Lauren Mechelle
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Hair, Reader Mail 3

Reader Mail + Coloring Relaxed Hair

By Lauren @LaurenMechelle · On August 23, 2013
Welcome to the very first Reader Mail post! I get questions all the time from readers, and many times they are iterations of the same question.  I LOVE getting emails from you guys (so keep them coming!), but also thought it would be helpful to put up some of the more popular ones here so you don't have to wait for a response from me. Side note: I am TERRIBLE at returning any kind of correspondence - emails, messages, calls, and especially VOICEMAILS!  Having a real-world job has changed that in my professional life, but probably only because I can't ignore them.  I realize this about myself, I'm working to be better! So.  Question numero uno comes from Ibony:
My hair is mix some parts are curly and most parts are wavy, my question is: If I relax my hair every 5-6 weeks (Dr. Miracle) can I color my hair(is black) and I would like brown or highlights. Is any product (hair color) that I can use and don't damage my hair.Ibony
My response:  DON'T DO IT!!!  In order to lighten your hair, you need to bleach the color out of it to make a blank canvas, then deposit the color you want it to be back into the hair strand.  This process is already damaging without the added processing of relaxers.  That said, it CAN be done, but I would ONLY get it done by someone very familiar with black hair & a proven record of success.  I'm serious.  My sister (the one in my blowout video) colored her hair twice, and had a terrible outcome.  I asked her to share her experience + pictures as a caution to girls out there that are considering getting color with relaxed hair (huge thank you to her for sharing!).  A couple of things to keep in mind going forward:
  • This wasn't an at-home dye job.  She went to James @ James Brown Hair (see this post or this post for more about him, he IS a great stylist, she just had a bad experience with dying).
  • My mom also goes to James & gets her hair colored - it comes out great every time.  That said, my mom doesn't relax her hair & is fully natural.  Here's a couple of pics of my mom for reference (first pic is her hair air-dried, second is blow-dried/styled):
Mom's air-dried hair
Mom’s air-dried hair
Mom's blowdried hair
Mom’s blowdried hair
Dani's Experience

DaniHighlights

June 2012 | Dani gets highlights 2 weeks after she last got a relaxer.  The picture on the left is about a half hour after she left the salon - her hair was so fried, she put it up because she didn't like how it looked.  Her hair was breaking off in the sink at the salon & didn't look healthy when she was finished getting styled.  The picture on the right is her first time blowdrying it at home after getting the highlights.  Her hair felt very brittle, and would break off as she brushed it.

DaniHighlights2

July 2012 | Six weeks later, she gets her first relaxer since the highlights. Her highlights all broke off, leaving her with uneven length.  Wherever highlighted hair met new, un-highlighted growth, it fell out.  Hating how unhealthy her hair looked, she got creative with braids, twists, and buns to hide the damage.

DaniHighlights3

September 2012 | By September, effects of the relaxer + manipulation of her hair (brushing, etc) were really catching up with her - one side was now longer than the other even though she was doing her best to go easy on her hair.

DaniHighlights4

January 2013 | After trying to wait for her hair to grow long enough to trim, she went to Jamez (see this post for more about him) and let him cut all the damage off.  It was the shortest she'd ever gone, but he did an amazing job!

DaniHighlights5

February 2013 | With the highlights gone, Dani returns to her regular hair routine, giving it a chance to re-grow.

DaniHighlights6

June 2013 | One thing we both love about Jamez's cuts is that they grow out beautifully!

DaniHighlights7

July-August 2013 | Fast-forward to today, and she has regained most of the length she lost, and it's all healthy!

My sister talked to Jamez about how she could get highlights/color with relaxed hair, and he said it's possible with an experienced stylist.  The next time I see him I'll ask about how it can be done & will share his tips with you guys!

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Lauren

Current bunny lover & future dog owner, Lauren blogs about hair, beauty & other topics that interest her from the heart of Philadelphia's Midtown Village. Est. 2009

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3 Comments

  • Tynysia says: October 27, 2013 at 8:39 pm

    I just want to say that I totally agree with this post! i have lived it and lost half the hair on my head (from my ears down the bk of my neck). I was young and knew next to nothing about dying and relaxing hair. it took me over two years to grow my hair! and cried a lot. At the time my hair had been down past my shoulder the longest its been my whole life. After it grew out bk to the orginal length i then had to cut all the other hair down to make it even. it was a horrible horrible experience to go through and i hope no one else has to! I am happy to say that my hair is now almost to the middle of my back. I am also hoping to learn more about how to care for my hair through this site so i can keep my hair strong and style it as beautiful as Lauren herself and Dani. (who did a far better job then me pulling off short hair. Gorgeous)

    Reply
    • Lauren says: October 29, 2013 at 11:02 am

      Welcome!

      So sorry this happened to you, but happy to hear you’re back!

      Reply
  • Donnica says: October 12, 2013 at 3:13 pm

    This was a great story, very helpful and informative for someone who may be on the verge of making the same mistake. Gorgeous hair!!!!!! love love love

    Reply
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    About LaurenMechelle
    Current bunny lover & future dog owner, I blog about hair, beauty & other topics that interest me from the heart of Philadelphia's Midtown Village! Want to know more? Check out my About page, or just send me a quick email!

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