QuoteReplyTopic: Re-coloring roots/all? Posted: September 12 2006 at 5:35pm
I color my hair medium auburn (closest match to my natural color) to cover grey hairs. I color it about once every 4 months when I have a couple of inches of natural color grown out and I can't stand the grey showing that much anymore. I use Loreal #5MB since that color matches the best to my natural one.
When I try to touch up just the roots, it never blends with the rest. I've tried adjusting the time on it, but it's still always so much darker/redder on the roots when I do it than the rest, and I can't seem to get it to blend/shade and look natural.
I'm 37, and inherited premature grey from my grandmother. I started getting grey hairs when I was about 18/19 and now I'd probably be about 1/3 grey all over if I let it just grow out natural.
Can anyone suggest a way to get it to blend better so I can just touch up the roots and not have to do all of my hair each time and continue to dry/damage it? I'm trying to grow it down to my waist for my wedding next year (Dec. 1) and it's got between 6" and 7" to go in the back, so I want to keep it from breaking anymore than it does already. It's naturally wavy/curly and used to be quite thick. I lost quite a bit in the front from the stress of my divorce a couple of years ago and only about half of that is growing back in slowly now.
I'm also trying to stop it from breaking as much. I've started taking biotin besides my normal multi-vitamin and B complex, and I've switched shampoos and conditioners to use Mane & Tail and planning on using a hot oil treatment more regularly than I have been.
Reds tend to be difficult to penetrate into the hair shaft. So... When you color your roots, the rest of your hair is noticeably lighter because the red dye has faded out quite a bit.
I have a couple of suggestions:
What volume developer are you using? If you are using 10 or 20 volume, try kicking it up to 30 volume (I suggest you do not go higher than 30). 30 volume will open the hair's cuticle more, enabling the larger red molecules to get in and stay in. That will help prevent it from fading as much. (But if you're already at 30 volume, disregard that idea!)
I hope when you touch up your roots, you're only pulling the color through the rest of your hair for the last 10 minutes or so. You shouldn't need to process the whole time. Mixing the color with shampoo (a "shampoo cap") for the last few minutes on the ends is a good way to freshen up the color, with minimal damage.
An alternative to doing your whole head for the last 10 minutes or so... would be to "rake" some color through your hair (for those last 10 minutes) so you're not hitting every strand, but you're getting some of the dark color blended throughout. Then you won't have a harsh line of demarkation where your roots meet the rest of your hair. Breaking up that line can make a big difference.
Good luck!
Edited by KarenNJ - September 12 2006 at 9:46pm
Strand test, strand test, strand test!
Katasha
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I don't know what the developer is, it's whatever comes with the color. I'll have to look and see. I can go to Sally and get a bottle of the one you suggest for the next time I color it, though. I've got another 2 - 2 1/2 months until I need to color it again, so I've got some time to make sure I have the best stuff I can get for it.
I just know with how badly it's been breaking, it's never going to make it to my waist in time for my wedding.
So color the roots and let that process, then color the rest of it for the last ten minutes? I have tried just combing the color down through the ends for the last bit without covering all of it, and I didn't care for how that looked at all.
Thanks again for the suggestions.
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If you are using box color (color from the supermarket or drugstore) it will have a higher level of ammonia in the product (some professional deposit only color has zero ammonia). Ammonia is very damaging to the hair, and when hair is damaged it becomes more porous, not holding color (especially red), and becoming lighter in shade. I would avoid using box color, and start using professional color from Sally. It sounds like you need a neutral base to cover the gray (in your roots) and a demi- or semi-permanent color (no ammonia) to "refresh" your ends. I am licensed, so I get my color from different beauty supply sotres, but in a bind I have gone to Sally. I can help you with figuring out what colors to buy.
As far as general condition of your hair goes- try taking fish oil vitamins. I know it sounds gross, but that's why it's in a vitamin (so you don't have to taste it). I would recommend using professional products for shampoo and conditioner (since you color your hair), but it can get expensive. Look for a moisturizing shampoo (shampoo tends to be drying) and a volumnizing conditioner (if your hair is somewhat thin). I can give you some recommendations for products if you would like.
It is a process believe me- but it will be worth it.
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My hair's not thin compared to others, it's quite thick in texture and is naturally curly/wavy. I've used the Biolage and Pantene Hydrating Curls before and had about the best results with those. The natural color is just a tiny hint more on the brown side from the Loreal #5MB medium auburn, but it's the closest I can match. (It's close enough that even when I have a couple of inches of natural color grown out, people can't tell where the line is between dyed and natural except for the grey unless they look for it really close.)
I don't have the money to go to a salon to have my hair dyed, and wouldn't trust any of the salons here anyway, I've had far too many of them not understand how to just trim the ends, or how to treat my curly hair. (Single mother to a 14 year old, barely making enough to cover daily living expenses.) So coloring my hair at home every few months is about the only luxury I can afford for myself.
Any help on what to get at Sally or we also have a Peerless Beauty Supply here that's open to the public, I would appreciate. I need to get it in better shape to stop the breakage, and then keep it that way by not damaging it so much with coloring it. Thanks for the suggestions.
I changed my avatar to show my hair how it is now. (Okay, so 14 year olds who like taking pictures can be handy at times.)
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