Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color recipe! Link to pics provided.

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Fri, 2014-01-03 13:34
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Tamster76
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Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color recipe! Link to pics provided.
Hi,

I've been reading the forums, but the more I read, the more confused I get!  I am hoping some seasoned henna users on this form can point me in the right direction.  :)

My hair is a natural dark blonde that lightens easily with the blow dryer/sun.  I have only had partial highlights/lowlights the last several years, so for the most part, the under color of my hair is the natural color, as are the roots, but the roots are a darker color made more "blah" by all the white hairs coming in.  I am about 15% gray. 

Here is a link to my photo with current/desired colors:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/9519474@N03/11733955384/

My goal is to get back to the color I had (synthetically) a few years ago and keep it that way.  I am leaning toward a gloss because I am afraid of dying over blonde highlights.  I want a more uniform look by getting a color somewhere between my roots and lighter natural ends, with the blonde brassiness gone.  I just don't want to be more orange than I already am, and I am looking for more brown than red.

Can I achieve my desired results with a gloss or should I do henndigo?  Add cassia?  WHat "recipe" would you recommend- ingredients, length of time, what to mix with what, etc? 

I appreciate your input, and thank you in advance!
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Fri, 2014-01-03 15:05
ACWN
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...

My first suggestion, if you're willing to do it, would be to dye your hair as close to your natural color as possible. This will reduce any difference between the chemically dyed and virgin roots. Plus you're likely to end up with three different shades with your currently tri-toned hair.

I would not recommend cassia unless you want to dilute the color. I would suggest trying a 50/50 hennigo mix for about 2 - 3 hours - but strand test! Also, even if you did a gloss, you'd have to do a hennigo gloss since indigo wont give you brown without henna. You can also strand test a cassia heavy mix for a lighter brown color that wont darken your natural color too much more (since its already pretty dark.. least in that pic), but will give you more brown tones. For that you'd want 50% cassia, 25% henna and 25% indigo. You can also do conditioner instead.


Henna would be mixed with an acid (whatever you think will work for you), and indigo should be mixed with water only and only when the henna has dye released. Henna takes time and if you mix the two at the same time, the indigo will be dead by the time the henna is ready. If you use cassia, you can mix it with the same acid as the henna and when the henna is ready, so is the cassia.


Keep in mind that henna cannot lighten, and the color of your ends in the pic on the left is much lighter than your roots in the same pic. Plant dyes can only add to what you have, so you're going to end up with a darker shade of brown unless you lighten your hair all over and lighten your roots every time you do them. Upkeep is a pain, been there.. done it!

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Fri, 2014-01-03 18:04
(Reply to #2)
Tamster76
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...
Thanks, ACWN!  I thought of getting the color evened out, but I have become sensitive to EVERYTHING anymore (foods, chemicals, etc.) and I can't seem to find any dyes without PPD, PTD or Toulene, which, from my research, seem to be the worst offenders.  I am afraid of having a severe reaction to salon color.

I wonder if it's possible to darken my blonde first, not touching the other two shades, with the henna/indigo/cassia mixture slowly to build up to a darker shade, then maybe I would only have the darker roots then a medium color.  Even when my hair was natural (and my little girls too who have the color I once did) my roots are darker and the length is lighter.  I was thinking then, if I did the medium color on my roots, I'd have my natural dark color, with lighter brown "highlights" from the color coating my white hairs.  And I'm ok with that, I don't have to have one solid color, I think a darker and medium would be ok (certainly better than what I have!) At least, that's what I was thinking in theory.  :)  What are your thoughts?
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Fri, 2014-01-03 18:13
(Reply to #3)
ACWN
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...

Ah, yeah. I understand. Some people switch because they don't want to damage their hair any more and some switch because they HAVE to. Definitely don't want you risking your health and safety!


If you can separate the blonde from the rest and have someone help you apply, I'm sure you could get the blonde to a medium brown color. However, keep in mind that even if your color naturally lightens, chances of it causing your length to lighten post hennigo application are extremely slim to impossible. This means that unless your color naturally comes in in various colors (like salt and pepper hair), once you start applying to your roots your color will most likely remain a darker brown as it grows out and you trim off the previously chemically damaged length.

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Fri, 2014-01-03 21:37
Tamster76
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...
Thanks again!
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Sun, 2014-01-05 09:19
CCartwrightJones
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...
Mehandi customer service folks have literally hundreds of hair swatches on the walls in their room.  They test every single shipment with several different mix variants, and these mix variants make more difference than you would think.  They can talk you through any confusion.  Click on the customer service button at mehandi.com and choose phone, email, or online chat.  They're there for you!  1-855-MEHANDI toll-free, or free live international online chat. When Melanie's on shift, she's fluent in French.
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Mon, 2014-01-06 13:03
HennaGal
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...
As a general mix to start with, i suggest equal parts henna and indigo as well as 1/4 amla. it may be a bit too dark, so strand test underneath or something.  The best way to find your color is to test with a basic mix and tweak from there.
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Mon, 2014-01-06 13:45
Tamster76
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Re: Ready to take the plunge- but need help with color ...
Thanks, all, for the replies.  I have an appointment this week to meet with a stylist who uses less toxic dyes, so after a couple of patch tests, I think I might have her even up my color using foils and not touching my scalp (even if she doesn't get all the way to my roots).  That way I will have a better canvas to henna with.  If not, I'll do henna to darken the blondes first before doing an all over henna.  I really appreciate all the replies, and I will look into amla and will use the customer service number if I am in a bind!  Thanks again! 
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