Semi Color...How to Choose?
Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Talk
Forum Name: Hair Color
Forum Description: The tricks and tribulations of changing your hair color
URL: https://talk.hairboutique.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=18638
Printed Date: July 22 2025 at 12:56am
Topic: Semi Color...How to Choose?
Posted By: LongBraidz
Subject: Semi Color...How to Choose?
Date Posted: March 17 2004 at 11:14am
|
I have been permantly coloring my hair forever it seems!!!! I'am tired of the commitment. I now got a chance through a "Hair Straightener Screw Up" to go back to my original hair color. My original hair color is medium brown with about 50% grays. I should mention that I take prescribed meds. When I would use a permanent hair color (Loreal Excellence Cream #6 Light Brown) my hair would always soak up the color like a sponge and usually come out with light brown roots, medium/dark brown length, and with almost black ends. I want to try a Semi (mostly because of the grays) I have read mixed reviews about "Loreal ColorSpa" and "Clairol Natural Instincts" and suggestions or experiences? ------------- "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." ~Kahlil Gibran~ |
Replies:
Posted By: vanzack
Date Posted: March 17 2004 at 8:09pm
|
I am not a professional, but my personal experience with clairol semi perm is that it goes on really dark. So go with 2 shades lighter than you think you want. good luck ps: I have like 5 gray hairs and the semi perm covered as well as the as the loreal excellence i usually use. ------------- |
Posted By: LongBraidz
Date Posted: March 18 2004 at 8:11am
|
Hi vanzack...Thank You for the reply. Can you please tell me what condition your hair was in at the time you used the ColorSpa? How long did the color last? Did the darkness of the shade lighten up after each shampoo? Did the ColorSpa have a bad smell and did it seem damageing to your hair? and lastly does it really wash out after like 24 shampoo's? ------------- "Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." ~Kahlil Gibran~ |
Posted By: StyleGuy
Date Posted: March 18 2004 at 7:48pm
It's important to understand why this effect is happening. If you apply the color all at the same time to all of your hair, this is what will happen. At the regrowth: The ammonia and peroxide will start to remove some of your natural pigment for the first 20 minutes or so. The 50% of your natural hair that is not grey begins to lose color, which, since you say you have medium brown hair, becomes light brown. Then, for the next twenty minutes or so, the artificial color is deposited on the root area, including the greys. Grey hair being resistant, doesn't accept the artificial pigment as well, and as a result, the result probably looks lighter than the shade on the box. After the hair strand has been processed the first time, applying new color won't remove the artificial color you put there the previous coloring episodes. So, mid strand hair gets darker each time you apply color. It might seem that say, about the third application the shade of the midstrand is about right. Now, as hair grows longer, and every time you apply color you apply it all over, it gets darker and darker, so the ends become extremely dark. That is why its turning out the way it is. If you switch to a semi, here's what will happen. 1) the root area will be even less well covered. Semi doesn't work well with 50% grey. 2)Mid strands will still collect color each application, and your ends will still become dark. What you really need to try to do is to apply permanent color to the regrowth area only, then after 40 minutes or so, pull that color onto the midshaft only for the next 5 or 10 minutes. Avoid getting the color on the ends. Good luck. ------------- |
LongBraidz wrote:Posted By: vanzack
Date Posted: March 19 2004 at 3:24pm
|
Hi, Actually I didn't use color spa I used the clairol counterpart - natural instincts. My hair was in overall good health before the natural instincts but it did seem to me that it left my hair shinier and not as damaged as when I use loreal excellence in the past. It did come out darker than I thought but it does seem to be washing out slowly (i don't think I've shampooed 24 times yet). Overall I like the excellence better but my hair grows out so fast that I really can't keep up with dying it every 3 weeks - that's why i switched to semi perm. good luck ------------- |
Posted By: Linny
Date Posted: May 18 2004 at 4:01pm
|
I used Loreal ColorSpa on my hair just last night, but the shade I used didn't cover the permanent shade that I already have. At first my hair felt stiff, but after using the conditioner they give you, my hair feels super soft and silky. I called the Loreal hotline today to ask them what went wrong, and they told me I should have used dark brown (expresso), not medium (cocoa). Good luck with your hair! ------------- |