Vitamin C Treatments

**Islandgrrl** · March 11th, 2015, 11:40 PM

I have questions about this and after searching I'm more confused than I was when I started. So...

1. Can a Vitamin C treatment damage your hair?
2. What is the effect on henna? Is the effect permanent or does the henna re oxidize?
3. Is it irritating to the scalp?
4. How long is it left on the hair?
5. How much? How long?
6. Are the tablets just dropped in water to dissolve?
7. What about Emergen-C? Does that count?
8. What is your method?

If if you have used vitamin c treatments to lighten your color, especially henna, post before and after shots please!

Thank you!

**Seeshami** · March 12th, 2015, 12:01 AM

Yes

stripping

can be. With head and shoulders mixed in it most definitely tingles

Uhhh.. it was two hours at most but probably less.

powdered

I would assume emergen C could work but it also has sugars in it doesn't it?

Mixed powdered c with what ever gelatinous substance and smooth on. Once with conditioner and once with all in one head and shoulders for the specific purpose of removing henna

**Rosetta** · March 12th, 2015, 02:36 AM

1. No, but it can be drying.
2. Haven't really used it on henna (but mostly on semi-permanent dyes), so can't answer that, sorry.
3. Yes - I cannot leave it on for more than 15 minutes or so, it's so irritating, but that's enough for it to work (for my purposes).
4. See above

5 & 6. I use a small plastic container, and either mix a tablet with a small amount of water first, or then just directly mix it with shampoo (though that requires more stirring than just water) - the main ingredient of shampoos is water anyway... I don't measure the amount of shampoo, just add as much as seems good to me

(7. No idea what's Emergen-C, sorry.)
8. See above.

**Islandgrrl** · March 12th, 2015, 07:53 AM

I don't want to remove henna, just lighten things up a little.

EmergenC has all kinds of interesting things in it: fructose, cane sugar, citric acid, tangerine juice powder, tapioca maltodextrin, malic acid, silica, glycine, beta carotene, aspartic acid, cysteine hydrochloride. AND 1000mg vitamin C as ascorbic acid, zinc ascorbate, chromium ascorbate along with a host of B vitamins and some minerals for good measure.

So I think my plan is to put a couple vitamin C tablets (the chewable kind) into the coffee grinder reserved for non coffee applications and powder it up, then mix with a little water and some thick conditioner and glop it on and see what happens.

Hair experiments scare me.

**Medievalmaniac** · March 12th, 2015, 08:56 AM

I would strand test this one. I use Vitamin C on my face, and it definitely brightens my skin. But it is also extremely drying and leaves my skin red for a while after, so I think that's a warning signal about what it could do to hair that doesn't have the capacity to renew itself by shedding skin cells. I have the same problem of my hair being too henna-red right now. I've done the Sun-in lightening method with pretty good results, and am now going to try a cassia Obviata gloss to see if that helps brighten things up again.

**Islandgrrl** · March 12th, 2015, 09:18 AM

This is one of those times I wish my hair were shorter. A lot shorter. I would be more inclined to try something like this if I didn't have so much to lose (literally!).

Time to start collecting shed hairs!

**Auni** · March 12th, 2015, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by Islandgrrl

I have questions about this and after searching I'm more confused than I was when I started. So...

1. Can a Vitamin C treatment damage your hair?
2. What is the effect on henna? Is the effect permanent or does the henna re oxidize?
3. Is it irritating to the scalp?
4. How long is it left on the hair?
5. How much? How long?
6. Are the tablets just dropped in water to dissolve?
7. What about Emergen-C? Does that count?
8. What is your method?

If if you have used vitamin c treatments to lighten your color, especially henna, post before and after shots please!

Thank you!

1. It dried it out, but a good deep condish after helps!
2. I don't believe it affected my henna AT ALL. I needed to lighten up old dark brown dye and I got to my desired color after 2 applications.
3. Didn't use it on my scalp, only mid length down.
4. I think I left it on about 15-30 minutes? It's been a year or so now, so, I'm not sure, sorry.
5. 2 tablets
6. Yep, dropped them into water to make a paste
7. Wouldn't know about emergen-C, I didn't want to put anything extra in the mix just to be safe.
8. I used suave clarifying shampoo for my mix. I mixed 2 tablets with just enough water to make a paste, hmmm, about as much water as the pill size, just a few cc/ml, let them dissolve a little then helped them by smooshing them a little, then mixed with about 1/2 cup shampoo. Covered my darker sections of hair with the mix and let it sit for about 15 minutes, rinsed, then followed with a deep cone free condish. I didn't get quite the lift I was wanting, so I waited 3 days and did another treatment, same way, then I got the results I wanted. Coconut oil helped the dry ends after, but I swear the henna just protects the hair from too much damage. It lifted the dark dye, but I kept the deep red of the henna, it didn't go orange or lighten at all!
Like others said, It dried out my hair, but I didn't see any damage. I was nervous too, but I'm glad I did it, No more reverse ombre for me!!

**Wildcat Diva** · March 12th, 2015, 10:33 AM

I use this in my miracle water. I didn't know it was drying. It gives the water big time slip for me.

**Lavendersugar** · March 12th, 2015, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by Islandgrrl

I have questions about this and after searching I'm more confused than I was when I started. So...

1. Can a Vitamin C treatment damage your hair?
2. What is the effect on henna? Is the effect permanent or does the henna re oxidize?
3. Is it irritating to the scalp?
4. How long is it left on the hair?
5. How much? How long?
6. Are the tablets just dropped in water to dissolve?
7. What about Emergen-C? Does that count?
8. What is your method?

If if you have used vitamin c treatments to lighten your color, especially henna, post before and after shots please!

Thank you!

I am sure most varies by each person and their hair.

My answers:
1. Only dry but I followed each treatment with conditioner
2. It will lighten henna and indigo and it is for keeps, applying more henna will not trigger any Odd effect, I successfully lightened henna build up that was with indigo. It removed almost all the indigo.
3. It did not use a sulfate shampoo. I used Enjoy Sulfate free in the blue label. No scalp issues.
4. Length depends on you. My first time was just over an hour.
5. You will need a good bit of tablets. At least 15. For the best results the shampoo should be like a paste.
6. I crushed mine. If you can find vit c powder that is best.
7. Never used it and I think it might not be the best option.
8. I did a regular shampoo then towel dried hair. Applied the shampoo and vit c mixture. Covered in a plastic bag and towel. Left on an hour. Rinsed then applied conditioner.
Sorry I did not take before and after pics.