On a lighter note...

[danaeris]

[Poll #378341]

Comments

[hopeforyou.livejournal.com]

The answer is "it depends". Not all hair dyes are created equal. Some have ammonia and are chemically astringent and dry the hair and break down the cuticle to let colour in to bind to the strand. Some only coat the hair, and these classify as washes and are generally less damaging to hair.

Bleaching your hair alone will make it more brittle and prone to damage. It tends to make it more porous so as to allow dye to seep in and make vibrant reds, blues, greens, and such all the more vibrant.

Ironically, most strong bizarre colours like green and fuschia in Manic Panic and other brands are vegetable-based and do not contain ammonia, so they are usually less damaging to hair. A lot of natural colours by Loreal and other companies are more damaging because they contain ammonia and other chemicals that strip the hair -- but they last longer and are more permanent. Manic Panic colours tend to be semi-permanent and need touchups or re-dyes more frequently.

If I were to dye my hair a natural colour, I'd go with a semi-permanent using Aveda first, then try a permanent by them because they use more herbal ingredients and avoid ammonia. Or I would experiment with henna or indigo dyes. I am thinking about bleaching my hair and going with a wild colour lately, but have yet to consult grynz about it.

One thing to be very wary of are black and blue-black dyes. Joey Ramone died from an illness related to the hair dye he used for years (I think it was lymphoma) because certain ingredients in it were carcinogenic.

Research. Decide what you want to do, then research would be my advice.

[divineseduction.livejournal.com]

What she said.
Some have ammonia.
Some have peroxide.
Some tell you to use a bleach mixture.
All of these will frag your hair.
I've been using Manic Panic and the like for a long time, and it, in itself, doesn't damage. Do you still have some bleached/damaged bits in the front? They dye will pick up on those.
Depending on the color and type of dye, it won't always kill your natural highlights. Semi-perms, temporaries, and washes will go over, and you'll still be able to see your highlights, just in a different color.
One of the best I've found is Prizms by Matrix. It's a translucent, cellophane dye, pretty much a wash. You can get it in all kinds of colors (even clear, just to do that shine thing). It's what I used for many years.
If you decide to go for Manic Panic (which is also Cheap and Easy), don't be afraid to mix colors to get what you want. They have pretty much every color of the rainbow, so you could easily make something that is what you want. Ask us for advice on that too. :)
kineticphoenix dyes her hair with henna sometimes, I think. You could ask her advice on that one, if you want.

For now, however, I'm going to stop babbling, and get ready for work.

Red (just like everyone else)

[etherial.livejournal.com]

I hate that! I had to wait three years to be able to dye my hair red due to the number of other copperbobs out there.

[qedrakmar.livejournal.com]

The first two are both maybes. I know people who've had trouble, and those who haven't. I've known two people to get different result out of the same product. It is a bit of a gamble, but for what it's worth, I've seen a general trend of worse results with darker hair dyes (black, dark brown, etc...)

[sunspiral.livejournal.com]

My only datapoint is that the Raw Colors stuff that I use without bleach doesn't appear to cause any damage.

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

Special Effects is also good, as in Manic Panic. Neither of these will damage hair. But my experience is that Special Effects is a better dye overall (brighter colors, longer lasting).

Henna

[iceblink.livejournal.com]

Henna dyes are a great way to enhance the beauty of the hair while helping the hair. Henna does not damage your hair. I have seen a lot of red hennas and they are lovely, but brown and black can be nice as well. Then you don't risk the potential damage.

[dazzlynn.livejournal.com]

One thing to keep in mind, if you plan to go lighter than your natural color, that requires chemicals to lift out the color. Thus more damaging. If you want to add a tint over your hair it will be far less damaging.

I'm lucky and have really healthy resilient hair. I've done some nasty things to it in it's day, and it's always remained really healthy. I'm lucky that way.

Also remember, natural/healthy hair may not pick up color as well as damaged hair. So if you're thinking of just doing a temp tint, you may not get the results you're hoping for.

[brian1789.livejournal.com]

Hey, there are a few of us natural redheads out there! ;)

[riseorbleed.livejournal.com]

I've had consistently good luck with henna based dyes and I've never used bleach. The only time I've known bleach to be necessary is if your natural color is too dark for the dye to show.