Conference turris::womannotes-v2

    
    
    Hi, Sharon...if you've specifically trying to lighten your
    hair, or strands thereof, ignore this suggestion.
    
    However, if you are trying to cover or disguise grey (as I
    do), have you considered henna?  It comes in a variety of
    colors, most of which are reddish or dark...
    
    Deborah
    
    

	 I don't color my hair ('cept for the black streak) but I have
	 done other people's hair.  I would pick a henna as first
	 choice if I were you, you may even want to try a neutral
	 henna (no color) which will bring highlights out of drab
	 looking hair.  If a henna won't cut it, I'd go for the
	 highlights next....I can't recommend any cuz I've used the
	 Loreal one as well, but I *WOULD* advise you to go to a beauty
	 supply house in your area...not only will they be able to
	 show you a good brand, but they should be experienced enough
	 to give you tips on how to use it.  I advise against
	 coloring, but that's personal preference (I have RARELY found
	 a brand that looked real to me).  If you have brown hair
	 BEWARE of the spray-in highlighters (sun-in, summer blonde,
	 etc) because in most cases they will turn brown hair red.


	 I ALWAYS buy my beauty supplies from a supply house.  They
	 often have to same products you can get at the drug store,
	 but they have professionals that can help you whereas a drug
	 store does not, also prices will probably be lower.

	 What "color" are you trying to acheive?  If it's a blonde you
	 might think about a golden blonde coloring with platinum
	 blonde highlights. This will make it look more natural
	 instead of "flat".
            
>    As far as highlighting goes, does it over the long run do more damage
>    to your hair than coloring?  

	 Highlighting is better for you hair in the long run, you
	 don't damage the roots at much *AND* you don't need to touch
	 it up as often as you would highlighters.
	     

	 While we are on the subject of hair, I have found a new
	 product for permed hair... if you want the "natural" look, I
	 have a product that makes the curls look "defined" not
	 frizzy yet does not make your hair stiff like mousse's and
	 gels do.  My hair is very soft, natural looking and not
	 frizzy, and what's better is that it doesn't contain alcohol,
	 if fact it contains conditioners.  Am I allowed to endorse
	 products like that here?  Send mail if you are interested in
	 knowing the product and are as frustrated with mousse as I
	 was!

	 good luck!

	 kath

    I turned my hair from medium brown to a honey-ish blonde last summer
    using a well-known hair-coloring product.  I liked the color, but after
    summer was over, I went back to something a closer to my natural color
    I wasn't able to match it perfectly;  my real color is still growing
    back in.
                                                                        
    My reasons for going back :                                         
                  
    1. The coloring product gave my hair a texture not unlike straw
    (even though it was previously in very good condition).
                                                              
    2. When shampooing, my hair started to come out in modest, but
    alarming, handfuls.                                   
                                                          
    3. It is a real pain in the neck keeping the roots covered without
    turning the rest of your hair white-blonde.           
                                                          
    Helen

    Yes, I am going the blond route, my natural color is brown. I don't
    think a henna, given the description I've seen so far, would make it
    light enough though. 
    
    I never thought of both coloring *and* highlights, won't both together
    kill my hair though?  Or is the standard wait a week between enough?
    Can you counteract the symptoms described in .3 with lots of
    conditioner?
    
    And since you brought up supply stores...I'm in the Marlboro area,
    are there any around you'd recommend?  I've never been to one except
    down in Florida, but that'd be quite a commute. ;-)
    
    Sharon
    

    Haircoloring does not *kill* the roots of hair, nor will it kill
    the hair. hair is dead tissue and the roots are under the scalp.
    Hair will break off at the scalp due to abuse or over processing of
    any kind of chemical, but will grow back. if the roots are dead,
    hair would not grow back.  Think of hair as a bunch of links
    as in a chain.  when you perm hair, the perm solution breaks the
    links, the neutralizer closes the links back, thats why it is extremely
    important to keep the neutralizer on the full length of time.
    Haircolor/dyes, two part solutions, weaken the links and fill the
    hair shaft with colors.  When you lighten your hair to a blond from
    brown, you weaken the hair shaft sufficiently to require a little
    extra care. The secret to keeping pretty strong healthy hair is
    that when you do a retouch on the haircolor, *be sure* to apply
    the haircolor to the roots *first* to about 1/4 inch of the old
    color(the dyes swell so that they actually will seep close to where
    the color changes are,)thats why it is best to retouch haircolor
    when your new growth is about 1/4 long. this solution needs to stay
    on the hair usually anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes.  since the hair
    ends are basically the color you want, the last 5 minutes of the
    color on the hair, pull it through the ends of the hair.  This will
    then keep your ends from sucking in excess color and thus the uneven
    color look and refresh the color on the ends of the hair.
    Whatever you do, DO NOT put a brown color in your hair if it has
    been blonde without first putting a filler in it.  the fillers sole
    purpose is to fill the hair shaft with a balancing color so that
    the brown(which has alot of green in it) will not turn hair green
    (believe me, it will turn green or have very strong green highlights)
    Thats also why blonde hair has a tendancy to turn green from clorine
    in a pool, blonde hair is more porus than other color hairs.
    anytime you are lightening hair, peroxide is involved.
    the old color has to be lifted out of the hair shaft in order for
    the blond color to be implanted. 
    
    as for hennas, they are great, but be sure that they are not metalic
    in nature, they do more harm to the hair then good.  The veggie
    based ones are pretty good, they fill in porous hair and gives them
    alot of protection. 
    
    I have been doing hair for 16 years and if haircolor is applied
    correctly, have never had it come out dull or unnatural looking.
    
    Kathy is right too. go to a beauty supply house, I know they will
    be able to assist you in picking out the color  and brand that will
    help the most. 

    conditioners are always an excellent way to keep chemically treated
    hair looking healthy. in fact I recommend them.  and no matter what
    you might think, anytime you put a tint, dye, perm, or any other
    chemical on you hair, its chemically treated hair.  did you know
    that some medications will affect how your hair takes a perm or
    haircolor?  There is a solution that is applied that will strip
    the chemicals from the hair that works wonders.
    

    I have colored my hair for many many years.  I have been a red-head
    for about 4 years now and most people think it is my natural color.
    ;-)
    
    Did I help?
    
   vivian

    RE: .4, In Marlboro, you might want to try Facemakers on Rt. 20
    (heading toward Sudbury), for discount beauty and hair products.
    The staff is very knowledgable about the products.

>    conditioners are always an excellent way to keep chemically treated
>    hair looking healthy. in fact I recommend them.  and no matter what
>    you might think, anytime you put a tint, dye, perm, or any other
>    chemical on you hair, its chemically treated hair.  did you know
>    that some medications will affect how your hair takes a perm or
>>    haircolor?  There is a solution that is applied that will strip
>>    the chemicals from the hair that works wonders.
    
Does that mean that you can use it on a perm that won't quit?  I got a perm last
summer and now I'm ready for a change, but my perm won't die.  I'm getting tired
of it.  Will the solution damage my hair?  The perm has made my hair "less than
silky".  If I use the solution, will I get my "silkiness" back or will it be
just like it is now, only straight?

Thanks.

Ln

    
    Sharon,
    
    Over the years my hair turned from a very golden, almost white, blonde
    to a light brown.  Last summer I decided to go back to that blonde, but
    did it through a beauty salon.
    
    I was advised NOT to color my hair because to lighten my hair to the
    color I wanted could cause me to lose my hair.  At the least I risked 
    green hair.  So, what they did was a very heavy frost.  It took a total
    of about 2 hours from the time I walked in the door to finish but it
    was worth it.  I half expected my hair to feel stiff and brittle but it
    wasn't.
    
    Beckie

_Color Your Hair, Color Your Life_
by Louis Licari $17.95

Licari does lots of "big" heads such as Linda Evans and
Vogue models, etc.  Also runs a few salons that specialize
in coloring.

The book discusses many coloring techniques and how to do
them, which surprised me.  I thought the multiple hair/strand 
colors I saw in Vogue and VO5 commercials were due to fancy 
photo lighting. 

Turns out, models and people into hair frequently dye it two
or three diff colors, sometimes a main background color with 
light OR dark highlights ... sometimes different shades down the
length of the shaft.  Book has good diagrams to do it yourself
or describe how you want it down.

   Meigs

    re .7
    
    as far as reperming to get rid of "the perm that wouldn't die",
    what I have done for my sister is to perm her hair with very large
    perm rods.  the size of the curls are decided by the size of the
    perm rod. as far as getting the silky hair back, I'd suggest getting
    a body perm,(large rods)and trimming your hair monthly till all
    the permed ends are gone.  I know this will take awhile :-(
    also, keep your hair conditioned.  be aware, that you can over
    condition your hair.  if your hair has never been oily, and you've
    noticed that it looks oily and lifeless, change brands of conditioner.
    your hair may be over conditioned with that particular brand.  I
    change my conditioner every other month.  
    there are also some remarkable products that can be purchased from
    beauty supply houses that do wonderful, soft perms and colors. 
    here in colorado springs, the malls have shops called consumer beauty
    supply. I don't know what they have in the east.  

    vivian

    I color my hair fairly regularly. I usually use a cellophane. If you are
    worried about "flatness" or "dullness" I would recommend a cellophane.
    It's fairly subtle so it doesn't completely overpower your natural hair
    color (overpowering *my* natural color would take a mack truck!). It also
    brings out highlights and adds a LOT of shine. I don't know if it's
    possible to lighten with a cellophane though.

    One difference though, I get my hair done professionally, and I get it
    dyed about every six weeks or so. Last time I had it dyed bright purple
    (I'm serious!) which really brought out the black, and added some nice
    blue/purple highlights. It also turned my grey hairs an interesting
    color...

	Have fun!
	-- Charles

    re .9
    
    Using several different colors (therefore making it more like your
    natural color which is never just one color) is usually referred
    to as WEAVING.  If a professional salon is an option, try and find
    someone who specializes in "weaving" color techniques.  

    I used to use a semi-permanent rinse on my hair, one of which
    is Clairol's Jazzing.  You choose how long to keep the color,
    by how long you sit under the hairdryer.  I went "red" for a
    few years and never got the noticable roots a permanent dye gives.
    It was an easy solution for me, and my hair didn't turn into straw!
    
    t.

    My hair has been colored for 16 years, and I've tryed all kinds
    of things, so I have alot of experience with this.
    
    At age 10 I was an avid swimmer and out in the sun alot, so my mom
    started putting sun-in on my hair to highlight it.  My hair is brown.
    This did work because it was sunbleached anyway.  When we moved
    to a town that had very little sun, my hair started drastically
    growing out.  We then used a shampoo hair color (Clairol, I think)
    called Young Blond.  This died my hair completely blond.  The outgrowth
    always showed as a dark racing strip down the middle of my part.
    We rebleached once a week, with the bleach on the roots only, but
    my hair did get blonder and blonder anyway.  Also it became more
    and more damaged.
    
    Eventually, I decided to go back to my natural color brown, and
    what a shock, I hated it and cryed and cryed.  This was is Jr High.
    My mom and I tryed highlighting it with the paint on Highlights
    you buy.  At first the highlights were white blond, then they began
    to fade and went to an orange color and stayed.  I looked like a
    striped tiger!
    
    I finally went for a professional weaving which I have had done
    now for about 12 years.  Believe me, every hairdresser has different
    expertise with this, so you need to get someone who does it often,
    and knows what they are doing!  I've had quite a few bad ones! 
    They use a bleach on me because my hair is so dark, but people weave
    with tints also.  A tint would never lighten my hair enough.  I
    go every 3 to 4 months.  I alternate with a full weave one time
    that is all over and then the next time I just have the roots done
    on the top and sides.  This has left my hair very healthy, and the
    color comes out great.  It is true, that it continues to lighten
    your hair all over the more and more you do it.  But I like it this
    way!  Some people eventually do reverse weaves, which is weaving
    your natural color back in along with the blond.  My hair dresser
    also will weave two colors on people, like medium blond and light
    blond!
    
    Make sure they leave the bleach on long enough, especially
    on the last ones they put in.  The first ones will be done and she
    should begin to take them off and stop the bleach action with shampoo
    or water.  Otherwise the last ones (foil packets) they put on will
    not be as light as the others (orange!).  Don't let them keep you
    under the dryer very long, because if the bleach gets too hot it
    will drip out of the foil onto your scalp and burnt bleach will
    turn orange!  As you can see, I've had alot of mistakes done on
    me!  The best hairdresser I had do it had a devise like a curling
    iron that was flat and heated up the packets, (the last ones), to
    bring them up faster.  This worked great and I never sat under the
    dryer.
    
    Good luck!

    re .14
    
    Why on earth would a parent start coloring her childs hair?! I can't
    comprehend a pre-teen or teenager "hating" their natural looks. How
    tragic, to be convinced that you must use artificial means to enhance
    your looks, and at such a tender age.   
    
    In general I think you've been sold a bill of goods by the likes of the
    makers of Clairol. The whole issue of why people start coloring their
    hair really belongs in a note about advertisers selling us on the
    idea that natural just isn't good enough.
    
    As for this note, I get more kudos from my hairdresser because I've
    never bleached, colored, permed or otherwise abused my hair, and for
    that reason it is very healthy/shinny & soft. They tell me of all the
    women that wish they hadn't started coloring/perming because it becomes
    an endless cycle (no accident by the distributors of such products)
    No ammount of money is going to buy back ruined hair, if your lucky 
    time can help. 
    
    Gail

        re .15
    
�    Why on earth would a parent start coloring her childs hair?! I can't
�    comprehend a pre-teen or teenager "hating" their natural looks. How
�    tragic, to be convinced that you must use artificial means to enhance
�    your looks, and at such a tender age.   
    
 
    I have a sixteen year old boy who is very image concious.  Not as
    much now as he was two years ago but still very aware of every
    'imperfection'.  And these supposed 'imperfections' influence how he
    deals with other people, especially girls.
                                                                 
    I remember when I was that age I was also acutely aware of what
    I looked like, and I didn't particularly like the face that stared
    back at me from the mirror.  Logically I couldn't do anything about it 
    but what does logic have to do with being a teen.
        
    Add to that the advertising industries constant bombardment of what
    constitutes perfection.  I feel that it's no wonder that some kids
    have a hard time getting a good self image.
    
    Bob

    When my son was about 12 years old, he had quite a bit of grey hair.
    He got a lot of harassment from the kids in school, and wanted to dye
    his hair. I told him that he had to wait until he was 18, and then if
    he still wanted to he could.  By then it was of a lessor concern, and
     now at 28, he is happy to still have all his hair no matter what the
    color.

    
    	I had my first perm when I was in the 8th grade and I hated it!!
    
    	But I decided to try again and the following year tried a different
    	hair dresser and got the look I wanted.  Since then I have had
    	perms.  I get them every 6 months or so depending on how long
    	it lasts.  I have also had my hair highlighted.  I unfortunately
    	one year, I decided to try it myself.  I had been told by my
    	hairdresser not to use Sun-in because it would turn my hair
    	orange.  So I used peroxide diluted (very little) in water.
    	Well it turned bright orange anyway.  So to fix it I bought
    	the home highlighting kits and then became a flaxen blonde.
    	I hated it and have never touched peroxide since...all the
    	highlighting is done by a pro now.  And I had to wait over
    	a year before I could have another perm.  Just as it was
    	almost grown out was when I got hired full time here so
    	my badge picture is horrendous!
    
    	My advice to those who aren't sure is....LET A PRO DO IT!!
    
    	JJ