Low porosity and breakage after coloring?

jennartistwriter

I'm curious if this is just my weird hair, or if this is a thing? I got my hair colored professionally about a year ago, and since then, have had severe breakage and hair fall. It is mostly breakage, but full strands, so near the root. 

I just found out recently I have low porous hair, which you would think would mean the dye wouldn't make a huge impact, but maybe it dries out my hair causing breakage?

The reason I think it is from coloring is because I had a lot of hair fall out the first time I ever dyed it, which was like 20 years ago. Between then and now, I have just kept my natural color, and I had NO idea it was from the coloring. Or it's a huge coincidence. 

BrittanyM

Demi is deposit only so it's rather gentle when it comes to hair color, so I would strongly suspect you are not suffering from damage. I am a bit stumped. Definitely stay away from protein for a while and see if that helps. Just ensure you use a lot of moisturizing products; hopefully, your hair will recover quickly. Best of luck!

Therese1

I know nothing about coloring hair, but it is possible that your hair's very low porosity (from protein overload) is preventing moisture from penetrating the cuticle, meaning your hair is extremely dry and brittle, causing the breakage.

You could try putting a little bit of oil on your dry hair to increase flexibility. I use the Weleda Rosemary Conditioning Oil because it is not too heavy. Do not use coconut oil, because that can worsen protein-sensitive hair. You could try sunflower oil or maybe avocado oil if you don't want to buy a special oil. I would be very sparing with it (just a few drops), because you don't want to get too much of an oily film on your hair, as that would make moisture penetration even more difficult. 

I would also do a deep conditioning twice a week until your hair is back to normal. Make sure the conditioner has no protein in it. I would make sure to leave it on for 30 minutes each time, and wear a plastic cap covered with a towel wrapped on your head to hold in your body heat as you condition (that will make the treatment more effective). If your hair's porosity is extremely low, just conditioning in the shower is probably not giving your hair enough time to let the conditioner penetrate. So in essence the conditioner will just sit on top of your hair while your hair remains dry.

I use the Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment, which has no protein. I have very protein-sensitive hair and have never had a problem with this product.

Guide 65

What makes you think  your hair is low porosity?  Chemical processes generally create high porosity hair, and the breakage is a sign of damaged hair, also indicative of high porosity.

Have you tried Olaplex?  It helps to repair the bonds in the hair that are damaged from chemical processes. 

jennartistwriter

I have quite literally EVERY sign of low porosity hair. It doesn't sink in water, takes forever to get wet, takes forever to dry, but of course I could never be 100% with whether it is or not. No, but that is definitely one of the ones I have been looking at. 

BrittanyM

Hm, breakage may be the culprit and the hair fall from the root may be normal shedding you've just noticed. What was your starting color and what color did you go with? Did you DIY it or go to a salon? I may be able to figure out what's going on if I have a bit more information.
I'll give some Olaplex advice a bit later depending on how you did your hair.

jennartistwriter

I am a natural redhead, I only went a couple shades darker. The first time (when I first noticed this happening), she just did low lights  (darker red) and a gloss. It started about 2 months later. Then I got it dyed twice more (didn't know yet dye might be causing it) and she used a heat lamp for the color, if that makes a difference. 

I don't know if maybe the products I was using had too much protein, and maybe my hair hates that, or what. It is so weird!

BrittanyM

Hm. If you went darker, your stylist most likely used deposit only or at the lowest a 20 volume developer (for all intents and purposes, the least damaging and lowest lifting color). The heat lamp would help the product penetrate the hair faster which can cause damage.
Now the strange part is that your hair still acts as if it is low porosity, right? Your hair could still be low porosity or be a bit more on the normal side. Do you know if she used Olaplex or some sort of conditioning treatment? Some stylists report that Olaplex can make the hair resistant to color and make it act as if it is low porosity. As far as the conditioning treatment, it could contain protein which as you suggest, your hair may not like.
The other possibility is that you simply have build up which people can become prone to if they never use a sulfate shampoo and many salon products still have silicone (dyes and developers have them as well). This could cause breakage due to lack of moisture as well as make hair frustratingly act like low porosity hair. If you think this might be a cause, clarify. The down side of that is it will strip your color so perhaps you could find a color safe non silicone clarifying shampoo.
In the meantime, moisture deep conditioners are the way to go. Olaplex will rebuild bonds but the No 3 treatment has protein in it, I believe, so maybe avoid if you know you are protein sensitive. I've never heard of a scenario like the one you describe, but I'm not a stylist but just someone who likes and understands hair color and the Chemistry behind it. Dyes of course can damage the hair and cause breakage, but it usually breaks in sections. Sometimes it can cause hair strands to become weaker and break individually, but typically hair does feel damage and dry at those points. The other way dyes can cause damage is an allergic reaction which could cause it to fall from the root, but I would assume you would know that by bumps, burns, or sores on your scalp. Definitely take a look at your choice of cleanser and evaluate whether build up may be causing your hair to become dry and break. Sorry you are experiencing this.

jennartistwriter

Thanks for your help! Yes - it is super confusing. My hair seems to have the oddest combination of issues, none of which really make sense. I have tried the water test several times, and every time it always just floats at the top. And I am definitely suspecting that I am protein sensitive. I just used 2 new conditioners, both of which had protein, and my hair almost feels drier than before I used them. I suppose it is just a matter of figuring out what the perfect combination is. 

The color she used was a demi-permanent one with a gloss the 2nd and 3rd times (3 and 6 months ago), so it wasn't even anything super harsh. I'm not sure what conditioner she used with the coloring, but after she dyed it, she did a deep conditioning treatment with the lamp.

I remember I had all this breakage a long time ago when I dyed my hair black, so for some reason maybe it just HATES hair dye. 

jennartistwriter

Thank you! I think I will try that one. Does it have coconut oil? I am having the hardest time finding a protein-free deep conditioner with no coconut oil. I know my hair HATED coconut oil on its own, but not sure about in the products. 

Therese1

The Jessicurl Deep Conditioning Treatment does not have coconut oil.

My hair hates coconut oil on its own (it makes my hair crispy), but I seem to be OK with it in products. Which is a good thing, because so many products have it!

BrittanyM

Are you asking if Olaplex has coconut oil in it? If so, it doesn't but the no 3 step does have protein.