Is there really a way to dye your hair without harming it?

[pinklemonade]

I've been complaining about having split ends/slightly damaged hair so I should be the last person doing this, but I would like to dye my hair jet black/blue black. I'm most likely going to wait till my hair's condition improves but I wish I could do it soon if there was a way! I know, using one's common sense that dyeing the hair isn't exactly beneficial but is there a way that would harm the hair Less? Wouldn't it be amazing if there were a hair dye that actually helped prevent split ends?:lol:
A hairdresser once told me that he could dye my hair using a 'special mix' which would condition and actually thicken my hair but I didn't buy it (in every sense of the word!). I know of henna and indigo but would love to know of your opinion/advice or of any other natural ways.

[Cirafly24]

Hello! I would not personally recommend using chemical dyes if you are going black. I had way more damage and breakage when I was using black dye than in the 7 years I bleached my hair blond.

If you really want to go black, I'd try a henna/indigo mix. That may actually improve the condition of your hair rather than trash it like commercial dyes with all those harmful chemicals can.

What color is your hair now?

[Kristin]

I used Natural Instincts to dye my hair black last year. I don't think the dye damaged my hair, but getting it out sure did...:(

Edit: I know my hair looks black NOW, too, but I actually color it dark brown which is my natural color (plus greys). It's lighter in length shots.

[Kaileida]

Henna/indigo is the way to go, for sure. Plus that way it might actually look natural... when I dyed my hair jet black all I heard from my dad is "that just doesn't look right on you"... -_-;

[heatherainsley]

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-manic panic or one of those brands they sell at sallys it is semi permanent and made with natural ingredients they have a nice jet black i used to use

[BroknRechord]

I second the manic panic or hennigo. If you're going to use chemical dyes, the best way to avoid damage is using something deposit only. Basically all chemical dyes "lift" or strip some of your natural pigment to make their stick better. Even "semi permanent" dyes have peroxide developers. By making your hair porous, the dye adheres to the needy hair. Unfortunately, this means damage, no matter how much pigment you throw over it. If you use a temporary hair color, such as manic panic, the results may not be as spectacular the first time, but will build over time, and the added pigment will actually condition your hair rather than damage it. That would be my vote.

[juliaxena]

I'd say you are lucky you want the color that can be achieved with herbs so I would not even consider chemical dyes if I were you. I was born to be blonde, my natural color does not fit my comlexion, dark makes me look old and too strict and red is just not an option. I keep searching for milder dyes than my semi. I don't have splits luckily but I suppose good genes and lots of care have to do with that. Still I'm paranoid what will happen in the future. Just go the natural way since you can.

[TXbarbie]

I get highlights every 6 weeks and honestly I don't feel as though it damages my hair very much since she just touches up the roots. Daily damage from heat styling etc would be more of an issue than monthly coloring IMO.

But maybe highlights are different than dyeing all of your hair. Good luck! :)

[enfys]

Don't forget if you use henna and indigo that you have to be prepared to cut it out if you change your mind because henna is more or less impossible to remove. A lot of people say you marry henna.

There is an article on changing your colour with herbs, but most of them will be temporary and possibly not a very big change on already dark hair.

[Deimos]

From my personal experience it is very difficult to achieve jet black hair from henna+indigo. I have tried it for almost a year, and it made my hair feel thicker but also dryer. However, it did not get black, more dark brown/reddish brown. Also the color faded quickly from my hair.
Maybe you have more luck then me ^^ but I just wanted to share the experience.

[bumblebums]

None of the natural methods I know of will get your hair to be jet black/blue black, as in your goal color. Two I know of are coffee and rosemary/sage infusion rinses. Both are temporary, and both do darken hair, but at best you get a dark brown. I've never seen anyone get blue black with henndigo, either, but I don't really stalk people's pics here too much (and digital photos often do not accurately represent color anyway).

I used semi-permanent dye for a few years to get that color. I don't think it was nearly as damaging as all the heat styling and products I used. In fact, the hair was shiny and felt thicker and (to me at the time) healthier. I have a friend with beautiful, shiny waist-length hair, and she dyes it black to condition it, not just because she likes the color.

I should say that I am not recommending you go the dye route--it won't fix your split ends, for one, and in the long term, it may actually turn out to be damaging. But dye isn't necessarily death to your hair. There are plenty of members here who dye their hair with chemical dyes and have gorgeous hair.

[pinklemonade]

Hi Cirafly24! Thank you for your advice! I’m very curious in fact about using an indigo mix. My hair is dark brown. It’s not brown (though in the sun it’s really light brown!) but it’s not black either… Here are a few pictures of my hair in an older post if you scroll down on that page:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?p=786108

So though my hair does look pretty dark, I want it JET BLACK like Dita Von Teese, you know what I mean?! J

Kristin, that’s another thing that worries me: the growing it out part! Ugh, and I don’t like the idea of having a lighter color on my roots once the color grows out. Do you know of anything ‘natural’ that would just fade out (sort of like semi permanent?). Does that exist? By the way, I really like the color of your hair –it does look black, and it’s so shiny!

Kaleida, thanks that’s good to know! My hair is naturally pretty dark but I want the ‘darkness’ to be even more evident….I don’t know what skin tone you have but judging from your picture, your black hair looks awesome too!

Heatherainsley, thank you for the suggestion! Your hair looks pretty black in your profile pic, that’s what aiming for J

Broknrechord, thank you for your explanation it’s much clearer for me now. It’s good to know that there is something that wouldn’t damage my hair even more. J

Juliaxena, thank you for your feedback! I think your hair color is gorgeous…I always wanted to go honey blonde but when I tried it so didn’t go with my features, so now I’m aiming for the opposite: jet Black! J

TXbarbie, I think daily heat styling is worse too, my damage in fact comes more from straightening/blow drying than anything else but I would prefer a more natural option to dyeing my hair rather than using bleaches peroxides etc….

[pinklemonade]

Why are there J's instead of the smiley faces I inserted??! lol
enfys,Deimos and bumblebums, thank you for the advice and for sharing your experiences. I definitely don't want to worsen my hair's condition so want to make sure I know what I'm doing beforehand.
I have a friend who has blue black hair and she told me that she got it done at a hair salon and they used indigo. But I'm suspecting they also used other 'non-natural' substances...

[BroknRechord]

Manic panic and punky colours both fade with each shampoo and are vegetable based with similar ingredients. I'd try Ebony PK or Raven MP. http://www.manicpanic.com/best%20hair%20color/raven.html Can't wait to see the results!

[chelssix]

You can use a deposit only color since you are going darker. I'd suggest using a demi permanent- it lasts as long as permanent, but uses a low-level developer and doesn't lift the hair. It should also be ammonia free.

[Sunny_side_up]

I've only ever dyed my hair once, years ago. I used herbatint, the conditioner used at the end smelled very nice and after had that feeling of soft silky hair but not a noticable change in colour- well wouldn't expect much of a change from my usual very dark brown to mahogany chestnut. in bright natural light it would have that deep red brown to it. Though my hair does get slightly lighter in summer without me doing anything different to it.
My sis used to be obsessed with black hair dyes & went from thick BSL dark chestnut waves to longish pixie cuts:( then grew it out to armpit length and became a fan of box dye vibrant reds, but with that came dryness. Its been now for few years, but i shall be sending some coconut oil her way as when we were talking about hair it sounds like she'd be keen on the stuff.

[jexichan]

Here's another person chiming in about their negative black hair dying experience. When I did this, my splits increased and it seemed to catalyze a huge shed of my hair that I am still recovering from two years later. I eventually chopped off the damaged locks and started over. A year of henna treatments has made a world of difference for my hair.

The free .pdf file on hennaforhair.com has info on how to dye your hair different colors with varied amounts of henna and/or indigo. I'd do a lot of research to foresee what shade you'll end up with, and even then I'd do a strand test, no matter what you choose, and would consider doing some deep treatments to work on the general condition of your hair first.

Good luck! You should be able to achieve at least close to your goal color with minimal damage with either herbal treatments or vegetable dyes- just make sure that you're okay with whatever permanence is involved with the method you choose.