Hair Color

[BabyVegas]

Do you get your hair dyed professionally or do you do it yourself? What colors do you favor and what brands do you like or dislike?

 

I started dying my hair for fun a couple years ago. I wanted a more purple-red tint to my hair but I didn't want it to be overwhelmingly purple-red. I dyed it using Feria but it didn't look like what I wanted so I went to the person who cuts my hair and she did it. It faded out really fast and I wasn't super happy with it. I stuck with my natural brown-black for a couple years and then a friend was training to work at Gene Jaurez so I thought I'd give it another try. Not only did they end up dying my hair black-black instead of a richer shade of dark brown with a red tone, they burnt my scalp trying to fix it. So I ended up going back to my natural color, let my hair chill out from the dying for awhile, and then I tried it at home again. I used the John Freida Precision Foam and I loved it. It works beautifully, I got the exact color I wanted, it made no mess, it was actually designed for darker hair, and it was waaaaaaaaaay cheaper than getting it done in the salon. What about you guys?

[Jazzy24]

I've never colored my hair but Im African American and I can usually go out and get different colored hair to either braid in or weave in my hair.

Lately when I get braids in my hair I usually get blue and purple and black I like it its fun. And I have no intention of ever dying my hair.

[Petunia13]

I'm a big fan of highlights and low lights. I can't stand ombré if its badly done or on the wrong features, or on scraggly damaged hair. I know I sound catty lol.

[AdorkableWitch]

I am currently rocking pink hair with BRIGHT purple highlights. I need to refresh my color tonight, though. 

[Coffeecup]

Hair color addict here. I can't stand my gray hair (over 50% gray now) so I color it medium brown. I use drugstore box color, L'Oreal Preference, because I can't afford salon coloring treatments. I can usually find a coupon for $1 or $2 off the box of L'Oreal, so it costs me less than $20 a month. I mix up half the solution at a time because that's all I need for the root touchups. If I just need a small quick touchup on the trouble spots, like the temples, I use Just For Men mustache and beard color. Very easy to mix up tiny amounts, so a box lasts you three or four uses. It's good for coloring gray eyebrows too. JFM doesn't last anywhere near as long as the L'Oreal color, but sometimes I just can't get around to doing the one-hour L'Oreal job. (Instructions say 30 minutes, but the advice I've gotten is to leave it on one hour for color-resistant, stubborn gray, which is what I have.) You only leave JFM on five minutes.

 

I admit that my hair would probably look better if I had it colored at a salon, but the expense would just be way too high for my budget. I keep waiting for all these science research nerds to come up with a way to reactivate the pigment in hair follicles. They discovered  what causes hair to turn gray -- it's a natural bleach your body produces, and as you age, the bleach overwhelms the pigment and fades it out -- but they haven't developed a product to solve the problem yet.

[Petunia13]

That's interesting. Even though its a lot of expense and effort it's nice hair dying is so common, necessary, and popular. It makes it exciting and normal to switch your style : )

I'm a person who cannot pull of any shade of red at a or any color with a hint of red. I envy those who look great with any shade, like Linda Evangelista.

[HonestlyWTF]

I have medium brown hair with some gray. I started using Surya Brasil cream henna in Chocolate and it covers the gray nicely and it looks highlighted as it fades out. My hair is shiny and undamaged from this product. The only downside is that it only lasts a couple weeks and I have to leave it on for an hour.

[Nessie]

I kind of like it.  Maybe?  I could never do it because my hair is curly, but I have a friend who's very adventurous with her hair color, and I could picture her doing that (although it actually might be too tame for her).

[DeLurker]

I have medium brown hair with some gray. I started using Surya Brasil cream henna in Chocolate and it covers the gray nicely and it looks highlighted as it fades out. My hair is shiny and undamaged from this product. The only downside is that it only lasts a couple weeks and I have to leave it on for an hour.

I use John Fried Brilliant Brunette Color Glaze to cover the grey.  I only have a sprinkling grey popping up around my hairline, so this product with a mild dye (and ammonia and peroxide free) does the trick for me.  Every 10 days or so, I put some on after I shampoo my hair (only on the areas that have some grey) and put deep conditioner on the ends of my hair, let sit for a few minutes and rinse. 

 

Time wise it is no bigger commitment for me that washing & deep conditioning my hair.  Expense wise it is probably $10/bottle but since I use it only where needed, a bottle lasts 8 months or longer.

 

Not sure what other competing products might be out there for the glaze.  I found one that worked on the first try and stuck with it.    John Frieda also makes color specific shampoo and conditioners, but when I tried them I really did not see any difference than when using my regular shampoo and conditioner.

[NoraOb]

Is it okay to use any hair colour after having a hair transplant surgery or is there any specific brand to use? I had excessive hair loss problem which resulted in me turning almost bald which led to have the surgery. I had the surgery in October and according to my hair transplant doctor I could colour my hair after 4 months, which means that I can go forward with it now. I am planning to colour soon and is on lookout for a suitable product.

[Milaxx]

I have dreadlocs. I wore my hair red for a really long time. I used Hi Rez by Carson. It as easy and no damaging. Then I got in my head I wanted a changed. It took months to do but I now have dark purple eggplant colored locs. I now maintain it with Adore which is semi permanent, but easier on the hair. I lost a few tips to damage from lightening my hair to take the purple, but otherwise it's okay. It's just a pain to keep up. Once the purple grows out a bit more, I may just go back to black.

[DeLurker]

Has anyone tried the Wen hair products?  I keep getting tempted after seeing the infomercials, but have resisted thus far.

[luckyroll3]

Has anyone tried the Wen hair products?  I keep getting tempted after seeing the infomercials, but have resisted thus far.

 

Me too.  I'd like to hear from any natural ladies out there who have used it since they claim it works on all hair types.  I want to believe Holly Robinson Peete, but I rarely see her hair non-flat ironed anymore.

[Misslindsey]

I find that people either really love or hate Wen. I have thick hair with some wave to it and I really liked it. It makes my hair nice and moisturized, which is good because I do a fair amount of heat styling. I think most of the people I talked to who like Wen are people with curly, thick, or both curly and thick hair. Though, I believe Wen has a lot more products targeted for practically every hair type. I think the key to a cleansing conditioner is figuring out how many pumps work for the amount of hair you have (Less for roots and more for lengths) and rinsing. Make sure you rinse well. 

 

I have seen a lot more drugstore brands making cleansing conditioners now. I have tried the L'Oreal one and the Herbal Essences Naked one. I actually prefer the Herbal Essences Naked one to Wen. I use way less and my hair comes out the same as if I used Wen, if not better. If you want to try a cleansing conditioner before trying Wen those might give you an idea for a less expensive price.

[editorgrrl]

I've used nothing but Wen for more than a year. (I tried the Ren knockoff first, to see if I'd even like a cleansing conditioner. I bought it at Walgreens.) Those who have problems with Wen aren't using enough—probably because of the price.

My hair is fine textured (but I have a lot of it) and straight.

[DeLurker]

I have seen a lot more drugstore brands making cleansing conditioners now. I have tried the L'Oreal one and the Herbal Essences Naked one. I actually prefer the Herbal Essences Naked one to Wen. I use way less and my hair comes out the same as if I used Wen, if not better. If you want to try a cleansing conditioner before trying Wen those might give you an idea for a less expensive price.

Tracked down the Herbal Essence Naked Conditioning Cleanser today so I am going to give it a try.  It took a bit of doing though, because while all the drug stores and grocery stores in my area carry a ton of Herbal Essense products, including those from the Naked line, they did not carry the Conditioning Cleanser.  Ended up looking for it online and got it at Target.

 

Also got a new hair dryer since mine went kaput a few weeks ago.  I don't dry my hair on a regular basis, so have only had two hair dryers in 35 years.  Why do some cost so much ($80 - 150)?  Are they really superior?  I bought one by Revlon cause I know the name in the $35 range, but prices started in the teens for some.

[Betweenyouandme]

Tracked down the Herbal Essence Naked Conditioning Cleanser today so I am going to give it a try. It took a bit of doing though, because while all the drug stores and grocery stores in my area carry a ton of Herbal Essense products, including those from the Naked line, they did not carry the Conditioning Cleanser. Ended up looking for it online and got it at Target.

Also got a new hair dryer since mine went kaput a few weeks ago. I don't dry my hair on a regular basis, so have only had two hair dryers in 35 years. Why do some cost so much ($80 - 150)? Are they really superior? I bought one by Revlon cause I know the name in the $35 range, but prices started in the teens for some.

What do you think of the cleansing conditioner? I just tried it this morning and really like it. My hair is less frizzy. Wasn't knotty. Doesn't appear greasy so far. I just blow dried it and a lot of the frizz/wave is gone. I don't have to flat iron.

[DeLurker]

I quite like it.  It is a challenge to make sure I get it all rinsed from my hair though due to the viscosity.

 

I've liked the results better when I blow dry my hair.  It seemed a little more weighed down the time I did not blow dry it.  Since  I normally keep blow drying to a minimum, this will have to be something I monitor to figure out how to handle.

 

But, my hair feels softer than normal and I have few flyaways.  I normally use a bit of Moroccan Oil or Frizz Ease to keep things compliant, but haven't had to since I started using the cleansing conditioner.

[Betweenyouandme]

I massage it into my scalp really well both when applying, and also when rinsing out. Seems to work fine for me. I'm hoping this helps my hair last longer without trimming and coloring (no sulphates).

[DeLurker]

I'm thinking that I need to alternate with regular shampoo every couple of washes.  I think the cleansing conditioner might be getting a bit of build up on my hair after a few washes so even if I blow dry it, it is still looking piece-y.

[Betweenyouandme]

Darn. Sorry to hear that. I think mine is going to be okay, but I guess the trip to Disney and getting hotter might be the test.

[NutMeg]

Recently started using Shiseido serum on the advice of my hairdresser and it does wonder for my frizzy hair: instead of "big", it's just nicely curly now :-)

[AstaCharles]

Has anyone tried the Wen hair products? I keep getting tempted after seeing the infomercials, but have resisted thus far.

I'm using Wen. I have thick curly hair that tends to be frizzy and dry . It takes care of the dryness. On humid says my hair still gets a bit kinky but it works more than my old products

[callie lee 29]

FWIW, my good friend swears by Wen - only thing she'll use. I think she gets it from QVC.

 

I'm thinking of going platinum (I have light brown/darkish blonde as a natural color), I current;y color it a light ash blonde. Does anyone know what the average upkeep timetable is? Every couple of weeks? I would prefer to do it at home, though I likely won't but can you upkeep roots at home if you still get the initial color at a salon? 

[peacheslatour]

FWIW, my good friend swears by Wen - only thing she'll use. I think she gets it from QVC.

 

I'm thinking of going platinum (I have light brown/darkish blonde as a natural color), I current;y color it a light ash blonde. Does anyone know what the average upkeep timetable is? Every couple of weeks? I would prefer to do it at home, though I likely won't but can you upkeep roots at home if you still get the initial color at a salon? 

Late to the party, but Preference by L'Oreal has a champagne blonde that I use and it works really well.  Doesn't fry my hair and covers grey better than anything else I've tried.  Every two weeks is about right to re-color and as someone up-thread said, once I had achieved the shade I wanted, I just mix up half a batch to touch up the roots.

[Hanahope]

I guess I finally reached my "mid-life" crisis as I decided to add some color to my hair this summer.  I had a 2 inch portion of my hair dyed Teal, which matched a dress I was wearing to a wedding.  I always said I'd wait to color when I went grey, since I refuse to go grey, but that hasn't happened yet and I was tired of waiting.  As a poster said above, back when I was a teen/20s, having different colored hair wasn't really accepted, only punkers did that.  But these days, a lot more 'regular' people color their hair and I decided to just do it.  I had the color redone a couple weeks ago, a bit bluer, for another wedding.  The color does fade, but seems to hold up ok for a couple of months, and my salon wasn't very expensive ($50, even with my long hair).  The placement is nice because if I'm gong somewhere that I know will have more "conservative" types, I can pull the front part of my hair back into a clip which covers the colored part.  I figure I'll do it again right before Christmas, maybe a bright red.

[Frozendiva]

A lot of people have blue or purple or other colors in their hair. Also depends where you work. A more conservative environment would maybe let you get away with a color streak that is hidden, or you can buy a clip-on hairpiece.

I dyed my hair at home for a while. Too lazy now and I get it done at the salon. I do keep looking for a shade to use at home, but I would need two, so it makes it a bit more complicated.

I use Kevin Murphy's Blonde Angel shampoo and conditioner about once a week to keep my blonde from going brassy.

[ExplainItAgain]

Garnier has some color kits out now (I think I got it at Target) that are pink, purple and blue. You add it to dry hair and let it dry - no need to rinse. It stays in for 3-4 shampoos. It's already pre-mixed so you can use it multiple times. I tried the purple (I have auburn hair) on a few sections and if you wait 24 hours before shampooing it, it definitely lasts 3/4 days. Very surprised, usually that stuff washes out so quickly. 

 

I wouldn't say my work is "conservative" but I've never seen anyone with fun colors. My boss totally didn't care though. I think I want to try some blue streaks next time.

[Frozendiva]

I had a purple chunk in my hair for a few months til it washed/faded out. No one noticed or said anything. Granted, it was under a layer of hair so many people didn't see it. Most companies don't care. Maybe if it's a law firm or other conservative environment.

 

Blue sounds cool.

[theredhead77]

Any recommendations for a drug store brand do it yourself highlights? I have natural strawberry blond hair that goes pretty red in the winter. I wanted to add a couple highlights but my hair place charges almost $50 for the basic service.

[Sarahendipity]

Any tips for dissatisfaction with a coloring?

I've never colored my hair before, but felt like I wanted something different. Went for a consult, she told me to bring in some photos of what I wanted. Looked around, discovered 'rose gold' and loved it. I have medium blond hair with a natural light blond streak on one side. 

So the hairdresser bleached more of my light blond streak and it is now a dry disaster. I cannot comb it without a handful of conditioner and even then it breaks and I get a wad of hair. I've never has such a dry birds nest. And only on one patch. Rest of color is OK I guess, not very rose, and not really what I showed in pics.

So what do I do? I've had to put coconut oil in my hair so it's not a frizzy mess, so now it looks like an oil slick. Like I said I've never colored before so I don't know what I can do.

[Frozendiva]

Have you contacted the salon and asked the stylist to fix it?

[Petunia13]

That's sucks @Sarahendipity. Sounds like she fried part of your hair.

[peacheslatour]

On 10/23/2016 at 10:24 AM, Frozendiva said:

Have you contacted the salon and asked the stylist to fix it?

She should. I would ask for a different stylist, though.

[Frozendiva]

Ideally, talking with the manager or owner.

[maxineofarc]

I've been coloring my hair for as long as I can remember. Most people are surprised to learn I'm not a natural redhead. I used to do it at the salon, but for the past couple of years I've been doing it myself. I got one of those fancy dye brushes at Sally's with the metal rat-tail for parting your hair, and it's made all the difference. I've been using Vidal Sassoon's London Luxe line, first in Runway Red and then when I wanted something a little more natural in Carnaby Copper Red. They look great, and the Runway Red, which is a bright fashion-y true red, doesn't fade much; the Copper Red, like most red/brown dyes, does go brassy in a month or so.

[callie lee 29]

Last time I went red I did it myself and ended up liking like a demented raspberry!

[TurtlePower]

I have a professional do mine--she's been doing my hair for years so she knows my hair's "history". My hair is very dark brown and long so we typically stick close to that shade. We tried highlights but it's so hard to lift my dark hair I just use various colors of extensions to change things up. WAY less time consuming, no damage to hair (and if the boss complains I have purple sections of hair, I can just remove them).

Having tried other stylists and once having had my hair fried, I recommend finding someone you like and keeping that person. My stylist has worked in several different salons and I followed her wherever she went. Now she has her own salon and she's 90 minutes drive away--I still go to her because I trust her.

[MargeGunderson]

Has anyone tried and had success color booster between coloring, like John Frieda's Luminous Color Glaze or DPhue Color Boosting Gloss? My hair is colored dark copper so does tend to get a little brassy. I'm looking for a little something to extend the color s little (I get it done every 7 weeks).

[vavera4ka]

I've been coloring my hair myself for a very long time. Unless I need to do something like bleach highlights to make the box color I put on top more multidimensional.

Last year or so I've been doing purple hair. Fashion colors (ones I use) are very temporary lol but what I found is that Spark is the best when it comes to staying power. I take couple of tablespoons of it and dissolve it in a bowl of Treseme conditioner. In a way my coloring time is like a mask for my hair lol

But over 1.5-2 months my hair goes from vibrant purple, to soft purple, to lavender to platinum to my natural color. And I love that progression so I don't retouch it, just let it go through the cycle lol

[Petunia13]

Have you heard of or ever used Artic Fox ? ? 

[DeLurker]

On 12/23/2016 at 3:19 PM, MargeGunderson said:

Has anyone tried and had success color booster between coloring, like John Frieda's Luminous Color Glaze or DPhue Color Boosting Gloss? My hair is colored dark copper so does tend to get a little brassy. I'm looking for a little something to extend the color s little (I get it done every 7 weeks).

Late reply.  I use the John Frieda on my I dark brown hair (natural) to cover a few greys that popped out in my hairline.  It does a decent job of masking the greys if I reapply every week or so. 

[Watermelon]

On 2/9/2017 at 5:24 PM, Petunia13 said:

Have you heard of or ever used Artic Fox ? ? 

I've heard of it. A lot of the female WWE superstars use it and I've seen it on Instagram. It looks like an adult manic panic

[stream26]

I used to be quite experimental with my hair, I'v dyed it blond, dark brown, red, , then copper and even blue.

 Just now I color my hair dark brown and sometimes another shades of brown hairstylezz , use a natural product from the health food store. No smelly ingredients to leave your hair with that smell after you are finished. I use a hair color crayon on the new growth that works great

[DeLurker]

Wow!  You're hair looks really good and so healthy too!

[Atlanta]

I've been getting foils the last few months. I want a gradual grow out. I don't want a line of demarcation. Is it normal for a stylist to not color to the root when doing foils? I've noticed this for the last four stylists I've tried. Am I being a jerk by asking for this?

[LuciaCiesielski]

Then I got in my head I wanted a changed. It took months to do but I now have dark purple eggplant colored locs. I now maintain it with Adore which is semi permanent, but easier on the hair. I lost a few tips to damage from lightening my hair to take the purple, but otherwise it's okay. It's just a pain to keep up. Once the purple grows out a bit more, I may just go back to black.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 7/15/2017 at 8:47 PM, Atlanta said:

I've been getting foils the last few months. I want a gradual grow out. I don't want a line of demarcation. Is it normal for a stylist to not color to the root when doing foils? I've noticed this for the last four stylists I've tried. Am I being a jerk by asking for this?

I like my roots covered.  I'm not sure how I would react if that didn't happen.  I get roots done every time and then highlights every once in while.  I just got my color (with foil) and cut today!  I'm so happy.  My stylist had been on maternity leave and I was way past due. 

Stream26, your hair looks amazing.  I really like the color and the style. 

Edited October 12, 2017 by SunnyBeBe

[DeLurker]

My daughter wants to try coloring just the ends of her hair - medium brown with probably a pretty intense color (she was thinking maybe pink).  I was actually caught off guard by her bringing it up. 

I think it may be called dip-dying, but not sure on that. 

Anyone got any tips for me?  Are there temporary colors that wash out/fade after a bit?  If so, how long?  Would be most interested in a brand that is not overly complicated and does not damage the hair (or the least possible).  Also, she's going to try this over Christmas break when we are visiting my Mom - the house has a septic system, so is it safe for that?

Any info would be appreciated, recommendations, links to "Dying for Dummies", etc...

[Lisin]

On 12/14/2017 at 1:42 PM, DeLurker said:

Anyone got any tips for me?  Are there temporary colors that wash out/fade after a bit?  If so, how long?  Would be most interested in a brand that is not overly complicated and does not damage the hair (or the least possible).  Also, she's going to try this over Christmas break when we are visiting my Mom - the house has a septic system, so is it safe for that?

There's this dying conditioner stuff called "Overtone" that's gentle and temporary (ish... if you stop using it it will fade out). Dark hair won't pick up the color as well so if she wants a vibrant pink she's going to have to bleach the ends first. (You're right about it being called dip dying btw). Even if you don't go with overtone most of the vibrant "crazy" colors like blue/pink/green dyes are only semiperminant so they will fade eventually. It's fine for septic, I've dyed my hair for a million years myself and have a septic system and have never had problems or even thought about it! Manic Panic is another good brand. As an example, currently my hair is dyed black with some bleached streaks, and then I do a full dark blue over everything so the bleached parts are BLUE and the rest just has a blue wash, it fades out after about 5 washes to the point where you can see the bleached parts but since I only shampoo my hair once a week that ends up being time to dye it again anyway. Overtone keeps it from fading, because it deposits the dye every time you condition. 

That all being said, for a first time I'd get bleach but not use it on the first round. Do a round of just the dye, if it doesn't show up you can always bleach later but if you bleach first you're stuck. The bleach part will not fade ever so, either you keep dying it or just cut it off. You don't have to bleach it to white or anything, just enough to lighten the ends so the color shows better. Bleaching it will also absorb more of the color so it will fade less quickly.  But having the bleach on hand will make it less disappointing if the first round doesn't take.