Conundrum from Hell - Nourish while Maintaining dye?

[Busybee]

I am trying to nourish and repair damage done medicinally to my hair. It is frizzy, not shiny, sometimes soft, but most times coarse and thin. (see my Profile main pic for truest yellow/blonde currentness)

I also DYE my hair - as I HAVE to get it to match my root color in order to start growing it out.... otherwise I will look insane with blonde hair and dark ashy roots! But it is fading back to nasty yellow dye (previous mistake) like gangbusters after every single professional dye job.

CONFLICT:
I am doing everything right to nourish my hair
*Coconut oil overnight treatments 2x a week
*Coconut oil/Fox's as leave in sparingly every day.)
*+ Using Garnier Triple Nutrition S&C which is suposedly loaded with oils................
Only to discover that OIL can be the ONLY reason my hair dye is fading like crazy!!!

CONUNDRUM: So what do I do?!! How can I nourish or deep conditon my hair that needs it so badly - if all these oils are fading the dye I NEED in order to match my roots, and start growing out????

Ummmmm... HELP?!? :justy:

*And no... I can't forgo the dye needed to match the virgin roots....my hair is so yellow and my roots so dark ash it would be white trash from Hell to grow out..... I'm a front office secretary and struggle with hair presentability as it is at the moment.

Please recommend any products/methods I should switch to that would nourish and protect dyed hair. Nourish mostly.... no protect color mostly....no, wait...nourish mostly! AHHHHHHH:brains: (as my brain explodes)

[luxepiggy]

You may want to CO-washing, and products specifically designed for colour-treated hair. If you're at all amenable to using 'cones, I strongly suggest looking for products that contain amodimethicone. It will target damaged areas of the hair and help limit colour fading.

Check out the keratinPERFECT (http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=6021) line of products at Sephora. They're excellent for damaged hair, and they protect against UV radiation which is a major cause of colour fading, especially for blondes.

[spidermom]

My first thought is to go with non-oil moisture treatments like SMT or something bought over the counter. Wash gently with CO or diluted shampoo. Condition with something coney.

Or get a nice wig to wear at work while your hair grows out. You can have a nice oil treatment on it, and no one will know.

[TitaniaOfFairys]

I am trying to nourish and repair damage done medicinally to my hair. It is frizzy, not shiny, sometimes soft, but most times coarse and thin. (see my Profile main pic for truest yellow/blonde currentness)

I also DYE my hair - as I HAVE to get it to match my root color in order to start growing it out.... otherwise I will look insane with blonde hair and dark ashy roots! But it is fading back to nasty yellow dye (previous mistake) like gangbusters after every single professional dye job.

CONFLICT:
I am doing everything right to nourish my hair
*Coconut oil overnight treatments 2x a week
*Coconut oil/Fox's as leave in sparingly every day.)
*+ Using Garnier Triple Nutrition S&C which is suposedly loaded with oils................
Only to discover that OIL can be the ONLY reason my hair dye is fading like crazy!!!

CONUNDRUM: So what do I do?!! How can I nourish or deep conditon my hair that needs it so badly - if all these oils are fading the dye I NEED in order to match my roots, and start growing out????

Ummmmm... HELP?!? :justy:

*And no... I can't forgo the dye needed to match the virgin roots....my hair is so yellow and my roots so dark ash it would be white trash from Hell to grow out..... I'm a front office secretary and struggle with hair presentability as it is at the moment.

Please recommend any products/methods I should switch to that would nourish and protect dyed hair. Nourish mostly.... no protect color mostly....no, wait...nourish mostly! AHHHHHHH:brains: (as my brain explodes)

Maybe you can try a special conditioner for colored hair? These have ingredients that preserve hair color. Unfortunately I don't know many of these products, but professional (salon) products like Tigi or RedKen may help. If you want something organic, Faith in Nature conditioners are very good, and light enough not to fade the color.
There is a color protecting conditioner of Lavera with mango milk, and this is very nourishing too.

My favourite brand is Joico, and their Color Therapy conditioner is fantastic. I use it after my regular conditioner and leave it on my hair just for 1-2 minutes, and then wash out. I can't say much about protecting hair color as my hair is almost virgin now, I have just a few dyed inches on my ends. But it's a very nourishing conditioner, and I've read many good reviews that it really protects color. It has cones at the end of the ingredients though, so maybe it is not for you, if you don't like cones.

If you don't want to give up oils, you can also try to mix oils with conditioner, so you need less oil.

Did you try other oils? Me personally don't like coconut oil, it dries my hair out, olive oil is so much better. I've read somewhere here on LHC that coconut oil can be used to fade hair color, maybe this is the reason why it's not good for you.

[StephanieB]

Or get a nice wig to wear at work while your hair grows out. You can have a nice oil treatment on it, and no one will know.
I second this ^, especially since you said that you're currently struggling with hair presentability - which is important in your job.

Once you've grown like four or six inches out, you might be able to have a colorist match your length to your roots more. Yes, this means going darker colored. And then baby your hair with for-colored-hair products to help maintain the color so you won't need to color so often. Eventually, you can grow out your old color.

[Loviatar]

I'd go with trying CO washing.

[starlamelissa]

I would buy an ashy Demi perm color at sallys and tone down the yellow. Just plan on temp coloring the length every 6 weeks at home, and try to wash every other day, instead of everyday. Or get some professional chunky lowlights done.

[Busybee]

Thank you all ladies for your suggestions. I can moan and groan about my dilemmas while the DH just stares in dumbfoundedness...but you all GET IT.

I have discussed going darker with my stylist to match my roots, while I try to grow out, and she is onboard - we just have to find the right color. We are currently switching from Paul Mitchell to Joico dye, as Paul Mitchell fades badly on it's own account of not being strong.

Anyways - I think I will try to find a well rated Color retension S&C. I am scared to CO wash only, as I DO use cones in my conditioners (need if for slip and tangles of my thin/coarse hair) and occasional CHI silk infusion. Won't CO washing not be enough to knock out build up?

I also just ordered some Panacea, and maybe if I use this sparingly for leave-in, the oils in it won't strip my color like the Coconut oil did.....? Any dyers use Panacea?

[pepperminttea]

Anyways - I think I will try to find a well rated Color retension S&C. I am scared to CO wash only, as I DO use cones in my conditioners (need if for slip and tangles of my thin/coarse hair) and occasional CHI silk infusion. Won't CO washing not be enough to knock out build up?

You're right, CO won't remove the 'cones (assuming they're not water soluble), but if you switched it up so you used shampoo every other wash, and CO for the washes in between, that would keep build-up at bay and mean your shampoo would fade your colour at half the pace it does now. :)

[Changling]

You're right, CO won't remove the 'cones (assuming they're not water soluble), but if you switched it up so you used shampoo every other wash, and CO for the washes in between, that would keep build-up at bay and mean your shampoo would fade your colour at half the pace it does now. :)

What if you CWC? Would that suitably get the cones out, while keeping the hair well-hydrated?

[Busybee]

Well as an update on this conundrum - I have quit using Coconut oil altogether. When I do my "nght-before-wash" Castor oil massages, I don't put anything on the length.

I will be getting my hair dyed tomorrow to hopefully match my roots, so that I can start the virgin growth process.

I have started using Panacea. it does help smooth down - but I am still slightly poofy. Towards the end of the day, I can tell something is in my hair making it smoother and slightly shinier, but there isn't the level of "lay down" or nourishment I would like to have seen. :hmm:

I am also switching back to a discontinued S&C that I had to find on Amazon, Wella SP Color Save. They make one specifically for coarser hair - that when I used these years ago I loved! They were the most smoothing I ever had, and retained my color. Hopefully they will nourigh my hair again. I don't know that the Panacea will be enough without getting too greasy to fast.

I want to start trying leave ins for only a couple of hours at a time - but still afraid of dye fading (as the coconut oil faaaaaded the heck out of it).

Any suggestions on a deep tratement that is NOURISHING but DYE friendly?:confused:

[bonnie1735]

I had the same problem with Coconut Oil. It was fading my dyed roots out so fast and it took me months to figure out what was doing it. My hair doesn't like coconut oil either. It likes EVOO better but I have stopped putting any oils on my scalp because of the fading. Instead I have been messaging a little bit of Matrix Hydro Conditioning Balm. No cones.

[heidi w.]

1. You may need to seek the counsel of an alternative professional hair colorist. A colorist only. Not any ole hairdresser, to figure out the problem's root cause.

2. Your stylist that is coloring your hair should have recommended a product line for color treated hair. Color treated hair needs shampoo and conditioner intended to be used on color treated hair only.

A professional colorist should perform a strand check to investigate the issue of porosity of your hair. That may be an issue, and this can pose problems when using anything with protein, potentially, especially deep conditioning treatments which typically have a vat of protein included in the product. VO5 comes to mind as an example of something with a boatload of protein in it.

I hope this is somewhat helpful. I am not overly versed in coloring matters.

heidi w.

[heidi w.]

I had the same problem with Coconut Oil. It was fading my dyed roots out so fast and it took me months to figure out what was doing it. My hair doesn't like coconut oil either. It likes EVOO better but I have stopped putting any oils on my scalp because of the fading. Instead I have been messaging a little bit of Matrix Hydro Conditioning Balm. No cones.

I do not understand the need to massage this product into the scalp's skin. Scalp skin makes its own sebum; I would imagine this could upset the ability for sebum to be produced? A conditioner left on the scalp? Do I just misunderstand?

I have Seborrheic Dermatitus. Generally, in my case and condition, massaging anything into the scalp would be a huge instigator for a Dermatitus outbreak.

I know some people apparently have dry skin. Hmmm? Please clarify.

Conditioners work by bonding to the cortex of the hair strands. That's it. For a lot of people, applying conditioner to the scalp could be highly problematic.

Please clarify as I am confused.
heidi w.

[Thinthondiel]

Maybe you could try doing deep treatments with conditioner for coloured hair?

And instead of the daily oiling, perhaps you could try using aloe vera gel. It makes my hair feel moisturised and soft, whereas I feel oiling just makes it feel coated.
If you haven't tried it before, I'd suggest using it on dry hair... my hair looks a bit greasy if I use it on damp hair, but only soft and "fluffy" (but not frizzy) if I use it on dry hair.

[Busybee]

I do not understand the need to massage this product into the scalp's skin. Scalp skin makes its own sebum; I would imagine this could upset the ability for sebum to be produced? A conditioner left on the scalp? Do I just misunderstand?

I have Seborrheic Dermatitus. Generally, in my case and condition, massaging anything into the scalp would be a huge instigator for a Dermatitus outbreak.

I know some people apparently have dry skin. Hmmm? Please clarify.

Conditioners work by bonding to the cortex of the hair strands. That's it. For a lot of people, applying conditioner to the scalp could be highly problematic.

Please clarify as I am confused.
heidi w.

Bonnie1735 - Massaging straight conditioner into my scalp would do nothing for me. My roots aren't the damaged part, so I don't think this will help me at all. But thank you.

I don't intend to give up my castor oil massages, as the root color doesn't change at all. So the benefits of new hair growth is still a MAJOR factor of keeping my routine.
I am just not doing any other oil on the rest of my hair.

Heidi W. - My hair stylist is a coloring genius, and she has done strand checks, porosity determination, etc.
It's MY fault for not telling her what I was doing on my own with the coconut oil and S&C. She wanted me to try what I thought was best for my hair since the medicine damage it went through is beyond the knowledge of ANY stylist. I don't blame her. She is awesome at what she does (even going to the lengths of buying seperate dyes than her usual brand, just to help me figure out what color my Frankstein hair needs to achieve ash again).
She is also on board with me trying to grow it out, and help me with dye-line of demarcation. So I feel lucky to have her.

Thinthondiel - I have actually been mixing in Aloe Vera clear gel experimentally to help with floof and strays - so thank for the suggestion. I agree with needing to try a dyed-hair friendly Deep treatment/Conditioner, to do every once in a while. But I would like to hear suggestions on which proiducts are good in this realm. Know of any?