QuoteReplyTopic: Dyed my hair! Posted: October 02 2008 at 8:29am
After thinking about it for months and catching myself imagining me with a short layered pointy bob, just so I could have fun and dye it frequently, I decided it was time to act. (Thank goodness I saw a girl the next day with pretty bsl curls and I remembered why I had all this long hair in the first place, she looked good!). So I remembered dye was what I missed, not shortness.
I've been kind of unhappy with my long and natural hair. I need to put tons of oil in it to not have flyaways, frizz, and dried out looking ends. That's one reason I hadn't been updating my pictures lately, I've been trimming it to maintain it at waist length to see if can get it looking better, but it doesn't seem to change much.
I don't think the problem is so much that my routine isn't working, I think its probably more that my genes are taking over and I'm starting to get to the age where my hair changes texture (it does for some members of my family, my brother went from straight flat brown hair to a zig zaggy stands-up-on-its-own-Don-King-style gray afro.). My canopy is showing such tendencies, as the top couple millimeters of my hair is quite curly, while all the hair underneath is straight. One or the other would be fine, but both together is a straight looking but frizzy mess.
I'm surprised to report that dyeing it actually seems to have helped! Its a lot more dry, especially on the ends, and especially since it was problematic and I had to dye it more than once with a high concentration. But its a lot less frizzy looking and the flyaways aren't sticking out all over the place! It being dried out also helps it hold texture, so I can bun it damp and when I take it out the curls will stay! It might still be a bit brassy (I went lighter blonde), but I don't know if I want to put another dye job over it or not. I'm going to wait and see how I feel in a week or two. I'll stick a picture or two up on my hair site sometime, maybe this weekend. Kind of funny its not that different from the first picture on my site, where I started all those years ago (but its not so white, its a medium honey blonde I think).
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
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I think that's kinda the point I got to... I needed a change so bad and I didn't want to cut it. I'm really happy with my hair now, even though it hasn't been behaving so well lately.
Glad your having fun with your hair, Susan. Isn't that what it's all about?
I'm looking forward to seeing pics.
I agree My hair is dyed and I find that the condition of my hair is actually better and it looks better. I'm looking forward to seeing the pics as well.
I went through a lot of phases this week from being as happy as when I wrote the first post, to going in the bathroom at work and it looking neon crayon YELLOW in there. I redyed it twice after I saw that, it mostly fixed it, but I used an expired bottle of dye on my head and a better one on my length, so of course it still ain't perfect. From the front when its in a ponytail it still looks yellow under the fluorescents at work, but not anywhere else, so I'm not sure yet if I want to dye it another time, its getting risky at this point. So far I haven't lost any length. I think I'm just going to buy some purple shampoo and leave it for awhile. The photos are from after the last dye job, so that's what it looks like today.
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
Bob S
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Susan, I'm so sorry about your general dissatisfaction. I'm glad that my wife spends little time in front of the mirror. It's so easy to think and nitpick. My 2 younger DD's are like that. All I know that long hair, *any* color, is superior to short locks, any color, in my periscope. Best, Bob
P.S. My DW has not colored yet, but it's coming!
P.P.S. Lordy Susan, I just spied your photos. Women would sacrifice a limb, or at least spend megabucks, to own hair that looks like your bottom photos!!!!! It's simply awesome, Girl! Congratulations on a good, and FUN, decision. Bob
Edited by Bob S - October 04 2008 at 12:28pm
30isthenewblack
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I usually dye my hair at the hairdressers - I don't trust myself! Even so, I don't think I've ever come out of a hairdressers being 100% happy. Even with my current hair colour, it was too dark to begin with it and it took about four months to become a colour that I am starting to be happy with.
Any process whether it be henna or chemical colouring takes a while to get used and for your hair to adjust. I think the colour and texture of your hair looks good and you're being overly critical of yourself as we all tend to do time to time!
If I was you and I was unhappy with the hair colour, I'd wait a few weeks for it to settle down and then if I was still unhappy, I'd go to a hairdresser and get a toner on my hair to settle the colour. Generally, they cost less than $30 in Australia.
Awwwww, thanks Bob! That is a really nice thing to say (and for me to read)! I was starting to wonder how bad I looked after the bathroom lighting at work and the fact that almost nobody at work even said anything, so your words really help me feel better about it! (My husband does seem slightly happy with it, normally he's just uninterested in my hair, but this time he smiled when he saw it, so I must have done good!)
30isthenewblack: Thanks so much for your kind words of support, I think you are right, its hard not to be overly critical in the beginning (especially when no one says anything so you start to wonder if you look awful and no one wants to say so!). I completely agree, I'm just letting it rest for awhile. I did get some purple shampoo and that does cut the yellow even more, so I'm going to shut up and be happy about it now!
Making metal barettes/concord clips hair safe, long hair style how to: http://alonghair.wordpress.com
Longhairdreams
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I completely understand.I'm still kind of going through a transtional phase where I'm not sure what to do with it.
But I agree whats the point if your not happy with it.I have to say though you have my dream hair.It looked gorgeous before,but I adore this lighter blonde.
Edited by Longhairdreams - October 06 2008 at 4:08pm
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Susan, I agree with Bob. Your hair looks gorgeous! I love the color and the waves are beautiful.
I agree with 30 also. I think we are much too critical of ourselfs. I dye my hair also. If I wanted to nitpick I could find lots wrong with it. Anything looks better then salt and pepper hair (for me). So, I am happy with it.
I really love your new hair color. From your picture you look like a twenty year old with very healthy hair. Not only does your hair look beautiful and I envy your length, but I also wish I had your waistline too!
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