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Hair color and cuts

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I've had to resort to doing my own hair coloring and cuts for a long time now. But it's getting harder and harder.

The first year I got sick, I remember it just growing and growing and somewhere in that year or towards the second year, I no longer had my hair color or most of it was grown out, but my hair got so long and I never wear long like that. I remember one day, somehow, even though I was mostly bedridden, so it must have been after I was taking the shitake. I managed to go out on the roof of the house, we had like an open porch up there. And I cut my hair on the roof in the sun, I was so disgusted with it not being done. Of course, the effort made me super sick and that was the last I saw of the sun for a long time.

All these years later, I can color it myself, but the standing there and raising the arms brings on a POTS attack, even if I sit alot in between doing it. I can't cut it the same day or usually the same week I color it. I have to wait till I feel up to it again.

I try to maintain it. I get so depressed if I let it go for too long. But it's getting harder and harder for me to keep it up. I can't go get it done, the shops make me so sick when they start spraying hair spray and stuff around. I haven't been able to go into a shop like that in a very long time. And I wouldn't trust anyone to do my hair anyway. Only I know how I really like it.

Anyone else struggling to try to keep it up or having to do it on your own? Before I got sick, I used to go to the colorist every four months. I actually had a hair colorist. He was great. But all those years of watching him do it, paid off and I can do it now.

I miss beauty shops. Before I got sick, I was into all that, hair and makeup and nails, mostly makeup though. Tons of skincare. I had every single facial mud there was :D And I had all the latest makeup colors. Now, I hardly ever wear makeup. Not well enough for the whole skincare thing and actually putting the makeup on and taking it off. I miss it.
 
Messages
4
Location
Nottinghamshire
Have you not considered getting a hairdresser to come to your home to do your hair for you?

As for makeup,if I am not going out, (I am not house or bed ridden) then I don't bother and just cleanse then use moisturiser. Maybe a spritzer spray would be ok for you to use if moisturising proves too much? If you are well enough to go out then stick to just the basics - less can be more. A good foundation, mascara and lipstick can work quite well.
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I can't afford to pay anyone to do it. I can barely afford to buy the color now.

Foundation, can't anymore involves way too much skin cleansing and energy. Concealer when needed and sometimes lipstick, that's about it for me now.
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I've had to resort to doing my own hair coloring and cuts for a long time now. But it's getting harder and harder.
I can't cut it the same day or usually the same week I color it. I have to wait till I feel up to it again.
I get so depressed if I let it go for too long. QUOTE]

Hi there no advice really but just to say I sympathisze so much with you, I have cut and coloured my own hair since becoming ill, I was persuaded to go in a beauty salon 3yrs ago by my neice to have my nails done, what a mistake, sat with a mask on for the whole time in there, in addition I had to keep going to the door for fresh air, I felt quite embarrassed and never again until I am well. I don't know if it helps but I keep my hair in a bob shape now, easy to cut (with the input from family to test for stragglers:) The colouring I just load onto a oversized comb and comb through, don't ask me how it works but it does and I actually get compliments on it!! I use a 70%colour 30% bleach mix. I got the salon formula at trade price through pretending to be a hairdresser (naughty I know).
I know how you feel though I also get a bit down when both need doing, I need to plan ahead in order to have a couple of weeks inbetween. Such a drag though when you're used to being beautiful all the time:D
 

Sushi

Moderation Resource Albuquerque
Messages
19,935
Location
Albuquerque
Safety rating for body care products

This is marginally off-topic for this thread--but related.

For those who have problems with chemical sensitivity or are concerned about taking in toxic stuff through make-up and hair-care products, there is a great site that tells you exactly what is in hundreds of them and rates them for safety. The bad news? Most are loaded with stuff you don't really want to add to your body.:ashamed:

Here is the site: http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php It is called Skin Deep.

Sushi
 

SeaShel

Senior Member
Messages
111
Location
AZ
I finally had to throw in the towel on the coloring thing. The chemicals were just too much, not to mention that was one cost I was happy to get rid of. I'm waaaay gray, it was embarrassing to have that damn root line, but it's gone now. I sometimes wish my hair didn't look like this, but the bottom line truth is that it was killer to even sit in the chair long enough to be worked on.

I was really fortunate for awhile to find someone that worked out of her home, and had a family member with MCS, so she "got it". I cannot even walk by a salon where they are doing nails. If you have craigslist or something similar where you are, you might be able to find someone like that.

Now I go to the Aveda cosmetology school for my cuts - it's cheap and I can usually tolerate it because their products are less toxic than most and have lucked out and not been there when someone else was getting colored. I only go about every six months now.

Shelley
 

Jenny

Senior Member
Messages
1,388
Location
Dorset
On toxic stuff in hair dye - my Acumen test showed diamine as DNA adduct. That's a chemical in many hair dyes. Apparently it's affecting my mitochondria.

So as Sushi says, take care with what you put on your hair or skin.

Jenny
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Henna is one possibility for those who don't want to use toxic hair colouring.

Mine has no chemicals in it and the red covers the grey completely.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
I used to have my hair dyed and then a couple of years ago, to my surprise, had a bad reaction to a skin patch test of the dye the day before I was due to have my hair done. I haven't tried again since, but my hairdresser recently mentioned that some medications can cause people to react to dyes who have never previously reacted. I was on amitriptyline for insomna at the time and wonder if that was it. Just thought I'd mention it in case anyone else had had the same experience and was wondering about it - it might be a possible explanation.
 

Anika

Senior Member
Messages
148
Location
U.S.
I wish I had a good answer to the color question - Jody's idea of henna is interesting, but I don't think I'd look right with henna. So for now it's increasingly gray.
I tried a temporary rinse (self adminisitered) once or twice before I got sick, but didn't like them that well.

I did cut my own hair for a few years, before both my physical symptoms and finances improved enough to where I could go out for my haircut. I would wait for a good day when I couldn't stand the hair any longer, and even then it might take a couple short sessions between rests, to deal with the orthostatic intolerance. It made me appreciate that I had done some of my own cutting when I was much younger, so I had a hair shears and a method, even if it wasn't always reliable. Trying to do anything for the first time with CFS is many times harder.

Also, the hairdresser I had used moved to another place, where the odors are less and the seating less a problem.
 

klutzo

Senior Member
Messages
564
Location
Florida
I am surprised that henna works for you Jody. I had two hairdressers tell me henna does not work on gray hair, but colors it pink! Maybe you only have a little bit of gray. I had a mix of two colors of henna when I was young and healthy and I loved it, but it did dry the hair out after awhile on long hair.

I had waist length auburn colored hair until about 5 years ago, when I read a study on the toxicity of hair dyes and saw that on a scale of one to ten, with ten being most toxic, they were all at least a nine. I had to color my own hair and the only one I was not allergic to, Hydrience, was a 10. I felt like a hypocrite, since I knew toxicity was a major issue with Lyme patients and Fibro patients both. So, I just stopped.

At first, the two tone look was embarrassing, but very quickly after I quit coloring, tons of new hair started sprouting on my head, esp. on top. It looked really strange for awhile, like ducky down, until it got longer. Every time I was tempted to go back to coloring, I reminded myself how toxic that stuff had to be to poison so many hair folicles. When it got long enough so I could cut it myself and not look ridiculous, I cut off the colored part. This took more than two years, so patience is required unless you look good in short hair like Jody does. I don't.

I also read a study showing that hair dye increases the risk of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and bladder cancer, esp. the darker colors, with black and dark brown being the worst.

I tried to go with halfway between chin and shoulder length but that took well over an hour to cut myself. I have found that collar bone length can be done nicely in 15 minutes, and most of that is the bangs. With no bangs, it should be a cinch, even when exhausted.

If you must go to a salon, have any of you tried Great Clips? They have no chemicals because they are budget places that spray your hair with water and cut it, and that is all. No coloring, no perming, no shampoo, no blow dry. It is very affordable. Contrary to what I feared, the stylists are pretty good, and are probably not in fancy salons because they are too old or not attractive enough (just my opinion of how that business works, sadly).

I prefer to cut it myself, since the bangs take the longest and have to be done most often and if done at home, can be kept right where I want them at all times, instead of too short or too long. A large hand mirror is essential to see the back, and if you are adding layers, you'll need clips too. I use a flea comb to get a precise part and sectioning since the teeth are so fine. It's perfect for bangs too!

I have some natural curl. Remember if you have curly hair and try to cut it yourself, to pull it down with even pressure all over and cut it two inches longer than where you want it to end up when it's dry.

klutzo
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
For those who don't think they look good with red hair, henna comes in more than one colour. The type I use, Colora, comes in I think dark brown, and in some lighter shades as well.

I don't have alot of grey, but it is unevenly distributed. I have a patchy effect, with a couple big splotches of grey and some interspersed with my natural dark brown. I was also told it doesn't cover grey, but it does. It will come out looking a different shade on the grey than on the brown though, just as 6 wk temporary commercial colouring will.

So I have some that is redder, and some that is darker (over the brown). Looks like I had some streaking or highlighting done.
 

starryeyes

Senior Member
Messages
1,558
Location
Bay Area, California
Henna is one possibility for those who don't want to use toxic hair colouring.

Mine has no chemicals in it and the red covers the grey completely.

Jody, your hair is beautiful too! Wow, Henna does that? How often do you have to use it? Also, does it change a lot? I've tried natural hair coloring and it changed on me dramatically from day to day. That was when I was blonde, I have mine colored strawberry blonde now. I only get my hair done about once or twice a year now that I'm so much worse.

Shelley, your natural hair color looks very nice on you. :)
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Wow. I sure picked the right photo to put on this site.:D

But if you think it looks beautiful, I'm game for that.:Retro tongue:

It's called Colora. They recommend once every 6 weeks. But because my hair is short and doesn't need a whole box at a shot, I use half the box, and do it every 3 weeks. Just so the colour doesn't start to look a little thin as any hair colour will as you get a bit of regrowth. This way there's never any grey.

If I were to wait 6 weeks, the colour would change somewhat. I did do that in the beginning. But it didn't look faded or off, it just got ... mellow.:Retro smile: It would seem to have more gradations of colour to it and it looked pretty good in that respect.

Over time, it stains the hair too so even as time goes on and it's been a few weeks since a treatment, the only area that starts to show through is the regrowth. If you go a few months without treating, the staining effect decreases and more grey will start to show, but it takes some time for that to happen.
 

Carrigon

Senior Member
Messages
808
Location
PA, USA
I'm a bleached blonde type :D I do a heavy frosting with platinum overtones. It actually came out nice this time. I use a cap. I've found that when I don't just do it according to the cap holes and just pull it through more by instinct, it comes out nice. I've been using a Loreal kit. It's so much cheaper than getting it done anywhere. It's just hard to keep doing it. I'm probably doing it about every four months now. But it starts to bug me by the third month, and then I end up having to wait till I'm up for it to do it again.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
For those who don't think they look good with red hair, henna comes in more than one colour. The type I use, Colora, comes in I think dark brown, and in some lighter shades as well.

I don't have alot of grey, but it is unevenly distributed. I have a patchy effect, with a couple big splotches of grey and some interspersed with my natural dark brown. I was also told it doesn't cover grey, but it does. It will come out looking a different shade on the grey than on the brown though, just as 6 wk temporary commercial colouring will.

So I have some that is redder, and some that is darker (over the brown). Looks like I had some streaking or highlighting done.

Ooooh, how interesting! :D Thanks, Jody - your hair looks fab and this is a great tip. I just googled for Colora, which is also available in the UK - I also found this chart that shows what colour you ought to get for what effect, which is very helpful. I'm going to get me some! :Retro smile::Retro smile::Retro smile:
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
I'm a bleached blonde type :D I do a heavy frosting with platinum overtones. It actually came out nice this time. I use a cap. I've found that when I don't just do it according to the cap holes and just pull it through more by instinct, it comes out nice. I've been using a Loreal kit. It's so much cheaper than getting it done anywhere. It's just hard to keep doing it. I'm probably doing it about every four months now. But it starts to bug me by the third month, and then I end up having to wait till I'm up for it to do it again.

Hi Carrigon,

Sounds pretty. I tried going lighter and blonder and it didn't work for me, wrong skin tone I guess. I envy you.:Retro smile:

It's the upkeep that's the pain, I know.