Hi All!

            So..... here's my dillemma. After huge amounts of thought and consideration, I have decided to dye my hair. Three weeks ago I dyed it with a 24-wash dye that i quite liked except 'd like to go for a darker color. Oh- i should mention that i've got medium brown sort of chestnutty hair that i'm trying to dye a dark auburn. the 24 wash dye is long gone. is there anything between permanent and 24-wash dye? if so, what on earth is it called? should i wait the full month or even longer before redyeing? i'm sort of envisioning a yearly full-hair dye with root dyeing every four to six weeks for maintenance? i know salons can do miraculous things but i'd rather not go that route as i'm awful with remembering to make and keep apt.'s etc.. i ithink i'd be much better off with something i can do at two thirty in the morning when it occurs to me that i need to do it. all the hairdyeing i've done in the past was more focused on results over um.... damage control?
                                       anyhoo... if anyone's got any info/advice or commentary,      it would be much appreciated.

                                                         thanks,
                                                                     Ophelia

Hey there, Ophelia.  :)

By any chance, have you ever tried henna? Quite a few ladies here use it, like it and could surely give you great tips for it if you decided to go that route.

As for commercial haircolor, there is nothing between a demi-permanent (level 2, through 24 washes) and permanent.
   Many salons use demi-permanents and recommend that you come in for coloring every 4-6 weeks. The chemicals in permanent haircolor are usually very strong, so most people avoid them. It's especially bad if you're attempting to lighten or add red tones to your natural color. Fading and dullness are chronic. So personally, I would stick with the demi-permanents...but that's just me.

As far as damage control, just pay close attention to how you treat your hair. You can still have healthy, gorgeous, colored hair if you treat it favorably in all other areas. The creator of this site is a perfect example!

Oh yes, and lose the oil if your hair is colored. Oil lifts dye and causes serious fading. So if you oil your hair regularly, you'll either want to replace the oils with conditioning alternatives or reconsider the coloring decision.

Last little tips: 1.) Designate (or purchase) a shirt to use while coloring your hair. Preferably one that buttons or zips in the front so you never have to pull it over your head. Keep and wash it separately from your other clothes (I washed mine with the towels that I used on my car).
   2.) Wash out your bathtub/shower as soon as possible after rinsing out haircolor. It can leave some gnarly stains. This isn't a problem if you rinse the dye out elsewhere or happen to have a black bathtub/shower.  ;)
   3.) Condition, condition, condition. Those little "color saving" conditioning packets included in the box aren't gonna cut it. Colored hair needs lots of conditioning - remember to do deep treatments weekly.

HTH  :)

(Yeah, go figure that the resident goth is the first to reply to a hair coloring thread  ::))

Great advise Angel http://www.smilieshq.com/smilies/happy0025.gif

The only thing I can add is perhaps using a hair color shampoo or a Glaze as its called.  Each time you shampoo it freshens the color.  

thanks guys!

                i've never really considered henna.... i went to that site ( catherine somebody) that everyone recommends and it looks pretty good. the only thing that scares me is trying to pack my hip-length hair full of something the consistency of frosting and then attempting to pile it on my head and secure it for more than oh, 30 seconds. but, hey, no scary chemicals, right?   about staying with the demi's- i'm not against it at all except that after 3 weeks it's gone. henna is permanent, isn't it? is the internet the best place to buy henna or can it be found in a gnc sort of place- or even sally's? hmmm...

                                                                   thanks again,
                                                                                Ophelia

I use henna on my hair. You will only have to do a full-length application the first time, then you can touch up roots as often as you feel like it. It is great for the hair, gives it strength and shine. The smell takes a little getting used to (smells like hay!).

I use Rainbow henna, which I can get easily here locally at the health food store. Although some folks say disparaging things about it, I love it. It is just henna with herbs (no indigo so no worry about turning green if you ever bleach). It is cheap and easy to use too, since it is already mixed. You don't have to wait to activate it. I usually mix the Dark Brown color with coffee and a little apple cider vinegar to cover my grays and get a nice chocolatey color.

Yes, henna IS permanent. So, if you ever get tired of it, you'll just have to let it grow out, or cover it with another color. I have successfully covered my Rainbow henna with chemical color with no problem. Also, on the reverse side, I have then followed up that chemical color with the Rainbow henna too.

Mellie

thanks mellie!


             i suppose rainbow henna comes in different colors? is the end result predictable or does this require a sense of adventure?  ;D  is there a lot of fading?

                                                            thanks so much,

                                                                                   Ophelia

Hi Ophelia!

Yes, it comes in lots of different colors. The result is fairly predictable...as much as possible with natural products! :-)

There isn't any fading, it will stick around forever, it is very permanent.

thanks mellie!

             i'm still trying to decide which route to go .... i really like that henna can be used whenever- over chemical coloring etc. and just the roots or the all the hair if i feel like doing it all. it's definitely something to consider. i'd really rather not crispy critter my hair in my quest to be auburn. do you use that special for dyed hair shampoo and conditioner or can you use whatever you want? are oils ok? i haven't been using them because i did that demi dye but i do miss them.

                                                              thanks again,
                                                                             Ophelia

Yes, oils are fine, and regular shampoo is fine too. :-)

geez... what's the downside? does the rainbow stuff have the frosting consistency like the stuff on that lady's website or is it more like regular dye? all your help has been wonderful- it's great to be able to talk to people that have used the stuff!

                                                                  Ophelia

The downsides are that it's a bit messy at first until you get more experienced, and it's a little more time to apply and leave on than chemical dyes.

Rainbow brand is a little grittier than the BAQ (body art quality) henna or henna glosses. When mixed with liquid, the consistency will be like pudding.

Hi!

    i tried henna. it's great. my hair's very shiney and smooth. yay! next time i'll go with more liquid from the start. i was worried about making it too thin so i overcompensated and made it too thick. also, it thickens as it cools. a really cool thing about it is that it wipes off any surface without staining. such as floors, walls, skin, sink, counter, well, you get the point. thanks for all the info!

                                     Ophelia
     

Glad to hear it was a success! I'd love to see photos if you have any! :-)