roots. it has a natural effect like when the sun bleaches the ends. Perhaps just keep henna-ing the roots and loving the differences in color and texture of the rest of your hair...I think your hair is quite striking :)

[Furiana]

2luvmycurls - If you do try the lemon thing, may I recommend doing a test strand first? Lemon juice tends to dry out hair! Some people report soaking their hair in straight lemon juice, leaving it 15 minutes, and rinsing it out with no ill effect; others feel like it "fried" their hair, even though they diluted it heavily.

[brok3nwings]

I actually like those too colours together, one is lighter than the other but they are the same colour so it seams like it has been bleach by the sun (natural effect). I woudnt cut it unless i had damaged hair from the highlights

[enfys]

I like the look of it as it is too, and I think it looks sort of natural in the photos; I know it might look very different in real life.

I'd ignore it, or use dilute henna to help your scalp. I've never used henna, but that's the consensus on it here so I'm jumping on that bandwagon.

[Calista]

If I understand correctly it is not so much the demarcation line between your ends and the bulk of your hair as the fact that the auburn henna colour doesn´t look natural on you (or so your family claims). You would like your overall colour to be closer to what your ends look like, right? And you like the soothing/conditioning effect henna has on your scalp.

So what I would suggest is looking into different henna mixes to find one that gives you the colour you want. You could also try cassia to give you the conditioning effects without much of a colour.

[2luvmycurls]

Yes, Calista, that's exactly right. It just seems like such a dramatic difference too, especially when I have my hair in a bun or straight down (more so than the pictures show). I think I'll try cassia and see if that helps my scalp. Also maybe honey and/or lemon first to see if that lightens my scalp/upper 2/3 of hair....I guess it's kind of trial and error at this point. I was thinking of doing part cassia/part henna to try to get nightshade's color, but I was under the impression that because my natural color is on the darker shade of things, I wouldn't get that coppery look. I'll have to read more I suppose. Thank you all for your kind remarks.

[MeMyselfandI]

So in July, I did henna. I really liked the results - people said it looked natural and it totally got rid of my dermatitis of my scalp. However, I had lots of growing out highlights, so that area was much more copper shaded, then the area up from that to my roots were a more auburn. I haven't hennaed since late November, and now I have 3 colors! Eek! My natural ash brown hair, which has blond at the front sides. I've never pulled out a few white hairs I've spotted!!! Crazy! So, needless to say, I have no clue what to do. My sister and mom dont' think the red that is closest to my roots looks so natural - they much prefer the more coppery red on me, which can't happen with henna since my natural color is ash brown. I've actually thought of getting it cut so all the lighter color is cut off and .... I really don't know what to do, so I haven't done a thing ...really, my hair is a mess. I've taken some pictures to try to show, but of course, lighting always changes colors with cameras. (I had my hair in a braid for the past 2 days, so sorry it looks so gross)
...
So, any ideas at all? I have a vacation to CA this July, so I'd love to like my color by then. I love how henna got rid of my flakes, so ... ahhh, I just don't know!

2luvmycurls,

How did you end up with the lighter ends? Is it bleached or Chemical dye?

The middle part that is hennaed was that Chemical dyed?

My suggestion:

1. See if you can honey lighten the middle red section.

2. Then henna your hair with Moroccan Henna BQA (Hennasooq.com sells it.)

I find that Moroccan Henna does not leave a red tint to my hair like other Henna powders I have used. I find that my virgin hair looks like a lighter warm brown after hennaing. White/grey hair looks coppery. (My biggest regret is not switching to Moroccan henna from the first time I used it last June. My chemically dyed hair holds onto henna more then non chemically treated hair, and it is more red with henna. Even with the Moroccan henna chemically treated hair looks more red.

I am not sure how Moroccan Henna hair look after many henna treatments.

If you do not like the effects of the henna on your roots, middle and ends, then you still have the option to cut it. Cutting would me my last choice not one of the first choices. No going back once it is off.

[Kiraela]

I'm no expert on the subject, but from what I've read, hennaXCassia mixes may be a good way to go. You'll still have the henna to help your scalp, but the cassia will keep it lighter and more golden, rather than a colder red that you're getting with straight henna.

Good Luck!!!

By the way, I think the auburn really does look good, and natural on you. You seem to have the right skintone for it, from what I can see.

[2luvmycurls]

2luvmycurls,

How did you end up with the lighter ends? Is it bleached or Chemical dye?

The middle part that is hennaed was that Chemical dyed?

My suggestion:

1. See if you can honey lighten the middle red section.

2. Then henna your hair with Moroccan Henna BQA (Hennasooq.com sells it.)

I find that Moroccan Henna does not leave a red tint to my hair like other Henna powders I have used. I find that my virgin hair looks like a lighter warm brown after hennaing. White/grey hair looks coppery. (My biggest regret is not switching to Moroccan henna from the first time I used it last June. My chemically dyed hair holds onto henna more then non chemically treated hair, and it is more red with henna. Even with the Moroccan henna chemically treated hair looks more red.

I am not sure how Moroccan Henna hair look after many henna treatments.

If you do not like the effects of the henna on your roots, middle and ends, then you still have the option to cut it. Cutting would me my last choice not one of the first choices. No going back once it is off.

I've been highlighting my hair since I was around 14 years old; also did a few boxes of "temporary" (mostly Herbal Essence) color. The ends were from my last highlights, sometime in 2005 I think, so yes, chemical dye.

The middle section, I THINK, is mostly just henna, but it still might be a little leftover chemical dye from past indiscretions. I do like the red, just maybe not that bordering-on-plum tone I seem to almost have, so I will definitely try the honey thing...maybe this afternoon even.

[2luvmycurls]

I'm no expert on the subject, but from what I've read, hennaXCassia mixes may be a good way to go. You'll still have the henna to help your scalp, but the cassia will keep it lighter and more golden, rather than a colder red that you're getting with straight henna.

Good Luck!!!

By the way, I think the auburn really does look good, and natural on you. You seem to have the right skintone for it, from what I can see.

Thank you. Yes, I believe I do have the right skintone to get away with red hair, it's just finding out if I can get the right red with my natural hair! :)

[Furiana]

So, what did you finally decide on? :)

[Feye]

Hi, I have three toned hair too, and it has been described by people as "brown-red-blonde". It's bleached at the ends, colored in the middle, and then my natural color near the roots. It's visible in my signature pic for example.
I've been contemplating what to do with it and I haven't decided yet. I think that I'll try the Morrocco Method Light Brown henna mixed with Marigold Blonde, so my color won't be red. Either that or I'll just wait for summer to bleach it a little.

Your hair looks good! I wouldn't cut it off or do anything drastic. Perhaps do some henna highlights instead of doing the whole head?