Best Colourant for Asian Hair

What is the best colourant for Asian hair?
Since most of us have black hair, its hard to lighten it without going for bleaching.
I have this problem all the time. Its hard to get the shade that you want
SO???

Why any Asian woman would want to color her hair is beyond me. With few exceptions, you are the luckiest women in the world. Your natural color is beautiful and envied by many.

In order to lighten asian hair any lighter than 2-3 shades you will need to use bleach. This rule is true with any haircolor level, wether it be a blonde or brunette. Keep in mind the levels that hair goes through while lifting. (blue to darkred to red to red-orange to orange to orange yellow to yellow to light yellow to white). The starting point depends on the level of lightness or darkness in ones hair. such as a med-brown may start at the red-orang e stage and a dark blonde may start at the orange -yellow stage.

Knowing the end result you are wishing for can help tremediously in giving you the best advice.

hmm lilibeach i cant seem to read your post today
what happened
can i have someone with a more "open view" on hair colouring
Karen...............

Hi claribuzz,

If you want to use a single-process color on virgin, natural hair, semi-perm. color would give you some nice subtle highlights like in burgundy or auburn but black will still be dominant.

It's important you to do strand tests. I heard that Herbal Essences and Hydrience (dunno if available in Malaysia) dark reds would make asian black hair slightly reddish but less black. Also, any very light blond single process you use, including hi-lift color, might make virgin, un-dyed black hair orangey or bronzey at best. MC Max by Clairol also works with black hair but slightly.

Like Lilibeach explained, in my past experience, if I wanted to go any lighter like a light brown or highlights, bleach is the only way because it opens the cuticle and absorbs the color better. Bleaching's a must if hair's already colored by single process, or a color remover if re-coloring a different color in the same level.

I wish there's a magic formula that makes asian hair easily changed with hair dyes, but there isn't any. Asian hair is not like Caucasian hair at all. It's true that natural, shiny black hair is so beautiful in itself BUT if it doesn't look good on the person overall in appearance, then another color is better. It depends on the person's personality, facial features and lifestyle. Black hair is more "serious & innocent-pure" while asian person with dyed brown hair is "neutral in temper & warm", red hair "fun & daring", and finally an asian person with blond hair is "sexy & wild." It's all in the perception but those "labels" aren't entirely true...just loosely interpreted. On some people, natural black hair is so beautiful, while on others, brown, red or blond hair look more striking. It all depends on the individual. When I had natural black hair, it is beautiful itself but in other colors they made me happier.

Sorry there's no magic answer. :)

thanks beachgurl for the OPEN view, and thank you lilibeach.
oh well its worth a shot to ask
i guess i'll just stick to the single process. It is much easier with out making my hair way to noticible.
Is it true with darker jair you need to leave the haircolour longer?
I also had a problem with colouring over my already coloured hair. Like i had golden brown hair and i wanted to colour it blue black. The golden brown still shows.
Is there anything that I can do to make my coloured hair received colured better?

Do you have Clairol, Garnier or MC Max products in where you live? Clairol Natural Instincts Exotic Amazon Indigo semi-permanent color does a great job on making your hair truly blue-black and works best on previously dyed hair. I also heard Garnier Lumia Black Iris and MC Max Blue Onyx are other great permanent blue-black dyes. You could order online if there is none in your area.

I dont shop online :(
I dont have a credit card
I dont think those line are available here.
But you said something about semi permanent beachgurl. Does semi covers the previously coloured hair better than permanents?

Hi claribuzz, usually, semi-perm. colors works better on previously dyed hair but almost less effective on natural, virgin hair. :) Something about getting inside the hair cuticle and staying in there permanently but natural, virgin hair hasn't opened the hair cuticles yet (make more porous).

Hi Beachgerl.... I like your haircolor, I get highlights all the time and am thinking of getting the color you have now... Did you get it done? Can I ask where? I live in the South Bay area, so it is not too far from where you at.

I want to give it a try but I am a little afraid of the damage it will do to my hair.

I like your name... are you familiar with Hermosa Beach? I go there every weekend for my walks...

Anyway, hope you get back to me... thanks!

[QUOTE=CrazyGirl] Hi Beachgerl.... I like your haircolor, I get highlights all the time and am thinking of getting the color you have now... Did you get it done? Can I ask where? I live in the South Bay area, so it is not too far from where you at.

I want to give it a try but I am a little afraid of the damage it will do to my hair.

I like your name... are you familiar with Hermosa Beach? I go there every weekend for my walks...

Anyway, hope you get back to me... thanks!
[/QUOTE]
Hi CrazyGirl! First of all, let me compliment on your picture, it's beautiful hair you have there. I don't know if you're willing to make such drastic color change because you have beautiful hair. I don't know if you're willing to do that and, for this kind of drastic color change (from dark hair to blonde), it's better to have it done at a salon. There's one good place I know in Burbank called Kim International Hair & Nail Salon.

That girl in icon is not me, that is Sanoe Lake of "Blue Crush." I believe she has level 8 beige blonde highlights. For asians, skintone is very important. Beige, champagne or neutral blonde colors are usually best colors for asian skintone, avoid anything ashy or golden.

Right now I have light brown hair with beige/neutral blond streaks around my face. I used to be platinum and light blonde, but that was too high maintenance and damaging, so I just dyed back dark, then I decided to go a medium/light brown with medium blond streaks. A happy medium for me. :)

BTW, yes, I love the beach hence my nick! I've been to Hermosa Beach, very cool place for hang out, but also to Malibu and Zuma Beaches.

Beachgerl -

I remember seeing your picture on one of the posts sometime ago, when you had platinum (I think), it's one of those posts where people asked if Blondes look good on Asians (something to that effect). All I can say is, you pulled it off! Not many asians looked good with that haircolor!

Thanks for the compliment I probably won't go blonde, I think I will be sticking to highlights. That is why it's always good to ask someone with experience you know?!?!

Sorry about the pic, I haven't seen the movie.

I'll try to take a newer pic, my hair is lighter. I would love to see yours, if you don't mind.