Giving up the dye/bleach and growing out natural? Share your progress.

**Arctic** · April 21st, 2009, 03:09 PM

Seems like many henna people on this thread have cool colouring and don't like how henna looks on them. I'm also like that.

I have really strong desire to see my own colour and feel my own hair, I have been colouring my hair far too long, almost 20 years!

**Shermie Girl** · April 21st, 2009, 09:39 PM

Arctic, I also want to see my hair all natural. Even if it is just for a short time.

I can't say that I won't colour, once it is. But it will be fun to see what my hair is like. I also haven't seen my hair without colour for a long time. Twenty-five years.

**KajiKodomo** · April 22nd, 2009, 09:08 AM

Hair History

When I was in kindergarden, I had long hair (probably about tailbone length). After that, I kept it short because my mother said it was too thick and that it looked better short.

When I was in high school, I wore a burgundy wig for Halloween, and my mother said that I suited burgundy hair, so she let me start dyeing it.

When I got to college, I went through a "crazy color" phase, and had green, bright red, purple, pink, and black hair (not all at the same time, haha).

I then found LHC. I grew out almost to waist length. I chopped it all off, grew back out again, messed it up, buzzed it off, grew out again, chopped it off, and am now in the process of growing back out.

I have gone back and forth on the issue of dyeing/not dyeing for years now, but have finally resolved to not dye, because I realized that the last few times I've dyed that my scalp and skin that came in contact with the dye is itchy/red for about a week or two afterwards.

Goal

My goal, ultimately, is tailbone-length hair. I may go longer, I'll see when I get there. I'd love to have it all my natural color.

Current Length

15.5"

Length of Virgin Hair

Probably less than an inch. I dyed it near the beginning of the month (and it STILL itches!).

**KajiKodomo** · April 22nd, 2009, 09:11 AM

I forgot to mention that my hair is currently dyed black.

**Marie99** · May 3rd, 2009, 03:36 PM

I have hennaed for years and years. I tried mineral oil to get rid of it and a couple other things I can't remember and tried dyeing over it. No luck. I wish there was a way to remove red without deepfrying the hair. I have about 1 1/2 inches of virgin hair and I am tempted to cut the rest off. Right now I'm wondering if black tea would take the edge off the red or if I should cut it all off and start over.

Marie

**Shermie Girl** · May 3rd, 2009, 03:41 PM

Marie, I'm sorry but there is no way to remove henna. As I learned the hard way.

You might be able to lighten it up a lot, with lemon juice and conditioner and peroxide, then colour over it, to get a shade you like better. But it won't all come out.

It is sooo hard to just sit back, let the hair grow and have to see what you want gone, in the mirror day after day. Hang in there, time passes, whatever you are doing and one day, you will be where you want to be with your hair. (At least that is what I keep telling myself...

)

**Arctic** · May 4th, 2009, 04:24 AM

I tend to think it as a positive process, seeing the virgin hair growing in slowly, and every S&D session and trim and cut you have less and less coloured hair left.

My hair colour is quite similar to henna, only not red

I know it sounds weird but there is not much contrast between the two. If you look at my photos (in my blog) you can't even see I'm growing out henna even thoug it was last September when I hennaed the last time.

But the photos of just few days ago that my fiance took of me outside in sunshine, I was able to see that my virgin colour was visible at the top of my head, yay!!!

It's still very subtle and probably someone who didn't know what to look wouldn't notice it.

Slowly growing hair

**Hatsumomo** · May 12th, 2009, 02:59 AM

Almost time for my next measure-in

!

Still using the Megatek for length and condition and my fringe has an inch to go until jaw length when pulled straight!

Arctic, I know what you mean about there not being much of a colour difference. Most of the time mine is like that even although my natural colour is quite ashy. Then the sun will catch it....

**Natalia** · May 12th, 2009, 09:26 AM

Hello again! Ok i havent measured but i am really starting to feel how much of a pain this is going to be. I saw my sister mothers day and she kept commenting on how blonde my hair is

and the contrast to my dark dark brown. I miss my brown so much but unil i find a non chemical non henna way to tint it im stuck... With my pale pale skin the blonde really makes me look absolutly i'll when i look in the mirror. Ok i am not healthy but id like to be able to fake it at least in how i look! I guess im going to be wearing alot of hats which while i like hats is going to be an unfortuanate thing becasue i cant show my blonde blonde bangs with my drastic dark length. Ok i could but i really really dont liek the look on me. I cant even say id like it better when my bangs are all blonde becasuse im growing them out so they wont be for years if i keep them! Ugh im so fustrated and even more fustrated that all my family is saying how good i look blonde and how i should just bleach all the rest! I HATE my blonde hair how can they not get that? I make it very clear, there is no question i want it gone. Anyway this is turning rant on me so im stopping now but i had to vent my fustration. hope everyone elses journey id going alot better than mine.

Natalia

**Hatsumomo** · May 15th, 2009, 03:20 AM

Well it's near enough a month!

All over length: 25.4 inches
Virgin length: 4.9 inches

That's good enough for me

I'm thinking I could actually get to waist-length by Christmas (which funnily enough was my goal last year when I joined, prior to cutting a load off).....it's just weighing up getting rid of the henna with having long hair....the colour change isn't awful or anything.