The Long Hair Community

inactiveoffense · October 8th, 2006, 01:19 PM

As a young child, I had extremely thick hair. Not until I hit junior high and high school. I had to experiment with color. I have naturally dark brown hair and I dyed it blonde. It came out really orangey so I dyed it once every week to try to get it lighter. Not a smart move- I lost so much hair and it was so fried! My stylist told me to stop dying my hair, and she also said my hair was really thin! Three years ago, I finally stopped dying my hair altogether. I notice it's getting a lot thicker. Is there really a correlation between over-dying and hair thinness, and do you think I will get my really thick hair back? (It's average now, not thin anymore.) I know I was 12 when my hair was really thick, but I had dyed my hair for 5 years straight ever since I was 13. I am now 21.

GlennaGirl · October 8th, 2006, 01:32 PM

I don't know if it's the drying that does it per se, but I can tell you that my hair is a lot thicker now than it was when I colored it blonde.

Colored hair (in the process of growing out the color, 2004):

Today's hair:

ETA: Sorry for the face shots. I didn't have a shot of the back of my head pre-grown-out color.

summr · October 8th, 2006, 01:35 PM

Hair color doesn't effect virgin hair( new growth). Repeatedly coloring or using bleach(different from hair color) on the same hair will cause breakage, it can break up to the root if its damaged enough.

When you process, you dye or bleach the new growth only, don't redye the length.

Curlsgirl · October 8th, 2006, 01:42 PM

Well for me, it really didn't make a difference. My hair is thick and always has been. If anything it seemed thicker when I colored probably because of the color "filling the cuticle" not sure. However, i can see how it could break off your hair so badly that it would be thinner especially dying every week!! I am so glad you learned better! I am betting your hair will continue to get thicker and healthier now!

ChloeDharma · October 8th, 2006, 01:50 PM

Yes, permanent colour do leave hair more prone to breakage, and if you were using bleach rather than tint then bleach at some point actually dissolves hair. So it's no surprise given your story that your hair was thinning.
The official stance is that new growth will not be effected by chemicals applied to the scalp to colour it, only the hair that is visible is effected. Whilst this is obviousely true in terms of colour, i personally am suspicious and do wonder that maybe the chemicals effect the follicle as they are absorbed through the skin.

HairColoredHair · October 8th, 2006, 02:04 PM

One thing you'll also have to take into effect is that the hair you had at twelve is not the hair you'll have now.

There's too many hormonal changes that occur between childhood at adulthood. Children's hair is different from adult hair, and it can often be thicker when you're younger.

I'm sure your hair will return to at least some of its thick, former glory, however.

alligatorbaby23 · October 8th, 2006, 02:34 PM

GlennaGirl, you have made alot of progress, your hair looks wonderful to me! So thick and shiny!! *thud* you are a knockout!