gentle hair color options?

[kangamitroo]

i wish it did not bother me, but i am only in my early 30s and my hair is getting gray very quickly. it looks so dull, and when i am already tired and stressed, it makes me feel old (not in a wise woman kind of way, but a worn out way!). normally it is medium brown, with lots o' red highlights in summer.

i would like to cover the gray if there is a gentle option that would not look too different...or at least to brighten my brown. i have think curly hair, worn rather short.

any suggestions?

[shanniesue2]

Henna!

I love henna-ing my hair! And no, it doesn't have to come out fire engine red, mine is currently a medium brown with nice red highlights that show up in the sun

Although the recommendation is to only use body are quality henna. There is a great website for it (and you can order good quality henna, cassia, indigo, and amla from the site as well) (btw, the cassia conditions, but doesn't color, the indigo dye hair black, and the amla is good for enhancing textured hair--wavy/culry hair).

www.hennaforhair.com

There is a page full of pictures and recipes/directions to henna your hair. It's a great site!

[lulabelleliz]

I second the henna option! They come in a bunch of varying shades to help match your natural hair color... and fwiw I started graying at 19 =/

[shanniesue2]

Originally Posted by lulabelleliz

I second the henna option! They come in a bunch of varying shades to help match your natural hair color... and fwiw I started graying at 19 =/

I would avoid the henna dye kits that you get in the store. If you're not really careful, they can contain metals and other ingredients that can do screwy things (I don't remember what exactly, but when I started researching henna, I read in so many places that using body art quality henna was really the way to go).

read about it at hennaforhair.com

When I order the henna, it comes in a powder form and I add lemon juice or orange juice (something acidic) and honey and some lavendar EO--I don't remember the exact amounts. Make a muddy paste and let the paste sit over night. The next day, you slather the mud all over your hair, wrap with saran wrap, and let it sit for at least two hours... the longer it sits, the darker/redder it gets. Use A LOT of conditioner to get it out of your hair (the honey helps)... rinse until water comes out clean. At first, it might look kind of brassy, but as the henna oxidzes over the next day or so, it gets darker.

It's really great for your hair, and the coloring is more permenant that anything you can buy at the store (or even get at a salon). The last time I henna-ed was about a year ago (finances have been tight and we've cut out all extras) and the color is still what it was after I henna-ed (although my roots are pretty long now)

[mk12]

If you don't want the red that henna gives you, you can mix it with indigo to get more of a brown. You may also want to consider trying a henna gloss or hennindigo gloss, which is easier to maintain and not as intense as straight henna. You can read about these options at hennaforhair.com.

I have never tried henna or henna glosses because I don't think I would look good with red hair and I'm too scared to try to get a rich brown because results vary a lot, and are permanent.

I have light to medium brown hair and a small amount of gray. I use Cassia and Chamomile to condition my hair and to dye my grays a golden color so they blend in. The color isn't usually permanent like the henna is, so I repeat the treatment every 2-4 weeks, ideally.

I just brew some strong chamomile tea, mix it with some Cassia to the consistency of pancake batter, get in the shower and wash my hair... then I apply the leftover chamomile tea to my hair, squeeze it out and apply the cassia mix. I put my hair in a shower cap and then wrap an old towel around it and try to wait 3 hours before washing it out. (Some people report getting color in an hour or two, but I feel like if I'm going to all that trouble, I may as well leave it on as long as I can stand it.)

Some people just rinse it with water and/or conditioner, but I rinse it and wash it with Aubrey Organics Egyptian Henna shampoo and condition it with the A.O. GPB conditioner and then add a little bit of emu oil while it's still damp. My hair ends up feeling like silk.

You can buy cassia obavata from the hennaforhair site, or buy Senna powder from Herbco which works just as well if not better and is much cheaper.

You can read all about it on this thread at the long hair community: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...read.php?t=406