Unhealthy hair colour?

[msdespondent]

I used to have jet black hair when I was a child. Recently my hairdresser commented that my hair colour was lovely and asked where I got it dyed. I was, of course, confused and told her that it hasn't been dyed. Upon closer inspection I realised that my hair really isn't jet black anymore. It has become very dark brownish-red. Is this a sign of my hair being unhealthy?

I use Aubrey Organics shampoo and conditioner, Camellia Sinesis oil and a boxwood comb. Not heat styling, no other products. Except the occasional organic aloe vera gel to keep to keep my flyaways in control.

Some pictures to illustrate:
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/msdespondent/LHC/P1020031-1.jpg

http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/msdespondent/LHC/P1020062-1-1.jpg

http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/msdespondent/LHC/P1020050-1-1.jpg

[Linnykinz]

I would say def. not, hair color changes as we get older (I was born brown, went blonde, then brown, black, brown) and hair takes on a mind of its own. It maybe even be healthier than it has been and now the healthy color shows through..who knows? :shrug: Your hair looks very healthy.

But your color is gorgeous, I love the color and shine. In complete envy :D

[UltraBella]

Your hair color, texture, thickness can all change as you get older. I am actually more blonde naturally than I was at twenty. I also have a patch of hair on my crown area that has gotten kinky curly over the last few years and the rest of my hair is just a little wavy.
I think your hair looks lovely !

[IcarusBride]

Your hair is so lovely! There's no way that that's damage. I was born platinum blonde and have light(sometimes dark!)brown hair now, it just changes naturally.

[BlueMuse]

Yeah, I used to be a carrot red head (before I can even remember, I didn't think my baby pictures were me when mom showed them to me a couple years ago), not so now as you can tell from my avatar (though I kept a lot of red undertones).

[Loreley]

I think your hair colour is just changing. I had black hair when I was a child and now it's like yours. :)

[berr]

One of my friends had a baby girl with jet black hair at birth. She started to shed her baby hair and by the time she was 2 all of her hair was a brilliant light blond. My hair is a bit browner than it was when I was younger. Outdoors in the sun it still looks coppery red.

[dropinthebucket]

Gorgeous colour and shine - almost looks like hendigo, it's so beautifully healthy and shiny. I wouldn't worry - perhaps your body is just cutting back on pigment production for the hair, a common age-related thing.

[msdespondent]

Thank you for all the replies and reassurances. I was getting worried because all my family members have jet black hair. I am of chinese and malay heritage. My sister is the only one who has naturally brown hair but hers is a completely different shade of brown.

My hair isn't so nice in real life. Those are just well taken shots courtesy of my sister. :o

[loralie]

Sometimes iron deposits in water can change the color of your hair, too. Do you get orang-ish stains in the tub anywhere? Definitely check into that too. Either way, your hair is gorgeous and healthy! :D

[Capybara]

I was born with black hair, but it turned platinum blonde, which deepened to dark blonde into my teens. Now, I think my colour is changing again - my scalp hair is definitely lighter than my length! I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your beautiful colour! :blossom:

[Deborah]

Your hair looks great, and wonderfully healthy. Lots of folks find their hair color changing over the years. It's perfectly natural. :flower:

[spidermom]

Your hair color is gorgeous! Don't worry.

[Akiko]

I am Japanese and my hair naturally turned reddish dark brown as it gets longer. Sometimes tap water does affect the color. My sister's hair always stays very black. But mine does not. I think it's quite natural.

[Mystical9]

Your hair looks beautifully healthy and shiny! The color is to die for, I would love to have that hair color naturally. I agree with everyone else on hair color changing as you age. :)



http://i856.photobucket.com/albums/ab121/MysticalSkye/backofhair.jpg

[Coffeebug]

Hahaha how can you ask if it looks unhealthy in any way?? That's some of the shiniest hair I have ever seen, it looks awesome!

[Gatubela]

I just have to say I love your hair. It´s SO shiny and looks very healthy to me. Beautiful color too. Congrats.

[jane53]

msdespondent, your hair looks SO HEALTHY!! And glossy!

I envy that.

My hair IS healthy, but its fluffiness and the mixture of white with light brown make it look dry and it's never been a glossy hair type. It glitters (those whites and golds) but it doesn't gloss.

You have beautiful hair!

[Anje]

Looks quite healthy to me! Hair does bleach a bit with exposure to sunlight, chemicals, and wear, but you'll notice that more if you compare the tips of your hair to the roots. How much depends on how healthy your hair is and how prone it is to changing color (I suspect lighter hair fades more). It's also normal to change color a bit as you age -- mine used to be more copper-red and is darkening to a more standard auburn shade as I've started to accumulate silvers.

Honestly, naturally jet/blue-black hair isn't that common. Even most Asians have hair that's discernably brown in intense light.

[HairColoredHair]

I agree it's likely just a natural color change. Never underestimate the power of genetics... and the elements! I know a lot of dark haired people whose hair goes red when exposed to sun/chlorine/etc.

[Ven]

The sun might change it too.

When I was 16ish, I wore hair in a half-ups alot. The underside of my hair was lighter than the top layer. I have clear memories of flipping my head over and admiring the lighter color. LOL.

Now, I no longer do half ups, and the top layer is lighter now. If I look closely at my hair the length has a honey tone over the brown but the hair closest to my scalp does not.

edit. But I agree that it changes with age too though. I have a friend who as a teenager had black hair. It is more a dark brown now and is her natural color.

[ibleedlipstick]

Your hair is beautiful. I absolutely adore the color and wish mine was as shiny... I have hair envy now.

I agree with everyone else- Hair color changes naturally with age and environment. If you spend a lot of time outdoors it can bleach your hair, and depending on your water type. It is truly a lovely color though....

[msdespondent]

Thank you for the replies. I went to check my shower drain cover and noticed some orange stains on it. Mineral deposits indeed! I always knew the tap water I had at home was hard water because some organic soap bars I bought just refused to lather well.

I have been in the sun quite alot because I teach Physical Education (PE). It's school holidays now and I'll most likely spend my days indoors. I will only have to teach PE till August though, so it's a temporary problem.

Now for pictures that will reveal why I have cited that my hair is unhealthy:
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/msdespondent/LHC/P1020068.jpg
Notice the hairs sticking out and going against the rest of the hairs?

Now for a close up:
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/msdespondent/LHC/P1020070.jpg
Is that breakage? Or layers growing out? Or me being annoyingly paranoid?

[Cupofmilk]

wow your hair looks so soft and shiny. I would doubt that could be damage there.

[Henrietta]

IMO it's not damage. Particular hairs are sticking because they are shorter which means lighter, and they are not heavy enough to lie calmly on your back:) I have tones of such hairs too! :) I think everyone has. And they are always sticking. Look at your roots at this picture. Sooooo shiny! Everything's fine with your hair.

And about the colour- I had mine darker when I was younger. Dark brown. Now it's light, sometimes even dark blonde, depending on lighting. It's not because of damage. Hair changes with our age. I know many people who had blonde hair and now have brown, and the other way round. It's normal:) I wish my hair changed colour to red somehow. I don't mind such changes:D

[Anje]

Hairs sticking out can be a sign of damage, but it can also just be a texture thing, especially for 1c and 2a folks. My new growth has a bit of a curl/wave in it for the first 2 inches or so, which makes every hair that hasn't been trimmed and hasn't caught up with the ends seem to stick out from the mass of hair. Annoying, because it's not sleek and it looks like damage, but on closer inspection it's just new, healthy hair.

Look at the ends of the sticking-out hairs. Are they blunt or frayed (indicating breakage), or tapered to a point (new growth)? That'll be your best indication.

Also, be aware that if your hair is a bit fragile, wearing ponytails all the time can cause breakage where the band sits (even with "no damage" elastics). In that instance, it's often good to switch to braids or buns secured with something other than an elastic. Moving hairstyles high and low also helps.

[msdespondent]

IMO it's not damage. Particular hairs are sticking because they are shorter which means lighter, and they are not heavy enough to lie calmly on your back:) I have tones of such hairs too! :) I think everyone has. And they are always sticking. Look at your roots at this picture. Sooooo shiny! Everything's fine with your hair.

And about the colour- I had mine darker when I was younger. Dark brown. Now it's light, sometimes even dark blonde, depending on lighting. It's not because of damage. Hair changes with our age. I know many people who had blonde hair and now have brown, and the other way round. It's normal:) I wish my hair changed colour to red somehow. I don't mind such changes:D

I think you're right. The hairs seem lighter and catch light more obviously. I mainly worried about the colour because I suspect the lightening of my hair indicates damage or soon-to-be grey hairs. On the other hand I'm paranoid about a thousand and one things...


Hairs sticking out can be a sign of damage, but it can also just be a texture thing, especially for 1c and 2a folks. My new growth has a bit of a curl/wave in it for the first 2 inches or so, which makes every hair that hasn't been trimmed and hasn't caught up with the ends seem to stick out from the mass of hair. Annoying, because it's not sleek and it looks like damage, but on closer inspection it's just new, healthy hair.

Look at the ends of the sticking-out hairs. Are they blunt or frayed (indicating breakage), or tapered to a point (new growth)? That'll be your best indication.

Also, be aware that if your hair is a bit fragile, wearing ponytails all the time can cause breakage where the band sits (even with "no damage" elastics). In that instance, it's often good to switch to braids or buns secured with something other than an elastic. Moving hairstyles high and low also helps.

Wah. You could tell from my photos that I wear my hair mostly in ponytails? I'm trying out french twists, french braids and lazy wrap buns. The twists are the only ones which can hold the entire day. I have to admit, there are some days I take a nap with my hair elastic still on. I will definitely make sure not to do that ever again

I examined some of the ends of the sticking-out-hairs. They are tapered to a point. Phew. The longer strands all the way down my back, however, are blunt.

I do agree it could be texture. I might have a mixture of fine and coarse hairs. I remember a friend from my pre-LHC days. She had Pantene Model hair, which looked really sleek. I remember requesting to braid her hair all the time. I also remember the strand all being the same length and the same coarseness.