Ugghh! Hair turning brown/red. It's damage right???

Polyesterdiva

Polyesterdiva

New Member
Hey ladies!

So yeah, it is as the title of this post says. My hair is black when healthy, if my relaxers are professionally done, there is no heat damage, and my porosity is on point.

Well, I recently start self relaxing again with Silk Elements Lye. The thing is I noticed it about 2 weeks after my last self relaxing that hair is browning up again like it once did in the past (again when I was self relaxing) and my hair was super damaged.

I used the SAME relaxer as my stylist, neutralize thoroughly, and the results are always "fine" except that I tend to be very under processed. What could be causing this? Is this some sort of mineral build up I can remove??? I already did a light porosity treatment (Nexxus Ensure) and did a clarifying shampoo and neither helped.

*I'm also worried this may be heat damage since I hand blow dried by hair last week (after swearing never again after a set back)! I'm really scared I've ruined my hair.

Has anything like this ever happened to anyone after self relaxing (with lye) or blow drying?????

Edited to add:

So I did some research and I found this site: http://www.lamasbeauty.com/beauty/january03/Chemical_Hair_Straightening_Faqs2.htm which says

"Sometimes the chemicals will leave a reddish cast on the hair," talking about relaxers. It also says the solution is a rinse. Is this Normal?!?

Edited again to add pics:

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7185/img3684z.jpg

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7629/img3675l.jpg

This second picture shows how my ends aren't as light, so basically where I applied the touch up is where most of the reddening occurred. :-S
 
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Hair turning red is a sign of a porosity issue. If you are already experiencing one, it maybe time to increase your strengthening treatments.
 
If it is damage, the rinse will only cover the damage rather than correcting it. I've only experienced this on over processed hair, that was with no-lye and you could only see the reddish brown colour when in direct sun light.
 
I guess it could be damage but I thought relaxer lightens your hair to an extent. The sun can also lighten your hair as well and give it that brown/reddish tint.
 
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If I spend any time in the sun, my hair turns reddish auburn rather than the dark brown it normally is. And in my case, it was like this pre-relaxer years ago.
 
^^When my hair was overprocessed it had a natural reddish tint. After wearing weaves for one year, I did a bc and relaxed again. My hair was sooo black, it was shocking!! I hadn't seen my hair black since third grade! So when I read this article, my eyes zoned in on that symptom! Lol!
 
gymfreak336 said:
Hair turning red is a sign of a porosity issue. If you are already experiencing one, it maybe time to increase your strengthening treatments.
Click to expand...

I think you're right. I'm gonna go get some roux PC and see how much that helps, but porosity issues are a form/sign of damage right? Grr...my hair had excellent porosity before this!! :-(

melissa-bee said:
If it is damage, the rinse will only cover the damage rather than correcting it. I've only experienced this on over processed hair, that was with no-lye and you could only see the reddish brown colour when in direct sun light.
Click to expand...

I agree too! I wonder if I didn't neutralize long enough or something. I timed my relaxer for 20 minutes including application time and did an admittedly BAD job of smoothing the hair (it was poofy afterward). And the reddish part is the part I relaxed, with the ends and new growth being darker. Do you think maybe 20 min was too long??? I swear to bob I'm NEVER self relaxing again!!! This never happens with my stylist. That's what I get for being cheap!

I have this secret hope that when I do go in for my relaxer in March at the shop, that my stylist relaxing and smoothing the under-processed hair will smooth the cuticle down properly and condition my hair (lye is supposed to be conditioning right?) Till then I'm gonna use a rinse to patch down my raised cuticles, and keep the porosity from getting worse!

locabouthair said:
I guess it could be damage but I thought relaxer lightens your hair to an extent. The sun can also lightne your hair as well and give it that brown/reddish tint.
Click to expand...

I see VERY little sun these days. It's winter and I even developed a vitamin D deficiency from it, so I know it has nothing to do with the sun. I've barely seen it in the past few weeks this has happened, but thanks for the suggestion!
 
I took this pic a few years ago, but this is the color my hair is turning:

redhair.jpg
 
Wow washnset. That's a very dramatic change!

How long is your hair? And do you find your hair is a lot dryer, or less flexible. That it feels crunchier or doesn't hold moisture as well since the color change started happening???

My color change is not so drastic, now that I look at my own pics, which I'm thankful for! I went back and did an emergency RE-neutralizing just now just in case there was any relaxer residue. I still need to do the RouxPC and Cellophane rinse.

THANKS for that article Salsarisma! Very informative!!!
 
Polyesterdiva, my hair doesn't feel dry or crunchy....it feels well moisturized. I'm just touching SL. I've been relxaed for a few years now and my hair has turned reddish-brown since then. I guess I should do more strengthening treatments.
 
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washnset said:
Polyesterdiva, my hair doesn't feel dry or crunchy....it feels well moisturized. I'm just touching SL. I've been relxaed for a few years now and my hair has turned reddish-brown since then. I guess I should do more strengthening treatments.
Click to expand...


That's really good! Maybe the damaging aspect of the color change is exaggerated to me, because when my hair lightened from self relaxing before it was also very very heat damaged. :-D Heh, maybe it's not so bad after all!
 
The reddish brown color happens when your hair is overprocessed. When you do a touch up you should make sure the hair that is already relaxed is protected from the relaxer.
 
my natural hair color is black but the relaxers have lightened my hair to brown so I have to use rinses to add black pigment :(.

so yeah the article you posted is correct, the chemicals do have the capability to lighten the hair, even though i've known some people with brown hair that have had hair darkening instead of hair lightening<-(my experience).
 
what if your hair turns blonde reddish brown?.......I dont think my hair is overpressed at all. i think its underpressed :lol:
 
I read somewhere that when you use a no-lye relaxer Chelating the hair afterwards is a must! But I don't know what the reason was behind it-but it seem to be from some sort of deposits left on the hair which affects the color...I will try and find the link!
 
I have the same issue, but I'm natural. I don't use colour or heat , I hardly comb and when I do I'm extra gentle... so I'm wondering where the damage/ porosity issue came from ...
 
Urban said:
I have the same issue, but I'm natural. I don't use colour or heat , I hardly comb and when I do I'm extra gentle... so I'm wondering where the damage/ porosity issue came from ...
Click to expand...


My DD has the same problem. I straighten her hair maybe 4 times a year. Never had a chemical process.
 
Relaxers make my hair a reddish color and ACV rinses made it even worse. When I stopped them it got a lot better.

I don't think my hair is overprocessed and my hair is very non-porous but I do spend a lot of time in the sun.
 
Urban said:
I have the same issue, but I'm natural. I don't use colour or heat , I hardly comb and when I do I'm extra gentle... so I'm wondering where the damage/ porosity issue came from ...
Click to expand...


The other culprit i think might be causing this is heat styling, specifically my super cheap GoldNHot Blow dyer. It's hand held with teeth, and I think it fries wet hair to a crisp. I try to use it on only low/warm but I got lazy the other day (late for a date) and I blasted it on hot.

It was after that I noticed the color changed.

I'm avoiding self relaxing AND ALL heat like the plague!
 
Wow, my mom's hair is 3 colors, brown, black and gray. LOL. I hope she doesn't read this!!! I am not sure if it is a sign of damage, but it could be due to getting older, maybe.
 
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