Dyeing my hair :O

[kristymarie87]

I caved in....i tried to dye it to my natural colour, but it came out reddish since i had red on already. So i put up with it. Nearly 5 weeks now i've been staring at it thinking its too light!

So im going to dye it medium ash brown - much closer to my natural colour. Im getting my hair trimmed tomorrow so i plan on dying it tonight.

Does anyone have any tips on how to prepare my hair for dying or how to look after it afterwards?

I can get some ingredients for homemade stuff, only i dont like anytning to oily as i have greasy hair.

I heard eggs were good, and mayo. And i've heard about coconut oil, but is that in a bottle i just buy from a supermarket or do i need to mix it?

General advice on dying with a permenant colour would be helpful too.

And then after this no more dying!! Maybe i'll start a thread like the hair up challange - days without dying challange lol and we can all measure our roots :D

[naereid]

Here's some advice (http://www.frannyslonghairstyles.com/haircare.htm#164643938) from another LHCer. Good luck! :)

[alabaster]

I have been in this boat more than once... in an effort to get back to my natural colour i dye the rest of my hair and it doesnt turn out well so i keep doing it until it is just right.... execpt that i have never gotten to the point where it is "just right"

it is such a vicious cycle...

As for the colour prep, definitely make sure it has been a few days since your last wash so you have a good build-up of natural oils on your hair to protect your scalp. I have found jojoba oil to also be a great tool for after hair colour...

The best hair mask ever is mashed up avocado... great moisturizer...

P.s if you start that # of days without colour thread i am right there with you....

[kristymarie87]

Thats an excellent site!! Basically answered all my questions :D thanks

[UltraBella]

What color is your hair now ? How light is it ?

[kristymarie87]

Its not majorly light. Its a brown colour - id say light/medium - but it has a slight chestnut 'glow' to it. I think it clashes with my cool skin tone. Whilst i dont want to be black haired again i want to be slightly darker. Its alot lighter than in my picture at the side
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[Oskimosa]

I'm going to back up that suggestion about coconut oil. I always slather my hair with coconut oil before doing any process to my hair. I like to lighten it now and then when the henna gets too dark, and a ton of coconut oil really protects it without inhibiting the lightening process. I think I used several tablespoons of it on my hair last time! It was completely soaked. And yes you can get it at the grocery store. I personally use Vatika enriched coconut oil.

Also, after coloring, when you wash out the color, I suggest following with an acidic rinse, like cool white vinegar rinse; 1 part vinegar to about 10 parts water. It should help the cuticle close back up and smooth it out after the peroxide in the dye lifts it.

[FrannyG]

I'm glad to found my web site helpful. :) Using coconut oil prior to colouring has completely changed my hair for the better. I've been doing it now for more than a year and a half; long enough to see the difference in my new growth since using it. My nape thickness is much greater than it was in the years before coconut oil, which I attribute to less breakage.

I second the idea of a final rinse with apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and water.

I also want to make sure to tell you to leave the hair dye on for the full time suggested. Since you're dying all of your hair, you only want to have to do it the once, and then just do touch-ups from there.

Sometimes people are afraid to leave their colour on long enough, don't get the proper results, and then they go and dye it all again. You really don't want to have to do that.

Also, try to go as long as you can before washing it after you dye it. Hair colour really lasts longer if you can let it set for a few days.

When you go to the hairdresser tomorrow, maybe you can suggest that she just mist your hair with water instead of washing it.

Best of luck, and I hope it turns out just the way you want it! :blossom: