For those of you who've permanently dyed/lightened your hair at home...

[Tylers-mom]

I have a few questions. What brand did you use? Did you keep it on for the recommended time? How did it come out?

My husband keeps telling me to just get it professionally done but I sometimes hate salons...I'm transitioning into being fully texlax, BSL with almost 3-4 inches of relaxed hair to go. My hair is very healthy and of course I plan to keep it that way with deep conditioning, co-washing and using heat only on occasion.

Any tips or advice is appreciated! Thanks!

 

[JustSimplyTish]

I have always done mine at home...and I have been from Blonde to where I am now...But I deep condition and give myself protein treatments like crazy....

I used Textures & Tones I think it is...But my hair is short ...not sure if I will continue to color it as much when it is longer

I left it in longer than it stated yes....probably about 45 mins the 1st time...then less after that...

But I don't recommend anyone color as much as I do...I just like color and like to experiment and I would rather do it while my hair is short....Plus my SIL is a hair dresser so she really takes care of my hair

I only use heat when I am deep conditioning under a hooded dryer....I never blow dry or flat iron

My curl pattern has never changed IMO....and my hair has not dried out...But my hair was always super strong even when relaxed

It is currently colored this color

but just a few weeks ago it was this color

month before it was

P.S. I bore easily....*shrugs*

 

[Tylers-mom]

Thanks! I love the hair color it is now...what color is it?

 

[JustSimplyTish]

Thank you...It's the Golden Brown......But this was on top of the Honey Blonde color I had originally done.....I doubt I would have gotten the true color over my dark hair....It looks much darker in my siggie I think because it was wet with gel

 

[Tylers-mom]

Bumping for more answers

 

[Miss AJ]

I started coloring my own hair at age 13 and have been doing it myself ever since. i took a break from permament dye but just recently started up again about a week ago. I dyed my hair using Dark and Lovely Deep Copper. Due to my own faults the color didn't come out the way I wanted it to (somehow only ONE quadrant came out right lol) so I did it again the next day but instead of leaving it on a full 30 minutes again, I left it on for 15 minutes and was satisified with the color, and as a precaution, DCed with ORS pak for an hour with a plastic cap. The only brands I have used are Clairol Textures and Tones and just recently Dark and Lovely, I used their Red Hot Rhythm when I was relaxed. Previously, all the hindered progress from coloring was because I was so focused on moisture and saw moisture, moisture, moisture being preached for colored hair, I totally neglected protein and my hair suffered. Now that I know how important protein is for my hair in general and colored hair, I am very careful with my product selection and use more than just the Aphogee 2 Step every 6 weeks, I've put protein in my regimen on a regular basis and my hair is thanking me.

 

[DrC]

I use to lighten my hair while it was natural back in 02 while getting my cosmetology license:

And this is how it looked when I let it grow out:

2005

I THINK I used Salon Proffesionals (something like that) and I first bleached my hair then applied a toner for the desired blonde color.
I highly suggest you go to a salon. Preferably someone who is familiar with lightening chemically treated hair, because if you plan on going more than 2-3 shades lighter than your hair color you are more vulnerable to hair weakening/damage and you have to maintain a high level of rentention practices.
But in my opinion, umm I would advise you also not to lighten while transitioning.
Your hair is already going through a dramatic process of adapting to 2 different textures.
But if you decide OTHERWISE, you will have to up the ante on you moisturizing.
When i wore my hair blonde i moisturized at least 3 times a day with a leave in conditioner ( Care Free Curl) and I was a natural.

 

[DrC]

I have always done mine at home...and I have been from Blonde to where I am now...But I deep condition and give myself protein treatments like crazy....

I used Textures & Tones I think it is...But my hair is short ...not sure if I will continue to color it as much when it is longer

I left it in longer than it stated yes....probably about 45 mins the 1st time...then less after that...

But I don't recommend anyone color as much as I do...I just like color and like to experiment and I would rather do it while my hair is short....Plus my SIL is a hair dresser so she really takes care of my hair

I only use heat when I am deep conditioning under a hooded dryer....I never blow dry or flat iron

My curl pattern has never changed IMO....and my hair has not dried out...But my hair was always super strong even when relaxed

It is currently colored this color

but just a few weeks ago it was this color

month before it was

P.S. I bore easily....*shrugs*

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL

 

[BlondeByDesire]

Ms. Clairol luminize - it's a lightener been doing for around 11 years

 

[Tylers-mom]

Ms. Clairol luminize - it's a lightener been doing for around 11 years

I've used this twice before in the past and love it...let me ask you. Does it lighten it more and more over time?? How often do you use it??

 

[JustSimplyTish]

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL

Thank you so much!!

 

[Lady S]

Let's see, I've used Feria, the Clairol's permanent dye for women of color before Texture & Tones, L'Oreal Excellence, Soft-Sheen Carson Hi Rez, Clairol (?) Hydrience, and that's all I can think of at this point. Feria dried my hair out something fierce. My two favorite were the L'Oreal Excellence for color (who knew ash brown was my flattering color?) and Soft Sheen Hi Rez for both color and not ****** up my hair.

Never used texture and tones, but a few issues consumer reports rated it one of the best home dye kits, period.

Don't think I've ever used Revlon.

 

[bellesocialite]

I used Bigen twice. I have read many women on here advise against using it because it has high levels of PPD or something. I left it in for the recommended time and I still have it in my hair. I colored my hair in '08 I think and you can still see the color. I read that someone used Bigen several times then all of a sudden had a terrible reaction. That was enough for me to reconsider using it a third time. I'll consider coloring again once I find a different dye.

 

[Mz.MoMo5235]

i've always done my own... i gets all my crap from sallys and i basically go with what ever brand is targeted for darker hair and i have a tendancy to use a higher developer than advised (i dont listen well lol). sadly i dont have ANY pix from when i used to do crazy colors like pink, purple, and blue (they was hot though lol)... but i do have a pic from a darker color that was like hella grown out

this was the darkest i've ever lightened my hair lol i've either done black (my natural color) or i've gone super light so that i could put another color over it

 

[MaryJane3000]

I have always done mine at home...and I have been from Blonde to where I am now...But I deep condition and give myself protein treatments like crazy....

P.S. I bore easily....*shrugs*

Your hair is beautiful!!