Peroxide on hair that was henndigoed many moons ago?

[GlennaGirl]

Okay, give it to me straight, boyz and girls. If my hair is going to turn goose-turd green immediately before falling out in clumps, let me know.

(Yeah, I know. 5,545 posts later, I should have at least SOME idea as to the answer to this question. You'd think after the first 5,544 I'd have picked up on a fact or two, but I'm a slow learner.)

Aaaaaaaaanyway...

I henndigoed my hair a looooooooong time ago. God, I don't even remember how long ago now...a year and a half? I mean we're talking a serious good while. My hair only grows about 6" a year and I would say the last 3" of it are now henndigo, so...(hmmmmm) (thinking hard) (wrinkling brow) (thinking even harder) (smelling smoke) Fifteen inches since that's 22 less the 7 for the top of my head...less the bottom 3...ummmmmm. Twelve inches...OH MY LANDS. Two years???? Okay. Two years ago.

Let me continue...So it was, well, two years ago the last time I henndigoed my hair. It was nearly black; I did it maybe four, five times. Much later I decided to try to honey it out. Now, it's the color you see on about the bottom three inches of my hair.

Above that is all henna except for about an inch of virgin roots.

What would happen if I Sun-Inned my hair? Just a tiny bit? Or some other way to chemically lighten it just a teeeeeeeeensy bit...(Any input would be welcome)...It was always BAQ for both the henna and the indigo. If I even could lighten it, would the henna part just turn pink? I would love to have my hair slightly lighter again...I would love to go a dark blonde, actually.

What say ye? Any advice?

[Kirin]

The sad truth is, there is no way to predict the reaction of your hair to anything you use on it. Hendigo in particular really has no "fast and hard" rules. It might go green, it might not. There's no way to really tell you. The best thing to do is get some samples of your hair (fall out in the shower or hairbrush) and do strand testing to see what it will do.

Even then, it might not be a good predictor as it will only be a section of hair, not your allover hair.

[wintersun99]

do a strand test.

Going dark blond from the color in your siggy is going to be pretty difficult if not impossible (that's my opinion) to do so you would have to do heavy bleaching or highlighting and that's probably going to react with the indigo that is left (even if that indigo was a long time ago and appears to be gone)...

If it were me, I'd go to the salon and let a professional do that.

[spidermom]

Sun-In is best for people who have blonde hair already and want to get it lighter, not that there aren't exceptions. I remember that Nightshade lightened her henna with it, but she wasn't trying to go blonde, just to lighten up from burgandy to more coppery. Anyway, I really think you ought to see a colorist and probably just have your hair highlighted on the crown and around your face, leaving the henndigo bits alone, maybe blending them in with some lowlights.

[ktani]

The boards and my internet provider are taking turns going down tonight, lol.

Strand test for sure and be careful with peroxide levels, amounts and timing but check out Report #19, here, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=515060&postcount=706, no green, damage reported or problems.

Also read the first post of the peroxide thread in my siggy.

[GlennaGirl]

Thanks, everyone!

Actually, I used to routinely dye my hair blonde...blonde-blonde, not dark blonde. I mean we're talking about every color on down to nearly platinum at times. That was with regular boxed color. I'd use L'Oreal, usually. Often it was Preference but once in a blue moon I'd use a different line; however, I tried to stay with the one basic brand because French v. U.S.-based colors use different color bases and can in fact result in WEIRD-colored hair, something our chemist where I worked told me about. (I *think*, but can't really remember for sure, that L'Oreal used yellow as a base and Clairol used blue as a base? The obvious result, at least in darker colors, would be some form of green.)

Anyway, bottom line: On my virgin hair, I can lighten all the way up to nearly a platinum blonde using single-process boxed dye.

It's the henna and indigo that I don't have faith will lighten, or if they do, would lighten to anything that vaguely resembled a color that existed in nature.

I guess I'm kind of stuck with what I have now, then...Ktani, I did read that report...thank you! My indigo part is SO much darker than my natural color that I don't really want to risk it in that case. I am almost positive I'd have a very, very big difference between the bottom of my hair v. the middle v. the new roots.

As far as seeing a professional, I'd LOVE to and would be more than happy to spring the $80 plus tip--I mean let's face it, I haven't really been a financial drain on my family as far as hair goes with my once-a-month purchase of $1 conditioner for COing!--but I have almost NO faith that any pro dresser would have a clue as to what to do with indigo or henna.

So I guess I'll just wait and let my hair grow in...Spidermom, yes, that might be cool, highlights around the face...I'll let my roots get longer, though, maybe cheek-length. Right now I only have perhaps one inch of them; the last time I hennaed was about two months ago.

Thanks a bunch for the input, ladies!

Ah, you know, as I'm typing this out, my brain is whirring away and I'm wondering about the strand test suggestions. I MIGHT, MIGHT get brave enough to take about a 1/2"-thick strand of hair from between the canopy and the way-underneath and just do that one strand with some sort of chemical or other (boxed dye? I agree, Sun-In probably isn't brilliant considering my starting color). Then it would sort of blend in or I could arrange my hair to color it if it looked horrific. OR, if it came out VERY unusual, I might be awesomely cool and allow it to show in the coil of my bun...let me think about that one.

But what I really wish for is all my virgin hair back and then to do some selected highlights to end up with a caramel-ey color. That's not to be for the time being, though, obviously.

Thanks, everyone.

[spidermom]

I was going to suggest an inconspicuous strand test. Even if it turns out green, you'd only have one little piece and it might make an interesting accent for up-dos.

Knowing how long you have been longing for blonde, I'd be really happy to see you at least get some highlights.

[GlennaGirl]

I was going to suggest an inconspicuous strand test. Even if it turns out green, you'd only have one little piece and it might make an interesting accent for up-dos.

Knowing how long you have been longing for blonde, I'd be really happy to see you at least get some highlights.

Thanks, SM. Yep, you are so right, as you usually are...I know I have talked about this before; maybe it is time for that itsy-bitsy strand coloring. If I do it, I will definitely post results and if it turns out a horror, I could probably henndigo blend it in or just wear it and flaunt it! After all it would just be one little strip!

Thanks a bunch.

[ktani]

Thanks, SM. Yep, you are so right, as you usually are...I know I have talked about this before; maybe it is time for that itsy-bitsy strand coloring. If I do it, I will definitely post results and if it turns out a horror, I could probably henndigo blend it in or just wear it and flaunt it! After all it would just be one little strip!

Thanks a bunch.

Play with strand tests in the meantime and carefully and try the coconut oil with conventional chemicals if you go the hi-light route. It can help you with results.

You have nothing to lose by strand testing.

[Dorothea]

I used to have hennindigoed hair. I was outside so much that it started to turn green from the sun! Not pretty.