Any advice on color-resistant gray hair?

[suzical]

I have been experiencing problem with my gray hairs either not taking the color when I color, or seeming to take the color and then it washes out a couple of days later. These seem to be the same hairs every time, and they are right in front of my face at the hairline and some on the top of my head. These are incidentally also the first gray hairs that I got, I am about half gray now. Since I'm only 33 I'm not ready to go white yet, so does anyone have any ideas what to do about this? I've tried every brand there is, I just know I can't afford to get it done professionally on a regular basis.

Thanks in advance,

Suzi
http://photos.yahoo.com/suzi_q_johnson
http://pages.ivillage.com/t_tapper_suzical/

[crs7777]

Hi!

I am also 33 with tons of gray. I color my own hair.

What I've found that helps tremendously is washing my hair for a couple of days (before coloring) with a clarifying shampoo. It gets build up off of your hair. Do NOT use conditioner. Then color clean hair (no hair spray, etc.)

At my local beauty supply store, there is an additive you can put into the color/developer that helps your hair follicles open up to absorb the color into difficult gray hair.

I then use a shampoo/conditioner for color-treated hair in between colorings.

Hope that helps! Good luck....I know how it is.[}]





~Christine~

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it." - Anthony Robbins.

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" - Robert Schuller.

I can do all things through Christ....Phil 4:13

[semmens]

Using a sulfate-free shampoo between coloring, or using conditioner instead of shampoo (yeah, I know, but it's working for me!) will also keep color on much longer.

Laura
O+ secretor

[suzical]

Eek, I couldn't possibly not use conditioner. I have very dry curly, frizzy hair that I not only have to condition but also dump infusium on usually once or twice a day. I wash every 2 to 3 days and if I don't condition every time my hair starts to break off. (Learned this the hard way.) I do color my hair without hair products on it though, I usually just have to ponytail it before then because I don't really look presentable with my hair not conditioned with some sort of styling product.

I will ask my local beauty supply store about that additive, sounds like that might be what I need, thanks.

Laura, can you think of any brands off hand that are sulfate free so I don't end up searching every bottle in Target? I shop with a 2 year old so this would be very helpful! Thanks so much!

Suzi
http://photos.yahoo.com/suzi_q_johnson
http://pages.ivillage.com/t_tapper_suzical/

[semmens]

If you can find Activate line at Target, I know that one is sulfate-free. Most of the brands that are have to be bought either at Ulta or a health-food store. I know Jason, Aubrey Organics, and Nature's Gate can be found at my HFS and Whole Foods acrries everal also.

What you need to look for on the label is "sodium lauryl sulfate"or "ammonium laurel sulfate (or sulfath). Both of these makes lots of lather to give you the idea your hair is getting really clean, but they're very harsh and damaging...kinda like using dish soap on your hair.

For the most part I just use conditioner to wash...if you had ever told me this would work before I actually tried it, I would have thought you were insane. But once I stopped shampooing every day my scalp stopped overproducing oil and now my hair is not greasy looking even first thing in the morining like it used to be. I don't have the itching I used to have and have stopped losing hair (not totally but now just the normal amount) which is the main reason I switched.

Since you say you have curls you may want to check out the Curly Girl threads that are around.

Laura
O+ secretor

[suzical]

Great thanks so much for the info! I'm actually pretty happy with my hair curl-wise with what I'm doing, just not happy about all the gray! I use a combo of Infusium and Aussie Dual Personality.

I do wash with just conditioner when it's only been one day since I washed my hair and I get sweaty from working out and want to wash the sweat off. Maybe I should try doing that more often and see what happens.

Suzi
http://photos.yahoo.com/suzi_q_johnson
http://pages.ivillage.com/t_tapper_suzical/

[DandyLion]

Suzi,
What product do you use to color your hair? I'm thinking of trying to do this myself, after years of paying to have it done. How do you do the back? I tried it once, using a semi-permanent color and it didn't last very long at all, but maybe I didn't leave it on long enough. I'd like to give it another try.



Bea

[suzical]

Well, the product that works the best, which isn't good enough for me coverage-wise thus this post, is L'Oreal Excellence. However, I haven't tried the more pricey brands, mainly because I refuse to pay $20.00 for a box of haircolor. I will try it next time with the special developer additive and I'll let you all know how it works.

Suzi
http://photos.yahoo.com/suzi_q_johnson
http://pages.ivillage.com/t_tapper_suzical/

[crs7777]

Wow, suzical, I looked at your pictures. Your hair is beautiful! Mine is really straight and really thick. I also use L'OREAL. I love it. I use the 20 vol. developer. I don't know much about that except that a different vol. (30?) may work better perhaps? Just another thought.

Good luck!

~Christine~

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it." - Anthony Robbins.

"What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" - Robert Schuller.

I can do all things through Christ....Phil 4:13

[mwylm]

Hi Suzi
For some reason, I could not access the photos so I'm not sure if you have light or dark hair. If you have dark hair, you could do a rosemary or sage herbal rinse once or twice a week. All you have to do is steep the rosemary/sage leaves in boiling water and use it (when it has cooled, of course!) as a rinse. You can towel off or rinse with water. What I do is I use the herbal rinse to wash off my shampoo, then apply conditioner than use water to wash off the conditioner. The herbal rinse not only darkens your hair, it makes it soft, shiny and smells so wonderfull. You'll get lotsa compliments.

You have to do this for at least three weeks before you notice the effect. I now don't use any colouring product.

Hope this helps.

Maria