Red Hair Help!!!

[ebba]

Hey Guys!
so i have a hair problem! I really want light red hair that looks really gingery like this girl's here. Amy Pond hair! >>




http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y327/Sunbeeemz/tumblr_m92hyqlJMF1qzrk5xo1_500.jpg
http://i1026.photobucket.com/albums/y327/Sunbeeemz/amy_pond_videocomp.jpg



Anyway 2 months ago I put on Lush's Caca Maroon and it didn't do anything spectacular, and I then put on some Manic Panic which washed out in 2 washes. Now my hair is slightly more red and i want to know what I can do to fix this crazyness.

Can i take it to a salon to get lightened and dyed with the henna in? can I get away with bleaching in and dying over it?
what should i do?
thanks!

[Iolanthe13]

What is your natural colour? If the light brown in your album is natural, you could probably get henna to work for you. I've achieved a similar colour to what you've posted, though about one shade darker, by gently lightening my blonette hair with Sun-In and covering it with a 50-50 henna-cassia mix for about two hours. You can see various stages of this in my album, though my Before pic is with red hair dye in!

I think you might be able to achieve a red slightly darker than in the pictures, but still coppery, by using a mix with Jamila henna. However, there are a few caveats:

1. Henna is VERY very permanent - if you decide you don't want it any more, you'll have to grow it out or chop it off.
2. Henna may loosen your curl pattern. The more all-over applications, the stronger this effect may be. But some people don't notice any loosening.
3. Henna colour tends to look brown in some lights and very bright in other lights. Your hair may look like that girl's hair outdoors, but it will be less vibrant indoors.
4. If you want a light red, you should not do too many all-over applications, as it will build up to a burgundy colour.

So definitely do a strand test and take it slowly - and if you decide to do it, post pictures!

[whylime13]

I don't know the answer to your question. But I love the Amy Pond shout out - she is my hair idol!

I hate though that one of the best pictures of her hair online is that bug eyed one :(

[Cherry_Sprinkle]

Do you have henna already in your hair? If your natural color needs to be lightened (because this color from henna or a henna + cassia mix needs to be on blonde or very near blonde hair) you should do this before applying something like henna over it. I professionally have my roots touched up every 6-8 weeks and then apply a mix of henna + cassia over it (that Nightshade mixes for me:crush:) I have been maintaining my hair this way since 2008/2009.

Nightshade has successfully lightened her old henna by using sun-in but she's the only one I have ever known to do that.

[jojo]

Yes you can bleach or have highlights on top of henna as long as there is no indigo in it, unfortunately lush marron does have indigo in it so unless you are partial to green hair I wouldn't recommend bleach. I would however suggest you try colour oops or colour B4 to remove it. It took me nearly 18 months to remove 2 lots of lush henna and 2 powdered henna's off my hair and I'm now back to my natural colour, but for me it was an expensive and time consuming experience, it won't take you as long as you have only done one round of it.

I'd also be careful of putting dye over the top as most dyes contain peroxide which again could have distasterous implications due to the indigo. You can always strand test to see what the effect bleach or dye would have on your hair before trying anything. Good luck.