You're probably right there Natassia - if I was gonna dye my hair I would get it done at the hairdressers. I have seen some disastrous results from friends who have home coloured. I have nothing against people with ginger locks (I happen to think that it is a very beautiful hair colour), but my oh my was my mate upset when she tried to colour her hair a brunette shade and it came out ginger.

Yeah, long hair can be nice (feminine and all that), but sometimes I think about getting it cut a lot shorter. I wouldn't have the guts to, of course, but shorter hair does make some women look so much more sexier and sophisticated-looking.

I had very long dark hair and decided to go for the chop recently. My boyfriend loved my long hair but he loves my new bob and everyone has commented on how nice it looks and makes me look younger. Even people I don't know that well and all my students have commented positively. I also had it coloured professionally but while I love the cut, the colour is now barely noticeable so I will definitely go back to doing at home and save myself a lot of money.

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Hi, my two cents worth. I've always coloured my hair - well, continuously for the past 20 years. Have alternated between spending years being a bottle blonde and a nice red - now that I'm older I'm sticking with red. My hair has always been in good condition, and the colour always looks good, and I almost always use a kit, getting it done at the hairdressers is too expensive. My partner dyes it for me. So - nothing wrong with home kits in my opinion! I use Schwarzkopf Brilliance colours, works well.

If I were you, I'd get it done professionally the first time, then use home kits. Natassia is right about colour and grey hair tho, so if you're going to use a kit, make sure it's one that says it's suitable for grey hair. Have fun!

I swear by L'oreal Castings - smells gorgeous and I love the colours. I've used a few, right now I'm Dark Chocolate and I love it - really, really deep brown. And it's the non-messiest dye ever! I never get mine dyed professionally.. scared of it coming out horrible for that money!

hey we have lots of ideas now, what should I do now? :-) I'm going out tomorrow, I will go and scout around for the INOA thing, and see if I can afford that first time in a salon! My main goal is just to cover my whites... I have some idea how to colour hair at home (having seen my sister but for her its different she has short hair and she does it so quickly I have never seen any mess in the bathroom).

Thanks so much for the helpful ideas girls
(up)

On the grey issue: I dye my hair to cover, or blend my salt and peppet grey; I don't have much, it's mostly at the front where I have a couple of mallen streaks developing. I use toners and shaders wash in wash out temporary dyes which take more strongly on grey hair so what ever colour I use comes through as highlights on the grey hair, My hair is brown and I have used various shades of red, but I really like the brown option, it makes my grey look like low-lights at first and then after about 2 weeks highlights. I do have to re-apply about once a month, and I leave the product on for half an hour, nothte recomended 15 minutes, but the process is so simple - almost as easy as shampooing - and the sachets of colour so cheap - 99p - that it's not an inconvenience. I get lots of compliments on my 'highlights'! And my hair is in good condition, wash in wash out colours are very gentle. Good luck.

I'm planning to go grey gracefully - I quite like all the silver developing in the front of my hair but I'm really lucky that it's mostly a nice texture. The problem for many people seems to be that it sticks up rather than the actual colour! I get a few like that but not too many thankfully. I'm 23 and I've had greys for about 5 years, though it's not really developing fast now plus it's mainly underneath my brown hair. My mother went grey very young (gorgeous silvery grey too so I'm hoping mine might end up like that...) so I rather expected to be more grey by now as our hair is very similar. On the other hand my father went bald very young so I'm definitely happier with the greys! I've had my hair every length under the sun! I tend to have it shorter when I'm slimmer then grow it out until I get bored then hack it all off again. I liked looking a bit different with a spiky pixie crop (although anyone thinking of getting it done beware of over-enthusiastic hairdressers who create the hedgehog look, or getting the back wrong so that it grows into a mullet...) but at the moment I have a bob with a side parting which I'm enjoying at the moment. My OH thinks long hair is nicer but he seems happy with the bob so I might keep it like this for a while until, doubtless, I'll get bored and change it again!

Nic girly thread! (sorry for the stereotype wo/men!) like it! :-)

I keep chopping off my hair (at the hairdressers of course!) at about 2 inches below shoulder length. I have never ever used a blow dryer on my hair, let alone dyes, colours, tongs, curlers, straighteners and anything else. I am 25 and dont have grays or split ends or damage, but that may be because my dad's side of the family all have good hair, mum's side has thin har, but not problem hair.

All I have ever done with and continue to do with my hair (its jet black, absolutely straight) is hot oil before a shampoo and towel drying.

A few years ago when I was in college, I used to make fancy hair packs for myself with stuff from the kitchen (honey, lemon, tea leaves etc) but now no time!!!

I like this thread too...nice to chat about something non-stressful sometimes!

Its interesting seeing so many people who haven't ever coloured their hair, sometimes I wish I'd never started as my hair is naturally quite a nice dark blonde, but I started at 14 when I was a Saturday girl at a salon and been colouring it ever since. I used to have long hair till I was about 17 then went to my shoulders, then graduated bob, now its like a long pixie, soft but with quite a strong outline (no spikes!) and I love it! Until quite recently I was a creamy platinum blonde but now decided to go a bit darker as I want to look older and more sophisticated for my PhD interviews (if I get that far!) - I think more of a natural look should do that.

I think that long hair is generally really attractive if its in good condition and trimmed every 6 weeks, but personally I wouldn't grow my hair again, I've tried to and just had it all chopped off again as I can't deal with the in-between stage and I think it suits me better shorter, I'm lucky because I get my hair cut/coloured for free whenever I want!

hi girls its so nice to hear about what we do with our hair! bug you are so lucky to have great hair!
I havent picked a hair salon to go to yet and thats because I didn't go out today (as planned).

There is also one thing about my hair; I walk everywhere (I dont have a car to drive) so however nicely I style my hair, the wind always blows it flat. So I end up looking scruffy. It looks like it will always be like this :-(

How about hair masks; natassa can you give us some tips. I would like to make my hair thicker (or perhaps give it the ilusion of looking thicker), how does that work.

thanks satchi

Hair masks.....I really recommend Kerastase - they aren't cheap but you only have to use them once a week and leave on for 15 minutes. You can only buy them in salons or on the internet, where it might be a bit cheaper but then you have to pay p&p so probably not actually cheaper. For more body use products from the Volumactive range, or if you're actually worried about your hair getting thinner there is a new Stimuliste spray, its about £40 but I've had really good feedback from clients. Redken is a little cheaper and also quite good but I've never used it myself, clients seem to like the Real Control and Extreme range.

In terms of products to make your hair look thicker Paul Mitchell 'thicken up' is good, also Redken velvet gelatine...they're both blow-dry creams.

hi Natassa thanks a lot I am noting down the products you recommend!
satchi :-)

Can we make this thread our virtual salon?

Granted, any spammers coming on here and doing searches will find themselves giggling in glee, but this can become a nice space for all looks-related issues!

Ok question (asked with some frustration!) - how long does your shampoo effect 'last'? I mean, my poor hair goes limp on the alternate day i.e. it's limp by Weds if I shampoo on Mon and is best on Tues. It's become second nature now to always shampoo on the evening before the day I want it to work. that's fine, but am wondering if it shouldn't 'last' a bit longer!!

And no, conditioning etc doesn not help!