Hair disaster :(

I have managed to completely ruin my hair in the past couple of days. I was really stupid and used 40v developer with 3 pks of activator when bleaching, and now my ends simply refuse to hold onto color. I'm going to have to either shave my head or cut off everything other than *maybe* 2 or 3 inches.

I've never had extensions before, but I've been reading about the various methods and I'm pretty sure I could do shrinkies no problem, but with only 2 or 3 inches of hair, is this going to be difficult to blend and look right? About what length would I be able to get away with and still look good?

I was also considering just shaving it all off and getting a wig until it grows out. I saw that some of you have bought wigs, and I was curious about the ones from Jenny's hair sense. Do they look realistic enough to wear on a daily basis? Would I have to worry about the wig flying off of my bald head on a windy day? lol

Thanks for any input. This board is really great! :)

Oh, Alyssa,

I'm sorry to hear that. I've had plenty of hair disasters myself, so I can relate!

First off, I wouldn't recommend that you shave your head bald unless it's totally fried to the roots. If it's at all healthy 1, 2, or 3 inches out, you'll want to salvage that hair because it'll make it easier to come up with a solution, and it will take less time, of course, for your hair to grow out. Even if you decide to go the wig route, you'll want some hair underneath, I would think, unless you're planning to bond the wig on (in which case, it would be advantageous to shave it off). If the hair is so fried that it's like spaghetti to the roots--if it's just breaking uncontrollably--you will also be wise to shave it.

The most important thing as far as whether you can wear extensions or not is how long the hair is at the crown and near the part--on the top of your head. The hair underneath is less important. As long as you have a good 2 inches below, you should be fine; the top is trickier territory....

I would recommend you read this thread, which discusses a few options for short hair, including open-ended braids and full weaves: http://talk.hairboutique.com/forum/viewthread.asp?forum=AMB_AP934431446&id=3822

Also, if you are planning to salvage a few inches, you may want to check out the "So You've Fried Your Hair" thread on Quinn's: http://p080.ezboard.com/fhair18356frm17.showMessage?topicID=1345.topic

Another good color (and post-color) resource is GoindBlonde.net; they've heard every horror story in the book: http://www.network54.com/Forum/127834

Good luck! :)

I'm glad you're feeling better, and those Jenny's HS wigs look gorgeous! Sometimes, when you have that much damage, it's best to start fresh, really--and wigs are a dream in terms of maintence, a lot easier than extensions anyway. Emma knows a great deal about these wigs, so I'm sure she'll be able to answer any questions you have.

The best part is, if you wore the wigs for six months or so, at that point, you could probably switch to extensions, if you wanted. And it'd give you hair a chance to recover. Of course, once you've used wigs, falls, or pieces successfully, it's hard to go back--they usually look a lot better than anything else, imo.

Good luck, and keep us posted! :)

Alyssa, I've done a lot of messing around with bleach too. Have you tried any veggie dyes, such as Special Effects? They will often color hair that is too processed to hold any other kind of dye.

There's more hair dye help on Quinn's board (where the "So you've fried your hair" thread is from): http://p080.ezboard.com/fhair18356frm17 There's a woman who goes by Supervixxen who is a hair color professional and expert.

I also agree with Jenny. If you decide to snip, keep as much as you can, because it'll give you a lot more options to work with.

You know leia, I was wondering if the funky color dyes would stick, but I just couldn't see myself walking around with a purple head, LOL. I'm getting so much breakage now it would be pointless though.

Kalika, thanks for posting that info, 1.5 inches wow that's way shorter than I thought could work with shrinkies. What is your hair like? Mine is very fine, and on the thin side.

I'm thinking about getting this wig to start off with, I'd love it if you guys could tell me what you think of it.


(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=60188&item=3473368582)

OH MY GOSH thats gorgeous, darn it I dont need anymore wigs....LOL

Thanks to everyone for the input! Looks like that is gonna be the one I go with. I'll definitely you know how it turns out.