I wanna dye my hair Jet black

[Penspringz]

but need some advice. My hair is natural and darkish brown. It seems to be getting lighter because of the sun so I want to dye it jet black. I spoke to my trichologist and she said that there is no guarantee that my hair won't break whether I do it myself or go to a professional. But I thought that dying your hair darker is a lot healthier and can add to the health of you hair. Am I wrong?

 

[UmSumayyah]

darker is less harsh on the hair because the color doesn't have to be stripped out of your hair first.
I like to use Bigen Oriental black, it is ammonia-free.

 

[Penspringz]

I had Bigen in mind. Does it add any shine to the hair? I was hoping that my hair would become more shiny if I dyed it black. What benefits does Bigen have over other products like clairol Textures and Tones?

 

[Neroli]

I suggest looking into henna and indigo as an option.

I'm relaxed and was always afraid of coloring my hair because of the "double damage" from using these two processes. After much research I recently started using henna to cover my greys and I can't believe how strong and gorgeous my hair is because the henna did two very important things very well: (1) covered my greys beautifully and (2) conditioned my hair like nothing else.

Just a thought - research before coloring.

Regards,
Neroli (4b, relaxed & hennaed!)

 

[Penspringz]

Hi Neroli, henna sounds interesting. How do they sell it? coz the only henna I've heard of is the type used for hand decorations during Indian celebrations. Is the henna used for hair different? Also, how long does it last?

 

[Neroli]

Hi Neroli, henna sounds interesting. How do they sell it? coz the only henna I've heard of is the type used for hand decorations during Indian celebrations. Is the henna used for hair different? Also, how long does it last?

To answer your specific questions, it is recommended that one use "body art quality" henna powder for hair because it is of the purest and highest quality. Henna is "permanent" and fades over time if it is not reapplied. No set time to reapply as it will not damage hair, but everyone seems to have their own "schedule" to reapply -- I am still waiting to see when i will have to redo mine, it's been 3 weeks and I'm still loving my hair so I don't knwo yet. But the minute my greys reappear in force (there are a few here and there at the temples already) I will be redoing.

Below are links to threads on this board as well as links to various websites that I used for researching. You can search the word "henna" in the title only on the board for much more as well as google or yahoo search engines excellent information using "henna for hair" or something like that. Happy Researching!

http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=87256&highlight=henna


http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=4201&highlight=henna

http://www.hennaforhair.com/

HTH

Regards,
Nerol (4b, relaxed & hennaed!)

 

[cminter]

I was recently told by the owner of the Natural Food Store down from my house that I sholuld not use black henna (indigo) if I have relaxed hair. She said another lady performed this application on her grandchild's hair and the child's hair fell out in large chunks . What has been your experience? How are you applying the "henna"? What brand do you buy?

 

[TeeKay21]

Compound Henna (the kind you buy at the store that is "made" for hair) has minerals and other stuff in it that will react badly with the relaxer chemical and make it wierd colors. To get the best henna color possible you need to get pure Body Art quality henna. It doesn't have all the mess the "made for hair" ones have in it.

Chrck out hennaforhair.com website. Lots of good info there.