Blondes Natural Demarcation

[mzBANGBANG]

It is so frustrating! The ends of my hair on about 40% (the top layer) are so light! This is so until about up past my ears, then I have a couple inches of the dark mousey-golden roots that will only get lighter as my hair grows out. The bottom layer of my hair (the other 60%) is this weird dark mousey tone.

I know it's just from the sun naturally lightening my hair but it makes me want to put highlights over my entire head so I can at least control the demarcation. When I hold the different colors next to each other it looks like I went to a salon a couple months ago and stopped caring about getting it touched up.

I'm considering honey lightening (I never want to go darker, I'd be more prone to bleaching my hair than trying a henna) to help it out a little but I don't know. I've come so far with hair health that now I realize I care more about what it looks like. I think I might be instating the 2 week rule and start considering some highlights.

[elbow chic]

I used to get haircuts to avoid that... just cut off the old sun-lightened parts, you know. I've got a lot of variation right now too.

Maybe wait till spring to decide? I like my hair better in the summer, since it becomes more uniform in color.

Anyway, I figure that is what real blond really looks like; it is just prone to sun-bleaching.

[RapunzelKat]

I have learned to love the natural color gradient in my hair :) My roots are about level 7 blonde (that light mousy brown color), and my hair fades naturally to gold at the tips. I also get lots of natural highlights from the sun. I like the difference in color you can see when my hair is up.

I do use Sun-In nowadays, so now my hair fades from the light mousy brown roots, through gold, to very pale gold, almost platinum and the very very ends. It's almost like an ombré effect ;)

But, if you decide you want salon highlights after your two week rule, go for it! :D Do whatever makes you happy with your hair ;) I think the only other way to prevent the fade would be to always cover your hair when you're out in the sun. Highlights would be more fun, I would think :cool:

[mzBANGBANG]

I appreciate the feedback. Maybe I will start using sun-in instead of spending big money at the salon. I used to use it all the time and my hair held up pretty well. Maybe there's some kind of peroxide mixture I can concoct instead of spending money. :)

[Tota]

I have learned to love the natural color gradient in my hair :) My roots are about level 7 blonde (that light mousy brown color), and my hair fades naturally to gold at the tips. I also get lots of natural highlights from the sun. I like the difference in color you can see when my hair is up.

I love the brown-blonde rainbow on my head too. What I really love is that the colors change through time so every once in a while I look at my hair and I'm surprised to see a new color :) To me there's nothing as beautiful as natural highlights ... My advice would be rock what you got and be glad you're special ;)

[RapunzelKat]

Well, I know you can buy plain old hydrogen peroxide and dilute it to use on your hair, but it's a little risky because if you get the mixture wrong you could end up orange... :p

Actually one of the reasons I went for Sun In is the price. It's only a few bucks a bottle :D

ETA: You probably already know this from using Sun In before ;) But peroxide is the active ingredient. It's balanced so you get more consistent results than mixing up the peroxide yourself.

[Oksana]

My sister has a real different between root colour and length colour from sun lightening. This picture shows it pretty well. I think it's super pretty!

http://i42.tinypic.com/2mysnlx.jpg

[IndigoOptimist]

I also have that effect in my hair, and I hate the mouse colour in my hair so it's really hard not to dye it! I'm trying honey lightening for now, as I know that in March/April time it's gunna be bleached in the sun again :) If you still wanna get highlights after the two weeks then go for it though!

[Anje]

Add me to the people who love how natural blond hair looks variegated. It's really pretty, far more so than the fairly flat dyed blond I often see, in my opinion.

[mzBANGBANG]

thanks for the inspiration :) I just curled my hair so I am already feeling better about it (curl actually makes the color-texture look really pretty). So it's kind of like one evil or the other. Since I don't plan on growing much past BSL I guess I can keep this one up without the lightening damage.

[Zefyra]

That variation is one of the few things I really loved when my hair was natural. I miss it quite a bit... I added a few highlights and bleached the ends lighter too though, for the reason that I wanted something a bit more dramatic. I had some pretty awesome white streaks near my face. I loved it...

[BlondieHepburn]

Yes, I totally know how annoying this can be! In the summer, I use Sun-In, or plain lemon juice, or, if I'm feeling a bit naughty, hydrogen peroxide. But the winter is another story. I've been adding cinnamon to my shampoo, and honey to my conditioner to try and keep the roots bright. Otherwise, naturally speaking, I haven't found many fixes. :rolleyes:

[spidermom]

I love the color fade to light on the ends. It says "natural blonde" to me.

My mother didn't like it, though. She started bleaching my hair at about age 11 because she didn't want the other ladies at church to think I had bleached hair. How's that for reasoning?

[Malibu Barbie]

I had this problem as well I started coloring it. Even with color I've had no problem growing it. I'm at around tailbone and trying for classic.

[Arya]

Oh, but those dark roots are what makes braiding look so interesting on blonde hair!

[Vanilla]

I use AO Volumizing chamomile shampoo, and it has helped lighten my roots quite a bit. I don't even notice that there's a line of demarcation as much anymore. I am also fortunate to be blessed with natural highlights, which make the transition not so bad.

[allycat]

I totally love that effect, and like others have posted, it says "natural blonde" to me too. Both of my daughters have it.

[blondyhead]

I've started mixing 2 tbls of good honey in with my conditioner letting it sit for 1 hour under a shower cap, then rinsing with 4 chamomile tea bags steeped in a saucepan of water, has helped bring me back to my natural light blonde again :D

[TheBluffs]

I have it, and I'm learnning to embrace it. :) I've tried honey lightning and it helps with the bun to head difference,

[Ligeia_13]

My mother didn't like it, though. She started bleaching my hair at about age 11 because she didn't want the other ladies at church to think I had bleached hair. How's that for reasoning?

:confused: what kind of logic is that?

[Katze]

Add me to the people who love how natural blond hair looks variegated. It's really pretty, far more so than the fairly flat dyed blond I often see, in my opinion.

Me too. I really do think it looks lovely, and is a clear sign that you are a 'real blonde.' :D

For the record, I really wanted to bleach my hair with honey, but have never - sadly - gotten it any lighter. I have used sun-in to enhance this natural lightening, though overuse of sun-in killed my hair as a teenager. Last summer I used it once when sitting outside on a sunny day. :)

[jasper]

I understand your frustration. One big reason I never want to color my hair is that I don't want to get into that cycle of the upkeep, and not wanting to look like I need to get my roots done.

When I used to go to salons (years ago), I got in an argument with one stylist over my "natural" blonde hair that I never colored, bleached or highlighted. He lifted up a big strand to show me the demarcation line and prove to me he knew I was lying about not lightening my hair (and that I really needed to pay him to lighten my roots).

I worked outside in those days, so I'd had tons of sun on the length and, of course, less sun on the roots. I was ticked that he said I was lying. I guess maybe he was right that my hair color was not the natural color, but to me, that lighter length was my natural color because the sun is just part of nature.

Anyway, I ignored him. Now I mostly stay out of the sun, but the demarcation line I fret over these days is starting to be where the roots are grayer than the length, :rolleyes: