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Coloring Relaxed Hair Safe By Any Stretch of the Imagination?

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Nazaneen

Well-Known Member
I think this is a pms whim lol but I want to lift my hair to a cool chocolate brown. The only trouble is that I'm relaxed :(. My last touch-up was in late December or early January. I don't foresee any actual need for me to relax again anytime soon... I think I could stretch another a couple of months or even just transition out of this :lol:. I was wondering if this would irreparably damage my hair and maybe I should leave well enough alone :lol:.
My hair is a very dark brown, not quite black color naturally...
Any advice would be appreciated...
 
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Arlana

You could use L'Oreal Hi Color for Dark Hair. You can purchase it at Sally's. I use it in the color "Coolest Brown" but Light Cool Brown is a bit darker and is more "ash" than red. You can use it in relaxed hair. The instructions on the box say to use 20 volume peroxide instead of 30 (I'm natural so I use 30vol) if you are relaxed.

Just remember this rule: Always color a relaxer NEVER relax a color. So do your relaxer first. Wait a couple of weeks THEN do your color. :)
 
@Arlana

You could use L'Oreal Hi Color for Dark Hair. You can purchase it at Sally's. I use it in the color "Coolest Brown" but Light Cool Brown is a bit darker and is more "ash" than red. You can use it in relaxed hair. The instructions on the box say to use 20 volume peroxide instead of 30 (I'm natural so I use 30vol) if you are relaxed.

Just remember this rule: Always color a relaxer NEVER relax a color. So do your relaxer first. Wait a couple of weeks THEN do your color. :)

Thanks!! I don't plan to relax for at least a month or two so I can probably color anytime.
I think I may have used this before years ago but not in that shade... :scratchch. @Dove56 Do you think I would be able to avoid brassiness? I HATE brassiness and thats all I've ever gotten coloring myself :lol:. I just want a rich ash brown like this but maybe a shade deeper...
http://www.allfashionsites.com/news/gallery/brown-hair-color/brown_hair_color_3.jpg

I'm looking for brown with as little red as possible...
 
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You're putting a scare into me :lol:

That's good. This means you will take all the necessary precautions if you decide to take the plunge. :yep:

For me personally, I don't trust myself to color my relaxed hair. If I want to color, I'd give up the relaxer.

Sent from my android tablet using LHCF App
 
I'm not relaxed, but can you try a cellophane or rinse? I know that the color won't be as light as you aimed to have, but you will get a rich tonal brown that may be fun. :)
 
I am someone who years ago colored a few weeks after relaxing. About 50% of my hair went down the drain.

Sent from the corner pay phone

Oy vey :nono: and I know you have long thick hair.
Yikes...

I had relaxer put twice over colored hair as a teen and had severe breakage in subsequent months but i also had really sh*tty haircare practices.
I know how to care for my hair now but it's still a huge risk...
 
Arlana

Is your hair fine, medium or coarse? Also, do you relax bone straight? Is your hair very strong? I relaxed with color and didn't have any issues because my hair is very, very strong.

The reason I think *you* will be fine is you are only looking to lift about 2 to 3 levels from your natural color. Your hair is a level 2 and you will lift to a left 4 or 5 nothing lighter which is in a very safe range of shades to maintain the integrity of your hair.

If you are concerned about brassiness or scared to try it at home go an Aveda salon. Also, another option for you would be to do keratin treatments and leave relaxers alone altogether. That way you have can the sleekness and manageability of a relaxer without all the damage and limitations.

Here's a picture of mine relaxed and bleached from 2007:

I want to show these to show that doing both doesn't have to be damaging if you properly care for you hair AND if you have very strong hair that isn't susceptible to damage.
 

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Are Aveda salons typically experienced in dealing with relaxed hair?

Sent from my Comet using LHCF
 
Nope, don't do it. Get some clip in highlights. I'm in the same boat. I am OBSESSED with red and chocolate brown hair right now, but I've been using a black rinse a few times a year. I would have to lighten my hair to get any kind of substantial color change and that would be guaranteed breakage for me eventually.

I'm thinking of trying a brown or red rinse in a few months, maybe I can get a glow going.
 
Are Aveda salons typically experienced in dealing with relaxed hair?

Sent from my Comet using LHCF

If you find the Aveda salons that have ethnic clientele yes. :yep: Plus, Aveda color is very gentle on relaxed hair. Aveda and Redken are my absolute favorite professional salon brands.

I think OP lives in New York so she should be able to find an Aveda salon in her area. I wish I could remember the Youtuber's name that used Aveda color plus she relaxed. Her hair was gorgeous.
 
Dove56 You've had positive experiences with Redken color on relaxed hair?

In my experience Redken color would be awful, AWFUL for relaxed hair. It's WAY too drying. I worked with that brand of color for about 2 years.
 
Dove56 You've had positive experiences with Redken color on relaxed hair?

In my experience Redken color would be awful, AWFUL for relaxed hair. It's WAY too drying. I worked with that brand of color for about 2 years.

I love Redken color especially the Chromatics line!
 
I would say proceed with caution. Back in the day when I self-relaxed and didn't know any better I would relax and dye my hair all colors of the rainbow (up to a platinum blonde shade from natural dark brown) with few ill effects, but then I was young with dense, fine hair and I kept it short most of the time.

The last time I colored as a relaxed head caused me to lose most of the hair in the back, and prompted my first transition to natural. A color mishap with bleach at a so-called natural hair salon prompted my return to relaxers about 3 years ago.

Now that I'm older and my hair is less dense, and I relax my hair at the salon with lye relaxer, I would not risk it, especially if it meant losing all the length I have achieved thus far.

Sometimes I am sorely tempted to go back to a blonde color (I got a lot of compliments on that with my coloring) especially now that I'm starting to go gray, but I would rather have long dark hair than short and blonde. Just examine where you are at with the health and condition of your hair, what your goals are, and how much time and care you are willing to put towards your hair (colored relaxed hair takes twice as much work to keep healthy and on your head, and still only has half the "shelf life" of uncolored hair before it breaks off from the stress of manipulating it) before you go for it. Maybe try highlights for a bit before you go for your whole head; if done correctly, they can "lift" the overall color of your hair without doing your whole head.

Good luck!
 
I've done both with no problems(relaxers & color). I've had rihanna red color & blond color but I ONLY color the front of my hair never the back. When I colored my hair blond, I did highlights & when I dyed it bright red I did the whole front of my hair. At the time my hair was alittle pass apl maybe bsl. All my coloring services were done @ the salon. The blonde color did dry my hair out, but it didn't break off it was just alittle dryer.

I think if u do it, make sure ur hair is in optimal health prior to coloring. & then afterwards up ur dc, m&s etc... I think u should be ok since u strech ur relaxers & the color isn't too bright. Maybe try a small patch & see how that does for a couple of weeks.

Good luck!!:)

Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using LHCF
 
@Arlana

Is your hair fine, medium or coarse? Also, do you relax bone straight? Is your hair very strong? I relaxed with color and didn't have any issues because my hair is very, very strong.

The reason I think *you* will be fine is you are only looking to lift about 2 to 3 levels from your natural color. Your hair is a level 2 and you will lift to a left 4 or 5 nothing lighter which is in a very safe range of shades to maintain the integrity of your hair.

If you are concerned about brassiness or scared to try it at home go an Aveda salon. Also, another option for you would be to do keratin treatments and leave relaxers alone altogether. That way you have can the sleekness and manageability of a relaxer without all the damage and limitations.

Here's a picture of mine relaxed and bleached from 2007:

I want to show these to show that doing both doesn't have to be damaging if you properly care for you hair AND if you have very strong hair that isn't susceptible to damage.


You're tempting me Dove56 :drool: beautiful hair!!

Can I start doing keratin treatments whenmy hair is already relaxed? I am not bone straight ( you know us 3's can't get bone straight very often :lol:) .
I will say the lye relaxer has kept my hair in amazing shape :yep:
it's almost as though I never did it damage wise...
idk what to do, i don't want any disasters :lol:.
 
I've done both with no problems(relaxers & color). I've had rihanna red color & blond color but I ONLY color the front of my hair never the back. When I colored my hair blond, I did highlights & when I dyed it bright red I did the whole front of my hair. At the time my hair was alittle pass apl maybe bsl. All my coloring services were done @ the salon. The blonde color did dry my hair out, but it didn't break off it was just alittle dryer.

I think if u do it, make sure ur hair is in optimal health prior to coloring. & then afterwards up ur dc, m&s etc... I think u should be ok since u strech ur relaxers & the color isn't too bright. Maybe try a small patch & see how that does for a couple of weeks.

Good luck!!:)



Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch Q using LHCF

For some reason I really want to do it myself, I'd like to avoid the salon at all costs. It's cheaper :lol: and I don't do salons anymore, I stopped and ever since my hair has improved tremendously. When I visted the salon weekly my hair was junky lol.

Anyway, I am soooooo tempted. I just don't know what dye to use.
 
I'm not relaxed, but can you try a cellophane or rinse? I know that the color won't be as light as you aimed to have, but you will get a rich tonal brown that may be fun. :)

NappyNelle, I've tried rinses before... they just make my hair feel coated and dull. I've seen beautiful rinse results on other people but they haven't worked for me...
 
I would say proceed with caution. Back in the day when I self-relaxed and didn't know any better I would relax and dye my hair all colors of the rainbow (up to a platinum blonde shade from natural dark brown) with few ill effects, but then I was young with dense, fine hair and I kept it short most of the time.

The last time I colored as a relaxed head caused me to lose most of the hair in the back, and prompted my first transition to natural. A color mishap with bleach at a so-called natural hair salon prompted my return to relaxers about 3 years ago.

Now that I'm older and my hair is less dense, and I relax my hair at the salon with lye relaxer, I would not risk it, especially if it meant losing all the length I have achieved thus far.

Sometimes I am sorely tempted to go back to a blonde color (I got a lot of compliments on that with my coloring) especially now that I'm starting to go gray, but I would rather have long dark hair than short and blonde. Just examine where you are at with the health and condition of your hair, what your goals are, and how much time and care you are willing to put towards your hair (colored relaxed hair takes twice as much work to keep healthy and on your head, and still only has half the "shelf life" of uncolored hair before it breaks off from the stress of manipulating it) before you go for it. Maybe try highlights for a bit before you go for your whole head; if done correctly, they can "lift" the overall color of your hair without doing your whole head.

Good luck!


Now see you almost made me completely change my mind :lol:
That's what I'm afraid of @koolkittychick
I don't want to cause severe damage and have broken off and dull colored hair... although I will say I am surprised at how little apparent damage lye relaxer has caused me, even in spots I relaxed over and over like the back :look:.
The front of my hair would have broken off long ago with multiple relaxings though.
 
I'm not doing it :lol:
I can't put my hair at risk like that, my self esteem would suffer if my hair broke off. My hair may be very dark brown but at least it's, long, strong, and on my head :lol:. I like having deeply colored hair anyway, I think it makes me stand out against of see of naturally light and dyed hair...
I may try a rinse for some depth or maybe henna. I just hate how flat my color looks when my hair is curly...
Or I may even do highlights in deep brown, but I just cannot dye all my hair...
Thanks for all the help though guys and this thread can help assist others who are curious...

eta:
why am i still thinking about doing it?? :nono:
I need help, this pms :lol: seriously
 
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@Arlana - this thread is actually making me think of coloring my hair! :lol:

I'd stick to something like dark brown or maybe auburn. I secretly love color, but I've always been too chicken to do it on my relaxed hair.

I'd even be willing to give up relaxing for a year or two just to get my color on for a while. :look:
 
@Arlana - this thread is actually making me think of coloring my hair! :lol:

I'd stick to something like dark brown or maybe auburn. I secretly love color, but I've always been too chicken to do it on my relaxed hair.

I'd even be willing to give up relaxing for a year or two just to get my color on for a while. :look:

sunnieb, see i was kinda thinking of doing that :lol:
i'm too chicken to do any of this right now, i'm scared of having chopped off looking hair. i suffered major damage years ago from a bad relaxer and bad hair care practices afterwards. Doesnt mean it would happen again but I'm afraid.
 
Arlana

:look: :look: :look: :look: :look: :look: :look: :look: :look:

*whispers* I'm almost tempted to give up relaxing with you so we can go color crazy for a while. Not quite there yet, but........
 
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