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I've got very light brown long hair, almost blonde, with nice natural variations and streaks, all natural... but
I've been flirting with the idea in my mind of trying something drastic and dying it dark black... but I realize that it would be one of those things that I couldn't reverse once I did it
anyone else here do any drastic dyeing of their long hair? did it change the texture? how about the growing out period, did you go with two tone or did you have to keep dyeing it?
I did this. I have light to medium brown hair and dyed it dark black once. I liked the way it looked, but I didn't realize at the time how much dedication was involved. Your roots begin to show after less than a week and become more noticable as time goes on, so you have to keep redying it on a regular basis. This is time-consuming and expensive. After a year or two I was finally sick of it enough to want to go back, but the damage was done. The hair itself wasn't necessarily damaged, but I had been dying it for so long I couldn't go back, even with hair bleach. I was forced to cut it all off and let it grow back out.
It's your decision, but be aware of the long-term dedication involved.
thanks for all your thoughts
and Michael thanks for your direct experience, when you had dark black hair, did you find people treating you differently? the goth look can be quite shocking with a big guy with long black hair, I think it is great but some people in public might be intimidated
No differently than when my hair was natural color. I find people avoid me anyway. I'm six feet tall with my boots on and weight over 250 pounds so I have an intimidating frame to start with. The black hair may have enhanced that, but the reactions I got didn't appear any different.
A very bad idea which will certainly lead to grief. This Board is littered with th problems people have faced with no good results.
While bleaching hair to go lighter can cause a lot of damage, dying hair darker isn't very damaging, and not the biggest issue. As someone else wrote, maintenance is the big issue, and something to consider carefully.
Hi Longwolf,
Well don't be a mavis and it's your decision if you do it or not and of course take into account what the others have said. If you do then do post a picture so that we can have a look!
Cheers,
John.B
If you choose to go this route try using a non-permanent hair color. There are now colorings that eventually wash out in about 28 washings (a month of daily washings) A drastic color change like you're wanting won't wash out as quickly, but it will eventually return to it's natural color.
There are also colorings that wash out in 6~8 washes (again a longer period for drastic color changes). One caveat of this is that these colorings only work to maintain your current color or to darken. They *will not* lighten hair color.
I hope this helps in your decision.
I did that to my long hair way back in the early 80s. I believe the procedure was called "celophaning" I wantede to bring out more of the red i naturally have in my Auburn hair (at least before the gray/white started) Unfortunatley, the wrong color mix was used and I ended up with purple highlights. and I mean Purple. It did wash out (muting itself) over a few weeks. but not before that 1st weekend when i was piloting a houseboat, in full sun, along the Mississippi River. Believe me. I was probably a navigation hazard. nevber again did, or will, color treatment touch my hair.