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I was a natural blonde when I was younger, like many people. I probably started to darken around sixth grade.
However, now I'm stuck with...this color, whatever it's called. I've heard it referred to as "dishwasher blonde" before. It means I'm mostly a dark-blonde-slash-light-brown, but there are traces of grey and red in there as well. You might be able to tell in the picture.
I like my hair, but I've been considering dying it a much brighter blonde recently. (Think Robert Plant or Skwisgaar Skwigelf.) I'm of Dutch and Swedish descent so I should, hypothetically, be able to fit the look. Or maybe one of you can talk me out of a big mistake; either way.
Anyway, I'm wondering about natural hair dye because my hair is already dry and damaged at the tips. You can probably see it in the picture. I do not want something that could potentially give rise to the need to chop off a few inches, so I'm researching herbs.
Does henna give a bright blonde hue when mixed with another herb? How does honey highlighting work? I need some advice here. Thanks. :)
I was "dishwater blonde", too, when I was young. Then it turned dark brown by my late teens. Years ago I tried some of those DIY subtle lighting schemes with limited success and luckily I didn't mess up too much. The problem with those things is the color always changes after awhile. Mine eventually turned kind of an odd reddish color. Just remember that it's pretty easy to screw up big time coloring your own hair.
Yours looks great to me. I wish I had that color now, myself. If you really want to color it, though, I'd suggest upping some bucks and going to a good pro. Your hair is at a great length and it would be a shame to mess it up.
Hi Pug,
Your hair looks gorgeous as it is, including the colour. So if I were you I wouldn't dye it. You'll be forever worried about dark roots, about fading colour, about hair damage, and about not getting that exact shade you had in mind (too yellow! too orange! too beige! too grey! ... blond can go wrong in so many ways, believe you me).
Also, I'd like to quash a very popular misconception: "natural" does not automatically equal "good for you". It's truly beyond me why people put their trust in mother nature, who creates a plethora of venomous, hazardous and deadly things. You never quite know what exactly is inside some plant leaf. For all you know, there's traces of cyanide in it.
Chemical products, on the other hand, are 100% controllable and you actually know what's in them. I'd much rather entrust my hair care to a company making products based on chemically pure ingredients and years of research and development, instead of using dodgy mixtures derived from some obscure plant containing who knows what.
The same goes for lemon juice: it was used back in the day when there was nothing better. Today, there are truckloads of products that are way less destructive to your hair than crude old lemon juice, and yet people keep using it just because it's "natural".
[/end rant]
Anyway you look good. But it's been a couple of months since, have you caved in and lightened it in the meantime, or not? I'm curious!
-Mick
Well it's entirely up to you and I hope you can find something that you can do for it without damaging your hair, if that's the route you want to go. If you want my unbiased opinion though I think your hair looks great as it is, you have a nice color even if it's not what you used to have. It has changed sure but not in a bad way I think. We always want what we don't have and all. Either way though, if it's what you really want then go for it. Just thought I'd throw that out there. :)
Hi Pug. You have amazing hair, both in length and colour. Just keep away from any chemicals that would damage your hair. Our colour does change during the years as a natural progression of ageing and we should embrace that along the journey. Stay natural, stay long! Ian
There is nothing wrong with your natural colour, it looks fine to me: We all suffer changes during our lives including the dreaded grey era!
Don't dye it, any excursion into the use of chemicals (even so called 'natural' hair dye) is bad for your hair and frequently leads to a need to cut - some even have to cut it all off and start again.
Pug,
Everyone so far has posted great advice. Your hair looks great as it is. I wouldn't color or curl it.(Robert Plant)
let it grow 'n flow.
peace, jonalbear
First off, you have great looking hair, with what looks to be quite nice coloring. That said, you can go to a darker shade without too much worry of damage, but to lighten the hair you must strip the original color which is virtually impossible to do without damage. The only natural way I've heard of is to use lemon juice and that will only slightly lighten the color, perhaps enough to go from a dull shade to one that's slightly brighter. Any other process will make you hair dry and brittle afterward. I really don't think that's what you're wanting.
--Dale
Dale, I did look into lemon juice treatments because I have seen my mother and female cousins use it before. I did like the results on them, but their hair is much darker than mine so it would be less drastic for me. I decided against it only because the research has given me mixed signals. Some say it is a natural (and, thus, healthy) alternative to artificial bleaches, but others have criticized it for its pH value. It's too big a risk in my opinion.
Thanks for the encouraging comments and replies.
I know nothing about dyes, but I do know that your hair is beautiful just the color it is now. Whatever you decide to do, please, please, please be very careful not to cause any damage to that gorgeous mane.
Here hear!
Viking men washed their hair with lye soap to lighten the colour, as lighter hair was considered more attractive.
I think it's a very nice low toned quiet color, and goes with your eyebrows. It's just white boy hair. nothing beats Nature and Reality. There's nothing more interesting. I know, from living in Pennsylvania during high school, everyones' hair was a few shades lighter there - it was in the 90s for months and months, and very sunny. Mine was auburn red! Your look fits the you you are now. You do something different and your roots'll grow out & it'll look like sh*t. Then you'll have to keep going, or just grow it out.
Ok, dude, - I bleached my hair a couple times too - and shaved it off, when I was younger. It's like something you have to go through. it doesn't really matter that much. I heard leon juice & sun does a little. Use coconut oil to moisturise.
I meant lemon juice. My M doesn't always work. Too many cats on my keyboard. ;p
Henna will dye hair red; when mixed with other herbs, such as Cassia or Indigo, you can get strawberry blonds and auburn color. If you just want to brighten your hair, Cassia obovata will impart a golden glow. I've never tried it, so I can't help you with using it. But it is all natural, and supposedly good for your hair. Your hair-color is close to mine, and you have multiple tones, as do I. I don't have red strands, but Strawberry blonde, along with several shades of blonde.
And some strands of white, and a few silver. As for honey, I think it's actually honey and lemon juice, and you warm the honey. Was popular back in the 1970's. I think it made hair one shade lighter.
Chamomile tea rinsed with daily will slowly provide a blonder tone, there's also Lush's the blonde shampoo.