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I am 36 year old and my hair is greying on the top and sides. My hair is just below my middle back. I am afraid to dye it because of possible damage, mis-coloring, allergic reaction, scalp burn etc. Is there a safe dye such as a vegetable base, that would only color the grey hairs and not the rest? My hair is a "dirty blonde" color with natural highlights. It is going to be hard to get the exact color using dye. I think even a professional stylist may have problems. I would only get it done through a stylist. I am also afraid that once I start dyeing it, I will always have to dye it, or the roots will show a color difference. I don't want to ruin my hair. It is really healthy now. Does anyone have any experience with this issue, or good suggestions.
Thanks in Advance!
Darrin
Hi :-)
I think I can help you out here, or at least try, as I was a stylist for several years. First, I think you have made a wise decision to have it professionally colored, because hair of your length has all different porosity levels, and that is what determines how hair absorbs color evenly. A professional has products that will level out the porosity of your hair which will allow it to take the color evenly. I will go a step further and say that you don't just want to go to any stylist, either. Ask around in your area and find someone who has a lot of experience dealing with color. A really good colorist can work magic on your hair. Once you find a color specialist go in and explain your goals.
That said, you have a couple of options: One option is to use what is known as a demi permanent color. Those are not permanent, they last about 28 washings, and are less damaging (drying) to the hair than permanent color. They also fade out of the hair, so then you eventually end up with the grey back and no line at the roots, as the color gradually fades away. Another option is foiling using a permanent color, or a demi permanent color. With foiling your entire head is not colored, only individual strands that are selected by the stylist. Matching would not be that difficult for a professional, as with hair your length there would already be various shades of the same color family in it. (Most of us do not have solid colored hair, and those who do usually can be spotted by those with a trained eye as having done a "home dye job") Personally, I would probably go with the custom foiling of the hair, as it would be the least damaging, (as not all the hair is colored), and the most natural looking. It will also be the most expensive option, though.
Finally, I would avoid completely veg dyes or henna's, etc., as they work by coating the hair with substances that can prove to be quite damaging in the long run
As far as your thought about "will you have to continue to have it colored," I think you need to do a little more thinking about your grey and how comfortable you are with it. Perhaps you will decide to live with it and not color it at all. If you decide that you would prefer to color it, then yes it is something you would need to continue to do on a regular basis, as long as you don't want to be grey, because hair grows.
As a final note, I will tell you that I am a little older than you are and have some grey, maybe about 10% of my hair. Because I have a dark brown hair color the grey really stands out, and I don't like it because I feel it is aging. I do have my grey hair only colored with foiling, and it looks completely natural, and no one would ever spot it as having been colored.
Good luck,
Theron :-)
When coloring your hair you need a good professional with
lots of experience in the 'coloring department.'
If your hair (especially the longest 'older' parts) is porous
even the lighter colored dyes could come out rather dark.
Maybe you should go for a more temporary dye. One that
lasts through several shampooings but is not permanent.
Then if you should have a change of heart, the 'changes'
will not be so hard to undo.
Good Luck!