Feeling torn... length or health or color? HELP!

[NaiadOreiad]

So for the past two years I was hennaing and I loved it, until i got bit by the natural color bug. I have about 2.5 solid inches of virgin growth at my roots and I love my natural color already. Unfortunately below this natural growth I have about 5 inches of hair that is dark from henna over my virgin color and the last 3-4 inches are henna over chemical dyes and a particularly awful highlighting session.

So my hair color effect looks like this

Natural dark blonette
Deep henna Red
Firey (and fryey) copper ends

The coppery bit at the ends is splitting and breaking off, slowing my progress. I S&D every day and never fail to find more damage. This is heartbreaking for me. I did not have this problem when I was still using henna, as it made my fine hair much stronger, thicker, and resistant to damage. Also when I was using henna, I washed my hair only with ghassoul and ACV. Since stopping henna I am using Logona Beer and Honey volume shampoo. I got it from the organic store but it still has a few ingredients I don't approve of. I think this may be weakening my hair as well.

I can't use henna because I want virgin hair, and I can't use ghassoul because without henna, ghassoul shreds my hair.

My precious ends seem pretty from a distance but up close they are so sad!! I really want to make waist by my birthday in May and currently I am only 4 inches away.

I went a couple weeks ago for a 1cm trim (my frist trim in 6 months) and a dusting at an aveda salon and they did a great job. I kind of want to hold on to the length I have, but the color and damage are sooo annoying.

Aveda has a line of deposit only color, should I do a new color on my ends? Or just chop off an inch :( ?

Also has anyone tried aveda color over henna?

Thanks LHC for your time!

[Annibelle]

I can't give you much advice, but if you're looking for the strengthening benefits of henna, cassia might be a good alternative for you. :) It doesn't solve the color issue, and depending on your exact natural shade, it might alter it, but maybe you could check that out?

[NaiadOreiad]

I am worried about cassia adding yellow tones. I am een avoiding tea rinses becasue I want to see my virgin hair bits as virgin as humanly possible. Thanks though!

[MissAlida]

This is what I'd do in your place : go for a nice trim...and cut off all the breaking ends, everything that was chemically treated...Then just pamper your hair, s&d and you'll get the lenght back in no time.:) I had awful thin ends, but couldn't get myself to cut them. Then one day I just took the scissors, and cut almost an inch, then repeted in a month. My hair became thicker, and looks alot healthier. Oh, and I'm back where I was before the trims, and just 3 months had passed. I say go for it. Healthy hair can get you a long way in less time.:o

[Toadstool]

Can't you just henna the ends?

[NaiadOreiad]

Its so scary to imagine cutting off all the chemically treated stuff! That would set me back to APL! I will consider it though.... thanks for the advice.

[NaiadOreiad]

Can't you just henna the ends?


Yeah i could try that...normally I have my neighbor do the hennaing. i wonder if she could manage to do that without getting it everywhere else? Henna is so.... spready.

[Annibelle]

If your ends are breaking, you may want to cut to APL, anyway... you don't wanna end up like me, with four inches of scraggly ends! Mine wasn't from breakage, but it looks like it because the ends are so thin and I wouldn't cut. :( I ended up cutting two inches, but I've still got two inches of scraggle to go. It's soooo much easier said than done, though, right?

[Amber_Maiden]

I'd trim, just a little bit. I'd also not worry much about the colour, just grow it out, trimming to the length you want as you do so. Within 10 years it'll all be gone.. or even less.

[coffinhert]

Why don't you just henna the dyed tips? That's what I do.

If you don't trust your neighbor, you can do it yourself... just make sure you have gloves, then take a chunk of your hair and lift it away from your scalp so you can see the end, rub henna in the end, and wrap it with plastic wrap.

[spidermom]

I had the same idea: henna the ends only.

[NaiadOreiad]

I guess part of the reason why I am reluctant to use henna on the ends is that the henna all over my head (incl ends) has been done about 7 or 8 times and it seems like all the henna just fell out. Also I really don't want them to be even more orange and then fade to a coppery mess again. I was all about the copper look when it was my whole head, but now that there is such a difference between the ends and the rest... it just seems so disconnected.

I am considering now an inch or two of a trim and then Aveda's deposit only color just on the ends to make them blend a little more with the rest.

Its just so scary!!!

[xoxophelia]

By how you described the ends, I think you should just go ahead and cut them off. You will still be very close to waist by your birthday and most people won't be able to even tell the difference! :)

When I first started growing out my dye, I had something similar except natural dark blonette->nearly black->honey brown on the ends. The honey brown sounds like it would be pretty but it was frazzled and only that color because it was so damaged the color faded much faster. I tried living with it for a little while but I was much happier when I started to trim regularly to get rid of the damage.

[NaiadOreiad]

Sounds like I will be making a trim appointment for the 10th!I will say goodbye to an inch and then I will chop another half inch next month if things still aren't improving.

[celebriangel]

Ahhh, I feel your pain! Most of my hair is chemically dyed red, then henna'd, a portion is henna-only (which gave me a warm brown rather than red...*shrug*) and now I have an inch of my natural ashy blonette colour.

My ends, thank goodness, don't seem to be particularly damaged, but I definitely wish my hair were not three-tone! People have said the brown-red transition looks good, but my roots currently look like roots, if you see what I mean.

Tell me more about your aveda experience? Did they really agree to trimming only a tiny amount? I would consider a deposit-only brown colour on my ends to make them closer to the warm reddish brown on my chemically dyed hair.

[NaiadOreiad]

Ahhh, I feel your pain! Most of my hair is chemically dyed red, then henna'd, a portion is henna-only (which gave me a warm brown rather than red...*shrug*) and now I have an inch of my natural ashy blonette colour.

My ends, thank goodness, don't seem to be particularly damaged, but I definitely wish my hair were not three-tone! People have said the brown-red transition looks good, but my roots currently look like roots, if you see what I mean.

Tell me more about your aveda experience? Did they really agree to trimming only a tiny amount? I would consider a deposit-only brown colour on my ends to make them closer to the warm reddish brown on my chemically dyed hair.


I had an Aveda trim the last full moon and when I asked specifically for a dusting and a strict 1cm trim, she did exactly that. I left with my ends feeling better and not feeling or looking like I had really lost any length. Overall twas a joyous day. it was my first time getting a trim in 6 months. Alas the splits have returned because the damage is farther reaching than the mere 1cm I trimmed away.

I think when I make the appointment I will inquire about their opinions on deposit only color over henna. If they can do my ends for a reasonable price, I will give it a go. I have a Zumba instructor course on the 12th and I would like to look nice for it.
i hope that deposit only color over henna won't be a problem.

[jojo]

It shouldnt be, you will still get the red in the sun but it is safe to do!

[NaiadOreiad]

It shouldnt be, you will still get the red in the sun but it is safe to do!

I don't understand why it faded so much though. I mean the henna has stuck like a limpet everywhere else, but on my damaged ends, it just didn't hold.