Red hair, I want you!-Advice needed-

[Lucky_Lucy]

I've always wanted to have red hair. Even when I was a child, I always liked the red-haired characters in every series/comic book/movie etc(like Ariel, Bloom, Will..:lol: I still like them :D).
I used to have red highlights when I was a freshman, back when I had long hair. But, well, I didn't know how to properly take care of my hair, at least not the LHC way. :D

Right now, I'm struggling with some personal issues; that's why I haven't been on LHC lately, but I really miss everyone here :grouphug:. I feel depressed and insecure. So I figured if I changed my appearance, I would feel more determined. I would feel like I could really change. And well, it would just feel great. :D

The only problem is that my natural hair color is a very very dark brown(I have a picture in my album). Hoping that maybe, just maybe it will show I dyed it with henna a few months ago. I think I have two layers or so. I loved henna, it made my hair feel healthier, thicker and shinier. But the thing is I really really really need a change, and well a haircut just isn't the change I need. :lol:

I'm wondering if chemical hair dye would actually 'work' on top of henna... Some people say it won't but I've also seen some that actually tried it and it turned out OK.
I'm not planning on doing this myself, I actually want to go to a hairdresser.
My biggest problem is that I'm not sure if my henna was BAQ, and I also think it might have also had some indigo in it...I've also tried Sun-in; I've used 3/4 of the bottle and it actually made my hair a little bit lighter, but it's not that significant.

What do you think I should do? Do you think I'll be able to dye it red? If I go to the hairdresser's should I tell them to bleach it and then use a semi-permanent dye? And if they bleach it...what if it turns green..? Should they just used regular/permanent hair dye?

Thank you. :)

[Falcore]

You will have to bleach if you want to go very red. I'd have a consultation with your hairdresser and inform her of EVERYTHING you've done to your hair (the henna, the sun in etc.)

The bleach will be damaging to your hair and I'd suggest if you go through with it that you put some coconut oil in your hair beforehand to lessen the damage. Another option is putting a deposit only dye in your hair after it is bleached as they're less damaging than a permanent/semi dye. Or another suggestion is to get the hairdresser to bleach then go home and put henna on yourself afterwards. I'm not a professional so that's why I suggest talking to your hairdresser of your previous history.

I'm sorry you've been depressed and big hugs to you. Please think this through as it's a big decision and I feel a decision that would be better made when you're in a better state of mind.

[pink.sara]

I'd echo Falcore and advise you to wait until you are feeling a little better to fiddle with your hair :)

But... if you are thinking red, how red are we talking? Like a natural glowing henna red? Or are you thinking bonkers red (see siggy).

Whatever you do, don't double process on the same day, do not bleach then use a permanent, with everything you have done to your hair already that may finish it off!

And if you or your hairdresser are planning on using bleach or a "high lift" colour like a majirel/majirouge always cover it in coconut oil beforehand for an hour or two.

[kitekats]

Stick with henna-a nice dark burgundy red is something to die for ;)

[SilverDoe]

While my hair is dark dishwater blonde naturally, I now have a burgundy color on my lengths with henna & old chemical dye.
When I get tiered of it, I usually use a gentle semi permanent dye like Manic Panic or Directions, giving me a strong vivid dark red for a few weeks.
I don't see a point in using permanent chemical dyes as red always fades anyways.

[owlathena]

Stick with henna-a nice dark burgundy red is something to die for ;)

I agree! I've always wanted RED hair, but I love the burgundy henna gives me. I don't have a great picture of it now, but heres one from last december (and several hennas ago, its even "redder" now), my hair is naturally pretty dark brown

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6952&pictureid=123718


I get cravings to do drastic things to my hair when I get upset (bleaching chunky colored streaks :rolleyes: ) Try doing something more pampering instead. Henna, get your nails done, etc. You don't want to do something you end up regretting a year from now.

[Loviatar]

Henna is lovely, but if you want super fire red hair, unless you're blonde it's not going to do it. :( I sympathise as I always wanted super red hair with henna. My hair is dark medium brown. Not going to happen unless I bleach first.

I'm guilty of messing with my hair when I'm depressed. I've made bad decisions. Give yourself time, and if you still want to do this in a couple of months or so, then go for it. Just don't jump in with both feet and regret it. :flower:

First off: have your hairdresser do a strand test with bleach. (Mine will do various tests on different strands using 20vol peroxide, 30 vol and 40vol. Find one who will do this and therefore you can find out which is the lowest % developer you need.) You say you're not sure if you had indigo in your henna. I have bleached over indigo. It is NOT pretty. It trashed my hair. I lost about six inches and it turned khaki coloured. If there is any indigo, forget bleaching. You will have to cut or grow the indigo out.

If you bleach and dye, cover your hair in coconut oil first. Coconut oil prevents protein loss. I have never had dye damage since starting to use it. Find a hairdresser who doesnt mind you arriving with oiled hair. Mine doesn't. I have found, oddly, that male hairdressers are more understanding about this. YMMV though. I would advise against bleaching and the dyeing in the same appointment.

After you've discussed your strand tests with your stylist, I'd suggest booking 2 appointments, one on Friday morning as early as poss for the bleach, one on Saturday afternoon as late as poss for the colour.

Book Friday off work.
Coconut oil your hair on Thursday night.
On Friday, get up, go to salon, have the bleach done.
Go home, apply a protein treatment or reconstructive treatment. I like TiGi Dumb Blonde repair. Rinse out after the alloted time. If your hair feels like it needs it, do a moisture treatment or a long conditioner soak so long as your condish hasn't got protein in it.
Coconut oil your hair on Friday night before bed.
Saturday afternoon, go to the salon and have the red colour put on. Wear a scarf or hat on the way in!

Try to CO-wash in cool water for the next few days, and an acv rinse after washing will help 'seal' the colour into the cuticle.

If you find that your colour strips or fades very quickly over the bleach, leaving you with pink hair, deposit dyes such as Manic Panic or Crazy Colour will help if you can match them to your original red. For example I used to use Majicontrast 3 (aka Bonkers Red, lol) and it matches perfectly with Crazy Colour Fire. By week 3 the Maji was almost gone on the ends. I would soak them in Fire for an hour and it was much better, plus the dye is deposit-only and conditioning, too. So no damage. You dont need to use coconut oil over these dyes.

If you bleach and henna, and yes it can be done, it will go super flaming orange. You could mix some Special Effects red or Manic Panic red into the henna to push it towards red rather than orange. I used to bleach then henna and I loved it. The upkeep was expensive though so I gave up. Again, I always bleached over coconut oil and used the lowest possible % of peroxide. The henna I used was Jamila and I kept it on for 4 hours then did roots-only for the next applications - I wanted orange not red. You could probably build up to red with multiple full-head apps, but henna for me is too tricky and goes burgundy before I know it.

Good luck!

[ebba]

I was going to make a thread about this same thing!
Can you use a red box dye over henna?

[Shiranshoku]

I've always wanted to have red hair. Even when I was a child, I always liked the red-haired characters in every series/comic book/movie etc(like Ariel, Bloom, Will..:lol: I still like them :D).
I used to have red highlights when I was a freshman, back when I had long hair. But, well, I didn't know how to properly take care of my hair, at least not the LHC way. :D

Right now, I'm struggling with some personal issues; that's why I haven't been on LHC lately, but I really miss everyone here :grouphug:. I feel depressed and insecure. So I figured if I changed my appearance, I would feel more determined. I would feel like I could really change. And well, it would just feel great. :D

The only problem is that my natural hair color is a very very dark brown(I have a picture in my album). Hoping that maybe, just maybe it will show I dyed it with henna a few months ago. I think I have two layers or so. I loved henna, it made my hair feel healthier, thicker and shinier. But the thing is I really really really need a change, and well a haircut just isn't the change I need. :lol:

I'm wondering if chemical hair dye would actually 'work' on top of henna... Some people say it won't but I've also seen some that actually tried it and it turned out OK.
I'm not planning on doing this myself, I actually want to go to a hairdresser.
My biggest problem is that I'm not sure if my henna was BAQ, and I also think it might have also had some indigo in it...I've also tried Sun-in; I've used 3/4 of the bottle and it actually made my hair a little bit lighter, but it's not that significant.

What do you think I should do? Do you think I'll be able to dye it red? If I go to the hairdresser's should I tell them to bleach it and then use a semi-permanent dye? And if they bleach it...what if it turns green..? Should they just used regular/permanent hair dye?

Thank you. :)

Maybe you could try chalking it to try it out? It's definitely not permanent, and if you take care to moisurize your hair otherwise it's not damaging.

I wouldn't do anything permanent just yet, if you damage your hair to feel better, you'll probably feel worse in the long run.

And I hope you'll feel better soon :flower:

[Quenhilde]

I too have always been in envy of colours I can't achieve. I'm hoping next year to finally get to experiment with Henna and find a recipe that will leave me with a shade I love.

However, I currently have hair that's all sorts of shades of red and brown due to playing about with box dyes about 6 months or so ago. Next month I need to have my hair all the same shade, so I plan on putting a box dye through that's roughly the same shade as my roots as I can't risk playing about with several attempts at Henna this close to my wedding.

For people like pink.sara that do use chemical colours, do you have any suggestions of things I can do to prevent as much damage from it as possible? So far the only suggestions I can find anywhere all involve Coconut Oil and I am allergic to it.

[Amber_Maiden]

You can dye over henna, if it is pure henna it won't turn you hair green. If You want to go very red though you will have to bleach...

[Lucky_Lucy]

First of all, thank you all for your concern. This is not a hasty decision. It's not like I want to take it out on myself, or that I'm just thinking of ways to make myself feel better. I have been thinking about this for a while now(I think it's two years already, since I've been seriously considering of dyeing my hair red...and well I'm older now and I don't have to ask for permission or anything :lol:). I just figured it would be great if I was able to take this step towards changing myself(on the outside, as well as on the inside...I want my hair to mirror my personality in some ways and well I've always been energetic, wild and witty..I guess..that's what my friends tell me and I just feel that way most of the time).

Secondly, I wish henna would actually make my hair colour change. I wish I could just use henna instead of bleaching, just like some of you suggested...That would be great. But I can't, because my hair is way too dark. It's almost black...think of bittersweet chocolate and that's the colour of my hair. If I used henna on it, it would just look as if nothing changed, though it would look reddish in the sun when viewed from some angles.

As for the shade of red that I want, I'm sorry I never mentioned it. I don't want that true "engine red" or "fire red". It wouldn't go well with my skin tone I guess...
I'm not exactly fair skinned. I can't find a good picture of myself that shows exactly what my skintone is, but I guess I am around 18-19 in this chart:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Felix_von_Luschan_Skin_Color_chart.svg
I also have some pictures of myself in different lighting, so if I'm not asking for too much, maybe some of you would be able to tell me what shade of red would go well with my skintone?
http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy54/amai_lucia/Photo0005.jpg
http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy54/amai_lucia/Inthepark.jpg
http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy54/amai_lucia/IMG_1562.jpg
This is a couple of years ago, when I was a freshman. My hair looks like it's completely red, but actually I only had highlights. I guess that colour wasn't that great for me:lol: But those times were great and I had a lot of fun with my best friend.
http://i777.photobucket.com/albums/yy54/amai_lucia/BFFS.jpg
(The photos were way too large and I'm not that good at resizing, so I just posted the links :D)


Finally, i wanted to add a few photos of the kind of red that I'd want(though I'm not so sure it would fit me..so maybe you could suggest other shades..)
Not that bright, just the parts where it actually looks darker?
http://data.whicdn.com/images/21142742/tumblr_lxpu4dyzgz1qbya9go1_500_large.jpg
http://data.whicdn.com/images/26758193/tumblr_m0hgm8PGUS1qf6zwpo1_500_large.jpg
http://data.whicdn.com/images/1783577/tumblr_kz4z9yE3Yk1qzjggvo1_400_large.jpg

Thank you so much. :flower:

[MrsGuther]

I've always wanted to have red hair. Even when I was a child, I always liked the red-haired characters in every series/comic book/movie etc(like Ariel, Bloom, Will..:lol: I still like them :D).
I used to have red highlights when I was a freshman, back when I had long hair. But, well, I didn't know how to properly take care of my hair, at least not the LHC way. :D

Right now, I'm struggling with some personal issues; that's why I haven't been on LHC lately, but I really miss everyone here :grouphug:. I feel depressed and insecure. So I figured if I changed my appearance, I would feel more determined. I would feel like I could really change. And well, it would just feel great. :D

The only problem is that my natural hair color is a very very dark brown(I have a picture in my album). Hoping that maybe, just maybe it will show I dyed it with henna a few months ago. I think I have two layers or so. I loved henna, it made my hair feel healthier, thicker and shinier. But the thing is I really really really need a change, and well a haircut just isn't the change I need. :lol:

I'm wondering if chemical hair dye would actually 'work' on top of henna... Some people say it won't but I've also seen some that actually tried it and it turned out OK.
I'm not planning on doing this myself, I actually want to go to a hairdresser.
My biggest problem is that I'm not sure if my henna was BAQ, and I also think it might have also had some indigo in it...I've also tried Sun-in; I've used 3/4 of the bottle and it actually made my hair a little bit lighter, but it's not that significant.

What do you think I should do? Do you think I'll be able to dye it red? If I go to the hairdresser's should I tell them to bleach it and then use a semi-permanent dye? And if they bleach it...what if it turns green..? Should they just used regular/permanent hair dye?

Thank you. :)

Hugs! Sorry you've been feeling depressed! I say go for it if you want red hair. I used to have my hair bright red and I loved it! My whole family hated it, but they are all really conservative and don't like unnatural looking hair color on me. My hair is blonde, so the bright red was pretty shocking. I used permanent red dye when I did mine.

[earthnut]

Try temporary color first. A real temporary one, like Manic Panic Dye Hard, or Splat Washables. They come in all kinds of bright colors, including red. They go right over dark hair because they're like a paint, not a dye or stain. You don't need to bleach. They wash right out. Splat Washables actually just rinsed right off my hair. They do make your hair kinda stiff though, since they're a paint rather than a dye. But they're a great option for playing with color.

Try out the temporary gels, play around with mixing and applying the color. When you find a color you like, take a photo of it in natural light so you can take it to show the hairdresser's.

[Loviatar]

You can permanent dye over henna if the henna was BAQ (body art quality.) I'd still say test a strand first though.

Lucy,

Right, from your pics, I'd say something like Directions Rubine, Directions Poppy, or Manic Panic Vampire red would look great over your hair and you shouldnt have to bleach. This is Manic Panic VR over unbleached hair shown on Barb in the top picture:

http://www.manicpanic.com/besthaircolor/vampirered.html

and if you scroll down past Mandy, who has bleached, you can see Gemma who also has used Vampire Red without bleaching. Gemma also seems to have a similar skintone to you and VR suits her really well.

If that's the kind of dark red you want, I'd say go for it. I love Manic Panic, and it does wash out eventually. Vampire Red is also available in the Amplified formula which lasts longer than the regular cream. (No I don't work for MP, I'm just a dye nerd lol)

Those wanting to use 'box dyes' - don't. Box dyes rarely give a natural result - you get more of a 'block' colour, it doesnt 'tone in' with your hair, and the developer is usually 20vol which for some people is too strong. I would say go to a Sally's beauty store and buy a tube of professional dye. They're about £10 in Uk stores, and a bottle of developer is about £4. A box dye on its own ranges from £4 to £10 over here. Goldwell is a good brand for tubes of professional dyes. LOreal Majirouge is good for reds as is Wella Koleston. I'd pick Koleston over the other 2 every time but I havent tried Goldwell reds, only browns and black. Sally's should also have books of hair colours, tested on synthetic hair, so you can match the colour. Honestly I have used Sally's dyes since I started LHCing and I will never go back to drugstore boxes.

I'm really sorry I can't help with the coconut allergy/minimising damage question. Maybe someone will come along and help. Other than that all I can offer is make sure you're using the lowest level of developer for your hair type/shade (hence why going to Sally Beauty and choosing a developer and dye from there), never overlapping applications (doing 'roots-only), and doing a protein treatment before and after the dyeing/bleaching. You can also keep doing protein treatments til your hair recovers. I know people here like Joico K Pak - I swear by Tigi Dumb Blonde but that's because I have never tried Joico.

I hope that helps.

[cranberrymoonz]

I just wanted to say those pictures of the shade you chose are sooo pretty! I love that colour, and I definetly think it would suit your skin.

Another thing you could try is to first bleach your hair and then try different temporary dyes, so you can try different shades before going permanent:)

[PoppyCakes]

Manic Panic Vampire Red is extremely pigmented! It could get my light brown hair to a bright blood red without bleach. Besides permanent dyes, Vampire Red is definitely your best bet, and it is very conditioning!

[Beckstar]

Manic Panic Vampire Red is extremely pigmented! It could get my light brown hair to a bright blood red without bleach. Besides permanent dyes, Vampire Red is definitely your best bet, and it is very conditioning!

And you'll sparkle in the sun. :)

[earthnut]

If you can't use coconut oil, try argan, babassu, or palm kernel oil instead. They have similar properties to coconut oil.

[pink.sara]

For people like pink.sara that do use chemical colours, do you have any suggestions of things I can do to prevent as much damage from it as possible? So far the only suggestions I can find anywhere all involve Coconut Oil and I am allergic to it.


It's the properties of the Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) in Coconut oil that stop some of the more damaging reactions between the bleach and molecules in your hair which results in protein loss and damage.

My bodybuilder SO has bought Pure MCT oil (not derived from coconut) before to consume as he's on a very specific BBing diet and I've used it in my hair when my coconut ran out.

Had the same results and mitigated damage. You could look online or in any health food store for some MCT oil, just check the source it's derived from before buying as some is from coconut, some is from other nut or vegetable sources.

HTH.

And I'd totally agree on the Manic Panic Amplified Vampire Red achieving this colour on a light/medium level brown.

[Quenhilde]

@ Lucky Lucy - those colours look really nice. Having had a look at the pictures of your skin tone, I think that you could probably wear them quite well! As long as you are certain that its not depression guiding you, I'd say find a way to do it. I have a feeling that this is something you have been seriously considering for a very long time though and wish you all the luck in the world with it!
I particularly like the last two colours, but that might be biased by my own preferences.

@Loviatar, Earthnut and Pink.sara - Thank you so much for the tips. I genuinely wasn't trying to hijack Lucky Lucy's thread or anything, it just seemed that the people that might have answers would already be here and that it wouldn't be much of a detour. Thank you especially for the oil suggestions. I will be investigating those :)

Sorry if anyone thought I was de-railing the thread. It was totally unintentional and I'd just got excited seeing someone ask the same questions that I had in my own head :o

[Vanille_]

I got this red on unbleached dark brown hair. The pigtail picture shows my natural color well and how it looks as it fades. This is using Manic Panic Vampire Red which is a vegan dye?

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC018171-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC020121-1.jpg

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z252/onexmorexgirl/Hair/DSC01623-1.jpg

[Lucky_Lucy]

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to reply to this thread.
I finally have my dream red hair. It's a little bit darker than what I expected, and the roots are noticeably brighter, but I really like it! In the end I didn't bleach. I went to the hairdressers' and they applied a permanent hair colour + an intensifier + heat for 40 mins. But I don't regret it!
Quenhilde: Thank you for your kind wishes. I don't think you were hijacking my thread, no way. :lol: I'm sorry you can't use coconut oil, because it truly is fantastic. I heard someone mention argan oil. As far as I know, that oil works wonders. I use it on my hair and even on my face..it actually makes breakouts go away. It's a little different from coconut oil and it might leave your hair a little too oily at first(I guess it depends on hoe much you apply, I used to sleep with it on my hair and then wash it in the morning)...you may not want to put it on your hair and then go out. But if you do as Loviatar suggested and put it on your hair the night before colouring your hair..I guess it'll work, they probably have similar properties.
And since you mentioned you're getting married-Congratulations!! :grouphug:-I think you should go to a hairdresser if you want to have your hair all the same shade because box dyes can be tricky(believe me I know, and I guess you know it too).
I wish you the best of luck! :flower:

Loviatar: All I can say is: You are the GODDESS of hairdye!! Thank you so much!!!:grouphug:
I loved your step-by-step instructions and although I didn't bleach, I managed to dye my hair red and it still feels healthy. I kind of took your advice and 'adjusted' it(I don't know if this is the right word, probably not, but you get what I mean) a little bit-Friday was closed, my hairdresser was taking a vacation, it was raining, I barged in at the beauty parlor just before they closed, without even knowing they were going on a vacation etc. It was kind of fun actually. And I spent almost an hour under some kind heat cap...and even though it was raining outside, it was SO hot, like 100°F or something. But it was worth it!
Also, because you suggested it, I tried CO washing. I have tried this before, a few months ago, but I figured it wasn't for me. Turns out I was actually doing it wrong. I'm glad that I found out how to do it properly, because my hair feels pretty good right now! ^ ^
And I wish I could just go and buy everything in the Manic Panic store! Unfortunately, I can't, because where I live, MP practically doesn't exist. :( I could just order it on the net...but that would be way to expensive with all the shipping fees and stuff...). I actually managed to find Directions though and I'm going to use it when my hair colour fades(I'm wondering what coulour will it actually fade to? since I didn't bleach..guess we'll have to wait and see :D).

I'm going to post some pictures soon! :o

[catamonica]

I tried cinnamon. It works. Someone said to use oil on LHC. Mixed with cinnamon. The roots were hard to cover. With oil, it would have been better. And its a natural product.