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princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 04:04 AM
Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forums and joined mainly because I'm despairing about my hair atm. I used to have dark blonde/mousy brown hair, which I made lighter using temporary box dyes. In October I decided to have my hair bleached and was told by my hairdresser that it wouldn't damage my hair because I was only having the whole head bleached once (HA). I went ahead with it and loved my new hair, but I was sick of quite dark roots coming through after every few weeks. In the end it wasn't cost effective and I decided to have my hair dyed back to its natural colour. My mum did the same thing as me in the 70s when she was a teenager and her salon managed to get her exact colour back, with no fading.

I went to an expensive hair salon and had it dyed. It was horrendously dark brown - not my natural colour at all. But within six weeks it had faded back to my bleach blonde colour. I went to the salon and they thought that the hairdresser had used a temporary dye, apologised and booked me in with their top colourist. I went back and had my hair dyed red and then brown. But within two weeks it went a greeny/metallic/red colour (not blonde though) and it was nothing like a) the original colour and b) my natural colour. I've since been back and apparently my hair is very porous, so they're going to keep putting dye on until it 'accepts the colour'. However, I'm very upset because it's time consuming and distressing. I want my natural colour back and I'm trying to avoid having any more harsh chemicals put on me. I don't understand why it's so difficult: yes, my hair has been bleached once, but all bleached hair is damaged and porous, and it hasn't stopped other people going back to their natural colour. It feels like the hair salon is playing a guessing game with the colours, too: I've just come back from yet another colouring session with dark brown/red hair, which was not the colour on my hair sample that I was shown. I'm about to go on holiday and eventually back to school, and this isn't what I want.

Does anyone have any advice? Have you had similar experiences? My hair feels thin and limp at the moment. Not to mention the fact that the hairdresser pulls on it a lot, brushes it when it's wet etc, which is really annoying when I'm trying to not damage it and make it thicker. I'm being really careful about getting essential vitamins, using the mayonnaise treatment etc, and I'm actually considering giving up shampoo altogether. I need to give my hair time to repair and apparently limp hair can become very healthy and voluminous after a couple of months without shampoo. Again, any thoughts?

Thanks so much :(

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 04:07 AM
Also, my hair seems to have thinned quite a bit. This might be a combination of the bleach or the fact that I had some of my hair pulled out. It wasn't a massive amount but there were a couple of clumps. I'm really self conscious about it and hope it grows back soon. :(

BelleBot
August 17th, 2011, 04:18 AM
Oh dear *hugs* :grouphug: Sounds like you've had a really rough time lately. This is why a lot of us here avoid salons completely.
I've not much advice really. Except invest in some coconut oil, it can do wonders for damaged hair, especially bleached hair. Either do a heavy oiling and leave it on overnight before washing (wash it out with plenty of conditioner) or just use a fingernails scraping of it like a serum day to day.

Also this article (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79) may help as it's about looking after damaged hair.

Good luck and welcome to LHC :blossom:

Here's some standard advice for newbies (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=39) too. There are some fantastic articles on here.

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 04:40 AM
Thanks very much! I'll be sure to check them out.

Btw if anyone's interested here are some pictures of my hair through time:

Pre-bleaching:

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/38714_1548355673701_1379352213_31452699_3835368_n. jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/73429_466314494888_797064888_5160274_6814075_n.jpg

Just after bleaching (I think, might have been before:)

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/67749_452997396796_584476796_5076138_2785176_n.jpg

A few months in:

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/167018_10150377132630515_546050514_17095522_244621 5_n.jpg


http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196447_10150154167326797_584476796_6342119_2620310 _n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206903_10150157777271797_584476796_6375558_720020_ n.jpg

Recently:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253231_10150264835446797_584476796_7243562_1189800 _n.jpg

As you can see, my hair's gone through a lot of changes! Maybe it's due to the fact that I have split ends/my hair is much longer now but it does seem thinner.

Alvrodul
August 17th, 2011, 04:42 AM
:grouphug: How awful for you! It sounds as if your hair has been rather badly damaged by the bleach - how sensitive to peroxide is your air anyway? Bleach will damage hair, but some people's hair is more sensitive to it than others', and it could be that your hair is more affected than others.
Once your hair is damaged, there is unfortunately nothing that can be done to repair it. You can hide the damage some by giving your hair a well-balanced "diet" of moisture and protein, and using coconut oil should also help. So will coney serums and conditioners, if you use cones.
Otherwise, there is nothing for it by babying it and waiting for it to grow out - while trimming the damaged parts away. If you can stand it, try to give your hair a rest from the chemicals.
As for dying your hair to match the roots - that is a good idea, and I had that done once upon a time at the end of my own adventuring into the realms of bleached hair. But what happened to your hair does not sound good. I am not a stylist, so I don't know if your stylist's explanation of why it did not "take" is a good one or if it is that much BS - I hope some of the stylists here will be able to give you some good advice.
I hope you will be able to get some help with your hair! I can only wish you the best of luck! :flower:

Gypsygirl
August 17th, 2011, 04:46 AM
I've since been back and apparently my hair is very porous, so they're going to keep putting dye on until it 'accepts the colour'.

I am by no means an expert but that sounds so wrong to me! How I wish I had some great advice for you...this sounds like such a distressing situation to be in.

You know what, I am going to post a link to this thread to Ultra Bella's profile page to make sure she sees this. She is an expert and has gorgeous long hair herself! :)

BelleBot
August 17th, 2011, 06:21 AM
Just want to say I absolutely love that black lacy dress you have on in one of the pictures. It's lush. You have a very pretty face too, very elvin like.
Try not to worry about your hair too much, it looks fine in the pictures, the colour suits you, both blonde and dark. Hopefully some hair dye experts will be along shortly to advise you on how best to get back to your natural colour.
Personally I'd suggest sticking with semi permanent dyes, it main be a pain having to do it regularly but they won't damage your hair as much, plus always choose a hair colour one shade lighter than you want to go as they nearly always seems to turn out darker than planned.

irishlady
August 17th, 2011, 06:39 AM
I agree with the suggestion to try some coconut oil, it really helps a lot with damaged hair. You can find it in most health stores.
You don't have to use coconut oil though, you can also try shea butter, flaxseed oil, almond oil and there are many others :)

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 07:36 AM
Just want to say I absolutely love that black lacy dress you have on in one of the pictures. It's lush. You have a very pretty face too, very elvin like.
Try not to worry about your hair too much, it looks fine in the pictures, the colour suits you, both blonde and dark. Hopefully some hair dye experts will be along shortly to advise you on how best to get back to your natural colour.
Personally I'd suggest sticking with semi permanent dyes, it main be a pain having to do it regularly but they won't damage your hair as much, plus always choose a hair colour one shade lighter than you want to go as they nearly always seems to turn out darker than planned.

Thank you! I have a question though: can I apply semi-permanent dyes to only part of my hair? I'd like to grow my natural hair out, so the only reason I need dye is to make sure my natural hair blends with the remaining dyed hair. I'm also a bit wary about semi-permanent dye atm because my hair soaks up the colour within a couple of weeks. :(

Another thing: both times that I've had permanent dye applied to my hair, a lot of the colour has rinsed out in the first couple of days in the shower. Last time my hair ended up going greeny... I really hope it doesn't go the same colour again.

BeckyAH
August 17th, 2011, 07:40 AM
...These professionals need to hook you up with a 'filler', use that, and take it from there. If your hair is damaged enough, though, and it may be, then it's just not going to accept color. It's going to wash right back out the way it went in. If that's the case all you can do is keep trimming it off and maybe try some gradually decreasing highlights int he natural color/roots to keep the line of demarcation from being as obvious, and eventually just fade them out.

terpentyna
August 17th, 2011, 07:45 AM
-snip-
Personally I'd suggest sticking with semi permanent dyes, it main be a pain having to do it regularly but they won't damage your hair as much, plus always choose a hair colour one shade lighter than you want to go as they nearly always seems to turn out darker than planned.
-snip-

I agree with this, until you figure out how to undo some of the damage just keep a safe distance from quick and permanent fixes.

I also recommend looking through the henna/indigo threads, I don't know much about it personally, but I've read some good things that came with patience and henna :)

Like check out this thread:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=75924

lunalesca
August 17th, 2011, 07:46 AM
I second the coconut oil suggestion. My highlighted hair loves it when I apply a small amount after washing. Just melt it on your palms and put it into the damp ends!

heartgoesboom
August 17th, 2011, 07:49 AM
what is your hair care routine? you said you lightened your hair with box dyes and then had it bleached. i lightened my hair with box dyes before and darker hair color still washed out. but it stuck after the third dye... although my hair is black so it was easier to match

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 07:54 AM
...These professionals need to hook you up with a 'filler', use that, and take it from there. If your hair is damaged enough, though, and it may be, then it's just not going to accept color. It's going to wash right back out the way it went in. If that's the case all you can do is keep trimming it off and maybe try some gradually decreasing highlights int he natural color/roots to keep the line of demarcation from being as obvious, and eventually just fade them out.


Thanks! It seems crazy that my hair is this damaged because I only had it bleached once. I'm really angry with the original hair salon for telling me that it would be fine and that it would only be damaged if I continuously bleached it. Is it worth going in and complaining? I will ask my stylist about the filler, which sounds like a good idea. I regret bleaching my hair.. it was such a stupid idea! Will highlights wash out in the way that a block colour will?

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 07:56 AM
what is your hair care routine? you said you lightened your hair with box dyes and then had it bleached. i lightened my hair with box dyes before and darker hair color still washed out. but it stuck after the third dye... although my hair is black so it was easier to match

When I first used box dyes, I went from dark blonde/mousy brown to medium blonde and it wasn't too bad at all. It barely faded and I just needed to do my roots. Yeah, I hope that the dye will stick eventually. My hair stylist keeps dying it way too dark though, and I know that she's accounting for fading but I'm scared that one day it'll stick and it'll be way too dark!

BeckyAH
August 17th, 2011, 08:01 AM
Thanks! It seems crazy that my hair is this damaged because I only had it bleached once. I'm really angry with the original hair salon for telling me that it would be fine and that it would only be damaged if I continuously bleached it. Is it worth going in and complaining? I will ask my stylist about the filler, which sounds like a good idea. I regret bleaching my hair.. it was such a stupid idea! Will highlights wash out in the way that a block colour will?

The thing here you need to remember is that if you're coloring your hair lighter than natural, you are removing color - and that means bleach. If you've been doing that for a year, you've been bleaching it for a year - even if the salon wasn't aware of that or was too unscrupulus to point it out. It sucks, a lot, and I probably would complain.

Highlights won't wash out. Lighter color will stick around, because it's basically REMOVING rather than adding color. Just make sure if you go that route you are very clear that you are doing it to *GET BACK* to your natural color and break up the line between your natural color and and bleached stuff. (Though ask about the filler first, definitely. )

princess-royal
August 17th, 2011, 08:14 AM
The thing here you need to remember is that if you're coloring your hair lighter than natural, you are removing color - and that means bleach. If you've been doing that for a year, you've been bleaching it for a year - even if the salon wasn't aware of that or was too unscrupulus to point it out. It sucks, a lot, and I probably would complain.

Highlights won't wash out. Lighter color will stick around, because it's basically REMOVING rather than adding color. Just make sure if you go that route you are very clear that you are doing it to *GET BACK* to your natural color and break up the line between your natural color and and bleached stuff. (Though ask about the filler first, definitely. )

None of my boxed hair products had bleach in though, as far as I'm aware, and my hair was very healthy before I had it bleached. It's so confusing. Unless they do contain bleach? I have the feeling that the salon isn't going to give me my natural colour, which is frustrating because I don't know if that's bad hairdressing on their part or genuinely impossible!

BeckyAH
August 17th, 2011, 08:25 AM
None of my boxed hair products had bleach in though, as far as I'm aware

The thing here is - it's color. If the color you were going was lighter than the color you were, you had to 'lift' some color. I don't mean this to sound patronizing, but it's the only example I can come up with - you can't color pale yellow over dark brown with crayons and have it show up. If they lifted color? Yeah, there was peroxide and bleach in there.

I don't doubt that it stayed relatively healthy - I bleached sections of my hair to THREE TIMES to the blue in my sig pic to show up as blue, instead of a gloss of color (the darker bits).

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/th_bleach.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/?action=view&current=bleach.jpg)

It feels perfectly fine. It's soft, it's not stretchy, it doesn't split or break - but color washes out of it four times as fast, because it's porous. That's just what lightening your hair does. It roughs up the cuticle, which to a point? Let's color stick better. Beyond that point, it means the color just, essentially, falls through.

Alvrodul
August 17th, 2011, 08:49 AM
I agree with this, until you figure out how to undo some of the damage just keep a safe distance from quick and permanent fixes.

I also recommend looking through the henna/indigo threads, I don't know much about it personally, but I've read some good things that came with patience and henna :)

Like check out this thread:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=75924
This is actually not really a good idea - to begin with, henna and indigo are much more permanent than chemical dyes - if someone wants to go that route, it takes commitment! And if the OPs hair is so badly damaged that dye won't stick to it, chances are that henna may not stick either, or give an uneven result. With chemical color, you do at least have a chance of correcting mistakes.

MermaidOH
August 17th, 2011, 08:50 AM
First of all I am so sorry this happened to you:grouphug: But I do have some experience with bleach, I used to double process my hair (bleach and toner). WHen ever you lighten your hair your are damaging it a least a little because you are removing pigment from your hair and when you bleach you are removing almost all the pigment from your hair, this process makes your hair extremely porous. When you have bleached hair you again have no pigment in your hair so to get back to brown your must first add the red tones back into your hair then you can add the warmer brown tones, if you add brown over bleached hair you may end up with khaki colored hair which does not look good. It is color theory you even brown has some red and even gold tones in it as a base. As for your hair being porous there are a few things you can do I totally agree with the coconut oil, treating your hair gently, CO washing, but your ends probably will not hold color ever the same way your virgin roots do. I am not saying they will always be a totally different or horrible color but there will be a slight difference (I am living this right now, I have really red hair, colored over bleached hair and my ends are more vibrant because they suck up more of the red color than my roots do, but I quite like the way it looks and it is healthier, also it took several 3 or more colorings to get my hair to take and keep color, I also use Aveda color enhancing conditioner). Don't give up there is hope, I know there are some great Demi & Semi permanent colors out there that wash out gradually. Sally's carries a line of Clairol Beautiful that you don't even mix with a developer, so really you are just coating your hair, but I do not know if it will all wash out because of the bleach (i.e. porous hair) sometimes even demi permanent color can stain, but it is very gentle. I personally used Clairol Jazzing over my bleach hair (similar product to the Beautiful) and had some color that seemed to stain. Your other option is to just grow it out and love it just the way it is (sometimes this is difficult). Or you could try Henna but I do not know enough about it to give your any recommendations, many of the other members are experts in this area. Best of luck! And Welcome to the group! :D

MermaidOH
August 17th, 2011, 09:01 AM
I also want to say that it the picture of you in the blue dress your hair is a very pretty color:)

SkinnyCookie
August 17th, 2011, 11:25 AM
I'm no expert, but isn't henna supposed to be permanent? Could you use henna to color it back to some sort of normal shade, or would it end up too dark?
At least it wouldn't be fading out....

UltraBella
August 17th, 2011, 11:58 PM
Oh my. Unfortunately, you have a mess on your hands :(
Well, first off, if you were lightening your hair with a box color it definitely had a peroxide developer. While not as damaging as bleach, it's still hard on your hair. So, your hair was already damaged when you went to the salon for your bleach session. Putting bleach on already lightened hair can be very unpredictable. If you have had several applications of darker color and it's not taking, YOU MUST STOP. Every time you apply color you are once again subjecting your hair to a peroxide developer, possibly with ammonia as well. You damage will increase.
A true semi color could possibly make things better. No peroxide, no ammonia. On healthy hair it will just coat the hair shaft and then wash away over several washes, but on damaged hair it is often able to penetrate the damaged cuticle and remain much much longer. It will not create further damage, which is really important.
If you stepped into my salon tomorrow and correctly told us your hair history, no one would apply permanent color to your hair. Your options would be a semi color, a deep conditioning treatment, or a haircut.
I hope this situation gets better for you. It can be very disheartening.

pink.sara
August 18th, 2011, 04:13 AM
Hiya, I'm sorry you're stuck with this problem, and first off I would find myself another hairdresser. As Ultrabella said using more permanent colours over the top of bleach damage will only result in more damage. It really doesnt sound like your hairdresser has a clue what they are doing when it comes to colour correction. :(
As someone who has bleached from chemical black to white and then dyed darker again I've got quite a bit of experience with your situation. When I decided the root upkeep of my white blonde was too much I had a fading stage trying to achieve black again.

What helped massively was using keratin treatments at home to fill the hair shaft with something for a herbal (no bleach no ammonia) dye to adhere to. I personally found "Kerastese forceintense" used once a week for a month helped. As did "Aphogee 2 step"
Both are temporary and will need to be repeated often to start with then maybe once every 2-3 months as your hair grows out, but it will help prevent dye fade and breakage which are the major issues with bleach damage.
Also Joico K-Pak is available in Sallys if you cant find the other 2 online.
After treating your hair with a protein filler I would probably go for a simple wash in wash out colour in a medium or golden brown (not an ashy tone) which you will probably need to reapply frequently to keep the colour from fading, but your hair really needs a break from the chemical dye to recover.

Personally what I had to do with mine to get it to hold colour was apply a protein treatment, wash out, then apply a heavy moisturising conditioner or SMT straight after on a weekly or fortnightly basis for a month or so. After a few weeks of this I could see the wash in wash out colour wasn't fading within one or two washes but sticking around for 5-6, and I went back and used a demi-permanent which took properly.

Also using diluted shampoo or avoiding shampoo altogether, using coconut oil as a leave in (teeny pea sized bit) or as a prewash soak (tablespoon full) once a week before wash day helped.

Sorry for the essay and I really do hope some of the tips you have received here will be helpful. What I said above worked for me but did take about 8 weeks before the colour took. Also there can be issues with using too much protein or moisture in your hair so you will probably want to read this:http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=79
Which is awesome and has a link to Krins guide on sussing out if you need protein or moisture.

Good luck and let us know how it goes :)

katienoonan
August 18th, 2011, 04:40 AM
This is so awful... but don't despair! :o

My only real advice would be to stop throwing money at these stylists. They clearly have no idea what they are doing, or ar intentionally playing with your hair in a way that makes you keep returning and spending money. All this processing is costing you a bomb and not solving anything. :shrug:

Go to the nearest, best shop with the biggest variety of hair colours and try to choose something yourself. I know this may be damaging but you have total control on colour, intensity and application. It will cost you a tenth of the cost and you will have total freedom to change and play - it may turn out to be less damaging because if it works in the first or second go it will take a lot less than 6salon appointments to achieve.


My view of hairdressers is cynical. They need to keep thier job and you need them to keep fixing the damage that thier alterations inevitably create. I know there are some fantastic stylists out there, and I am not talking about all of them... but a very great deal of them in my estimation have a lot less care about your hair than you do.

katienoonan
August 18th, 2011, 04:48 AM
If you stepped into my salon tomorrow and correctly told us your hair history, no one would apply permanent color to your hair. Your options would be a semi color, a deep conditioning treatment, or a haircut.
I hope this situation gets better for you. It can be very disheartening.

Now this lady is an example all salon stylists should follow. You are a rarity UltraBella, I would throw my money at you any day! :cheese:

Lianna
August 18th, 2011, 06:57 AM
The thing here is - it's color. If the color you were going was lighter than the color you were, you had to 'lift' some color. I don't mean this to sound patronizing, but it's the only example I can come up with - you can't color pale yellow over dark brown with crayons and have it show up. If they lifted color? Yeah, there was peroxide and bleach in there.

They both lift color, but hair dyes don't have bleach. The effect of bleach on hair is much much harsher. Someone could dye their hair 20 times and don't have the same damage as one bleaching session. Dyed hair are not as porous as bleached hair, in general. The hair care for bleached or "just dyed" need to be different.

OP: It's expected that bleached hair will have some fade. But your case seems really extreme. Your hair does look gorgeous in the pictures though. I agree with others, it's time for proteins and deposit only dyes.

BeckyAH
August 18th, 2011, 08:39 AM
If you're dying darker, you're right -there's no bleaching action, if not actual bleach. If you're taking your hair 3 shades lighter, even with a boxed dye - you're essentially still just bleaching it. Maybe not as harshly, but you don't get your hair lighter by coating with color. And you can dye your hair without lifting (or damaging!) at all, with deposit only dyes.

pink.sara
August 18th, 2011, 11:09 AM
If you're dying darker, you're right -there's no bleaching action, if not actual bleach. If you're taking your hair 3 shades lighter, even with a boxed dye - you're essentially still just bleaching it. Maybe not as harshly, but you don't get your hair lighter by coating with color. And you can dye your hair without lifting (or damaging!) at all, with deposit only dyes.

Actually permanent dark dyes will use peroxide as a developer to lift the cuticle on the hair to allow the darker molecules to penetrate... So even if you used a black dye over dark brown hair, your natural colour will have been bleached. This is why when you remove permanent dark dyes you find the colour underneath is a lighter or brassier version of your natural colour.
Usually the developers in box dyes are weaker (20 volume peroxide mostly) but they still damage in the same way a weaker bleaching would. :(

Lianna
August 18th, 2011, 03:58 PM
...but you don't get your hair lighter by coating with color.

I didn't say that at all. I did say "lift color" (means taking out pigments), which can be done with dyes and not just bleach. While dyes have bleaching agents, it isn't "bleach". In the hair industry, "bleach" is another substance, made by some powder (catalyst) that we mix with hydrogen peroxide. I'm not a professional and English isn't my first language, so I don't know how to explain this well.

Even if the hair was lightened 3 shades with dye, we can't call it "bleached", because that's another process. And this matters when talking to our stylist (the hair properties will be different). But yes, a lot of pigment was taken out. Usually when bleaching a lot of protein is lost too, which doesn't happen with dyes.

And like pink.sara said, even when going darker some pigment is taken out (depends on the dye).

Random, but, I think we should refer to chemically treated hair as "altered" instead of damaged, when the hair doesn't show signs of damage. Some people like to say: "Whatever, your hair is DAMAGED" (just because it isn't how it was born). Everything that we change is damaged? Can't it be just altered? This happens a lot with relaxed hair, in particular. I'm pretty sure even virgin hair isn't the same as it was born after a few months.

princess-royal
August 21st, 2011, 07:36 AM
Thanks for all the replies everyone! I don't think I'll go back to the hair salon, although they're not charging me for the dyeing sessions. Last time I had it dyed (about a week ago) they dyed it twice in one session, and since then my hair has got even thinner and it's really depressing. I've tried not washing it for 5 days and my hair is now dark, smelly, and greasy. I have split ends, which probably doesn't help the overall look! I am really desperate to shampoo it but I don't have any coconut oil/apple cider vinegar/etc. I might mix some shampoo with water and just put that on, with no conditioner. I'm about to go to a summer school and don't want to be really gross and unhygienic around strangers!

I am quite worried about swimming with my hair as it is. In September I'm going to Italy and our villa has a pool. I'm assuming that it contains chlorine and I'm worried that swimming in it will make my hair turn green, or that when I get out there'll be dye floating in the water. Should I wear a swimming cap/shower cap and risk looking like a total idiot?

I'm not sure what to do about the box dye. I don't want to buy box dye every week and for it to wash out. Do people think that highlights are the best way to go, to disguise the colour if it goes murky? I haven't been washing my hair for a while so the colour has stayed at the moment, but it's very dark and I just know that my hair will turn a murky colour if I wash it much more.

My hair stylist is a Wella ambassador and she's supposed to be one of the best in the business. She clearly doesn't know what she's doing and she shouldn't have dyed my hair twice in one day, because it feels even worse than it did before. She also combs my hair when it's wet, often quite roughly, which makes me not want to go back because it's agony. She says that she'll keep doing it at no cost until she gets it right, but I'm fed up of chemicals. I don't have a huge amount of money to spend on hair products, and I also live in the UK so I don't know how easy they'll be to get.

RainbowHawk
August 21st, 2011, 08:10 AM
I've actually had a similar experience. I ended up shaving my head entirely, because I just couldn't handle the weirdness anymore. That said, I have since learned more and wouldn't have to go there again. :cheese:

The unbelievably soft, mushy, "limp" feeling that you get after having had your hair bleached (and which I used to get after washing and conditioning, too-- it just got a zillion times worse with the bleach) is an indication of a need for protein. That seems very logical and makes sense-- bleaching damages your hair and removes protein, taking away from the structure in a big way. So I'd start with lots of protein, however you can manage to get it. Even if you don't plan to dye again, give yourself a few protein treatments. (I know it's been mentioned, but it bears repeating.)

In your situation, I would probably work on maintaining the hair that I have and visiting the "growing out dye" thread. I don't know much about henna except that I can't use it, but that may be an option for you later on (my understanding is that you can use it with indigo to make your hair darker without a lot of redness). And take heart-- your pictures are very pretty! I agree with the person who said that all of the colors suit you-- I think it's very nice. Good luck!

Lianna
August 21st, 2011, 09:28 AM
OP, you could try using henna mixes. It's deposit only and doesn't fade like the others. You'll definally need more than one application. Not everyone's hair like henna (I can only use small amounts for instance), but hair that needs protein often have good results. Since it's a mix of henna and other herbs you can choose other colors, not just orange/red.

There's always lots of threads with information and pictures in the henna section (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21) of the board.

And more information, and safe place to buy here:

http://www.mehandi.com/
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/blondebundle/index.html
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/brunette/index.html

It does fade inicially but stops after a few applications.

jojo
August 22nd, 2011, 07:21 AM
your hair looks pretty good to me, but i did cringe at the brush your using. The bobbly bits on the ends can rip through hair and cause damage. As for your hair, id recommend an EVOO treatment to get some moisture back.

Curly Hermione
August 22nd, 2011, 07:31 AM
Hang in there, your hair will get better! I can only repeat what others have said, protein, moisture etc, and from the limited knowledge i have about henna, that could be a good way to go for you. Maybe you could visit the henna thread and ask about what your options are. We have so many ladies here who really know their stuff, as you've seen from this thread! Welcome to LHC, best wishes on your hair journey!

princess-royal
August 26th, 2011, 04:07 PM
Thanks! I'm not sure about henna, it seems very...permanent! Does anyone have any idea about how chlorine will react to porous bleached hair that's been dyed brown?

FireKat
August 26th, 2011, 06:04 PM
OP, you could try using henna mixes. It's deposit only and doesn't fade like the others. You'll definally need more than one application. Not everyone's hair like henna (I can only use small amounts for instance), but hair that needs protein often have good results. Since it's a mix of henna and other herbs you can choose other colors, not just orange/red.

There's always lots of threads with information and pictures in the henna section (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21) of the board.

And more information, and safe place to buy here:

http://www.mehandi.com/
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/blondebundle/index.html
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/brunette/index.html

It does fade inicially but stops after a few applications.
A big 'ol YES to the Henna! :cheese:
What you described could have been me a few weeks ago. From dyed red to platinum blond (took 2 months and more extractions than I care to own up to) until my hair couldn't handle any more bleach. Then light brown filler, dark brown which washed out, auburn which washed out, red which washed out. You get the picture. In total.... 7 dye jobs to try and get a color to take. Ended up with bright red with washed out pink/beige/green ends. My hair felt awful. It looked worse. :(
The first step was an SMT (miracle stuff, I swear), followed by switching to CO, and the last step was Henna. My hair is now all one color, feels amazing and strong, shines like it hasn't in years.
Step AWAY from the dye box. Go read all the articles in the "NEW? Start Here" forum. Try SMT, coconut oil, CO and give your poor hair a rest. Then play with Henna!
Good luck and keep us posted! :p

nobunny
August 26th, 2011, 06:24 PM
also doll, i know it sucks, but swimming is not your friend right now either. pools will wreak havoc upon processed hair that's been having trouble: they have been one of the major villains in my hair's lifetime. if you are gonna swim, i would say you would do best to take all the precautions:

1) thoroughly saturate before swimming
2) wear a swim cap!!! i don't do it often but when i don't i regret it like nothing else!
3) club soda rinse afterwards, and ESPECIALLY if you don't wear a swim cap.

even though your hair isn't bleach blonde an earlier poster was right; with your lack of protein and how porous your hair is there is a good possibility it will turn funky colors/lose colors/get stiff and dry from the chemicals and metals in the pools.

this is a recurring theme in my life too. incompetent salon artists, incompetent hairdressers, and general incompetence that would lead people to make an enjoyable and healthy experience like swimming a veritable headache and a nightmare. it really gets my goat !!!!!!!!!! :steam

emelnd
August 26th, 2011, 06:42 PM
Henna is permanent, and it would make your hair darker. I don't know if this is what you want.

Some use cassia, which is a plant like henna, for conditioning benefits, and as far as I know it has no color or a temporary blonde color...

SilverMcFly17
August 26th, 2011, 06:42 PM
If you think your hair is thinning from the scalp you should check out castor oil. It's been thought to help hair grow back and faster. It may speed up the process a bit. You definitely need a protein filler. And As a general rule always wear a shower cap if swimming in chlorine. Good luck. I'm growing out a ton of bleached damage that won't dye to cover up either. (for different reasons) So I totally understand your anguish. Chin up. It gets better.

emelnd
August 26th, 2011, 06:42 PM
You look very pretty regardless of your hair, try not to stress over it so much too.

angelfell
August 26th, 2011, 07:42 PM
I really don't think they should have had that hard of a time getting it back to its natural color :/. They're just damaging it more and I really hope they're not making you pay for this mess they've caused.. I realize dye is not free and all but if you have made it very clear with what you want, and you are unhappy and they've done such a horrible job, they should fix it for free. The fact that it has taken them so long to fix it baffles me so I hope they aren't charging you. I understand your hair may be damaged but like you said, bleached/damage people dye their hair to the color they want all the time.. I know I do (well, not bleached, but yeah).

I hope it's back to how you want it soon, and not too frazzled. Unfortunately, I don't know off the top of my head where you can go or what you can do.. but honey can lighten it if you do it correctly. How much varies by person.. but if you get your hair color close to what it was.. perhaps you could try it? Honey doesn't damage the hair, either.

nobunny
August 26th, 2011, 07:46 PM
You look very pretty regardless of your hair, try not to stress over it so much too.

this too. yes, it's good to be proactive but you really do look fine so please don't get too down. you are doing the best thing which is questioning what is "correct" and arming yourself with information. it's just another problem to solve! :)

Lianna
August 28th, 2011, 06:32 PM
Cassia isn't really "blonde", it's YELLOW. Keep that in mind. Would just make your hair brassy. I didn't suggest pure henna as your light hair would be VERY ORANGE. The henna mix with other herbs can give you a nice strawberry blonde, or light brown. They'll fade many times before it's permanent, specially on porous hair, you'll have time to decide if you want the new color.

I'm pretty sure you don't want to keep dyeing with semi/demis every week anymore, that's why I suggested that. People who suggest the temp dyes don't often realize that someone might have to be using it every week for it to work/maintain.

princess-royal
August 29th, 2011, 08:11 AM
Would henna turn my hair the right colour though? My natural colour is mousy brown and at the moment it's a mid brown/reddish colour:

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/296619_10150297609286797_584476796_7550309_5698006 _n.jpg

I'm just a bit dubious because I've never really heard about it before and I don't want to do anything I'll regret! Also, I don't think henna is as popular in the UK as it is in the US.

I'm going to invest in a swimming cap, ridiculous though it will look, to protect my hair. Basically my hair is getting lighter and redder at the moment. I think it'll either fade to a weird colour or just go back to blonde, in which case I'm not entirely sure what to do. The hair salon is doing all this free of charge but I just don't want to go back because it seems like a pointless exercise! I might try box dyes but they'll probably just wash out and end up being really expensive. I may just have to stick it out with really obvious roots :( If I get loads of highlights (which apparently don't fade) will that help? Thanks! xxx

emelnd
August 29th, 2011, 10:57 AM
Basically, henna is red. You can add indigo to make it more brown, but there will probably always be some amount of red in it, maybe like your dyed hair right now... If the dye you have right now, when it washes out, it leaves no reddish undertones you have a better chance.

But, I have seen a kit for light brown, and here it is: http://hennahut.com/light_brown_hair_dye. I haven't tried this, but this is a good brand. If you go this route, I would tread very carefully, and do strand tests.

Also, since your hair is damaged and henna is permanent, what would you do if henna took on some of your hair but not on other parts. What if it turns some colour you don't want. I find henna to be very very permanent even on the first application... I think someone else pointed this out, I thought it was Ultrabella, but I can't seem to find it now.

Maybe after doing a strand test you can decide to take the risk... Henna is actually good for your hair.

emelnd
August 29th, 2011, 10:59 AM
If you decide henna didn't work and try to put regular dye on your hair after trying this kit, your hair will likely turn an icky green. That is worth considering too.

emelnd
August 29th, 2011, 11:08 AM
OP, you could try using henna mixes. It's deposit only and doesn't fade like the others. You'll definally need more than one application. Not everyone's hair like henna (I can only use small amounts for instance), but hair that needs protein often have good results. Since it's a mix of henna and other herbs you can choose other colors, not just orange/red.

There's always lots of threads with information and pictures in the henna section (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21) of the board.

And more information, and safe place to buy here:

http://www.mehandi.com/
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/blondebundle/index.html
http://www.mehandi.com/shop/brunette/index.html

It does fade inicially but stops after a few applications.

Actually, these kits seem more promising that the link I gave. They have mousy blonde results.

Arya
August 29th, 2011, 01:50 PM
Honestly?
I would probably spend what you would spend two box dyes on and get a wig/braid extensions into my hair that make me happy/do wool braids so I have cool dreads while it grows out a bit, and while I baby it with keratin and SMTs. Give your hair a break, it's been through a lot.

Have you thought of just growing out your roots? it's not uncommon to see long roots on women anymore, and it can look really lovely with updos. half updos with braids and dark roots can look dramatically lovely.

Lianna
August 29th, 2011, 02:00 PM
Pure henna (not the light brown kit) would leave your hair as it is a reddish brown.

The fourth one here: http://www.funfolly.com/g/w/wsample4d.gif Yes, it seems lighter (brighter) at first. It will darken a little in the first 3 days. If you like that result just do roots later. The result will always depend on your natural (or at the moment) hair color. If the roots are darker the result will be darker.

Or the 7th after a few applications. It gets darker and darker if you use it on the hair length again.

For a lot of people henna does fade a lot in the first application.

I think henna just isn't popular because isn't in the beauty supplies stores/doesn't have much advertise. It's a natural pigment used for six thousand years as hair dye (does have other uses too of course).

princess-royal
August 31st, 2011, 05:06 PM
Honestly?
I would probably spend what you would spend two box dyes on and get a wig/braid extensions into my hair that make me happy/do wool braids so I have cool dreads while it grows out a bit, and while I baby it with keratin and SMTs. Give your hair a break, it's been through a lot.

Have you thought of just growing out your roots? it's not uncommon to see long roots on women anymore, and it can look really lovely with updos. half updos with braids and dark roots can look dramatically lovely.

The problem is that I've had quite big roots before and it just looks a bit cheap. I have quite thin hair that can often look limp, so I can't do much with it in terms of updos and it would just look like a sheet of light blonde hair with roots that are very dark. I'm rubbish with anything like braids, don't have much time to style my hair properly etc. I'm determined to have long hair, which means I'd have roots for at least 4 years of my life. Those will be my university years and I'm just too self conscious to leave my roots to grow out onto light blonde hair. Every photo of me would be an awful reminder of how much I hated my hair. I definitely am going to go more natural with haircare though. It's weird because I was in Cambridge for a week and then my hair seemed unusually thick and co-operative. I even had some natural waves appear. When I got back to Lincoln it went limp again! I haven't washed my hair for 3 days and I'm getting used to there not being much of it. I really hope the colour stays - I've bought a swimming cap - and by not washing my hair as much I can hopefully preserve it for longer.

As for henna, I think it really would have to be a last resort because it does seem quite risky and I have very little experience with that sort of thing. It sounds cool though. A couple of days ago I used shampoo (no conditioner) and hairspray to puff my hair up, before blow drying it upside down. The result was a ginormous tangle that got so bad, I had to wash and condition my hair. I've never had anything so tangly in my hair! My hair looks quite greasy at the moment and I have an itchy scalp, but it does feel quite soft. I miss being bleach blonde. I guess I just wasn't lucky enough to have naturally blonde hair! It used to get me a lot of attention from boys and now I'm brunette I seem to fade into the background. I don't mind, I just hope it stays this relatively nice brown colour!

emelnd
August 31st, 2011, 05:17 PM
Hmm, I wonder if you could naturally lighten your roots to match your ends with honey. I really don't know much about it though.

I have a question: Why are you avoiding conditioner, is it supposed to take the color off? I am not saying you should use conditioner, I am just curious. A lot of us here swear by washing their hair with conditioner instead of shampoo, I didn't know it was harsh with color...

Lianna
August 31st, 2011, 06:49 PM
If you don't wanna risk anything, I'd just use deposit only and reapply when it fades (even if that means weekly). Try to avoid heat since your since have been altered a lot. I hope everything turns out okay. :)

princess-royal
September 1st, 2011, 05:50 PM
Hmm, I wonder if you could naturally lighten your roots to match your ends with honey. I really don't know much about it though.

I have a question: Why are you avoiding conditioner, is it supposed to take the color off? I am not saying you should use conditioner, I am just curious. A lot of us here swear by washing their hair with conditioner instead of shampoo, I didn't know it was harsh with color...

Conditioner usually makes my hair very soft and silky and I was desperate for volume, so I thought I'd try just shampoo. It worked in Cambridge but the results weren't so good in Lincoln, so I'm now avoiding shampoo altogether again. I still don't understand why my hair looked so good in Cambridge :P I'll have to post a picture of what it was like when I'm back from Italy.

emelnd
September 13th, 2011, 07:23 PM
Hey Princess Royal, did your colour end up staying? Any updates?

Malibu Barbie
September 13th, 2011, 07:49 PM
I have been here so many times. When my hair would turn white from surfing then the really dark roots (Because my hair was so white) it was dark blonde. STOP THE DYE. Listen to Ultrabella. Don't put henna on it. It could pull all kinds of funky colors at this point. Get it back in shape first, condition it, oil it but let it breath before you do anything else to it. First, reds are very hard to keep in hair. They always rise out fast unless you have lots of red tones in your hair. I have tried many times to have my hair dyed back to my natural color. My virgin hair and my other hair won't do it. Most have that problem your roots and your ends will never be the same. When you find a better colorist try highlights. Have them weave in some brown and slowly bring your color back if they can find it.

Masara
September 14th, 2011, 12:48 AM
Conditioner usually makes my hair very soft and silky and I was desperate for volume, so I thought I'd try just shampoo. It worked in Cambridge but the results weren't so good in Lincoln, so I'm now avoiding shampoo altogether again. I still don't understand why my hair looked so good in Cambridge .

I don't remember for Cambridge but London water is VERY hard. When I was at uni in Scotland (lovely soft water) my hair looked great. When I came back home (Hertfordshire, not London, but still Chiltern water) it was much rougher, dryer and just plain nasty.
I live in a hard water area now and my parents live in a soft water area. There are some products that work wonderfully on my hair at my parents' house but are terrible on my hair here. My hair isn't too keen on products with cones in, but cone build up is much faster here (as in; it takes just one wash and my hair is gunky) Maybe you have products with cones in that combined with hard water and damaged hair are making things worse. Try checking for -conol or -cone in the ingredients.
Here I have to clarify frequently just to get the minerals out of my hair. I'm using citric acid rinses at the moment which are helping a lot.

Maverick494
September 14th, 2011, 06:47 AM
I've been through the same.

What I would do if I were you is to leave your hair alone for 3 months. All the dye jobs (even the semi-permanent ones--they have peroxide in them) have left it damaged. When I wanted to get my natural haircolor back the hairdresser told me to leave it for a while in order for the color correction to end up the way I wanted it.

So baby it with hair masks, coconut oil and the lot (don't forget to wash the entire length sometimes in between the treatments because too much moisture can make it dull and lifeless looking). Wear hats, beanies and big headbands to cover up the roots--that's what I did and I managed to make them look quite nice on me. Meanwhile, look for a different hairdresser than the one you've been visiting.

When selecting hairdressers, I usually go by the ones that got awards in big contests. In my country you have the coiffure awards and I contacted the hair stylists that won #1st place in recent years in the "colorist" category. I got a consult and asked questions about to get an idea of their attitude about hair and what they would do to treat mine. I went with the one whose plan I liked most, who coincidentally was also a big fan of long hair.

I got it done at the end of june and now in september my hair looks just like in the pre-dye days-- if you don't inspect the roots with a magnifying glass that is.

Good luck!