Hair Color - Springfield,MA

Is there a beauty school near you? Sometimes they are looking for "customers" so the students can practice. They are supervised. Often you pay only for the supplies and not the service, although I imagine you should tip. What you're doing now isn't making you happy so it's wasting money. Maybe every other coloring, you could just do the roots and not the whole thing. That's what I do.

Also, if you are on certain medications, it can affect the hair strand's ability to absorb color.

Have you tired henna? I haven't used it, but it's supposed to be a deep conditioner as well as a dye. It does tend towards reddish browns though.

Hair coloring is harsh. When you consider the caustic chemicals used to get the effect (ammonia, ethanolamine, resorcinol, peroxide, and the list goes on), it's amazing that hair can withstand it at all. Unfortunately, there's presently no other way to dye the hair -- no matter what marketers may try to promote.

(Actually, there is one other way and that's plant dyes like henna and indigo. But Henna tends to have a VERY orange effect and the mixing of different plant dyes to get the color you want is labor intensive, as is the coloring process. It requires a pretty significant time commitment.)

However, there are "natural" and "organic" box dyes out there that can reduce the potential for damage. I put the terms in quotes, because that too is a marketing device. They use the mostly the same chemicals as the Loreals and Revlons, but they only use them in minimal amounts. Products like NaturTint (mentioned by another poster), Ecocolors, Tints of Nature, Herbatint and maybe a few others. You can find them at health food stores, Whole Foods and online.

I use Tints of Nature and I'm really happy with it. It costs $17/box. When I want to minimize the red effect, I mix in an ash color.

Hope that helps!

Dr Oz said a good healthy diet rich in antioxidants can help. Also he said eat avocados as they are rich in color and can give you your hair color back.

As a hairstylist here's a couple of tips you might find useful. If your hair is coming out with an orangey tint, then the color is too light of a shade that you are using. To keep it from drying out too much try not to overlap where the hair has been previously colored- try to only apply on the new growth. Unfortunately, you will find it extremely difficult if not impossible to get the same results as those in a salon. The home color just isn't the same caliber and even hairstylists have someone else apply the color to their own hair to avoid "overlapping". Good luck, hope this helps a little.

HI K.,

I use Naturtint. I get it from the Health food store (Vitamin Shoppe if you have one in the area.) It covers my gray better than any other box I have bought in the past and it doesn't give me a headache from the fumes. I have had hairdressers ask me which salon I go to. I pay $15.95 for the box and there's plenty for long hair if you have it.

It is somewhat natural so the color may be a little different from what is on the box. It shows you what color it will be depending on your present hair color. It took me twice to get to the ideal color for me. I've been using it for several years now and most people think I have no gray....most people think I'm younger than my husband....got them fooled!

God bless,

M.

Oh my gosh, I feel your pain and know exactly what you mean! I have the same problem!!!
Dont use anything Ash...it always goes orange on brown hair!
I have the mousey brown and I use the Loreal #8....goes a little lighter but I like it...and I have very resistant gray which needs color every 3-4 weeks!
Be sure to use a therapy on your hair (conditioner and color repair) everytime you wash and at very least once a week!
I use the loreal conditioner and CAT ....and of course color saver shampoo.
I actually have anxiety attachs over my gray ....so I totally sympathize with you. ....the other thing you can do is find a hairdresser that works from her home that will charge you less and give you a great product....
Good luck and best wishes,
K

I've used henna before and to make it darker and less "orangy" I use day old black coffee instead of water to mix the henna powder with. It's definitely more of a process to go the Henna route. You have to mix it up the day before you are going to use it and you can't wash your hair for 48 hours after. Definitely a weekend project for me. But the results are nice, an it's natural. It also conditions your hair so it doesn't feel dry.

I use the Henna product that Whole Foods sells. They have one brand that sells 2 kinds. One is meant to cover more of the gray. The other colors your hair and somewhat covers the gray. It's around $6.

What's also nice is that you can use this even if you are nursing and you don't have to worry about chemicals.

As a Licensed stylist I have to agree with LM from Denton overlaping could be the problem as well as the product you are using may not be the right one for you. Who cuts your hair--- ask that stylist for tips on coloring explain that money is tight and you need some advice tip her a little more then usual and good luck also your water could be to blame especially if its well water. good luck

The garnier nutrisse colors are vivid and healthy looking, I have been using them for a couple of years now and have silky shiny hair... plus it smells good!

I use Nice 'n Easy in Medium Brown Cool (I think the ash colors might be responsible for the orange tint). I also buy a couple of extra tubes of the hair conditioner that comes in the box and use it every other day on my hair. I have only been able to find the conditioner at Walmart (not CVS or Walgreens), but it's cheap (less than $5) and makes a world of difference.

One other tip that I found helpful: just do the roots/new growth for the recommended time on the box. Then mix the leftover color with some conditoner and put it in the rest of your hair for 5 min. Then rinse. I found this helped avoid having too much color piled on your hair.

Good luck!!

Find a beauty supply store in your area and ask someone that works there what color you should use and i would suggest getting a deep conditioning treatment to use afterwards so it doesn't dry out your hair so badly. Sally beauty supply in our area is great. Good luck hope this helps.

I don't actually dye my hair anymore because of that reason. The one time I tried to dye my hair it took on an orange tint. I was told because all women either have blond or red undertones. However, for your budget, my mother-in-law uses Revlon colorsilk. It is cheap and it does not dry her hair out. just make sure you stay away from any auburn colors for brown hair because will definitely get a orangey look. Also try Clairol Nice and easy, it is a little more expensive but it also give three different tones to your hair color. It is great. Hope this helps.