i think i just murdered my hair.

[amanda_the_tall]

hey guys
i dyed my hair with a semi permanent dye this morning :o
i wanted a red color but ended up with a bright burgundy red-purple crazyness. i shampoo-ed twice and then used conditioner but my hair is super dry and gross. i was hoping since i had soaked my hair in coconut oil all night long, the peroxide wouldn't have damaged it as much, but alas. my hair is fine, and i should've learned my lesson last year when i tried to dye it. i feel like i want to chop it to shoulder (i'm an inch or two past apl) and maybe dye over it with brown (my natural color) in the near future and just forget about having anything other than boring colored hair. i've coated it in coconut oil to try to save what's left of it. if i chop, it'll take FOREVER to grow back, and get to my goal (midback/bsl). but if i do chop, most of the old damage from last year's dye, and this year's dye, and all the old layers will be gone. i'm just so mad at myself for thinking i could try dying my hair again and it turn out different from last time. i'm hoping since it's a semi it'll fade some. so i guess my question is: chop or not chop? re-color over it to where it's normal (there's a wedding i have to go to in two weeks) or just leave it this unnatural red purple mess? opinions please!

[MagicalMystery]

What type of dye did you use?

[amanda_the_tall]

natural instincts! i couldn't get the manic panic or vegetable dyes because they don't have that where i live :(

[mzBANGBANG]

Wait it out a little bit. The last time I lightened my hair, it took 2 weeks and a small trim for it to feel the way it used to. If you baby it, you can make a decent recovery!

[Ephemeral]

FYI - you can order Manic Panic through Amazon or Ebay

[amanda_the_tall]

Wait it out a little bit. The last time I lightened my hair, it took 2 weeks and a small trim for it to feel the way it used to. If you baby it, you can make a decent recovery!

thanks. i just went into a freak out mode because my hormones are going crazy, i always get super upset about stuff around the time of the month. plus my parents are probably gonna laugh/get mad when they get home. i just want the color to go away! i thought it was neat for like five minutes. i'm worried it won't fade, my friend used a semi back in 2010 and she still has red in her hair, and her natural color is nearly black!

[amanda_the_tall]

FYI - you can order Manic Panic through Amazon or Ebay

oh i didn't know that. well if i ever dye my hair again (preferably never) i will keep that in mind, thanks!

[lapushka]

Wait it out a little bit. The last time I lightened my hair, it took 2 weeks and a small trim for it to feel the way it used to. If you baby it, you can make a decent recovery!

This. ^^ I'd baby it for the next couple of weeks. Try a protein treatment followed by lots of moisture.

[fridgee]

Give yourself some time to get used to it. It came out differently than you expected so its a shock, but after a few days it may tone down and you might like it once the initial shock fades away? I second the babying advice, a bit of protein and plenty of moisture and fingers crossed it will feel a bit better :flower:

[amanda_the_tall]

thanks everyone! i almost felt like crying earlier, but now i feel so much better. lhc has changed my self image so much for the better, and you ladies are so supportive. :D thank you! i'm going to definitely be gentle with it, deep conditioning a lot and co washing, so hopefully it'll be ok

[afu]

Don't panic; my hair was dry, brittle and i was scared it would all snap off at the crown when i first found LHC after my stylist left bleach on too long :( Now the texture is unrecognisable from a few months ago.

My advice would be to stick out the colour at least a couple of weeks, give you hair a breather before trying to fix it if you decide you still don't like it. Do a protein treatment followed by lots and lots of moisture (for me, i changed to CO and also added a splodge of aloe vera to every wash and it was a miracle). Red is possibly the most difficult colour to shift once it's on there, my friend wanted to change away from her red dye and all the stylists she spoke to said it would take months of stage by stage change. I would really advise going and seeking advice from a hairdresser instead of trying to correct this yourself. I know it's annoying and can be costly but you could save your hair a lot more stress

[ratgirldjh]

When I used to dye my hair red with Nutrisse by Garnier the first day or so it was always lighter and then it seemed to oxidize redder. So in a few days it may be the color it is supposed to be. Don't give up yet! It always surprised me when this happened until I finally caught on what was happening.

I used to use bright auburn brown which is actually a red color and they quit making it so now i use henna.

[amanda_the_tall]

Don't panic; my hair was dry, brittle and i was scared it would all snap off at the crown when i first found LHC after my stylist left bleach on too long :( Now the texture is unrecognisable from a few months ago.

My advice would be to stick out the colour at least a couple of weeks, give you hair a breather before trying to fix it if you decide you still don't like it. Do a protein treatment followed by lots and lots of moisture (for me, i changed to CO and also added a splodge of aloe vera to every wash and it was a miracle). Red is possibly the most difficult colour to shift once it's on there, my friend wanted to change away from her red dye and all the stylists she spoke to said it would take months of stage by stage change. I would really advise going and seeking advice from a hairdresser instead of trying to correct this yourself. I know it's annoying and can be costly but you could save your hair a lot more stress


When I used to dye my hair red with Nutrisse by Garnier the first day or so it was always lighter and then it seemed to oxidize redder. So in a few days it may be the color it is supposed to be. Don't give up yet! It always surprised me when this happened until I finally caught on what was happening.

I used to use bright auburn brown which is actually a red color and they quit making it so now i use henna.

thanks for the advice! so far my plan of action is a) i'm soaking my hair in coconut oil for the rest of the day, so i can't see how crazy colored it is, and so it is protected/moisturized. b) i'm going to leave the color the way it is and baby it is and re-assess the issue on the 18th, one week before my friend's wedding. if i'm going to do anything about the color, i'm just going to go to a salon and ask them to just color over it a medium brown, if that will be possible. then if i need to i'll cut off a few inches. i've actually been thinking about chopping to shoulder since before i dyed it, since i wanted to get rid of the old damage/layers from before. i just can't decide if i want to sacrifice the length so much.

[Silverbrumby]

Sometimes when I'm a bit freaked out or disgusted with my hair I bun it and put pretty hair jewels in. With the coconut oil you have it will alter the color to people looking at it and hair bunned up usually looks less freaky no matter what the color or condition... at least for me.

I like the two week rule.

There was another gal who did something similar then proceeded to put another I think, 5 colors and treatments on top trying to fix it. Her poor hair 'freaked' out.

I think you can do henna over the top of dye but have to wait like two months. Also you would need to collect your shed hair in a bag and then dye that with henna. I'd recommend also collecting hair in a bag and trying out colors on that instead of your own head from now on. I did a lot of different things to my hair when I was your age. It's fun and the stuff ALWAYS grows back.

[bumblebums]

Artificial red dye fades the fastest of all colors, as far as I know, so the color you have now will probably change pretty quickly even before it grows out.

[katiejune]

I just had a dye disaster also and used "Color Oops, Extra Strength". It worked so well I cannot describe. My hair is just about back to it's natural color with a little reddish tone. It's really pretty now!!

[amanda_the_tall]

Sometimes when I'm a bit freaked out or disgusted with my hair I bun it and put pretty hair jewels in. With the coconut oil you have it will alter the color to people looking at it and hair bunned up usually looks less freaky no matter what the color or condition... at least for me.

I like the two week rule.

There was another gal who did something similar then proceeded to put another I think, 5 colors and treatments on top trying to fix it. Her poor hair 'freaked' out.

I think you can do henna over the top of dye but have to wait like two months. Also you would need to collect your shed hair in a bag and then dye that with henna. I'd recommend also collecting hair in a bag and trying out colors on that instead of your own head from now on. I did a lot of different things to my hair when I was your age. It's fun and the stuff ALWAYS grows back.

yeah, i just got so tired of the same stringy mess, so i thought color would make it more interesting. i should've just cut some of the layers off instead of frying my hair and creating this problem. unfortunately i feel like the hair on the top of my head is thinning as well, probably from past dye/stress, so i really need to just let it grow out and not do anything to it anymore.

[amanda_the_tall]

Artificial red dye fades the fastest of all colors, as far as I know, so the color you have now will probably change pretty quickly even before it grows out.

i'm hoping this is the case! i'm super tempted to shampoo the heck out of my hair. although that'd only make things worse, i'd have slightly less red but frizzy dry hair.

[Vanille_]

Artificial red dye fades the fastest of all colors, as far as I know, so the color you have now will probably change pretty quickly even before it grows out.

I somewhat agree with this. I tried several red dyes on my hair before Manic Panic and they washed out very quickly.

But then, Manic Panic seems to never fade out of my hair.

[amanda_the_tall]

I somewhat agree with this. I tried several red dyes on my hair before Manic Panic and they washed out very quickly.

But then, Manic Panic seems to never fade out of my hair.


eek. if it fades out mostly, i'll be super happy. i just want my boring brown back! (funny how you don't like what you have, until you mess it up) :p

[ravenreed]

It may be the coconut oil making your hair freak out, or possibly the conditioner you used afterwards. Semi-permanent uses a very low peroxide bleach. There shouldn't be much damage from it. I use a demi-permanent every three to four weeks and my hair feels a little weird the first wash or two afterwards. Give it some time for the color to fade and re-evaluate.

[Silverbrumby]

Maybe do conditioner on dry hair then wash after an hour. There might be something to the too much coconut oil thing. I've done that a few times but putting conditioner on dry hair then leaving it for an hour or two got rid of it and the weirdness and left me with soft hair. No shampoo.

[amanda_the_tall]

Maybe do conditioner on dry hair then wash after an hour. There might be something to the too much coconut oil thing. I've done that a few times but putting conditioner on dry hair then leaving it for an hour or two got rid of it and the weirdness and left me with soft hair. No shampoo.

i'll have to try that! usually coconut oil doesn't bother my hair... but idk it can be finicky haha

[afu]

have you used coconut oil for long treatments before with good results? I find that coconut oil as a leave in works brilliantly, but when i tried leaving it on for 12hrs my hair went crazy! My advice would be an SMT, for me a combination of cone-free, protein-free conditioner and aloe vera can do no wrong, any maybe the honey could lighten the colour a little

[marykatz]

Gee sorry to hear that this happened to your hair. I had read your previous post after you had done a strand test. You can call the company who makes the dye and they might give you good advice.

[Silverbrumby]

i'll have to try that! usually coconut oil doesn't bother my hair... but idk it can be finicky haha


It can't do any harm to you hair and you do need to wash it so I'd say give it a go and see if it helps.

[Indigostreams]

As far as the damage goes, I guess like everyone says you should just baby your hair and see if it gets healthier overtime before you just go and chop it. And I did the exact same thing as you, dying my hair with what was supposed to be a brown-red, but it came out bright burgundy. And mine was permanent dye! So your better off than I was! I too had a colorist dye a brown over it, which REALLY helped tame down the red, although the red never totally went away. But doing brown over the red should help a lot, and I would assume that your red will fade a lot, especially because it's semi-perm. Good Luck!

[Indigostreams]

And if I learned anything, it's that I need to stop messing with red because it's such a pain to get rid of if you don't REEEEEALLY want it.

[Macaroni]

I don't think semi permanent hair color has peroxide in it. That's why it washes out in 8 -12 shampoos. I wouldn't do a big cut just now.

[Alvrodul]

:scissors:
I think you can do henna over the top of dye but have to wait like two months. Also you would need to collect your shed hair in a bag and then dye that with henna. I'd recommend also collecting hair in a bag and trying out colors on that instead of your own head from now on. I did a lot of different things to my hair when I was your age. It's fun and the stuff ALWAYS grows back.

You don't really need to wait to use henna after dying/bleaching or whatever. BUT if you use "henna" that has metal salts in it, you are likely to fry your hair - not because of the henna, but because of the additives. Pure BAQ henna is gentle, and won't react with chemical treatments.

If you are considering henna, I strongly recommend that you do your proper research and testing beforehand, as henna can be somewhat tricky, and is very permanent. So unless you want to be a redhead for a long time, you should look at other kinds of colorings (and less permanent ones) first.

[amanda_the_tall]

I don't think semi permanent hair color has peroxide in it. That's why it washes out in 8 -12 shampoos. I wouldn't do a big cut just now.

the one i used lasts 28 shampoos, and has peroxide in it. it says semi on the box, but maybe it's a step above that? (would that be demi?) i just want it to fade as much as possible, then i might get brown over it later.

[xoxophelia]

I've used semipermanent dyes from Natural Instincts before. They do fade with time. The absolute best advice would be to wait it out and there is no reason to give up on the color you want. Just do a vegetable dye for awhile and then you can decide where to go from there when you feel your hair is healthier. Just wear your hair up for awhile and if need be use a hair scarf as a headband or an actual headband.

[amanda_the_tall]

I've used semipermanent dyes from Natural Instincts before. They do fade with time. The absolute best advice would be to wait it out and there is no reason to give up on the color you want. Just do a vegetable dye for awhile and then you can decide where to go from there when you feel your hair is healthier. Just wear your hair up for awhile and if need be use a hair scarf as a headband or an actual headband.

this is good news to hear! i need to invest in some cloth headband things, the regular ones give me headaches. thanks for the encouragement! :)

[BeckyAH]

I don't know what your normal routine is, but i have 3 week old N-rage (veggie deposit only) dye on my hair. It quit bleeding out a weeks ago, with my regular CWC routine. I just COed with Suave Naturals, and had a TON of color bleed out. Like - turned myself blue bleed out.

More long term - you might want to spend a while just doing rinse out temp colors to tone the red down. It's relatively inexpensive, but will let your hair recover for a while, while looking decent. If you DO dye again, go to a salon or at least a Sallys and look into protein filler.

[amanda_the_tall]

I don't know what your normal routine is, but i have 3 week old N-rage (veggie deposit only) dye on my hair. It quit bleeding out a weeks ago, with my regular CWC routine. I just COed with Suave Naturals, and had a TON of color bleed out. Like - turned myself blue bleed out.

normally i co wash with suave naturals also! i just shampooed out the coconut oil/coney conditioner that came with the dye this past wash, then i'm going to go back to my regular routine. and i hope most of the dye washed off, otherwise you could say you're a smurf for the day! ;)

[lapushka]

I'd just wait it out, and meanwhile wash a little more often in order to help fade the dye faster. Dyeing over it, I wouldn't do. Patience is all that's needed. Lots of it. I'm really sorry the dye didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.

[BeckyAH]

normally i co wash with suave naturals also! i just shampooed out the coconut oil/coney conditioner that came with the dye this past wash, then i'm going to go back to my regular routine. and i hope most of the dye washed off, otherwise you could say you're a smurf for the day! ;)

Fortunately, it was so well diluted at that point that it did just wash away again, but it was IMPRESSIVE -and a little confusing.

It went from this: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/closeup2.jpg

To this:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/DSCF2781.jpg

(This picture was taken to illustrate my hair trying to escape my head in response to the weather - ignore the frazzle) - but see that blue stripe flipped back over the top? The pretty much gray one? Yeah. Before CO, it was the vivid blue above. I'm dying again soon, but um. I'd say it's safe to assume that your normal routine will be good for your hair AND get that color out in a hurry. >.<

[amanda_the_tall]

I'd just wait it out, and meanwhile wash a little more often in order to help fade the dye faster. Dyeing over it, I wouldn't do. Patience is all that's needed. Lots of it. I'm really sorry the dye didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.

i'm thinking about bumping co washes up to daily, so hopefully that'll help. my hair isn't adjusted to stretch washes yet anyways :)

[amanda_the_tall]

Fortunately, it was so well diluted at that point that it did just wash away again, but it was IMPRESSIVE -and a little confusing.

It went from this: http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/closeup2.jpg

To this:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y26/Greylin/DSCF2781.jpg

(This picture was taken to illustrate my hair trying to escape my head in response to the weather - ignore the frazzle) - but see that blue stripe flipped back over the top? The pretty much gray one? Yeah. Before CO, it was the vivid blue above. I'm dying again soon, but um. I'd say it's safe to assume that your normal routine will be good for your hair AND get that color out in a hurry. >.<

wow. that is impressive, and definitely confusing! which suave did you use?

[BeckyAH]

wow. that is impressive, and definitely confusing! which suave did you use?

Sunripened (I think) Strawberry (I'm sure).

Even weirder? The regular old Suave Naturals (I don't know, it's blue) shampoo is the middle step of my CWC - but the other conditioners are coney. So, there's SOMETHING there.

[amanda_the_tall]

that really is interesting. i'm using the waterfall mist flavor right now. my hair feels super soft but i can't figure out if it's from the possible leftover coconut oil, leftover conditioner packet from the dye, or a combination of the two. meh, at least it isn't crackling and dry yet :)

[spookyghost]

thanks. i just went into a freak out mode because my hormones are going crazy, i always get super upset about stuff around the time of the month. plus my parents are probably gonna laugh/get mad when they get home. i just want the color to go away! i thought it was neat for like five minutes. i'm worried it won't fade, my friend used a semi back in 2010 and she still has red in her hair, and her natural color is nearly black!

I know what you mean. I feak out so easily when it comes to my hair. I got my hair colored a week ago and hate it. I say wait a little before you cut. Think it thru. And if you do cut it you will have healthier hair with less layers. So I guess it would be good either way;)

[Hollyfire3]

I feel bad..I thought the color would be a good idea and look good...I'm sorry it didn't. The red will fade and your hair is probably just dry from being processed, don't chop, give it some TLC, it should be fine.

[mzBANGBANG]

I'm jumping back in to suggest using head and shoulders if you want it to strip out faster.

[Clytemnestra]

If you used Natural Instincts it will definitely fade depending on how porous your hair is, olive oil soaks are good to get color out too.
I know some have recommended Prell or color oops, but I would go the oil route myself to keep the moisture in.
I use a non-ammonia blonde color on my roots only and keep it soft with this routine:

- weekly SMT (honey/suave condish/coconut oil or aloe)
- daily coconut oil pre-wash (I put this in before I run in the morning) followed by
- CO daily with Suave Naturals
- once a week use the protein V05 (coconut or soy) as CO
- once a week use the clarify V05 shampoo (Kiwi Lime) to get rid of build up.

Never get any splits either. Good luck!

[amanda_the_tall]

you guys are the best! thanks for all of your advice! my hair is now dry after washing, and it's *bright* red, like ariel red. but that also means some of the dye is coming out, and i saw some of it going down the drain yay! my hair doesn't feel any dryer than normal yet, so i guess that's good too :)

[amanda_the_tall]

I feel bad..I thought the color would be a good idea and look good...I'm sorry it didn't. The red will fade and your hair is probably just dry from being processed, don't chop, give it some TLC, it should be fine.

it's not your fault, really if it turned out the color it said it would on the box, it would've been fine, but it didn't. besides, now i know red isn't for me! (although, it is cool while it lasts)

[amanda_the_tall]

If you used Natural Instincts it will definitely fade depending on how porous your hair is, olive oil soaks are good to get color out too.
I know some have recommended Prell or color oops, but I would go the oil route myself to keep the moisture in.
I use a non-ammonia blonde color on my roots only and keep it soft with this routine:

- weekly SMT (honey/suave condish/coconut oil or aloe)
- daily coconut oil pre-wash (I put this in before I run in the morning) followed by
- CO daily with Suave Naturals
- once a week use the protein V05 (coconut or soy) as CO
- once a week use the clarify V05 shampoo (Kiwi Lime) to get rid of build up.

Never get any splits either. Good luck!

this is somewhat similar to my routine, only i've been avoiding protein since my hair hates it. i'll load on some smt this week, then see about doing a protein something. thanks!

[Micayla47]

i read most of the responses, but skipped the last few. you can safely dye over chemical hair color with henndigo and amla and get a nice cool brown that won't mess up your hair at all. you can order it pre-mixed from morroccomethod.com or hennaforhair.com.

[amanda_the_tall]

i read most of the responses, but skipped the last few. you can safely dye over chemical hair color with henndigo and amla and get a nice cool brown that won't mess up your hair at all. you can order it pre-mixed from morroccomethod.com or hennaforhair.com.

ooh. i'm scared to try to dye it again, seeing as it was pretty blotchy at first, then i had to go back and fix it. maybe i can talk my hairstylist friend into letting me bring the henna and her put it on for me, lol.

[Silverbrumby]

I'm happy that your hair is feeling better! Woot.

[amanda_the_tall]

I'm happy that your hair is feeling better! Woot.

thanks silverbrumby! :D

[LaurelSpring]

Dont panic! It will fade...dont cut. It will be ok. If you want to speed things along give it a good soak in mineral oil. That will strip a good bit of it right out. Its a pain to get out of your hair but it works. Ive done it before.

[amanda_the_tall]

Dont panic! It will fade...dont cut. It will be ok. If you want to speed things along give it a good soak in mineral oil. That will strip a good bit of it right out. Its a pain to get out of your hair but it works. Ive done it before.

the only mineral oil i have right now is baby oil in a gel form. do you think that would work as well?

[Gogobaby]

Hi honey - I third with the girls, no need to chop just yet... Wait it out with some TLC and make those vows so you don't emotionally do something drastic! Amla hair oil is working a treat on my damaged bits, and definitely go for some Argan oil on it when it is wet. If that's too off budget then baby oil I found restored by my hair when it was BURNT. Go to a decent, friendly hairdresser and have a chat for some advice. :)

[amanda_the_tall]

Hi honey - I third with the girls, no need to chop just yet... Wait it out with some TLC and make those vows so you don't emotionally do something drastic! Amla hair oil is working a treat on my damaged bits, and definitely go for some Argan oil on it when it is wet. If that's too off budget then baby oil I found restored by my hair when it was BURNT. Go to a decent, friendly hairdresser and have a chat for some advice. :)

thanks for the advice! one of my friends uses argan oil for when she straightens her hair, and it was always glossy and pretty. i'll have to see if i can afford some. i don't think i'm going to cut it, it turns out the shampoo i used to try to get some of the color out is what made it weird/dry out. once i put conditioner on it it goes back to normal. so i'm thinking/hoping it isn't really that damaged. i'm soaking it in olive oil right now, and i might get to the hairdresser thursday. i just found out we're having a family dinner friday for mothers day eek!

[amanda_the_tall]

i just saw an episode of what not to wear and the girl ended up with a beautiful dark brown hair color *sigh* i'm so tempted to get some semi permanent dark brown and put it over the red.

[lapushka]

i just saw an episode of what not to wear and the girl ended up with a beautiful dark brown hair color *sigh* i'm so tempted to get some semi permanent dark brown and put it over the red.

Don't! Dyeing over it will probably be the worst thing you can do. Relax. Breathe. It will wash out, and then all this will be behind you.

[amanda_the_tall]

Don't! Dyeing over it will probably be the worst thing you can do. Relax. Breathe. It will wash out, and then all this will be behind you.

thanks. i'm just really nervous since we have a family dinner on friday night, and i have work all weekend, where you're not allowed to have unnatural colored hair. i guess i can bun it and put a thick headband on, hopefully no one will notice too much

[lapushka]

thanks. i'm just really nervous since we have a family dinner on friday night, and i have work all weekend, where you're not allowed to have unnatural colored hair. i guess i can bun it and put a thick headband on, hopefully no one will notice too much

You couldn't have picked a better time to dye your hair, I guess. :p (oh, the times when I've done something similar). I hope no one notices either. Can't be too noticeable when you put it up.

[amanda_the_tall]

You couldn't have picked a better time to dye your hair, I guess. :p (oh, the times when I've done something similar). I hope no one notices either. Can't be too noticeable when you put it up.

i know. i guess it's better i start trying to wash it out now, than dying it a week from now and having to wash it out for my friends wedding though! haha. i should've known red is never going to work for me. ooh maybe i can try putting cocoa powder around my roots to make it less bright when i pull it up?