do my hair!

[jinian]

Here's my hair as of earlier today (and my confocal in the background!):



Here's Tegan and Sara's hair: http://teganandsara.com/photos/?album=3&gallery=4

Right now I am leaning toward growing mine longer, on the basis of sensual enjoyment (moving on my back, held onto, played with), but the Tegan and Sara haircut is so cute. Either way, it's not going to be long enough to send the Wiscon hair braiding guy (see icon for result in my natural hair color) into raptures again this year.

My other hair problem is larger: I've been trying to keep it the dark garnet color with drugstore box dye, but the dark all washes out and leaves a medium auburn red thing, which doesn't look as great. So my hair's getting a little fried and starting to break, because I can't just redye the roots but have to treat the lot to get the color even. (Oops, you can't see the roots in the photo. Trust me, they're there, and there's a lot of premature gray.) Streaking the color in disguises roots well, but doesn't give the result I want for overall color. I am ready to try something new. Having mostly the innate light brown color and streaking in bright temporary colors has worked well before. But I'm really having trouble making up my mind. So, a poll!

[Poll #1549059]

Comments

[jeliza]

It is easier to manage the dye, ime, with short hair, because it gets cut off before it gets too fried. Also, a really good color sealing conditioner/treatment really can help.

[submarine-bells.livejournal.com]

I've always liked the look of your hair long on you. Wasn't it pretty long when I first met you in person? That's my recollection, anyway. You have such lovely, glossy, lush hair - I think it's worth showing off to its best advantage, if you have the patience and inclination to grow it long.

(I say this as a person who grew my hair to butt-length and then recently chopped it all off back to Standard Dyke Short Haircut #1, because my hair is far too fine and fragile to really grow into a lavish mane - no matter what I did or how I pampered my hair, the bottom foot or so always looked thin, ratty and straggly, and I never achieved the thick healthy-looking locks I was after. So I'm inclined to encourage anyone who's considering growing their hair long who looks as if they might have a better result than I did - sort of the opposite of jealousy, you know? I can't do it, but if you can then yay! more lovely long hair in the world!)

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

My hair is infinitely less fried on Special Effects then it ever has been on drugstore box dye.

Also, if you pick two shades of dye and alternate which one you use for upkeep, you develop a lovely complex natural-looking many-colors-in-one thing, which is the reason total strangers still compliment my hair on the street even when I personally think it has faded to hell and gone.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

Two shades of dye relatively close to each other, I mean.

[lakmiseiru.livejournal.com]

I've managed Special Effects electric blue on waist-tailbone length for several years (no bleach) - it's not currently dyed, but it was throughout most of college. SFX is a good bit nicer on hair than standard dye, from what I've seen and heard. I've also heard good things about henna and have dyed other friends' hair with it; it is nice on your hair as well...

I have a particular soft spot for long hair (obviously); I think you'd look cute with it! Plus it's fun to play with :^)

[kiya]

I have no opinions about what you should do, but I will note that I henna my hair, which makes it less frail and frizzy and harder to damage.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I am (as always) struck by how pretty you are.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

What color do you use, and does it persist well? I guess the point is that if it's nice to your hair you can do it just as often without ill effect, but it'd be nice not to have to constantly re-treat.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

:)

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I understood. :) Your hair was certainly pretty when I saw it! I'm definitely leaning toward this method.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

My only problem with henna is that every other dye I've seen says not to use it over henna. I think I want to keep my options open, by which I mean maximally DIY; I suspect a salon could cope with henna if I were willing to get dyed there, but somehow that seems like too much for me.

Some people think my hair is already long, but by your standards I have a long way to go! Luckily it grows fast, so I can chop it all when I feel like it without a huge sense of loss.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I suppose if I talked to some kind of Hair Professional they might be able to tell me what to use to preserve the color. The drugstore is failing me. I do have to wash every day, or my scalp goes nuts, so I may just be doomed to fade.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

When did we meet, AP6? I'm pretty sure it was long then. I've been through a couple of long-short cycles in the intervening ten years. So, you're saying you experience trichom-persion? (*ducks*)

Std. Dyke Short Haircut #1 looks nice on you, too. I think it suits you to have a birdlike crest. :)

[jeliza]

The L'oreal "colorvive" line is better than you would expect. There is a particular product called "colorseal" that is a one-shot post-coloring sealer, but you would need to go to Vain or a beauty supply store or online to get it.

(Also, Special Effects does run like a mother -- it doesn't fade out of your hair, but it continues to bleed when it gets wet. My showerstall was streaked with blue for months, and so were the towels. Unless they've changed something in the past 5 years, which is entirely possible.)

[kiya]

I use the reddest thing that Lush puts out in their henna line. I find it lasts about three months before I notice my hair drifting back to its normal ill-behaved state, so that's how often I do it when I'm, y'know, doing it, as opposed to when I'm covered in baby and everything slides.

I'm not sure how long the colour lasts, honestly - it's really subtle on me since my base colour is so dark - but the roots do show when I look even after three months. But, y'know, two and a half to three months on good behaviour.

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

I use Pantene Color Revival shampoo and conditioner on it, which are the cheapest colorseal hair-washing products I can find. Your mileage may vary on the shampoo, but I highly recommend the conditioner because it stops the SFX bleeding problem cold. I don't have bad bleeding without it, but I get absolutely none with it; it went from very slowly dyeing my pillow to 'yeah, that only comes out when I actually use shampoo'.

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

I voted for Tegan-and-Sara in cherry red though on further reflection burgundy would probably go with your coloring better. It can always grow out, and I think you look adorable with short hair!

[jinian.livejournal.com]

I got "cherry bomb" and "devilish" -- I don't think Scream even has burgundy, too close to natural for them. :) I'm dyeing over the current color rather than bleaching first, so cherry might be more subtle than you're thinking. I guess we'll find out!

If it would freak out your friend P, I would consider the short cut more strongly. Still have not forgiven him for saying that other girl was such an improvement over me. I suspect that he is inured to my hair whims at this point, though.