Hair Dye Questions

Hello HairBoutique members!

I have a couple questions concerning hair dye, a topic with which I don't have a great deal of experience.

I admire dark hair and the contrast it creates with fair skin tones. In an effort to pursue such a look, I recently dyed my hair black with permanent dye in one of my city's top salons. I understand that even "permanent" dye fades over time. While fading is noticeable, I encounter difficulty in discerning how well my hair keeps the dye due to the lack of stark contrast between my naturally very dark brown color and the black dye.

1) I also understand that all chemical treatments damage hair. My colorist, however, informed me that even "permanent" black dye does not damage hair severely because it merely adds -rather than strips- color. Is this true? How damaging is permanent black dye? Considering these effects, how often can one reasonably redye one's hair? Are occasional root-to-tip redyes even acceptable in regards to permanent hair dye?

One important additional complication here is my hair texture. I relax my hair roughly 3 or 4 times a year to tame my curls. This Japanese thermal treatment, I found, removes all dye from my hair. The newer, less harsh relaxers, while more accommodating to dyes, simply cannot tame my curls.

2) Maintenance of year-long black hair, therefore, would require redyeing 3-4 times per year. Is this reasonable? How much damage will this dye do in relation to my relaxer? Again, how often can one reasonably redye one's hair without harming it irreversibly?

Please note when considering my questions that I care for my hair well. I deep condition once or twice per month and trim regularly to rid myself of split ends.

All advice is appreciated. As I mentioned, I've only recently ventured into hair dyes.