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View Full Version : Not dyed - why is my hair 2-toned?



soonerpgh
September 24th, 2010, 03:23 PM
I had a co-worker take a picture of my hair to post on here and I noticed that it's a different color at the scalp than at the ends. I haven't colored my hair in years. What could be causing it? :confused:

I usually use a curl-enhancing product of some sort, like Catwalk's Curls Rock and that makes it much curlier. But today, I just washed, conditioned and let it air-dry to get an accurate idea of my hair's natural state. Could the products I've been using effect the color of my hair?

Here's the pic:

http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff497/Biscuitsmom/Hair-1.jpg

adiapalic
September 24th, 2010, 03:27 PM
I actually posted on the "ombre hair" thread on this yesterday. Ombre hair is the intentional color change of the ends from the new-growth--looks like colored hair growing out.

If your ends are lighter than the new growth, it's most likely caused from exposure to sunlight. Over time the older hair gradually becomes more and more sun-bleached. My hair is like this, actually.

slz
September 24th, 2010, 03:29 PM
Yes, sun and overall "damage" - as in just, regular wear and tear, no need for the hair to be really damaged for the colour to change. As your hair grows longer, you'll see the ends become lghter and lighter in comparison to roots. May be more or less noticeable depending on the colour / sturdiness to begin with.

HairColoredHair
September 24th, 2010, 03:34 PM
Sunlight!

If you're a swimmer it might be even more pronounced.

I noticed (before I hennaed my hair) that my tips were blonde, but my roots were brown... all from sunlight and swimming, by my guess. :)

talecon
September 24th, 2010, 03:50 PM
oo I love the ombre! now I dont have to feel the need to run out and dye my hair - I can just blame my super dark roots and red ends on the trend ;)

LadyLongLocks
September 24th, 2010, 03:52 PM
Try taking an outdoor photo. My hair looks all different in different lighting. Sometimes my hair looks brown on top and it isn't. Try outdoor. Dont let one photo freak you out!
How does it look in a mirror?

Aleria
September 24th, 2010, 04:01 PM
Definitely sun - in my avatar the lower parts actually have faded semi-permanent black, but they are much brighter than the roots.

squiggyflop
September 24th, 2010, 04:04 PM
i vote sun bleaching.. its the reason i continue to henna my hair.. my hair is chestnut brown at the scalp and fades to red and eventually strawberry blond on the ends..

torrilin
September 24th, 2010, 04:14 PM
Totally normal. I describe my natural color as blondish-brownish-reddish because even in a pixie cut, it refuses to stay just one color. Near my temples, my hair is blonde, often sunbleached to almost platinum. The main parts of my hair are colors ranging from light brown to dark ash brown. And there are sections that have just plain red highlights.

The number one reason I am likely to dye my hair is to get the damn stuff to be one color. I usually end up going for something a lot darker than my natural color, so I don't look so monochrome... which sounds weird :). But near-black hair ends up acting like a black outline on a drawing, it brings all the details into focus. Despite the red tones in my hair, red doesn't tend to work on me. My skin is too pink, and my hair is really enthusiastic about helping red to wash out. My hair cheerfully bleaches to various shades of golden blonde on its own, but then I tend to look even more monochrome than usual.

And if you look, even people with *very* dark hair tend to have shading. It's pretty unusual to have hair that is naturally just one color.

slz
September 24th, 2010, 04:19 PM
BTW your hair is glorious, two toned and all :love:


It's pretty unusual to have hair that is naturally just one color.
Yeah and I believe that's reason number one for dyed hair to look "fake".

soonerpgh
September 24th, 2010, 04:24 PM
BTW your hair is glorious, two toned and all :love:


Awww! Thank you. As you can probably tell - volume is not a problem. :D

Emerald88
September 24th, 2010, 07:42 PM
Definately sun. In this photo you can see exactly when I quite spending time in the sun with my hair down. I also think my hair is getting darker as I age. Not sure why, but I can see it.
http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j247/meowgoddess/Hair479.jpg

marisa
September 24th, 2010, 07:48 PM
Yes, it's most likely sun lightening.

Both my daughters have very light ends compared to their dark roots from spending most of the summer in the pool.

Deborah
September 24th, 2010, 08:37 PM
It may be something else. I wear my hair in a bun and covered with a head-covering almost every day, but my hair is dark brown on top but it has a strong reddish cast down the length. I have never been able to make sense of it. It's just how my hair is. Maybe it's the same with you.

HairColoredHair
September 24th, 2010, 09:00 PM
It may be something else. I wear my hair in a bun and covered with a head-covering almost every day, but my hair is dark brown on top but it has a strong reddish cast down the length. I have never been able to make sense of it. It's just how my hair is. Maybe it's the same with you.

Do you have iron in your water? That could build up and lend a rusty/brassy cast to your hair over time?

Deborah
September 25th, 2010, 10:50 AM
Do you have iron in your water? That could build up and lend a rusty/brassy cast to your hair over time?

No. My water is extremely hard, but iron is no particular problem. My hair has done this all my life, not showing any change when I moved or went away to college. I guess it's just me.

Also, the color is not brassy or rusty looking. It looks like I added some sort of pretty red toned highlights or something like that.

Gumball
September 25th, 2010, 11:03 AM
I'd have to go with sun bleaching. It's really visible in my length. I can attribute some to damage, but a lot of it was from when I spent a whole lot more time out in the sun. Outside or with a good flash it looks like I'm growing out color, too.

Henrietta
September 27th, 2010, 10:29 AM
I'd blame sunlight too. My cousin (1a, thick, silky, hip length hair;) ) used to wear a braid for years. She divided her hair into three sections everyday in the same way. And she has natural highlights now. From blonde to grey-ish black! Everything because of the sun exposure.