Help Please... for lurking 1st time poster!

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Posted by Tee on September 16, 2004 at 14:07:03:

Hi Catherine and all the other Henna users!

First of all Catherine, thank you for your gorgeous (sp?) site!
Educating people about the dangers of synthetic hair color, and
the beauty and variety that Natural henna can provide.
And thank you, to the posters sharing their inspiring pics and
recipes.

I have been lurking on and off for months, trying to muster up the
nerve to henna. I am pretty desperate, as up until a couple of
years ago, I always had good healthy hair and was happy with
my virgin color. My mother was a hairstylist and colorist. I grew
up playing in hair salons, and customers would say I want that
color (meaning mine) and my mother would laugh, and say
"Yeah right?!"

A little history on my virgin color. I was born platinum, but as I
grew up (up North with little sun most of the year) I had very
Reddish-Brown hair, Not a Browned-Red as in Auburn, but
Reddish Brown (Brown with allover strong red glints) In outdoor
pics in the sun, it looked Auburn. My grandfather was a true
Carrot, I guess I got some red gene!

I moved to Florida, and my hair was lightened (a lot!) by the sun,
beachy, surfer style. Depending on the length: Reddish brown
roots, more Auburn in the middle and strawberry ends. If very
long, the ends would be platinum . With several of the top curls
quite light. This was a gradual, natural, ombred effect. of darker
(but not dark) to lighter. But I have always taken good care of my
hair, and it was not fried, but soft and very curly! Even though sun
is usually damaging.

A few years ago, I became very ill, and lost about 75% of my hair.
What had not fallen, was crispy, dull thin and sparse and
reflected (as you probably can imagine) signs of my illness.
People I had not seen in a long time were shocked, although
they said nothing, I could see them looking at my hair. This has
been so horrific, it was my true crowning glory.

My illness is being controlled now. Some of the hair came back
(very little, I am still showing scalp in some areas, with overall
major thinness) what did come back...came back not just dark in
the roots...but less than half the hair I had previously. It is flat in
color in the roots, with No red at all. But the rest of the strand is
reddish-reddish blonde. This makes my hair look like damaged
dyed (bleached) hair that is growing out, from ash brown hair.
Especially since I have thick brown eyebrows (go figure)

Here is my dilemna. Your site has really educated me. I really
want to try to not only bring (via henna) some health and vibrancy
back to my hair, but I want to try to blend the grey, and maybe
redden the roots (some).

Although my hair is not dyed/bleached it is sun lightened and I
am anticipating uneven "grabbing" of colour if I apply henna all
over at once. I am not looking for a Lucille Ball Red (although
hennaed hair in that color can be gorgeous) at this time I do not
wish to draw such attention to a head with scalp showing. My
main objection at this time, is to bring health back to my hair first.
Hopefully I will get more growth back. Maybe later, if that
happens I will become more daring, and take that true carrott
plunge!.

Can you give me your opinion of my plan??? I want the lightest
most strawberry red glint as possible (closest to my previous
healthy hair color as possible)

1) I want to put henna in the roots first, as in a double process/
touch up dye job. To first redden up the flat, ash color new
growth, and blend the new grey growth, that is interspersed with
that new ash color. Maybe a couple of hours, so I know it will
take.

2) wash it out

here is where I am lost, if I should allow it to dry, see what
happed...or proceed to step 3.

3) Then apply a blend of henna with something conditioning
mixed in (to do an almost, but not quite "No color" maybe mayo,
or something that is healthy, but to put some glints on the rest of
the strand that match the root.

Because the henna red will not match my own natural paler
strawberry, I will need to add a little red (not a lot) to mine to have
it consistent, but I do not think I want to do the entire head for as
long as the roots. Does this make sense?????

Catherine I read somewhere on your site that henna with mayo
brings shine, but no color. maybe I can do a mixture like that with
more henna, less mayo, to bring "some: but very subtle color to
the rest of the strand. Or maybe the mayo nuetralizes the color.
Maybe you have suggestions about what to mix henna with to
pale it down, to just give glints???

As I mentioned I grew up in hair salons...I think even though the
tecnique for henna is usually to do it all at once, I think I may be
able to do a roots first tecnique for what my special hair needs
are. What do you think?

Please Help. Any and all input is welcomed. And any recipes for
the lightest strawberry glints you may have gotten is welcomed
as well.

Thanx-ahead-of-time!

Love & Light, Tee

 

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