The Hair Thread

[Michi8]

Ugh, carla whd you bring this up lol, I'm getting white! NO not grey which would blend better they are gleaming white hairs! I have very thick long redish hair naturally curly, its like my trademark, and now its turning white AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I'm going to dye it I just have to find my color somewhere...

I'm getting white hairs as well, and have been since I was 18...now, if I don't colour, I've got an all-over salt n'pepper look...I'm not ready to be grey/white! I console myself, though, with the thought that when I am ready to surrender to being grey, it will be a beautiful white colour.

Aside from going grey early, I'm losing a lot of hair and it's really troubling me (one of the many symtpoms prompting me to test for celiac and autoimmune issues.) I've got a very thick head of hair, and it used to be that when my hair was long, I noticed when I lost the "normal" amount of hair. When my hair was short, though, it was not noticeable. Now I lose more hair than my husband. It's all over the tub after a shower, all over the bathroom after blowdrying, and falls out when I run my fingers through my hair. My hair is very short and I can see it happening. I've got areas where the hair loss is becoming noticeable, and the hair that is growing back appears thinner.

Michelle

[CarlaB]

Debmidge, I used to color my own hair. We lived in Florida and my natural color would get very light, but my bangs would never lighten up since they were the part that got cut all the time (I cut my own hair at the time and would have hubby assist on the back). So, I would foil my own bangs and no one ever noticed they were different than the rest of my hair.

When it got darker as I had more kids, I wanted all over foils and didn't see myself doing that! All over color, I could do, but not foils!

eKatherine, I've been trying to grow my hair out, not very long, but maybe as long as my daughter's (MorganB on this message board). I am realizing that bleaching and growing hair long doesn't mix. Do you think coloring would be less harsh, or is that too much, too. At this point I'm at least stuck coloring it back to my natural color, but I may play around more with color if I thought I could still grow it longer. It's growing, I just don't like the way it looks.

[debmidge]

Debmidge, I used to color my own hair. We lived in Florida and my natural color would get very light, but my bangs would never lighten up since they were the part that got cut all the time (I cut my own hair at the time and would have hubby assist on the back). So, I would foil my own bangs and no one ever noticed they were different than the rest of my hair.

When it got darker as I had more kids, I wanted all over foils and didn't see myself doing that! All over color, I could do, but not foils!

eKatherine, I've been trying to grow my hair out, not very long, but maybe as long as my daughter's (MorganB on this message board). I am realizing that bleaching and growing hair long doesn't mix. Do you think coloring would be less harsh, or is that too much, too. At this point I'm at least stuck coloring it back to my natural color, but I may play around more with color if I thought I could still grow it longer. It's growing, I just don't like the way it looks.

I'd try to cut my own hair at home, but it sounds like too much trouble. My husband loves long hair and I'm sure he'd not want to take a scissors to any part of my head. I'd get no cooperation from him!

For sure I'd not color and perm long hair...too much damage. when I used to perm, I wouldn't color.

My sister's natural color is "butter blonde" and someone at work recently commented to her that "oops, your colorist missed a spot on the back of your head!" She looked at the person and said, "Well, I'll have to take that up with God as no one on earth colors my hair." She doesn't think that person believes that her hair color is that light blonde naturally, but it is.

[eKatherine]

I'd try to cut my own hair at home, but it sounds like too much trouble. My husband loves long hair and I'm sure he'd not want to take a scissors to any part of my head. I'd get no cooperation from him!

Open Original Shared Link are the instructions I used to use, although the site this was formerly located on had some nice illustrations.

For sure I'd not color and perm long hair...too much damage. when I used to perm, I wouldn't color.

I color my hair, but in fact I only ever touch up the roots. I never put the color through my whole head of hair as the directions say to.

Carla -

There are 3 different levels of storebought hair color.

Temporary lasts for 6-12 washes. It is a stain, not a dye. Loving Care is one of these.

Semipermanent supposedly lasts longer. It contains a tiny amount of ammonia to help the color "take", but generally it does not cover gray or white hair, which is resistant to dyeing.

Permanent contains enough ammonia for the dye to take well on almost any hair.

Even permanent color is gentler to your hair than the two step process of bleaching and then toning, but it is also necessary to follow the directions and touch up the roots when needed, rather than to apply it to your whole head of hair repeatedly, which can cause unexpected results.

But maybe you knew all this.

[CarlaB]

Katherine, thank you for the information. My stylist does not use a two step process -- she uses bleach in foils, and she also only does the roots. My hair is naturally pretty frizzy, so maybe it's just my hair, but it seems that the bleach makes it worse. Is the bleach alone without the toner still harder on the hair than color?

Debmidge, that's funny about your sister. I don't perm my hair .... it's just curly!

So, what do you think ladies, is color safer than non-toned bleach? Or will both still cause too much damage to successfully grow my hair out. My stylist tells me my hair is in very good shape, actually, it's just I'm a perfectionist.

[jerseyangel]

Carla--

Bleach is extremely drying to the hair. My stylist told me this when I used to get my hair highlighted.

She would use the foil, bleach my dark brown hair until it had no color, and then add an ash blonde color to it. It looked nice--but after too many highlightings, my hair became too light for me. It also was very dry--it's frizzy by nature, but not dry.

That's the reason that I'm hesitant to start having my hair straightened again--dries it out badly!

If you're worried, I'd go with a straight color--permanent is fine, just be sure to do the deep conditioning treatments and have the ends trimmed regularly. The color, in my opinion, is less damaging to the hair than bleach, and the colors now have conditioners added right into them.

[bluejeangirl]

Katherine, thank you for the information. My stylist does not use a two step process -- she uses bleach in foils, and she also only does the roots. My hair is naturally pretty frizzy, so maybe it's just my hair, but it seems that the bleach makes it worse. Is the bleach alone without the toner still harder on the hair than color?

Debmidge, that's funny about your sister. I don't perm my hair .... it's just curly!

So, what do you think ladies, is color safer than non-toned bleach? Or will both still cause too much damage to successfully grow my hair out. My stylist tells me my hair is in very good shape, actually, it's just I'm a perfectionist.

I've noticed the trend seems to be getting away from highlighted hair and finding the natural hair color. The only example I can think of is Kelly Preston, John Travolta's wife. I think its healthier. But you hair looks healthy from your pic.s Carla.

I'm also one that hates people messing with my hair. My hair is thick,curley and very tangle and I can hear rips when my stylist combs it after the wash. I started to dread making the appt.s and a couple of times I'd be late which really ticks your stylist off if you'd ever noticed.

So I started to cut my own hair last year. I wanted to grow out all the layers and just have one length. Its not that hard! I color my own hair with no problem but I like the advice about coloring just the roots because I do alittle more then the roots and I think I'll have problems down the road.

I was watching that judge Amy show last week and her mother on the show played by Tye Daley (sp?) caught my eye. It's grey and really long but she wears it in a low knot in the back of her head. I like it. That's how I want mine to look in 10 years. I'll be happy to give up the coloring.

Gail

[CarlaB]

Thank you for the suggestions.

[nikki-uk]

Carla,bleach is very drying as it not only strips the colour out of your hair but also takes all the oils out with it too.

If you're trying to grow it out without any noticable roots,IMO the best thing to do would be to have permanent colour (tint not bleach)in foils.

As you look quite fair to me from your pic,you could have some honey and caramel tones put through (with maybe some darker ones underneath to add depth)

These colours are warm and will break up the 'block' colour of the bleached hair,and make the roots less noticable as they grow.

Although permanent colour does contain peroxide it's nowhere near as damaging as bleach.

Also,make sure you are getting a trim regular (every 6-8 weeks)

[CarlaB]

Carla,bleach is very drying as it not only strips the colour out of your hair but also takes all the oils out with it too.

If you're trying to grow it out without any noticable roots,IMO the best thing to do would be to have permanent colour (tint not bleach)in foils.

As you look quite fair to me from your pic,you could have some honey and caramel tones put through (with maybe some darker ones underneath to add depth)

These colours are warm and will break up the 'block' colour of the bleached hair,and make the roots less noticable as they grow.

Although permanent colour does contain peroxide it's nowhere near as damaging as bleach.

Also,make sure you are getting a trim regular (every 6-8 weeks)

Yea, I go in every 5-6 weeks now. I go to the salon where Morgan works, so I'll always go over there so I can visit!!

Thanks for the suggestions, there a good idea. I was actually thinking of going back to doing something like that -- I was wearing it dark on the bottom, a dark reddish color, then a chuncky blonde on the top. I really like it, and it wasn't bleached. I don't really know at what point she switched from the color to the bleach, I guess it was as I told her I wanted it lighter for the summer.

[debmidge]

Carla,bleach is very drying as it not only strips the colour out of your hair but also takes all the oils out with it too.

If you're trying to grow it out without any noticable roots,IMO the best thing to do would be to have permanent colour (tint not bleach)in foils.

As you look quite fair to me from your pic,you could have some honey and caramel tones put through (with maybe some darker ones underneath to add depth)

These colours are warm and will break up the 'block' colour of the bleached hair,and make the roots less noticable as they grow.

Although permanent colour does contain peroxide it's nowhere near as damaging as bleach.

Also,make sure you are getting a trim regular (every 6-8 weeks)

Yes, regarding taking oils from hair. I used to color my hair in high school using Miss Clairol - winterwheat color (yikes, don't lynch me!) and one of the benefits of it was that my complexion was always clear - no oily skin.

Carla, be sure to post your new picture after your salon appointment.

[CarlaB]

Carla, be sure to post your new picture after your salon appointment.

Oh, I will. My advantage is I already know what just about any color I would do would look like! Right now I'm tending toward my natural color with some lighter highlights (not bleached).

[CarlaB]

Okay, the new pic is up, but it was taken today and I'm exhausted after yesterday (which means I hate the picture!! ).

She dyed the underside dark, like a brownish red color. The top has some brownish-red lowlights, but they don't show up too well in the picture. She did put a couple bleached highlights in the top because she said the color was going to need to be done a couple times before it "sticks" very well and she didn't want me to look like I had roots even right when I left. She gave me a good trim, lately she's just been snipping the ends a little since I'm trying to grow it out. Hopefully, I'll get a better picture up soon, I hate these posed kinds! That was at Starbucks, btw, but I just had a hot water and used my own teabag.

[nikki-uk]

I like it!-It looks more toned down ,more natural.

[CarlaB]

I like it!-It looks more toned down ,more natural.

Yea, it is ... my old avatar made it look even lighter than it was though with the sun shining on it!! Thanks.

[jerseyangel]

Love it!

[CarlaB]

Love it!

Thanks!

[tarnalberry]

Not advice, but what I did this weekend: Got a haircut. It wasn't going to be terribly short, and isn't. But we needed 10" so I could donate to locksoflove.org, so it's shorter than I went in thinking about, but I'm donating my hair! I could have done it before, but haven't yet. Yay!

[CarlaB]

Not advice, but what I did this weekend: Got a haircut. It wasn't going to be terribly short, and isn't. But we needed 10" so I could donate to locksoflove.org, so it's shorter than I went in thinking about, but I'm donating my hair! I could have done it before, but haven't yet. Yay!

That's okay, it wasn't about advice, we were gabbing about hair on another thread that was not about hair, so I started this one!

Wow! My daughter Morgan donated 15" one year. Put up a picture for us to see your new do!!!

[jerseyangel]

I'm dusting off this thread

I finally did it--I had my hair professionally straightened this morning!! I was so nervous about it, I was in the bathroom 4 times before I had to leave the house. Ended up taking Immodium, but once I got there I was fine.

It looks like my hair has grown an inch and it's also lighter (kind of a "side effect").

Just thought I'd share

[CarlaB]

I'm dusting off this thread

I finally did it--I had my hair professionally straightened this morning!! I was so nervous about it, I was in the bathroom 4 times before I had to leave the house. Ended up taking Immodium, but once I got there I was fine.

It looks like my hair has grown an inch and it's also lighter (kind of a "side effect").

Just thought I'd share

Picture!!!!! We NEED to see it!!!

Mine always looks much longer straightened.

[jerseyangel]

Picture!!!!! We NEED to see it!!!

Mine always looks much longer straightened.

Yea--I'll get Mark to take one

[nikki-uk]

Yea--I'll get Mark to take one

..And soon please Patti, I want to see your fab new hair do!!!

Wow,straightened, mmm so what did they do??

When I was in hairdressing the only way to do it was to comb perm solution through your hair.Do they do something different now??

I've often fancied straight hair - but mine is so ridiculously curly I don't know if it would work ....

[jerseyangel]

..And soon please Patti, I want to see your fab new hair do!!!

Wow,straightened, mmm so what did they do??

When I was in hairdressing the only way to do it was to comb perm solution through your hair.Do they do something different now??

I've often fancied straight hair - but mine is so ridiculously curly I don't know if it would work ....

Hi Nikki

I asked her if it was like a perm, and she said that it was similar--it breaks the bond in the hair (I'm sure you understand what that means ) and then is just left straight instead of curled.

She first washed my hair and then applied something to equalize the hair, then the straightening creme which she then smoothed in with her fingers. (she didn't comb it through) It was then rinsed out for 10 minutes (!). After that, she applied the neutralizer, let it set and rinsed it out. Then came the neutralizer for the smell--and another rinse. The whole thing took about 1 and 1/2 hours.

It came out well--it's very straight though. I'm relieved that it's still soft and shiny--I was so afraid of damage. The product she used is by Redken.

I'll bet it would work for you because my stylist uses it on herself--and she has shoulder-length thick, wiry hair. Her's looks very nice. Mine is much thinner.

[Lisa]

Patti:

Hi, and also looking forward to your new do. (or doo?)

I also have a question for everyone. The past two months my, thin hair is REALLY thinning. I use dove shampoo and conditioner and have been gluten free for over a year (or nothing intentional). I take b-12,folic acid and multi vit.

Has anyone has similar experiences, and if so, what do I do to stop this. One bald member of the household is enough

Thanks, L