Calling all Curlies who color (their grays)

LoriLu

(at home!)

I have been "covering" my grays at home, with drugstore products, for over 20 years. I usually only do the roots, and I only need to do the front: that's the pattern that has been handed down through my genes.

Am I wasting my time trying to do a cg, no-sulfates, no silicones routine? About 3 months ago I stopped using the silicone-containing conditioner that comes with the store-bought hair dye, but haven't found anything to compare to it's ability to comb out my mane and "sleekify" my frizzy canopy. Dying my hair has become an even longer and more arduous process now that I don't use the silicone conditioner to help me get combed out and "smoothed" in the shower.

I'm only 46, and I'm not ready to go gray yet. Also money has been a consideration, hence the coloring at home with drugstore dyes.

You women and men have been a lifeline for me: please take the time to write if you are someone who dyes at home due to budget restrictions, and tell me honestly what you think my options are. Personally, I think the silicone-containing conditioners in the hair color boxes may be necessary again, just to sustain the appearance of smoothness (not to mention de-tangling properties) after coloring. (Maybe a lot of reparative conditioning in the interim 3-4 weeks could help?)

Really grasping at straws here, and literally!!

claudine19

I use henna for gray coverage.

They have it for brunettes.

mycurlytresses

I read you can add olive oil and an egg to combat the dryness that the henna causes. Maybe that will help the detangling process.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using CurlTalk App

wendi.wendy

LoriLu wrote: »

please take the time to write if you are someone who dyes at home due to budget restrictions, and tell me honestly what you think my options are. Personally, I think the silicone-containing conditioners in the hair color boxes may be necessary again, just to sustain the appearance of smoothness (not to mention de-tangling properties) after coloring.

I dye at home (I have a LOT of gray) and I use Naturtint 5C for my color. It comes with a little tube of 'Nutrideep Multiplier' conditioner and shampoo; neither has silicones or sulfates. Sometimes I add a bit of my own (silicone-free) conditioner after I use theirs. I never have problems with slip or softness, although this hair color is ammonia-free so it's not quite as harsh.

So in my experience, yes -- you can color at home and use your own silicone-free conditioner with good results. (Right now the conditioners I use are Curl Junkie Beauticurls Strengthening Conditioner, GVP Conditioning Balm and Giovanni Smooth As Silk.)

Hootenanny

I color my grays using Colorsilk (yep, the super cheap drugstore stuff), and I haven't had any problems with using my own CG conditioner. I just toss out the condish that comes with the dye, and use either my Yes to Carrots or Aubrey Honeysuckle Rose, leaving it on for a few minutes. Then rinse & my normal routine. Maybe you could try a different brand of color?

anonymous_135172

I have just used Garnier Olia to cover my greys. I tossed the conditioner and used GVP conditioning balm, but I almost did not need it, the color alone left my hair very soft and it covered the grey hair perfectly.

claudine19

Splendid!

Glad you solved that problem.

krystra

I use henna too. But i have noticed that my gray comes back quicker like in two weeks! I dont want to use commercial dyes cause im scared of the breakage. I think the henna makes my hair grow faster.

krystra

Oh and it's cheap i get it from the Indian store for 1.49 and it body art quality.

claudine19

I'm not taking any chances. I get mine from Henna for Hair. The cost and effort to fix the results of a henna mishap isn't worth the savings to me.

krystra

I understand, but most of them sell the same brand you find on line like jamila and meehandi(sp?). Check them out, they may have the same kind you use and that way you don't have to pay for shipping.

claudine19

The henna store is within driving distance, and they sell chocolate.

Thank you, though.

krystra

Lol, I tried.

claudine19

I don't remember complaining about cost or distance or shipping, but I'm sure your intentions were good.

LoriLu

I hope these are available in local retailers... otherwise, do you know where I where can I order them?

wendi.wendy wrote: »

LoriLu wrote: »

please take the time to write if you are someone who dyes at home due to budget restrictions, and tell me honestly what you think my options are. Personally, I think the silicone-containing conditioners in the hair color boxes may be necessary again, just to sustain the appearance of smoothness (not to mention de-tangling properties) after coloring.

I dye at home (I have a LOT of gray) and I use Naturtint 5C for my color. It comes with a little tube of 'Nutrideep Multiplier' conditioner and shampoo; neither has silicones or sulfates. Sometimes I add a bit of my own (silicone-free) conditioner after I use theirs. I never have problems with slip or softness, although this hair color is ammonia-free so it's not quite as harsh.

So in my experience, yes -- you can color at home and use your own silicone-free conditioner with good results. (Right now the conditioners I use are Curl Junkie Beauticurls Strengthening Conditioner, GVP Conditioning Balm and Giovanni Smooth As Silk.)

LoriLu

Nikitakev wrote: »

I have just used Garnier Olia to cover my greys. I tossed the conditioner and used GVP conditioning balm, but I almost did not need it, the color alone left my hair very soft and it covered the grey hair perfectly.

Well this sounds promising. I'll write it down. I had stopped looking at Garnier because of the price, (and I noticed all their "frizz control" products had all the 'cones and 'fates and stuff, so cheap as they were they weren't worth it to me.) and... I admit there were more colors to look at with Clairol nice & easy and Revlon and L'oreal. I have learned how to MIX color, even with more than one brand. (What a MESS!)

But just give me an idea, do we have similar hair? Are you young? 20's 30's 40's? How much percentage of your hair is gray? Is your hair coarse or fine? wavy or curly or kinky? I don't have much to give you because I am so "mixed." Half Italian and half god-knows what...maybe ancestry.com will help me figure that out...

Thanks,

anonymous_135172

LoriLu wrote: »

Nikitakev wrote: »

I have just used Garnier Olia to cover my greys. I tossed the conditioner and used GVP conditioning balm, but I almost did not need it, the color alone left my hair very soft and it covered the grey hair perfectly.

Well this sounds promising. I'll write it down. I had stopped looking at Garnier because of the price, (and I noticed all their "frizz control" products had all the 'cones and 'fates and stuff, so cheap as they were they weren't worth it to me.) and... I admit there were more colors to look at with Clairol nice & easy and Revlon and L'oreal. I have learned how to MIX color, even with more than one brand. (What a MESS!)

But just give me an idea, do we have similar hair? Are you young? 20's 30's 40's? How much percentage of your hair is gray? Is your hair coarse or fine? wavy or curly or kinky? I don't have much to give you because I am so "mixed." Half Italian and half god-knows what...maybe ancestry.com will help me figure that out...

Thanks,

I have been using Garnier color for a few years now, I have found it covers my greys the longest ( before I started cg), the spray gel from garnier also works great on my hair and its cg I believe.

I have long " wurly" hair ( I have everything from 2a to 3a ), medium porosity, medium elasticity, medium coarse hair, medium density ( I send my hair in for analysis ), I have single grey hairs interwoven in my crown only , I am German with ancestry from the Balkans . Oh and I turn 43 ( yeah ) this Saturday.

curlypearl

Hi - I'm very much older than you are and my hair is 2c/3a so I'm not sure how similar our hair is, but here's my input. I use L'Oreal Preference and I grayed young so I've been dying my hair since I was in my 20's.

I try to use a combo protein/deep treatment a few days in advance of using the color which I think makes the hair stronger and less prone to damage from the dye.

After using the dye I either use the conditioner with cones that comes with it or Curl Junkie Curl Rehab. The Curl Junkie is expensive otherwise I would use it exclusively because I think it leaves my hair in better shape than the conditioner that comes in the Preference box - it is terrific stuff and doesn't have cones, so, yes, I'm sure you can use a cone free conditioner and get excellent results.

If you find one that isn't very expensive that works great for you, please post back! :sunny:

CurliLocks

As long as you are not going lighter, and just covering gray, you could try Color by Robert Craig for a more gentle color. Hair Color, Hair Care and The No More Bad Hair Days Kit by Robert Craig Salon Products, Ltd. No ammonia/peroxide (thus, no lightening). I have been using it successfully for over 12 (or more) years (whenever I discovered it!) after suffering dry, brassy hair from other brands.

The little bottle of color-safe conditioning shampoo that comes with it does have cones, but you don't need to use it. Sometimes I do, as I feel it helps seal in the color on my resistant gray, but other times I just rinse well and condition. LMK if you need any info on it.

sdkitty

If money is a consideration, it's more economical to purchase color and peroxide separately at the beauty supply and mix it yourself. You just get the proportion (I use 20 volume peroxide in two to one proportion with color) and mix it a bottle and apply to your roots. You can mix the amount you need for just your roots and you can blend more than one color to get the desired shade if you want and you can follow with conditioner of your choosing.

wendi.wendy

LoriLu wrote: »

I hope these are available in local retailers... otherwise, do you know where I where can I order them?

I've found Naturtint at Whole Foods, Fruitful Yield and Vitamin Shoppe stores. My problem is that only Whole Foods carries the shade that I use and it's a far drive for me; the other two stores are nearby but don't carry my shade.

So...I order it online. Off the top of my head, I know you can find it at Amazon, iHerb and VitaCost.

BTW, I'm 48 and half-Italian too (I like to say I'm half Italian and half hillbilly, to tease my mom who grew up in rural Tennessee, lol).

hairy situation

I am not CG as that doesn't work on my hair. It gets limp and greasy and isn't any more curly than if I use a very moisturising shampoo and conditioner. If CG is working for you then maybe you just need a more moisturising conditioner after you colour. I like Tresemme naturals which is silicone free.

I am mid forties and have very dark hair with a sprinkling of gray so I need to color my roots, too. I used henna for years, then decided to switch back to chemical color so I could do highlights, and I hated the experience. The chemical color lightened all my hair and made it red and coarse. I figured if my hair is going to be red anyway I might as well go healthy and use henna :sunny: Also, certain chemicals in dark brown color have proven to be dangerously allergenic, and my last "patch test" made me red and itchy and scared me off for good, so I'm going to stick with henna from now on.

I use henna and indigo from Henna for Hair. I leave the henna on for 3 hours and the indigo for about 1 hour (still experimenting with this). This gives me a really nice dark ash brown with very little red, and it seems to hold up well for several weeks before the indigo fades (the henna never really fades, so the gray doesn't come back). It is much more expensive than box color and takes WAAAY longer so this may well not be for you, but you did ask what other people do!

After I henna I rinse with tons of conditioner (this helps to get the henna out of the hair) then pile on coconut oil and let that sink in for as long as possible (ie overnight). Then my hair is colored and shiny when I wash and condition again.

lifescout

I also dye my hair at home because its cheaper and like many other posters above, I dont use the conditioner pack it comes with, I use KCKT and it has such great slip I find it is better than the ones that come with the dye.

CrazyCatLady

does anyone know of a color that can be applied just where needed? I've thought of trying mens beard color - cause i only have a handful of whites and id much prefer to apply a small amount of color just to those hairs then to my whole head.

chupie

anonymous_135172 wrote: »

I have just used Garnier Olia to cover my greys. I tossed the conditioner and used GVP conditioning balm, but I almost did not need it, the color alone left my hair very soft and it covered the grey hair perfectly.

I wondered how that stuff covers. Good to know.

Firefox7275

I only dye my roots so the lengths don't need any special treatment and I don't use the silicone-y conditioner in the package. 'Refreshing the lengths every six to eight weeks to me is the most damaging part of the process, that is part of how I almost killed my hair in the past. Lengths get a semi permanent dye if they need it.

I do a pre-coconut oil soak which is cleansed out with conditioner, that leaves my hair less tangly. Also post colour vinegar rinse plus a leave in rich in natural oils and a behentrimonium are great for slip. If you 'need' silicones for detangling and to make your hair look and feel healthy that is a sign your hair is being badly damaged, I certainly used to.