QuoteReplyTopic: Confused about bleach vols / strengths Posted: May 19 2006 at 7:34am
Firstly, just a quick rundown of my hair:
My hair is naturally mousy brown with about 50% grey/silver. I used to chemically dye my hair a copper red which faded to strawberry blonde. I then started using henna about 10 months ago. The colour now is a dark auburn red which looks kinda purple sometimes. I think it is too dark now and would like it lighter red.
So my plan is to Colorfix out most of the henna (which I'm expecting will work better on the chemically treated hair and not so well on the first 6 inches or so on my hair which is virgin + henna). Then, I would like to lighten the first 6 inches of my hair. I was then going to gloss over the whole lot with henna to get a nice light copper colour.
My question is what strength of bleach would I need to get my virgin roots light enough to go copper with the henna. I know there is 20 vol and 30 vol right? Which one is better? Is there one that is less damaging? If I choose a stronger one and leave it on for a shorter time is that better? Or a weaker one and leave it on for longer? I have read about a bleaching powder too...what is that?
Sorry to sound so stupid......I'm very experienced with herbs, but not so much with chemicals
Ooooh MissRini! Your hair is so beautiful, why do you want to go
down the bleachy bleachy road? Hopefully someone else will answer most
of your questions, but your case may be different than the average
'dying over henna' case. Because you use the BAQ henna, I
couldn't personally tell you what would happen.
I've used years ago the kind of henna you didn't like, (sold at the
drug store with the metals and stuff in it that called itself brown or
black henna), and this henna I could not dye over. Peroxide and
dye just didn't penetrate its coating. I dyed my henna'd hair
black, then even though it was permanent black dye, it all washed out
in one week. So, I don't know what bleach will do over henna, but
peroxide did diddly squat. As for the developer volume question,
20 volume is less peroxide than 30. If your hair were virgin and
you used those, you'd get some lift with 30, but not much with 20
(thats not mixed with bleach powder though, thats just mixed with
dye). 20, being less peroxide, would be less damaging if you
mixed it with dye, but if you mix developer with bleach, you're going
to get a good bit of damage.
You're probably okay trying ColorFix, as it doesn't contain that much
peroxide and wouldn't be that damaging, but it may not do anything at
all either, so may not be worth the little damage you may get since
you're growing your hair (then there's always the chance that over BAQ
henna, it does something weird, so I'd test strand it definitely, just
in case).
Another problem I've had is after lightening my hair, I hennad it
(metals henna), and got green, which was permanent and had to be cut
off. I saw on your BAQ henna site that this kind of henna can be
used over dyed and lightened hair and comes out fine, but again, I'd
run through the whole process on test strands to make SURE you're going
to like the result before doing any of this on your lovely head.
Good luck Rini!
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
missrini
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I am not completely set on going down the bleach path, but I like to research all options.
I am pretty sure I"m not going to get any weird green things happening, as the first time I ever used BAQ henna was just one week after I'd chemically dyed it a light strawberry blonde and it turned out GREAT!
So what does bleach powder do? I have read somewhere that using a stronger bleach (30 vol) allows you to leave it on for less time and thus you get less damage. Is this correct?
I agree with you about the peroxide....I have tried a very mild 3% peroxide and it did absolutely NOTHING!
Dang! I just wrote a long answer and it disappeared!
3% peroxide is, I think, equal to 10 volume developer - without bleach that's not going to lift really at all.
Bleach is usually used to go pale yellow, and on virgin hair it will do so with 30 volume, possibly even in one process. And if virgin hair is say light brown or lighter, it will go pale yellow with 20 volume too. The bleach is what is most damaging to the hair, and I'm not sure if going faster or slower makes it less damaging...I really would have thought the higher vol. peroxide would be worse no matter how fast it went, but I am not a pro, and a pro would know for sure.
Its a shame to use something as harsh as bleach just to go a little lighter, but, over the henna, I don't have a clue what is going to work. I'd cut off a few tiny strands in a hidden place and just try bleach, then henna on it (or colorfix, then henna) and see what happens. They say don't bleach over henna because the hair may get hot (damage) or turn strange colors, but that's because of the metal salts, so if BAQ has none, that may be okay. You'll just have to try a strand and see what happens.
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
KellyX
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misrinni.....I have mousy brown hair also and for years I used 40 volume along with red dye to obtain really pretty red hair. At first I did try a lower volume but it didnt not lift at all. Currently, I have dyed my hair with a meduim golden brown to cover gray strands (gray doesnt look so hot with red), but the red is coming through again. Brown isnt holding either. Hope that helps. Also, 40 will lift quick, or at least it did for me. I am happy to report that my hair really still is healthy and not dry at all. I guess it is all about how you take care of your hair as you well know.
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