Help me PLEASE!

[Tovah]

I promise I'll be brief.
It started this past spring when my hairdresser seemed to have changed my formula for my hair. I have it dyed a brownish red/auburn. In June with the more muggy weather coming and not wanting to look like I keep a hot air balloon on top of my head, I asked her to cut in a few long layers so that the hair may curl instead of frizz. The result was a frizzy lumpy 'do' with a red scalp. That's when I started hanging out on the LHC and decided not to cut my hair-easy way to deal with those pesky bad haircuts. Lately when I comb my hair or but it up in a scrunchii, I noticed that one spot toward the right side of my hair look thinner (almost to the scalp). I just assumed the hair was lighter than the rest an just the illusion of thinness.

Well, today I started parting my hair all across that area because it was driving me wild and it seems that the front of my hair (growing out bangs) seems thinner too. I parted my hair in several places and observed that on the right side of my head has a clump of hair is is only about 21/2" long! It's not blunt looking as if it were cut but very thin as if it were burned off!

What do I do? I don't want to go for a buzzcut-can't pull it off. What can I do to color my hair that will be damaged in no way, I can't just leave it to go salt and petter-I am too much in the public BTW my scalp it very pink now.


What's a tag?

[Elenna]

Do you think that this is a chemcial burn or reaction from the hair dye? Something caused this damage. Maybe you should not color again until your scalp is healed.

Oh, those pesty grays, well there is catnip or henna or indigo for natural methods. For unnatural methods, the salon hair color that several hairstylish liked to use on my hair was Redken Shades EQ. It seemed ok. I never had any problems with it.

[Tovah]

I don't know, it could be either or both. It seemed that she left the color on a bit longer than usual, and I wondered at the time. But she has been doing my hair for over 15 years now and I trusted her judgement. She may have changed the brand of hair coloring. My dear friend who uses the same beautician also commented yesterday that her hair seems much drier lately. She isn't growing her hair and wears it short so she may not notice the breakage as easily.

I wouldn't mind going 'natural' as my hair in front framing my face is almost all white, but the hair on top and back is mostly brown with some silver threads. After wearing my hair auburn for so many years, I'm afraid that I'll look dull. I was waiting for a majority of white before I went Renegray.

I really am very much in the public eye and white and gray roots and the eventual stripe down the part make it almost impossible to go gray at this point. In two years, I'll be less seen.........

On the other hand, if I were to go publicly gray, it could make a statement. I'd have to make sure that I was perfectly put together every day though to pull it off and not appear that I am neglecting myself.

[Dolly]

I promise I'll be brief.
It started this past spring when my hairdresser seemed to have changed my formula for my hair. I have it dyed a brownish red/auburn. In June with the more muggy weather coming and not wanting to look like I keep a hot air balloon on top of my head, I asked her to cut in a few long layers so that the hair may curl instead of frizz. The result was a frizzy lumpy 'do' with a red scalp. That's when I started hanging out on the LHC and decided not to cut my hair-easy way to deal with those pesky bad haircuts. Lately when I comb my hair or but it up in a scrunchii, I noticed that one spot toward the right side of my hair look thinner (almost to the scalp). I just assumed the hair was lighter than the rest an just the illusion of thinness.

Well, today I started parting my hair all across that area because it was driving me wild and it seems that the front of my hair (growing out bangs) seems thinner too. I parted my hair in several places and observed that on the right side of my head has a clump of hair is is only about 21/2" long! It's not blunt looking as if it were cut but very thin as if it were burned off!

What do I do? I don't want to go for a buzzcut-can't pull it off. What can I do to color my hair that will be damaged in no way, I can't just leave it to go salt and petter-I am too much in the public BTW my scalp it very pink now.


What's a tag?



Sorry you had this happen to you!!

That used to happen to me ocassionally when I was a regular permer....the hair burned or broke off right at then scalp.

Well, as for coloring, there is henna (which is very VERY permanent....make sure you are POSITIVE before you do that).....you can also get a gentle semi-permanent hair color.....there are numerous ones out there.....they wash out in 28 shampoos or so, and most are not very damaging......that is what I started with when I first started coloring my hair.....

[halo_tightens]

Sorry to hear about your troubles!!

I don't know if it would be your thing or not, but henna can give you lovely red or auburn hair. It's all natural, causes no damage, and is completely permanent!! I personally love the stuff, and will never go back to damaging chemical dyes.

Maybe you should read up on some of the great information about hena here, and some of the threads where people have written about their personal experiences with using it. It may not be for you, but then again, it may be just what you're looking for. :)

[Tovah]

Thanks, I've been reading all I can about Henna. There is someone who I work with who is a hairdresser off hours and when I showed her my hair today she said "you're fried!". Of course she suggested that I cut it all off...hahaha..sure. I asked her about henna and she gave me the standard beautician's answer that it has "stuff" in it and that it would only coat my hair and make it more brittle and wouldn't cover the gray. Luckily I've been reading up on H4H. I tried to educate her but she considers henna the same as deadly poison and the cure to all my woes to be a drastic haircut and a different brand of chemical dye!

I'm going slow-no cutting at all, just wearing it up. I will need to figure out just what formula for henna/indigo to come close to the color I have now. I need a heavy duty conditioner for sure before I do anything at all.

Thanks for the input.

[Arctic]

Badly damaged hair might benefit from protein treatments, always follow them with moisture treatment and keep using lots of moisturizing products otherwise too. Be careful not to overdo the proteins if you go that route, as too much protein makes your hair very dry and brittle and it might even end up breaking off. That's why moisture is so important. Some people have very protein sensitive hair, but often chemically altered hair benefit from it.

[Elenna]

With natural dyes (like henna & indigo) there is a big commitment to using these. Since you have white or silver roots, it'll be very noticeable before touch-up time. Henna makes white or silver an orangy color. Indigo is blue from what I gathered, and is used with henna to make brown. It takes a lot of prep and time to henna/indigo hair. Otherwise, henna is very good for hair texture and condition, and it's a natural herb. Be sure to investigate for a quality henna/indigo. There are several articles and threads about henna and indigo. My reason for listing all of this is because henna/indigo is not fast and easy like regular hair dye. And you probably won't be getting your hair hennaed at a hair salon.

I'm going naturally, but don't have the same lifestyle situation you do.

Even just growing short hair long is a major change. So you really have two major changes going on with your hair.

[Tovah]

The prep doesn't bother me as I am a certified herbalist even though I don't practice. When my kids were growing up I made their medicines for them as well as tinctures for boo boos and salves and ointments. I prepared infusions by the quart for those too sick to even do that. My teachers would be appalled at what I have done to myself. Well, not appalled but they would shake their heads with a grin and say "Tovah Tovah, what have you done now?"

I'm more concerned about the application and getting it somewhat even.

[Elenna]

A herbalist, that's interesting. Then as a herbalist you know all the pluses and minuses for using henna and indigo. But it is difficult to stop using chemical hair colors.

[Tovah]

OK, I'm going to visit the products forum and make up a shopping list. I will see this experience as a blessing... a gift. As soon as I figure out how to take a photo of the back of my head, I'll post recovery and growth progress.