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View Full Version : Skunk Syndrome I NEED HELP



that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 12:42 PM
Hello all! I'm Emily and I have been a long time lurker to this site, but I am a new member, and I could not wait to ask you guys what to do... I have been dying my hair black for ages, however my natural color is a very red light brown. I want to grow out my natural hair as I am growing out a pixie ( get all the frustrating stuff done first together). However my black is so dark that now my roots are about 3 inches long it is making them look lighter... so I look like a skunk... What to do?? I really do not want to dye my hair it is the first time in years it has actually been healthy :(:confused:

Yozhik
October 26th, 2011, 12:53 PM
Hmm...maybe you could wear wide headbands or scarves and tie them around your head so that people can't see the demarkation line? Then, after your natural hair grows to a manageable length, you could cut off all of the dye.

Otherwise, I suppose you could try a deposit-only dye, which shouldn't damage or permanently stain your hair. Either that, or do "highlights" of dye in your natural hair color to break up the demarkation line.

Good luck! It can be a tough time to stick it out, but just think -- you'll only have to do this once and then you'll be free of dye forever more! :flower:

Oh, and welcome to LHC! :flowers:

StormVixen
October 26th, 2011, 12:54 PM
I grew out black when i was 18ish... I lived with the skunk style... but i was a big fan of hats at the time :D

seriously... looking a bit silly is totally worth it when eventually you achive what your aiming for...

also... my black faded to orangeish (with no bleaching, apart from the sun i guess) within a year or so...

Avital88
October 26th, 2011, 12:56 PM
uhm try to make the black a lighter shade?? thats all i can think off, but its not gonna make your hair really healthier.but at least the difference less vsible.. maybe someone has a better idea. good luck

PinkyCat
October 26th, 2011, 12:56 PM
Try a color remover like Color B4, or Color Oops - they are gentle & do not damage your hair.

StormVixen
October 26th, 2011, 01:06 PM
I did a lot of strand test with products at the time (what it? 8 years ago now... wow!) they were various shades of BRIGHT orange... these were salon products but I cant remember what...

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 01:07 PM
Thanks for the welcome and the advice.. I am the headband queen right now and with it getting chilly I will be compelled to wear more hats.

I think when I am at chin length I am just going to chop off the black and live with the fact it will regrow...because you are right once it is over I am that much closer to beautiful long natural hair and I won't ever have to do this again

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 01:09 PM
Try a color remover like Color B4, or Color Oops - they are gentle & do not damage your hair.
Don't they include bleach?

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 01:13 PM
I did a lot of strand test with products at the time (what it? 8 years ago now... wow!) they were various shades of BRIGHT orange... these were salon products but I cant remember what...
I am afraid of fading into orange because I need to look professional for work

Shanbot
October 26th, 2011, 01:51 PM
Is it an option to simply cut back to pixie (or a longish pixie depending on where your demarkation line is) now to remove nearly all of the black dye, before you get too long? Once it gets chin length you might feel sad about the chop - but if you do the chop now and get it out of the way while you're still used to short hair, it might be easier to deal with. And think, you'll have no dye-damaged ends splitting up your new length, just fresh healthy virgin hair!

PinkyCat
October 26th, 2011, 01:58 PM
Don't they include bleach?

Nope. Not bleach. They open the cuticle & release the dye. Your hair will be orange when finished but not damaged at all. You can then do a demi color back to natural so you wont have to chop. I've used them before & they are fabulous.

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 02:55 PM
Is it an option to simply cut back to pixie (or a longish pixie depending on where your demarkation line is) now to remove nearly all of the black dye, before you get too long? Once it gets chin length you might feel sad about the chop - but if you do the chop now and get it out of the way while you're still used to short hair, it might be easier to deal with. And think, you'll have no dye-damaged ends splitting up your new length, just fresh healthy virgin hair!
Right now my natural hair is a little too short to do that, though you may be right about me getting sad if I cut it after it is chin length. It's just sooo frustrating to grow out the pixie.... but it seems like this is the way to go if I don't want a line while growing it out... such a pain I am already sad about cutting it... I have manged 2/3 an inch of growth in 15 days! Hopefully this spurt will last and re growing won't be as painful

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 02:57 PM
Nope. Not bleach. They open the cuticle & release the dye. Your hair will be orange when finished but not damaged at all. You can then do a demi color back to natural so you wont have to chop. I've used them before & they are fabulous. HMMM this is something I will look into for sure before I chop off the black! My bottom half of my pixie layers are a very near chin length or past it so I am close to not having to deal with the pixie cut anymore

joflakes
October 26th, 2011, 03:00 PM
I have manged 2/3 an inch of growth in 15 days! Hopefully this spurt will last and re growing won't be as painful

Kinda off topic but...tell me how!!

that1girlemily
October 26th, 2011, 03:11 PM
Kinda off topic but...tell me how!!
First let me say my hair grows in major spurts , but then stalls like crazy too. My hair was at a huge stall even when it was at pixie for a while because of meds I was on.

So I started with vitamins like my Dr. recommended, I use hair, skin and nails by spring valley and it restarted my growth but it was very minimal. I came on here and other sites and managed to build up a nice routine

3 times a week I use monistat, but it is drying so afterwards I do a mask. Mondays it is hot oil Wednesday it in an egg/protien mask and over the weekend I choose a placenta and henna mask. I switched my poo to Organix tea tree and peppermint and that even helped

It's been a lot of work but I have seen great results for the past few months. I did keep the pixie until I started growing faster so now I am going for natural and length my ultimate goal is classic, but I have plenty of smaller goals first like the chin

My suggestion for growth is to try things one at a time for a few weeks even a month and see how it works. I am hoping my hair stalls less, because it is growing at a fantastic rate right now;)

Annibelle
October 26th, 2011, 04:55 PM
I would just cut it... very short hair can be fabulous. :) I cut to a pixie twice (from hip) and loved it. Now, years later, I'm kinda wishin' I had never cut... but it was great while it lasted! :)

Anje
October 26th, 2011, 06:37 PM
Don't they include bleach?
There are typically 3 steps, and the third has some peroxide. I've read about a number of members here getting good results from only doing the first two steps, and those that did reported no damage. Read the ingredients to make sure, but I think you can effectively leave that step out.

that1girlemily
October 27th, 2011, 12:08 PM
I would just cut it... very short hair can be fabulous. :) I cut to a pixie twice (from hip) and loved it. Now, years later, I'm kinda wishin' I had never cut... but it was great while it lasted! :) How long did it take you to get back to hip?

that1girlemily
October 27th, 2011, 12:09 PM
There are typically 3 steps, and the third has some peroxide. I've read about a number of members here getting good results from only doing the first two steps, and those that did reported no damage. Read the ingredients to make sure, but I think you can effectively leave that step out. Thanks for letting me know!!

Annibelle
October 27th, 2011, 04:11 PM
How long did it take you to get back to hip?

I haven't gotten there yet. :( The last pixie I got was 6 years ago, but I've had health problems since then that have made my hair thin and grow slowly. :o I'm at waist now, and my hair is beginning to grow again-- it was at waist for three years. But my health problems didn't start til my hair was around BSL, and it took about two years to get there from pixie with regular trims to remove dye. :)

that1girlemily
October 30th, 2011, 07:21 PM
I haven't gotten there yet. :( The last pixie I got was 6 years ago, but I've had health problems since then that have made my hair thin and grow slowly. :o I'm at waist now, and my hair is beginning to grow again-- it was at waist for three years. But my health problems didn't start til my hair was around BSL, and it took about two years to get there from pixie with regular trims to remove dye. :)
That is not so bad I mean the two year wait.... It is just the fact I cannot put it up that is making this process hard... I will let you all know what I do and how it turns out as soon as I make up my mind

that1girlemily
December 4th, 2011, 02:40 PM
Sorry for the long wait everybody I have a lot of patience with my hair. I did try the colorfix option and it really messed up my hair (even after skipping step 3). Though it was lighter I covered it with henna and its a funky reddish brown but I am losing a few inches due to some damage...