Hi Everyone,

I am new to Kind Life, and I was wondering if I could share with you some info I have about hair coloring, and get your advice, since I do not know a lot about it.

I have thought about doing just a little coloring, but I always hesitated when I heard the sad news that Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis probably got Lymphoma from coloring her hair so often. Sorry to have to bring that up, but that is where I first heard that hair coloring can be dangerous, ESPECIALLY with the darker colors.

So, I talked to my stylist about it, and he was telling me that he does not think it's the coloring going into the hairs themselves that is a concern, but when the color get's on to one's scalp (which inevitably happens when getting coloring done), this is how it is absorbed into the body or the bloodstream.

He told me that hair color on the hair does not really go into the body. Though in a way,  the reverse is true: You CAN tell what is in the body, or which minerals are lacking by analyzing someone's hair.

He also said that they can use foil to help prevent the coloring from touching the scalp.

Do any of you have ideas about products that  are ammonia free, or natural, and I was wondering if  you have any opinions about what I was mentioning above (it's all here say, and I have not spoken to a specialist or a doctor about this).

Apparently there is a new hair coloring that is ammonia free, and apparently the demi permanent hair colors use much less of it.

What I am really wondering about is whether or not the foil process really does the job of preventing it from being absorbed, and if hair coloring is safe.

Any ideas you might have are very much appreciated.

Thank you,

John

I am also one that has been concerned about hair coloring especially since I am a natural brunette.  I found a product a couple of years ago and it is made in Italy. It is medium priced and   the  product does not have ammonia or paraben.  The product is called Herbatint and I am including a link below where you can order it and get a $5.00 coupon off your first order:

http://www.natural-health-cafe.org/iherb.com

I hope this product is of help to you and others that are also concerned about using hair color products. 

Kind regards,

Rhonda

Being a former hairdresser I am always hearing mixed things. Any time you use foils to put colour on your hair it is absolutely 100% safe because it does not come in contact with the scalp. Everything sits safely inside the foil. If you are looking for more coverage then I would suggest using a semi or demi permanent colour because they sit on top of the hair and don't absorb/penetrate as much into the hair because they use a very low peroxide and don't process as long. Permanent hair colour uses the highest peroxide and sits on the scalp the longest, however, the molecules are very large and cannot penetrate the scalp. In my experience, natural hair colour and henna products seem to dry people's hair out like crazy and I'm not exactly sure how they work. I know a few years ago scientists claimed hair colour to be safe, even on pregnant women, but I think it's up to you. I also know that the brands that claim to be ammonia free aren't exactly ammonia free, I think they just use such a low amount of ammonia that it is acceptable. I don't know how a hair colour could work without any ammonia and personally I use foils on my own hair. It's just like using any product that has any type of chemical in it, although chances are you aren't colouring your hair everyday. Different doctors all have varying advice when it comes to colouring your hair, but to be honest they aren't scientists and are probably just giving you their personal opinion. So do a little research youself and choose something that works for you and your ethics. If you feel uncomfortable using a product then just don't use it. If you want to experiement then use a semi colour because it fades out over time and you aren't commited like with a permanent. I will warn you though, box colour from the the drug store is always more hard on the hair and uses stronger ingredients that you may not need. Leave it to a professional! Good luck, I hope I didn't confuse you even more :)

I've recently become very nervous about this as well. My solution is to use foils and get highlights/lowlights mostly to help blend in the gray. If I really want to look perfectly gray-free, I use semi-permanent on rare occasions. Quite honestly I'm concerned because I've colored my hair for so many years. I used to just do it for fun before I even had gray hair. Personally, if I didn't have the gray, I just wouldn't color my hair at all.

Yes, and there's also the very huge problem of animal testing. When it comes to most hair color, you can bet it's been involved in some nasty animal abuse. I've found some hair color companies that don't test on animals, and of course there's henna. But Rhonda's suggestion for Herbatint is good, because Herbatint doesn't do animal testing. I've used Herbatint, and it's pretty good, although for me the color fades fairly quickly.

I was able to cover my gray with henna - I wrote out the instructions here:

http://www.mymakeupmirror.com/HennaOverGray.php

Best,

Suzann

I wanted to add: I've collected a list of hair color companies that don't test on animals. Here it is:

http://www.women-lifestyles.com/Cosmetics,%20Skincare,%20Fitness/Beauty%20-%20Cruelty-Free%20and%20Healthy/NaturalHair.php

If the link doesn't work, just go to www.Women-Lifestyles.com , and scroll down the menu on the right to "Cruelty Free Beauty" and then to "Natural Hair Coloring".

Best,

Suzann

I like a color called Nature Tint. It is found at health stores. It really makes your hair feel wonderful without the bad ingredients of commercial hair color