new thread
Alright,
I can hear it already. "Why did you even try that?" "At 30?" "Surely you didn't have enough greys or whites to be concerned?'
Alas, dear longhairs (and longhair admirers), I did, at 30 yrs old, try "Just for Men" to cover up the multitiude of encroaching whites. The whites were speckled throughout and really only noticeable up close, but I didn't want to be one of those guys who had noticably filled with whites and then sudenly show up to wrk one day with brown hair again. So I though that, since the special formula is specifically designed to target only the grey hair, blending them with my natural colour, I could start now and periodically dye the greys and no-one would be the wiser.
Ooops!
The 'Medium Light Brown' colour has darkened the hair all over my head and instead of a medium brown with reddish/deep copper undertones, I have a flat, mono-colour deep chestnut. (See attached photo for a before picture -- note my hair is a little wet and, thus, a bit darker-looking than it would look dry.)
I am not pleased.
I *almost* wanted to cut off the nearly 6 months of growth on this, my decades long culmination of wanting (and never succeeding) in growing my curly hair.
I will not cut off the hair, but if anyone has advice (besides the "don't do that" because, trust me, I won't do it again) about how to get my original colour back, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for this great online virtual support group. It has helped my to strengthen my resolve and will, I think, be key in my attaining my long-held and never-(yet)-realized dream of manly locks.
Shawn "Mr. Crow" Crowell
I would just go to a salon and explain your situation. Try to find one that specializes in coloring; they should be able to restore your natural color.
And don't necessarily give up on coloring altogether. I've colored my hair for years. Just don't use "Just for Men" or "Grecian Formula" or anything with ammonia. Garnier Nutrisse is good at covering gray and it's very gentle.
Hey There "Mr. Crow"
Thanks for sharing your story (that's what this board is for)....Just so happened on the spur of the moment I also picked up some "Just for Men" medium blond (...why ??? I don't know, I like white hair....please note the name! HA!) At any rate, I never used it and likely will not.....I did get the impression that it washes out over time....so hang in there. Post a close up photo.....I bet you will get compliments from the board. And of course, if it really, really bothers you, a professional can get it back to "Normal"...
Welcome, and let us know how it goes.
Walter White Tail
I feel your pain. And I'll bet it's not *nearly* as bad as you think, it's just very different for you because you live with your hair every day. I've used Just For Men products for years with varying degrees of success. Sometimes, it comes out perfect. Sometimes, it's so light I don't know why I spent the money. Sometimes, it's so dark I'm horrified. There are so many factors at work here... the age of the product (even though they don't mention that), the time between when you mixed it and applied it, the time you left it in your hair, etc. One thing I've noticed, though, is that virgin applications will fade more quickly (despite their advertisement.) Also, if you apply the color over previous color, that deepens the hue as well.
Things to remember: one, it does NOT look as bad as you think. Two, do NOT cut your hair because of this. Three, do NOT go have someone try to bleach some of the color out, that will only damage the hair even more.
My biggest complaint with JFM is their utter lack of red tones. They need a good selection of those. :)
At 53 I have lots of grey hair. I keep those long grey hairs,
I earned every single one of them over the years.
My hair is waist length, a good bit of the hair is black, but
more and more of it is naturally grey now and i'll
keep it as my natural color.
As I said I've earned every one of those grey hairs over the years.
Do if someone doesn't like my grey hair, they can go jump out the
window.
DON'T WORRY I TRIED IT ON MY MUSTACHE AND IT LOOKED LIKE I HAD BEEN EATING SOMETHING I SHOULDN'T HAVE. IT WASHES OUT
Oh Mr Crow! Worry not. I bet it isn't as bad as you think. The initial shock of a hair dying experience that doesn't turn out just as you expected is a harrowing thing but over the next few days and weeks you will become accustomed to your new hair colour. I would caution against visiting any so-called professional hair person in an attempt to go back to square one - you simply can't dye in greys!! I'm a girl, so I've never used Just for Men, but if other posts are a guide it sounds like the colour will fade in time. You need to give it plenty of time to settle down anyway before deciding if drastic action is needed.
Hopefully your decision not to cut will hold and the colour will die down (no pun intended) to a degree where you no longer notice it. And what of future greys? I'd say KEEP THEM! Grey hair is sexy, especially in dark hair. If you are really really determined to dye them out just use a hair dye for women - your hair doesn't really care! You'll find a much wider selection of shades to choose from and next time be more cautious by mixing a small amount and doing a small section of hair, be sure to include some of the grey, and then if you get a weird result you can stop and only have a little streak to put up with instead of a whole head of undesireable colour.
Best of luck with it - stick it out, I really do think it will calm itself and you'll be able to put it down to experience.
Thank you to each of you who replied. I am going to just stick it out and, if the new growth that comes in is really noticeably different, then I'll consider getting it all dyes to my original coloour (then letting the greys come in when they do).
Thanks again, everyone.
Shawn "Mr. Crow" Crowell