Goodbye Henindigo - Hallo PPD hairdyes ! 'Grey' reflections...

[CopperHead]

Well......I went back to henna. I had some frozen so I thought, "what the heck". It turned out gorgeous! So, I guess I will be sticking to henna from now on. I look so much better with the red and my friends and family agree. I really missed the soft shiny hair too. I had tried the honey/evoo/tomato paste concoction and it did make my hair a bit lighter and more red. The henna really took well over the chemical color and is a very nice red. I'm very happy with it and will just deal with any two tones I have in the future. I think these things bother us and other people probably don't even notice.

Celebrian, I hope your greens are going away now. They were stubborn little devils.

[Celebrian]

Well......I went back to henna. I had some frozen so I thought, "what the heck". It turned out gorgeous! So, I guess I will be sticking to henna from now on. I look so much better with the red and my friends and family agree. I really missed the soft shiny hair too. I had tried the honey/evoo/tomato paste concoction and it did make my hair a bit lighter and more red. The henna really took well over the chemical color and is a very nice red. I'm very happy with it and will just deal with any two tones I have in the future. I think these things bother us and other people probably don't even notice.

Celebrian, I hope your greens are going away now. They were stubborn little devils.

That sounds good to me. The henna went over your 'chemical' chocolate brown? And showed up sufficiently as red?! So, what your saying is that you'll henna as your grey roots continue to appear and just cope with lighter roots as you grow out your darker lengths?

Yes, I suppose we do notice these things more on ourselves...

No, I still have green, and am ploughing on with the henna's (I think I have about 5 under my belt by now!). I figure I'll know whether I'm to remain with greenish patches by the time I've done about another 5...

[Ohio Sky]

I never dreamed that it could be so difficult to get rid of those greens, Celebrian! I hope you figure out something soon.

Luckily, I didnt have enough indigo residue to cause a problem. I have used 2 of the Loreal 2 step boxes now and have gotten a few subtle highlights in my chemical black length, and the first 4" or so are a beautiful deep reddish brown. I think I will do one more box dye to see if I can bring out the highlights just a little more, then I want to get some cassia and come up with a mix to use in alternation.

[Celebrian]

I never dreamed that it could be so difficult to get rid of those greens, Celebrian! I hope you figure out something soon.

Luckily, I didnt have enough indigo residue to cause a problem. I have used 2 of the Loreal 2 step boxes now and have gotten a few subtle highlights in my chemical black length, and the first 4" or so are a beautiful deep reddish brown. I think I will do one more box dye to see if I can bring out the highlights just a little more, then I want to get some cassia and come up with a mix to use in alternation.

Good, I'm pleased for you Ohio Sky. What is it you are hoping to achieve with the cassia? Just conditioning - or some slight color enhancement?

[Riot Crrl]

This is just freaking me out now Celebrian! How could one round of bleach strip enough red that this many hennas can't put it back????

[Celebrian]

This is just freaking me out now Celebrian! How could one round of bleach strip enough red that this many hennas can't put it back????

Well, it was a number of rounds of bleach, color stripper and even plain peroxide. It just seems to me that one of those (or some other undetermined variable) conspired to lock the indigo part of things in.

I'm baffled too, and would love to find an answer - not just for myself, but for others who might have to travel the same road.

I had hoped that Catherine (H4H) might come up with some sort of explanation - but she hasn't - yet! I suppose it compromises her 'you can't go wrong with 100% products' philosophy? To be fair, this probably happened to me because I mixed 'natural' with 'unnatural' products. Ah well...

Maybe some more henna's will work? I haven't given up yet!

[Riot Crrl]

Have you tried maybe stripping and roughing it up with some harsh shampoo before putting the henna on?

[Celebrian]

Have you tried maybe stripping and roughing it up with some harsh shampoo before putting the henna on?

Yep! Every time for the last three henna's...

Keep 'em coming - together we'll get this thing down.

[Riot Crrl]

LOL ok, what about heat? Tried heating the henna when it's on?

[Celebrian]

LOL ok, what about heat? Tried heating the henna when it's on?

Good one - no I haven't really. I don't have a heating pad. I saran wrap tightly and thoroughly and then add one layer of towelling, turban style. And that's it. And the thought of hovering about waving a blowdryer around my head for several hours is a bit intimidating really...