hair coloring after BC + hairstyle sources

bluewillow

Hello all you nice fashion conscious ladies!  I need help...

Now that I have hair, I am ready for a cut (okay, trim) and a new look.  My "default" hair color is a mouse brown with just a bit of gray. (I have less gray now than before-weird!)  My daughter has suggested I have red/auburn highlights in my hair, instead of the blonde/frosted look that I had before bc.  I am just a little hesitant about using hair coloring now that I've had bc, I guess because it's something artifical and chemical.  Anyone have any thoughts on this, warnings from drs. or nurses, and am I being silly?  Any suggestions on brands, colors, etc.?

And, can anyone suggest websites for short hairstyles where the photos are actually large enough to see?  I have found some that have pictures of styles, but they are so small I can barely see them.

I would love to hear what you all have done with your new "do's".  Mine was straight and fine before bc, and it has come back the very same way, no curls at all.

I am 52 and often dream of having a new look all the way around.  My daughter tells me it's time to lose my jeans and flannel shirt/old hippie look, so maybe the hair will be a start!

Thanks and hugs,

Mary Jo

abbadoodles

What an exciting time for you, Mary Jo!  This, indeed, is the time to think about an image "upgrade."  Isn't it nice you have someone close who can advise you on the latest trends?

Just to reassure you, the hair coloring topic has been discussed often on these boards.  Although some people say they were advised to stay away from coloring at least for a long time, others were told by their docs that there was no reason to worry.  I, personally, started using Loving Care about  three months after finishing chemo, if I remember correctly.  Then, I went over to one of those demi-permanent colors and have been doing that for the past year or so.  No problems with breakage or bad condition, either.

I say, "GO FOR IT."

bluewillow

Hi there Tina!

Thanks for your advice!  Yes, my daughter is quite the fashion critic-- she is 28 and has great taste and a very classic style-- not sure where she got it from    She has told me many times that she is trying to get me on the show What Not To Wear-- boy that would be awesome!

Now you've got me excited about a change!  I'm so glad you mentioned Loving Care-- I was thinking about it the other day-- is it permanent or does it wash out in a few days?  I'd much rather do it at home since salon color is so costly.  What other brands do you use and recommend?

Thanks again for your encouragement!

Mary Jo

ps-- I'm still reading your decluttering thread, and still being inspired!

abbadoodles

Loving Care is a semi-permanent color that deposits color only, does not bleach.  The box says it lasts for several shampoos.  I think I remember that as something like 6 to 10.  If you shampoo every two or three days, you can get at least a couple of weeks of "oomph" out of it.  That is different from some other color products, like FanciFull rinse, that last only from shampoo to shampoo.  Much too high maintenance for me and messy, to boot.

I've been buying Clairol's demi-permanent Second Nature (a salon product) at the local beauty supply store.  You don't need a hairdresser's license to buy there.  It is supposed to last for 28 shampoos.  That's about right.

You need a bottle of color for about $4 or $5 plus a large bottle of 10% peroxide developer.  The developer has enough in it for multiple uses, so you only need one bottle of it per many bottles of color.  You also need an applicator bottle with measurements on it (maybe a couple of bucks) and some disposable gloves so you don't color your hands.   The final cost per application is quite reasonable and I find I do just as good a job at home as they did in the salon for $45 per application.

BTW, for store brands, I think Clairol's Natural Instincts is a demi-permanent.  All demi's use weak volume (usually 10%) peroxide and NO ammonia, which makes it much gentler.

Here's a link to Clairol's products you can buy at the drugstore:

http://www.clairol.com/products/products.jsp

Here's a link to a site with Second Nature.  I use the medium ash blonde which they don't seem to have.

http://www.sallybeauty.com/No-Lift-Color/CLAIRL14,default,pd.html

Okay, thanks for reminding me about de-cluttering.  Must do more of that soon. LOL

BFidelis

I"ve been seeing the same stylist for 20+ years.  She helped me pick out a wig.  When my hair started to grow in, I stopped in to see her, went in the back and showed her what I had 'so far' (like Barak Obama right after the barber.)  This was mid-May.  I made an appt w/her for the Friday before Memorial Day when she trimmed off the stragglers and gave me a very gentle medium golden brown color (I was always a medium golden blond.)  I didn't question her; never do.  Good call - because it was so short (Susan Powder short) it looked lighter, and very much "natural."  (I had frosted it before to disguise the gray.)  We kept up that 'look' (maybe a teensy bit longer, but still SHORT) for a few months.  Then it was time to a trim and color and Julie said, "What do you think of RED?"  I'm Irish (fair & freckled) so I said GO!

My 80+ year old Dad said, "good match for your personality."  And laughed.  And said he liked it.

So my advice is HAVE FUN and don't be afraid, at least at first, to use a known, trustworthy, competent stylist.  (Of course, that's easy for me to say because I have no talent with hair, and any attempt at a "Kitchen Coiffure" has looked like it.

 Good luck,

Beth