do you colour your hair?

[Aleesha Sattva]

i colour my hair. it's a fun treat i gift to myself but i'm wondering... how many of you do?

as we get more authentically 'real'... i know natural hair is part of that for some... i no longer use 'poo, but i'm just not ready to give up this treat for myself...

[juliebove]

I color my hair.

[walnutty]

Yep, sure do!

[c'estlaviebelle]

I color my hair. I know that the toxic chemicals aren't probably the best, but... girl's gotta have style! ;):rolleyes:

Its just not something I'm ready to give up yet. Plus, I've been coloring my hair so long I forgot what my natural color is! I'm not sure I want to see :p

[Cabosun]

I get blonde highlights......used to do the foil thing but now the cap.

[Rawmommie]

I color mine and I have no plans on stopping. I think life is about balance and I do so many other things to ensure my health, this is something I'm not going to budge on! :)

[GlimR]

I use Naturtint....the lesser evil I think. I keep trying to grow it out and then can't stand it...:eek: I probably use it about 3/4 times a year.

[Azura Skye]

yeah I have highlights! I don't use shampoo - apart from when I go to the hairdressers. I'm naturally brunette, but enjoy being a blonde - so will continue with it for a while - or until I can't afford to anymore : )

[magglepie]

I don't. I used to but then I stopped because I had dyed it so many times in a couple of days/weeks that it was just awful feeling and gross. I needed to give it time to heal and I just never got back in the habit again.

[JennaBoBenna]

I still color my hair. I think I will until it grows out to my natural hair color. Right now it's a light brown-orange from a bleach job about a year ago (yikes)
So, I've been dying it dark brown (my natural color)
It's the only un-natural product I use on my hair(well, that and the conditioner it comes with to use afterward)

[Conscious Midwife]

Coloring is probably more dnagerous than chemical straightening/ curling.

So I'll pass.

I have used all natural Hennas before. The pure dirt and stick kind. Not that filler stuff from Sally's.

I'm sure colour is fun.

BUT!?!?!?

Anyway when consistently RAW or even HIGH RAW I notice the tinsle strength of my hair changes, it's less spongy and porous. I also notice that the darker hair becomes denser and fuller and the grey hair grow in dark roots.

[Mump]

I don't color my hair and enjoy walking into a room knowing no one else has hair like mine. It is curly, eye catching and memoriable. I don't use any hair products including shampoo. When I get my hair cut it gets shampoo then but that is something I am going to stop.

[jacsam]

I never have colored or highlighted my hair....when I go to get my hair cut I always get comments on "wow, you have virgin hair"....meaning no color, perm etc. I like the way people lighten and have fun with their hair but I truely have never had any desire to do it. My grandmother was a red head probably untill she was 75 and then she decided to let it go and she had the most beautiful white head of hair. Oh, when I go through the summer I do have people ask me if I got my hair highlighted now and then but no it's just the sun and I enjoy that.

[rawstrength]

In the summer I dip my hair in fresh lemon juice and lie in the sun. It makes my hair go from light brown to blond.

I've never used any other kind of hair dye or hair treatment. I like the health and shine of my natural hair. It's the real me. I did used to paint my finger nails for a treat, but what kind of a treat is it that is unhealthy, full of chemicals and covering up your true beauty? I stopped when I went raw. I just had no desire to paint my nails anymore.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i heard there's lead in nail polish :::EEK:::

[Jeannine]

I have dyed my hair for a long time. I'm only 36 but I went prematurely gray in my 20's. I figure there's time enough for me to look my age, but I don't want to look 10yrs older just yet... I'm over 50% gray on top! Oy....

I'm hoping that with raw & kombucha, my hair will return to it's natural color. Until that day, I will dye it. It's funny my friends are just getting their first touches of gray hair and they seem to enjoy it - I'm so over it... :)

[greenday]

I'm a natural blonde and couldn't imagine being any other way! However, after winter my hair does tend to be a bit darker/duller so I do occasionally get highlights added in to brighten up. In summer it's perfect without "help"... ocean and sun does the trick! :)

[bananafana]

I just had my hair colored last night.......and I have no plans of stopping.

Aveda products have less chemicals in there products. They use plant extracts so maybe it's less harsh.

[Conscious Midwife]

Never heard much about AVEDA

so I went and checked out their site.

Initially quite impressive

but then...

couldn't find an ingredient list for their non "natural" component of their ingredients. When clicking on the individual products only key ingredients were listed with no idication as to what the fillers and reactive ingredients could be.

The do however seem quite socially responsible.

Interesting statement:

"Aveda conducts extensive clinical testing to ensure that our products are safe for use on humans under the expected, recommended and customary conditions of use. We use both extensive historical data on our products and advanced and indicative test methodologies. Our safety team is composed of highly trained chemists and toxicologists, as well as consulting physicians, who review and test Aveda products"


So where's the ethnobotanist or herbologist?!?!?

[garden granny]

I colored my hair for years, but I stopped about 3 years ago. Now my hair is it's natural color for my age, Silver/grey. I've had young people tell me I've got beautiful hair.:D That's a real compliment to me.

[Betsy]

No, I've never colored my hair. It's always been Strawberry/Champagne blonde all my life. I have asked my Mom about dyeing it black, though. Maybe black hair with very pale skin and light blue eyes would look so pretty, I've been tempted to do so, but still haven't. She said it would look terrible.:eek:

[lore-ah]

I color my hair AND I use shampoo. I live on the edge

[English Tracy]

I colour my hair because I am so grey underneath it that it adds 20 years to me. Vain, I know but a good haircut and a bit of colour make me feel better and ready to face the world!

Tracy

[Radiantly Raw]

I always had the most beautiful color hair, it was a deep dark chestnut, with just a few natural red highlights that only showed up in certain lighting. Then like Jeannine, I went gray at age 25!! :( Because I had never colored my hair & wasn't crazy about the idea I dealt with it for about 6 years. I got more & more gray with each year. Then, last year, my sister convinced me to get highlights to cover the gray. I actually really liked it & felt like it reflected more of my true age. Just a couple weeks ago though I could no longer afford it, and with the gray growing in behind the highlights, it was not pretty! So I colored it all over, trying to get back to my natural color. It ended up a bit darker, but still alright. Seeing it be all one color seemed odd after a year of highlighting! Now the gray roots are starting just slightly & I must go do it again.:rolleyes: Cheaper than highlights, but more chemicals on my head I think! And with trying for a baby, I'm not too keen on that. I'm hoping that being raw for a longer time will get my hair back to it's natural beauty, without any gray!!

[bananafana]

lifeAgift,

I'm sure there are still "questionable" ingredients in Aveda products, but in my own mind I feel like they are a tad less harsh than other products. I worked as a hairdresser in a salon for several years (i quit 7 yrs ago) and I have skin damage on my hands to this day from the chemicals from perms, dye etc....I'm hoping raw helps to reverse this.

[40in8]

There is a good bit of gray in my hair. But only occasionally will I put a rinse on my hair. Just when i feel like something new, or if I want to impress someone.

Mostly though, no.

Got rid of shampoo, too. :)

[RawLoveBaby]

If I remember correctly, my natural hair color was dark brown with reddish and lighter brown highlights. I had been coloring my hair since I was 12 various radical colors. About two years ago I decided to stop for two reasons. I was really curious to see my natural hair color, and my dark hair grows so fast that it was getting really expensive to touch up my highlights every five weeks. A pain in the arse actually. Bonus! No more chemicals!

[Firicia]

I colour mine, to feel more like myself honestly. I like playing around and having fun with it, but I feel more myself with certain colours, and my natural colour isn't my fave.

[Anastazia]

Used to...starting greying at 30, after a period of massive stress...started coloring it at 35...

...stopped after 6 years, (only did it 3 or 4 times a year, was starting to need to more & more) cuz of 2 reasons...felt very convicted on the vanity of it every time I did it, & wanted to allow myself to be who & truly am, & also, my scalp started to get affected...

...it still is, actually, & I'm praying raw will restores it's natural condition & color (& the thickness I used to have, my braid is less than half as thick as it used to be!)

I truly wish I'd never started, for many reasons!
~Anastazia~

[Clare]

www.hennaforhair.com

I've been using henna from them for about 2 years now and it is fantastic!! Look through all the before and after photos that people send in and how natural and vibrant the look is, if you're into red, which I am. Last summer since I needed a good haircut, I was a hair model and had an all-day chemical color done (they said $650 worth with all of the custom shades and foils) and I'm telling you that it was pretty when it was all styled, but nobody noticed the difference between that and my home henna/lemon mix that I do once a month myself.

[walnutty]

It's always been Strawberry/Champagne blonde all my life. I have asked my Mom about dyeing it black, though. Maybe black hair with very pale skin and light blue eyes would look so pretty, I've been tempted to do so, but still haven't. She said it would look terrible.:eek:

Betsy,

I am Irish and German. I have light ash blonde hair (German), fair pinkish skin (Irish) and green eyes (German). I got sick of looking so washed out, so 2 years ago I began dying my hair black. I have to say that I LOVE it! My eyes just pop now instead of looking so washed out. My mother is Irish and has black hair, ice blue eyes and very fair pinkish skin. In my opinion, that color combination is VERY attractive.

[Shell]

I've gone through phases....I get very antsy when it comes to hair...I can't stay with one look for too long! I've been completely natural, but I just don't like the ashiness of my natural brunette. So yes, right now I have bright red and dark brown hair.....I don't think it will last very long though....it's a little TOO much! I anticipate letting it all grow out at some point, but for me, hair colour is also a form of self expression, and I like to have fun with it! To each her own, I say!

P.S. Walnutty ~ your combination sounds BEAUTIFUL!! I love green/blue eyes with dark hair! I'm half Irish, half French, and didn't get those gorgeous blue Irish eyes :( ....not that anything is wrong with brown, but like they say, the grass is always greener, right?!

[rubyhair]

i heard there's lead in nail polish :::EEK:::

there's lots of junk in nail polish, most use formaldehyde to keep bacteria from growing. so it's "safe" to use from person to person. there are a few brands (i cant think of off the top of my head) that are suppose to be all "natural".

i stopped coloring my hair maybe...a year ago? i'm a natural redhead. before i went raw my color was getting really dull and ashy but since i've been raw it has gone back to being so pretty!, golden and red. i dont think i'll color it again. btw, i love unatural hair colors, (pink, purple, bright red) i think they're a lot of fun but they're a lot of upkeep so that's one reason i stopped.
i'm a hairstylist and lately i've been thinking about all the chemicals i'm around all day long. going raw really made me think more about what i put in my body and what i'm around. i like doing color and i dont think it's bad for the clients. they're there 30 mins to maybe 2 hrs once a month, if that? i dont think that's too harmful, color has really come a long way. but i'm breathing this stuff in all day long, not to mention the sterilizers and such that we have to use. i think i am seriously going to start looking for a salon that uses chemical free natural color and such. hopefully i can find something in my area. i cant see having a long career of doing this without having health effects of some kind.

[walnutty]

btw, i love unatural hair colors, (pink, purple, bright red) i think they're a lot of fun but they're a lot of upkeep so that's one reason i stopped.

Rubyhair,

Me too! In fact, I saw a girl the other day with the cutest bob. She had dark brown hair and one sweep of turquoise on the front of one side. It was so cute!