What is more damaging?

[Indigostreams]

I was hoping that some of you would share your knowledge and thoughts on this: Which is worse and more damaging for your hair: heat styling or coloring your hair?

[swearnsue]

I think heat styling is worse because there are some dyes that are OK for hair.

[Madora]

Heat styling.

[Khiwanean]

I don't think you can really positively say one is more damaging than the other. Dyes have a much bigger range of how damaging they are. So heat styling is more damaging than some dyes and less damaging than others.

[Phexlyn]

I think it depends on how often you do it and how harsh your methods are. Straightening every day is a lot worse than using a deposit-only colour once a month. Bleaching all of your hair every three weeks is probably more damaging than blowdrying on low heat twice a week. Also, damage does show more quickly the more fragile your hair is. I guess that answer was not much help, but it really depends on what you're doing.

If you're asking because you want to ditch one of those evils for the sake of your hair health but not both, you should think about what you can replace with gentler methods or what is more important to you.

[Amber_Maiden]

I think it depends on how often you do it. Straightening your once a year isn't so bad, but chemical dying every month would be!

[dwell_in_safety]

That depends on a host of factors, as others have pointed out. I have chemically dyed my hair three times and it doesn't show much damage from it at all at this point, having been taken good care of for months, but in the past when I did straighten my hair for the occasional event it would be riddled with splits 1-3 days later.

[Indigostreams]

Thanks so much for all of your answers! I should have been specific when I started the thread and said "chemical hair coloring", (not including natural methods like henna.)
The reason I am wondering about this is because my hair is just chin length right now, and it isn't a nice color at all. :( It is a faded reddish-brown that was done over a light blonde in an attempt to blend my dyed hair in with my natural roots as I grow it out. I am frustrated with how long it is taking my hair to grow, because it looks awkward on me. And it looks bad, because it is a mix between wavy, straight, and slightly curly when I don't heat style it. But I want healthy, long hair. So I CAN live without heat styling it, but I feel it might boost my confidence if I were to go blonde again while it is growing long, since I always felt more attractive as a blonde. I was thinking of dying it blonde, then just dying the roots blonde until it is my desired length, and finally dying it back a brown color which is close to my natural color, and then leaving it alone. Haha. Don't know if this is confusing.
Basically, do you all think that if I followed through with this, that it would damage my hair? I would DEEPLY appreciate any answers. And maybe someone has some personal experience with doing this? I've already ruined my hair and had to cut it short because of it, and I don't want to do it again!

[BeckyAH]

Lightening your hair is very likely going to do more damage than heat styling it. Especially trying to strip out dye that's already there - double processing is just not a good idea.

But you might also want to look into some non-heat styling methods. Like no-heat curling or straightening - braid waves, pin curls, wrapping, or otherwise containing and altering how your hair dries. Or gentle heat methods like the Curso Hair setter. (Steam).

[Indigostreams]

Thanks. I'll look into those methods :)

[Indigostreams]

Thanks. What is the Curso Hair Setter? I tried to google it, but didn't find anything.

[BeckyAH]

That's because I can't spell - I'm sorry.

http://www.beautybasicsupply.com/Caruso-Hair-Setters-Rollers-s/98.htm?gclid=CLK6vofP568CFUSK4Aodknly3g

[Roscata]

You CAN avoid a lot of damage from chemical dyes with coconut oil and by using low peroxide volume developers. Coconut oil (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53786&highlight=coconut+oil) can help minimize damage from chemical dyes is you do an overnight oiling and then use the dye on your still oiled hair. And if you want to lighten hair honey lightening (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148) can be an alternative to consider.

Also keep in mind that chemically colored hair requires special treatment. FrannyG (http://www.frannyslonghairstyles.com/haircare.htm) has some really good tips about deep conditioning and other treatments that help you deal with bleached hair.

I see you're interested in heathless styling I have a few resources for you:
- Heat-free styling (https://sites.google.com/site/roscatahair/heatfreestyling)
- Natural styling products (https://sites.google.com/site/roscatahair/naturalproducts) (just for fun)

Good luck! :)

[torrilin]

I think it depends on how often you do it. Straightening your once a year isn't so bad, but chemical dying every month would be!

Sorta? It really depends on your hair.

For me, even *one* go round with a blow dryer can take more than 6 months to recover from. It can easily be more like 18 months. It is just plain nightmarish. (I don't dare suggest things like curling irons to my hair)

Yet on the same head of hair, dye application as often as every 8 or 12 weeks are ok. Not great. But my hair does not take anything like the damage that it does from a blow dryer. Obviously, some dyes are better than others... my hair really doesn't get on with Feria, and that distantly approaches the badness level of a blow dryer. But a semi-perm like Herbal Essences or a permanent like the old Clairol Hydrience is fine.

Which is not to say dye is a good idea. Just it can definitely happen that your hair copes well with one, and is easily damaged by the other... and not everyone whose hair reacts in an extreme way will have the *same* extreme reaction as my hair.

[Mrsbaybeegurl]

I'm one who would vote for color being more damaging IF your going lighter and IF you maintain it by doing the roots and pulling the color through the rest of your hair half way through your bleaching time (that's how I used to do it) - If your going darker or not using a high volume developer, heat is worse I'm sure.

I started hennaing over 2 years ago and my hair doesn't have those white dots, splits or anything else it used to back when I was a boxed dyed blonde. It has fully recovered BUT I didn't stop heat styling until I joined here about 3 months ago. I only used the blow dryer about twice a week, flat iron maybe 4 times a year and rarely used the curling iron. I'm now heat free and wonder if the condition of my hair will even get better or jut stay the same, time will tell.

From being on these boards I have noticed it really does all depend on YOUR personal hair. Some of the most luxuriously beautiful long haired members use BOTH heat and color, some even have long bleached blonde hair (doing roots only) And like others have already mentioned, just one blow dry and their hair is damaged for over a year...so it's a lot like trial and error and what's worth the risk to you to find out. Just keep in mind sometimes hair seems awesomely healthy right after coloring and it takes months for the damage to show. Heat styling is the same on most people, you don't always know it's doing damaging until one day you find splits galore.

[Phexlyn]

Seeing that you're a F i/ii, I would advise you to be really careful with bleaching. I'm a F i/ii as well and bleach wreaks havoc on my hair. Would just be getting thin blonde streaks throughout the hair be an alternative to getting a full treatment? It might be easier to take care of if you only damage a fraction of your hair but still get a lighter colour.

Also, maybe you're just at a really awkward length? If that's you in your avatar picture, I can imagine how annoying your hair must be - I hated that length, too. Can you try to keep it up and forget about it until it's gotten a bit longer? I have a feeling that once your hair stops annoying the heck out of you, you might think differently about it, especially since waves/curls change their pattern once hair gets longer.

[Gogobaby]

I think that natural is always the way forward if you want long beautiful hair. Watch brunette films with angelina Jolie or Salma Hayek as the heroine and you'll soon see that blonde isn't necessarily the more attractive colour - any natural colour is. My advice is to treat your hair like silk, don't heat it or dye it and for heaven's sake dont bleach it! Let it grow and condition twice a week with plenty of massage and natural oils. :) if you are sick of it's appearance when out, plait it nicely or curl it with overnight rollers into 1940s styles.. 'Style Me Vintage' is a great book that shows you how to do this, and it looks so unique for hair your length.

[LadyCelestina]

Kinda off topic,but which do you think is more damaging to hair regarding dyes - using a semi-permanent dye monthly or dying it with permanent dye ONCE and then just doing the roots whenever needed?


Sorry for hijacking :)

[palaeoqueen]

OP - your hair looks so similar to mine, both your tying and in your profile pic and I've had the same problems so I sympathise so much. I agree with Phexlin that you're probably at an awkward length right now which isn't helping you love your hair. I know it's hard but I agree that you need to just wear it up/back and forget about it. Lots of oiling and conditioning (or whatever works for your hair) and try to ignore it for a few months. I started the same journey as you last summer and it was painful for a while (my hair was even shorter and impossible to put up) but I made it through and I'm so much happier with my hair now. I did eventually have it dyed to match my natural colour (not quite but it helped) but only after a few months of avoiding heat and bleach.

[Indigostreams]

Thank you everyone for taking time out of your day to help me out! Yes Phexlyn and Paleoqueen, that's exactly what's going on. I think I will take your advice and just ignore my hair and love it and let it be. I can't believe how everyone's hair reacts so differently to different things. But after all of your responses, I think I am convinced that I should just leave it be, because it's not worth the risk of killing my hair. Gogobaby, although I love blonde hair, I also love all of the beautiful, shiny, long brunette hair that I see on here. I would like to have gorgeous brunette hair too. I think I get obsessed with being blonde because I associate it with being at my best, since when I was blonde I also happened to be the most fit I ever was, so I felt really good about myself. But I always felt kinda like it was a lie, even though it looked natural. And I murdered my hair by bleaching it carelessly and ironing it. I think I'm going to go just be patient, go all natural, and see what happens. Thank you all! :)

[Indigostreams]

Sorry for spelling your name wrong palaeoqueen! I couldn't fix it because I can't edit my posts.

[palaeoqueen]

No problem! Without the "a" is technically correct too, it's just the US English version ;)

I'm glad to hear you're feeling a bit better about your hair, I totally hear you on the blonde thing too btw. I've been bleached highlighted blonde in one form or another since I was 13! It's hard to let go but I am honestly starting to love my natural dark ash blonde.

[afu]

I used to heat straighten and also bleach highlight, at christmas i decided it was time i got rid of at least one. I couldn't face giving up the blonde so i decided to get rid of the heat. I now use no heat and i have just the roots of my highlights topped up about every 8 weeks at the salon. the lengths of my hair have damage from the past double treatment but since i stopped using heat and started using coconut oil pretreatment before bleaching ive not seen any damage at the roots, using ktani's advice of applying coconut oil at least an hour prior to bleaching really is a lifesaver.

There are quite a few members here who have long long hair while still using bleach, i think if you take the necessary precautions of oiling and treat it well in between it is possible to be blonde and healthy. There is a thread on here called something like 'bottle blonde grows long' although don't quote me on the exact wording! might be worth a search :D

[Roscata]

I used to heat straighten and also bleach highlight, at christmas i decided it was time i got rid of at least one. I couldn't face giving up the blonde so i decided to get rid of the heat. I now use no heat and i have just the roots of my highlights topped up about every 8 weeks at the salon. the lengths of my hair have damage from the past double treatment but since i stopped using heat and started using coconut oil pretreatment before bleaching ive not seen any damage at the roots, using ktani's advice of applying coconut oil at least an hour prior to bleaching really is a lifesaver.

There are quite a few members here who have long long hair while still using bleach, i think if you take the necessary precautions of oiling and treat it well in between it is possible to be blonde and healthy. There is a thread on here called something like 'bottle blonde grows long' although don't quote me on the exact wording! might be worth a search :D

I agree with you 100%. Here is the thread you mentioned: Bottle blonde grows long! (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=21256)

[Indigostreams]

Thanks! Yeah, I've been reading that thread, and it's what's been making me want to go blonde again after seeing all of that healthy and gorgeous blonde hair. I think what I will do is try to embrace my natural color for a while, and then if I'm still not happy with it even though it's getting longer, I'll go blondie again. Thanks for all of your help!

[torrilin]

Something to keep in mind is... if you're a natural ash blonde/ash brown, your hair likely sun bleaches pretty well already. At 40", your hair might well look more blonde than brown, even if it's totally natural. And it'll probably take somewhere in the 5-7 year range for you to make your goal, so the hair that looks so boring to you now might not look remotely the same when you're at your goal.

Definitely stick with the 2 week rule :D. 2 weeks isn't long at all compared to 5 years.

[MonaLisa]

Heat styling unless you dye it once a week :P

[Mesmerise]

In my personal experience, I find it depends on the TYPE of colouring.

I would say heavily bleaching is #1 damaging
Heat straightening is #2 damaging
Colouring with low bleach/no bleach is #3 damaging

I have had seriously wrecked hair when I decided to be blonde. It is HARD (for some reason) to strip that colour out of my hair (even though it is not really all that dark... just a medium sort of brownish colour), and I would find that hair which had been bleached would split quite easily, and would also FRY if heat was applied too heavily (thanks stupid hairdresser who taught me that one :rolleyes::rolleyes: or should I say "demonstrated" that on my freshly cut and previously unfried hair).

Actually dyeing my hair with store bought dyes I didn't find altogether too damaging (even permanent colours with hydrogen peroxide and ammonia and stuff like that). Over time I guess my ends would be more likely to split/white dot than they would if they were virgin, but I could dye my hair quite happily without it looking bad).

Heat straightening, though, has been horrible to my hair. When I first got my straightener I fell in LOVE!! I adored how long and straight it would make my hair look (getting those waves out really makes a length difference, even though it's not THAT wavy)... but over time I realised that my natural hair had become a frizzy mess. It took me awhile to realise that straightening had permanently damaged the hair structure. And I mean PERMANENTLY... my hair still frizzes and is weird, even though I haven't straightened my hair since January 30th 2011!

So yeah, in my experience getting it coloured (but not considerably lightened) is less damaging than heat, and also less damaging than lightening a lot.

[thirstylocks]

Just my two cents - I've been there. I had to grow out bleached orange hair with dark brown roots. Be patient-don't touch the bleach!!! And its not worth straightening it either. Just try to keep it up! Its going to suck for a while, I've been there. But it will pay off. Bleach is the bane of my existence X(

[Indigostreams]

Something to keep in mind is... if you're a natural ash blonde/ash brown, your hair likely sun bleaches pretty well already. At 40", your hair might well look more blonde than brown, even if it's totally natural. And it'll probably take somewhere in the 5-7 year range for you to make your goal, so the hair that looks so boring to you now might not look remotely the same when you're at your goal.

Definitely stick with the 2 week rule :D. 2 weeks isn't long at all compared to 5 years.

Yes, it's so cool when the natural elements color your hair for you. I just need to be patient and spend a lot of time outdoors this Summer.