? about hair dye

Hey i wanna ask when i can dye my hair?

Hi Amber,

I had the same question when I had my surgery, because unlike you ... I 'needed' to do it ; )

At any rate, they said that there isn't really any 'problem' with dying your hair, but that you want to use a gentle product that isn't likely to cause breakage because you will likely have to deal with shedding when hair falls out from the folicle starting at about 3 months post op. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it does happen to most people to some extent. They really suggested that you not perm your hair because of more risk of breakage. Soooooo.... after confiring with my hairdresser, I decided to risk it and dye it; and I'm glad I did. She said that it would be best to go darker than lighter, because lightening tends to be harder on your hair and cause more breakage. I naturally have medium golden brown, so I just stuck to that color and was covering the unwanted gray.

Good luck!

AHA!  Thank you, thank you, Amber, for posting this question!  I hadn't thought about dying causing more fall-out or breakage than one may already experience.  I was just thinking out loud yesterday in another post whether I should go back to dying my hair post-op to cover the gray to "recapture my youth" even more.  Since I had a lot of trouble with hair falling out post-partum, perhaps I'll wait to grow me some long, sexy dark-colored hair after I reach goal and know I'm not having any falling-out issues!  lol

Have fun with whatever you are going to tackle next in the way of hair color, Amber!  I know you love to experiment! 

Shauna,

You are not likely to have issues with breakage... At least that's what my hairdresser told me and was my own experience. She said that home haircolor kits are even more safe and gentle than salon versions. She also said that I could do a semi-permanent version if I was really nervous, but I decided to just go for it.

Barb

Hi Amber,
I agree with Barb and Shauna some dyes can be more hurtful than helpful soon after surgery.
Yes you will go through what most all of us go through with the shedding of hair.
I promise it will get better.
I take Biotin everyday and it seems to be helping my hair alot.
The gray is starting and as bad as I hate it for now I am just going to let it happen.
I feel my hair is just still to fragile to try any thing new other than shampoo and conditioner.
                           Annie

I started taking Biotin a month ago so I am really glad to hear you say it seems to be helping your hair a lot, Annie.  Over a year ago I decided to go gray gracefully.  It was one of the hardest things I've ever done!  I guess it was like facing mortality?  lol  Now that it is salt 'n pepper, I get compliments on it all the time...like, "You look so Hollywood!" or "How very Emmy Lou!"  :)  I am so paranoid about the use of artificial chemicals, I have been really content with my decision, until lately.  It just feels like I am about to turn back the hands of time a bit with the weight-loss surgery, to reclaim some of my lost youth, so part of me thinks I'm not ready to do that AND be gray!  :)  I know, I'm weird.  Tell me, do I make some sort of sense though?!

I like how you said you chose to go gray gracefully LOL
I also liked the statements "you look so Hollywood or so Emmylou" LOL
I just ordered some more Biotin I have been taking 1000MCG and it has been helping so much with my new order I have encreased it to 5000MCG.
I have read Biotin helps with metabolisim too.
My metabolisim is kicking in over drive most all the time now with my workingout so I really need the benefits of hair growth.
I like how my hair is coming back in thicker and my curls are comming back too.
                                                             Annie

I have to admit, those comments have helped my ego just a little bit!    lol

I have been taking the 1000mcg biotin 3 times a day.  I have planned on getting the 5000mcg next time so I only have to take one once a day.  Wish I'd thought to start the biotin several months in advance but now is better than never.  I hadn't heard about the help with metabolism.  Good gravy, that's awesome...I can use all the help I can get! 

Aren't curls wonderful?  I wouldn't trade mine for anything!  (Well, maybe a slimmer bod...but I've got that coming now anyway, right?!  ha!)

Unfortunately, I had to delete this post due to privacy concerns.

Shelli,  Yesss about the males versus females with gray hair!!!  Both Anderson Cooper and Brett Favre are my age, gray haired, and SEXY!  George Clooney and John Stewart are just a few years older, gray haired, and SEXY!  I'm not sure that I could come up with one female celebrity born in the 1960's or after that is gray haired...can you think of one? 

In our area here, gray hair has started to become "in" just over the past year.  Though that isn't what got me started on my quest in going au natural, it does feel sort of good to "fit in" that way!  :) 

I'm like you in that I don't feel critical at all about whether someone chooses to color or not to color.  Just like everything else in life, we have to choose what we feel is best for us and to each his/her own!  I got to a point that I felt it was time to let go of the chemicals and embrace ME as-is.  It is odd that I have found that I get treated with more respect from the younger generations now...many more smiles, doors opened for me, etc.!  lol 

I have to admit to you that I HAVE been striving for eternal youth...making great effort over the past year to do what I can to improve my health and lengthen my life.  WLS goes hand-in-hand with that and that's also another reason I've gone veg.  My beauty routine now consists of an organic tea tree cleanser (mixed with baking soda once or twice a week to exfoliate), organic witch hazel as an astrigent, and a couple of drops of straight up organic jojoba oil as a moisturizer.  I also use the purest mineral makeup I can find.  My hair routine consists of organic tea tree shampoo with organic jojoba oil conditioner and I only use gel and hair spray on days I want to have ever hair in place (even then, it's organic Giovanni).  What I ultimately want is to age gracefully without having to totally give up on looking beautiful and feeling great about myself.  That's really a catch-22 in our society though, isn't it?! 

Now, to keep my crown of wisdom or to trade it in for a younger coiffe?!  I have a feeling I know what you would say, and I'm actually starting to lean toward keeping it...but we shall see as the pounds come off.  Thanks sooo much for the discussion!