Color-treated (and growing) Support Thread

[Artemis]

I didn't see any support threads for this, although the beloved Tracy's threads (and others!!) have been my go-to. But I'd like some current ideas and advice I am a Bigen user and I would like to continue using it throughout my journey to MBL.

So for all the other growers of long hair that color on a relatively regular basis and plan on maintaining your color throughout your journey...

This thread's for you!

Tracy and Ambitious1013 this means you!!

Let's post all the color-treated links/advice and color bootcamp threads in one spot, and if you need to vent, do that here as well

Bootcamp 2004 - Tracy
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=26204

New Bootcamp - Tracy
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=5323

Color, Relax, and BSL?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=14370

Naturals-Did your texture/regimen change post-color?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=167579

Naturals-Full color or Highlights?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=132185

And also,
1. What products over the long haul do you find help keep your hair in balance? (More moisture-based, more protein-based, or a balanced mixture of both-Aveda DR is a good example of balance mix)

2. [For those who relax] What types of relaxers (no lye v. lye, mild v. regular, etc) do you find are best compatible with color-treated hair? (This is long-term)

3. Is there anyone here who is waist-length and still permanently colors their hair? If so, what is your regimen (I'm think I know of one or two, but not sure )

 

[gymfreak336]

Good thread.

I have had my fair share of color experiences, that is what led me here in the first place. My stylist used some strong color on my hair without me knowing and snap crackle pop!

I love color but I think the number one mistake people make is coloring unhealthy hair to begin with and then not taking care of it like they should be. I think Tracy's bootcamp is one of the best regimes for color treated hair. I plan on going black or pretty close to it. I haven't decided how though.

 

[Artemis]

Good thread.

I have had my fair share of color experiences, that is what led me here in the first place. My stylist used some strong color on my hair without me knowing and snap crackle pop!

I love color but I think the number one mistake people make is coloring unhealthy hair to begin with and then not taking care of it like they should be. I think Tracy's bootcamp is one of the best regimes for color treated hair. I plan on going black or pretty close to it. I haven't decided how though.

That's why I wanted to start this thread! And I have been going back and forth for weeks on whether or not to do another Bigen (blue/black)...My last one was in January, and now my roots and gray are finally bothering me, but my hair is sooooo healthy right now. I'm super excited and don't want anything to mess that up. But then I think a/b how my ends feel just as soft and my roots, and that maybe I have nothing to worry a/b because my reggie is on point, but sometimes, you just never know!!

 

[toinette]

this is great, i just decided last night that I am finally going to take the plunge and color my hair with T&T Bronze. I relaxed last night but I am going to do it in two weeks. I have a few splits here and there, but for the most part my hair is healthy. I hope it doesnt get damaged, but i guess if it does, i could just cut it to APL. That would suck though since I have finally made it t the bottom of my brastrap. At least this way i'll know for sure if my hair can take it or not, instead of wondering and being jealouse of other folks' beautiful hair.

 

[gymfreak336]

That's why I wanted to start this thread! And I have been going back and forth for weeks on whether or not to do another Bigen (blue/black)...My last one was in January, and now my roots and gray are finally bothering me, but my hair is sooooo healthy right now. I'm super excited and don't want anything to mess that up. But then I think a/b how my ends feel just as soft and my roots, and that maybe I have nothing to worry a/b because my reggie is on point, but sometimes, you just never know!!

I forgot to add that Blackbarbie is color treated and relaxed.

 

[Ambitious1013]

This is a great idea!!! Thanks artemis_e! I would love to hear from other ladies that have color treated hair all in one thread. What has worked for me is moisturizing and deep conditioning (GPB and Honeysuckle Rose) often. The rest of my regimen is in my fotki. Tracy's bootcamp thread is a great source of information!!

 

[cabellera]

Terriffic thread idea!!! I had to move away from the conventional coloring products you can get at your regular department store due to allergic reactions. I even tried Robert Craig's color, but it too irritated my scalp. I now go to the Health Food Stores in effort to find more gentle coloring options. I am now in the market to simply cover my gray, so I'm not interesting in going blond or anything. I did find some henna based products to choose from. The side effect...dry brittle hair. I've now ordered Aubrey Organics 100% Natural Hair Coloring. It seems to be just henna, so I know I'll have to guard against dryness by moisturizing and conditioning more, but hopefully it does what it claims and conditions my hair too.

http://www.aubrey-organics.com/categories1.cfm?cat=31

 

[Artemis]

I did my touch-up last night, and I wanted to do the Bigen too, but chickened out. I want blue-black hair!! Anxiety sucks We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks w/me...

Oh and I have a question...I remember in Tracy's thread that she waited longer that 2 weeks post relaxer before coloring...isn't that still coloring the new growth? After 4 weeks, my roots are just starting to let me know they're in the room So when touch-up time rolls around, aren't you still going to get relaxer on colored hair?...

*pulls out pen and pad for notetaking*

Someone school me, please

 

[Artemis]

Anyone??

bumping again

 

[dream13]

Hey Ladies! This is a great thread!

I don't have much to add right now, other than that I'm relaxed and I permanently color (about every 10 weeks) with Bigen Oriental Black. I have a pretty simple regi with mostly Aveda products, and I haven't experienced any adverse effects of the permanent color/relaxer as of yet.

I'll be back later with more input.

 

[Artemis]

Hey Ladies! This is a great thread!

I don't have much to add right now, other than that I'm relaxed and I permanently color (about every 10 weeks) with Bigen Oriental Black. I have a pretty simple regi with mostly Aveda products, and I haven't experienced any adverse effects of the permanent color/relaxer as of yet.

I'll be back later with more input.

I'm glad you posted! I love your hair. You're making me want to color my hair this weekend. I read somewhere (on another forum I think) that color can seem fine at first put 2-3 yrs down the road, it can get pretty gnarly...I am on a quest to find a way to prevent my poor ends from whisking away...

Off to go lurk and search some more

 

[dream13]

I'm glad you posted! I love your hair. You're making me want to color my hair this weekend. I read somewhere (on another forum I think) that color can seem fine at first put 2-3 yrs down the road, it can get pretty gnarly...I am on a quest to find a way to prevent my poor ends from whisking away...

Off to go lurk and search some more

Thanks, Girl! Before finding LHCF, I was the color queen! Reds, Blondes, Browns, you name it...I tried it, and dyed it ! So I know firsthand the negative effects that color can have on hair that's not properly cared for. I especially notice this with dyes that lift the hair. I haven't had any issues with the permanant black color I'm using now though...so far, so good. Knock on wood...

 

[Artemis]

I did the Bigen (Blue-black) tonight, and I am so relieved My hair is just as soft and healthy looking as it did prior to the color. Kenra will be my BFF for the next few weeks, and I just printed out Tracy's Bootcamp threads to keep w/me. Also, I've gone back to regularly using Dabur Vatika for the past week or so, and my ends are loving me for it.

It feels so good to have all black hair again

 

[blackbarbie]

I am transitioning but I have highlighted once a year for the past 3 years.
I am about to go and read Tracy's bootcamp thread, but for me the key was being really structured and listening to my hair on the balance of protein and moisture.

I have seen some coloreds with dry and brittle hair and without even asking, I'd be willing to bet that heat is the culprit. I don't use heat appliances anyway so that wasn't something I had to break myself of but b/c the color dries hair out anyway, adding heat dries it out even more, so heat is definitely a no-no.

OT: Something funny my mom said to me once. She is natural and presses her hair. She knows absolutely nothing about relaxers; me and my younger sister didn't get relaxers until we went off to college and my youngest sister probably won't either. I was at home once and it was about 4 or 5 months since my last color, hence you could see the NG. She has always loved my highlights. She looked at my hair and said "it's time for your touch-up isn't it"? I asked her how she knew and she said "I can see your roots" (we're talking about 3 or 4 inches worth; since the last time I had a color job)

 

[Artemis]

Blackbarbie, your hair is gorgeous Congrats on your transition!


Question for all the ladies who color:
Do you all pre-poo (w/either oil or conditioner)?? Or DC w/heat? Does this not leach out your color?

 

[hothair]

Just retouched a few days ago (3?) I used Clairol's Textures & tones in bronze, it gets my hair a medium/ light brown, I'm thinking of using a toner from Schwarzkopf to get more the tone I want (more honey blonde) -probably early next year,

I used the conditioner that came with it immediately after and then applied Miss Key Super 10 en 1 sealed with castor oil overnight I then did a wash and DC with Aveda DR it stopped the little broken hairs I'd seen... My hair felt great afterwards,

I put my hair back in cornrows with afro detangler, mango butter and Avo-coco oil moisturiser Keeping the weave in till early next month so will let u know how it goes

 

[Artemis]

Ok, so I answered my own question regarding the relaxer touch-up by reading the 2nd bootcamp by Tracy. Apparently, going hardcore on moisture/protein balancing and stretching the relaxer a little bit will give a better buffer so that the relaxer won't mess with the color too much. Very, very interesting...

Any other ladies wanna join this thread?

I'm guessing the pre-poo thing is ok, as no one has said things a/b it screwing with the color...

 

[Artemis]

Adding more threads I found:

All Chemical Treated Colored Heads!!
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=115763

Can you have healthy Colored Hair?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=103553

Ladies who relax & color?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=95388

Coloring Natural Hair
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=93254

Naturals-Texture Change?
http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=82744

 

[mahoganee]

Thanks for creating this thread. I can always use a reminder every now and then.

 

[Ambitious1013]

Blackbarbie, your hair is gorgeous Congrats on your transition!


Question for all the ladies who color:
Do you all pre-poo (w/either oil or conditioner)?? Or DC w/heat? Does this not leach out your color?

I prepoo with oil. For some reason, oil is better on my hair than conditioner as a prepoo. erplexed I also DC w/heat and never had a problem with it affecting my color. I truly believe that it helps out A LOT for my hair.

 

[Artemis]

I prepoo with oil. For some reason, oil is better on my hair than conditioner as a prepoo. erplexed I also DC w/heat and never had a problem with it affecting my color. I truly believe that it helps out A LOT for my hair.

Yay! Good to know I don't need to worry a/b that! Full speed ahead w/the oils and dc-ing w/heat

 

[Lindy]

I've been relaxing and using permie color (Clairol Textures & Tones) for several years. At one point my hair was doing really well, for a very long time, and this was when I was dedicating a lot of time to doing conditioning treatments regularly (w/heat). Lately i've slacked off on the conditioning and unfortunately, I am now seeing the difference in my hair! erplexed My edges in the front have breakage and I'm also seeing breakage in certain spots all over my head. My hair is just not looking like it used to any more; it looks so much thinner to me, and I'm sad about it, but my plan is to get back into my old conditioning routines ~ I thought that I could cut corners and skip the deep conditioning but obviously that was a mistake.

I'm due for a touch up in a few weeks; that is when I plan to REALLY step up my routine and try to nurse my hair back to health!

 

[Extremus]

I'm double processed as well. I've had permie blonde [2-tone] hair and now perm jet black. When my hair was blonde it broke out big time. I used [which are big NOs]:

• the wrong dye [ones that contain peroxide/ammonia [sp?]
• daily heat
• no protein
• no deep-conditioning
• over-processing [relaxing every 4-6 weeks].

Now that I do the opposite of all of the above, my hair is still growing and getting healthier. As a couple posts said earlier, you DEFINITELY have to have a balance of protein and moisture. I skipped a couple protein treatments for a month and I SAW the breakage. I'm now doing my deep cond, moisture daily, protein weekly, etc and I'm seeing a MAJOR reduction in the breakage.

HTH someone!
Oh yea, I use Clairol Textures & Tones
​

 

[Artemis]

How goes it, ladies?

 

[gymfreak336]

How goes it, ladies?

Whats up A.......

I got my touch-up done last night. I plan on doing a mahogany rinse sometime next week or the week after that.

I think I am going to do a protein treatment next week...I am thinking motions CPR maybe?

 

[Artemis]

Yeah, CPR will be good

I am wanting a color change right now. I'm researching the "top deck" method that I've seen on the white girls (light on the top, dark on the bottom) but I want to wait for some more length before I do anything. I'm actually thinking mahogany on the top and keep my black on the bottom Jury's still out on this though...I've been checking out Robert Craig's site for some inspiration...

 

[Tracy]

Hey guys! Glad to see there are still long hair lovers that get a hankering for a little color.

Artemis let me know about the thread and asked for some pics, so I decided to share. I recently cut my hair off, got tired of it being long and scraggly but it's growing back beautifully. And I love the color right now!

So here's the pictoral story...

Long and scraggly and with a few highlights:

After a haircut with more highlights:

Highlights in natural light:

Seeing those pics made me feel the color was too ashen and blonde, so I deepened it, to this:

I still follow a bootcamp regimen. The only difference now is that I'm beginning to develop a sort of common law marriage with Aveda products. I have pretty much every single product of theirs in my arsensal and I use them all in new and unexpected ways. I love the line, and I use it almost exclusively. The only exceptions are a few styling products that come from the Bumble and Bumble line...

So - if you want color, and you need to see that it's possible to have and still grow you hair long - here I'm iz to prove (as ever) that it's possible. Excellent care by you, plus a good colorist or a good blend of daring and caution in your at home coloring endeavors is all it takes.

Grow, grow, grow!

 

[Tracy]

Oh! And Artemis - the "top deck" deal you see on white girls is what I have (so you can see it IRL). It's called partial highlights, or partial foils. They highlight the front, crown and sides of the hair, but not the back. The result is visible color , without coloring every strand, and more dimension that you can get with all over color.

 

[gymfreak336]

Thank you for posting Tracy! I love your color You give me hope. I plan on getting my hair colored some time this coming fall. I can't wait

 

[Artemis]

OMG Tracy!! Your hair is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey can you come do mine!?

Seriously, I'm speechless *faints*