By Lily
I was wondering, if any of us want to admit it, do you dye your hair? Do you do it at home or do you only trust your hair to a salon? I have dyed mine for years and I do it out of boxes at home. I like the Garnier Nutrisse line, although I hate their commercials. It’s the brand that’s easiest on my hair which is somewhat fragile and dry. I am a dark brunette, so much so that in it’s natural state, it makes my face look pale and yellow.
When I was younger and out in the summer sun all the time, my hair would lighten up considerably. As soon as winter came, it would go right back to a deep brown and people always wanted to make sure I felt okay. I think I look much better (and healthier) with a medium auburn brown and then I put in some highlights. I also dye my hair to cover the grey. The grey I have is around the front and speckled through my bangs. I don’t care for the look on myself. When it becomes more grey than brunette, I always thought I’d go to silvery grey. I think that is a very pretty look on older women. I had the thought to go ahead and do this last week when I looked in the mirror and saw it was time for a touch up. I thought it might be fun to see a preview and a little festive for the holidays. I was holding off on the final decision, but I did check on the colors when I was at the store and then I realized that going silver wasn’t as easy as buying a box. Apparently, it’s the one color (or lack of color) that has to be done at a salon and it all sounded risky when I did a little a research. I will wait until the grey is more abundant to go this way. Until then, I will stick with the same trusted colors.
Ever suffer any mishaps that made you want to wear a hat until your hair grew out? When I was in my 20′s, I was visiting my sister and we decided to change my hair. We over-dyed my hair trying to get it the right color. It killed my hair. The hair around the center part and close to my head became porous and absorbed the dye. My hair was dead blond and the top was purple. A friend, who was a stylist, said the only way to get it out was to dab it with household bleach, which we did. When I got home, the only thing my stylist could do was to cut it short and condition it heavily until healthy hair grew in. What a mess that was.
Do you bother with it at all or do you have standing appointment somewhere? If you dye at home, is there a certain brand you love above the others? Let us know.
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8 Responses to Dying Your Hair?
I lighten my hair. I’m a natural blonde but tend more towards “dishwater” than “golden”, so I give nature a little help. I go through stages when I get it done at a salon, and stages where I do it myself. I’ve never really gotten past my last regular hairdresser going back to Iran to get hip replacement surgery. I’ve sort of ping-ponged around for the past few years, and have most only managed to get salon cuts, not color. It’s one thing to pay someone I trust $60 to do what I can do myself for $10; it’s another to take that leap of faith with a stranger. So I mostly do it myself these days. I don’t have a preferred brand, I don’t think. Maybe L’Oreal? I sometimes recognize the name of the color but not who makes it. I try not to buy the really cheap ones, though.
I did have a hair-dye disaster in my early 20s. I had been bleaching my hair, heavy-duty, for a few years. We’re talking white-blond. I know this sounds weird, but I don’t think I was really aware of how light my hair was. When I look at old pictures I look like an albino. I don’t know what I was thinking (it was probably along the lines of: “if blonde is good, blonder is better”).
Anyway, I had noticed that the hair on one side of my head refused to grow past about chin length (I didn’t realize that it was growing; it just broke off continually because my hair was so weak and brittle). About that time I got the bright idea to dye my hair light brown. I had no clue that bleaching your hair makes it super-porous and it “grabs” color. So of course the results were a disaster: my haircolor was all patchy: darker in some spots than others, and not in a way that looked remotely natural. I came into work the next day, my boss took one look at me and made an appointment for me at her salon, located nearby in a swanky hotel. Four hours and $100 (which was a lot of money to me then; I had never gotten my hair done anyplace other than Supercuts previously!) later, my hair was shorter and the color was more even, though still not great. I still remember, more than 15 years later, being poked and prodded by Robert and Roberto (I think they were a couple), who praised me for my “strong scalp” as they piled noxious chemicals on me and whispered sotto voice behind their hands about what should be done with me in the future, as I obviously didn’t have the funds to come to their salon regularly.
Anyway, it made a good story…though it was quite traumatic at the time!
I also have blond hair. I was very blond as a youngster and even through my teens. Working out in the fields kept it that way. Now I am a very dark blond. So…. I do highlight my hair. I have it done in a salon. It is called a reverse color weave. I used to have just one color weaved in but after so many visits, your hair becomes much lighter than you probably want it to be. So now I have a darker blond weaved in with the highlights and it maintains the same basic color scheme every time. I also do not have to go into the salon as frequently.
I have very little gray hair. Probably because I am blond and it is hard to see. My hairdresser says that my gray is just starting to come in now. Pretty good for 54.
I have never had any hair mishaps that I can remember. I only colored my hair on my own once over 25 years ago. I was attempting to lighten it and I did not like the results. It wasn’t a disaster but it was lighter than what I wanted. Since then, I have always had it done at the salon.
I have never lightened or colored my hair, but I have a gray streak at the right temple I’d like to cover. I am toounsure to do it myself, and I hate the thought of spending time in a salon. I’m not all that into beauty. I am hoping my oldest daughter will figure it out in the next few years and help me out. I have to have her set up a facebook account for me first, though, lol.
Ann, I kind of like the gray streak at the right temple look. I am thinking Stacy London. She rocks that look.
This topic is timely for me. Lily, I have been on the horns of the same dilemma. When to call it quits and just go gray…I don’t think I am quite there yet.
I am 41 and (I think) about 35-40% gray. I don’t like it at all. It’s kind of sprinkled all over (mostly in front, however) and I feel it ages me. On the other hand, I am really bored with dying it.
I have gone to a salon for the last 5+ years to do my color monthly. About 3 months ago, I got the bright idea to perhaps save some time and money and do it myself. The results so far – not so good. For whatever reason my hair is being very resistant to the home dye kits.
I have an appointment on Wednesday to try a new salon. I am looking forward to ringing in 2010 with no gray hair.
Like Pam I have been blessed with not having grey hair showing
I have strawberry blonde hair so it doesn’t have grey yet. In the summer depending on how much I am outside it gets lighter and in the winter it gets a bit darker. I have never put color on my hair but I do get perms, now that my hair is longer I get it done twice a year versus 4 times a year with shorter hair. I also ask friends or neighbors if they know of a hairdresser that is semi retired , alot of times they will do your hair for a fraction of the cost of a salon.
I have mousy brown hair started dying it in college and haven’t stopped. I go to the same beautician I have been using for the past 25 years. It is now light brown with blond highlights. I have a standing appointment for a cut and color every 5 weeks. The gray is there and getting heavier but not heavy enough to go all gray. I don’t think I want to do that yet. Don’t want to cave in on the age thing just yet.
I’m not 30 yet and I’m 50% gray. I’ve been coloring my hair since I was 18. I used to have it done professionally but it just fades too quickly to justify the cost. Unless I want hi/lo-lites I do it myself. I LOVE the new Perfect 10 that works in just 10 minutes and has a comb applicator. Its definitley worth trying!
Ok, Samantha, I won’t complain! I will share a funny story, however. Earlier in this thread I shared that I thought I was about 35/40% gray (even though I am a relatively young 41).
I went to a “colorist” last Wednesday for the first time in a while. I asked her what % she thought my hair was gray. Her answer? 70%! WTF?
On the plus side, she told me I should appreciate having thick hair because many women aren’t so lucky and it is not nearly as easy to “fix” thin hair as gray.
Countin my blessings….