These days, it seems like every Black girl is dyeing her hair. From honey blonde to penny copper to the perfect shade of brown to match your skin tone, the girls are having fun with color. It can instantly transform your look and, in my case, symbolize the start of a new chapter in life.
A little over a year ago, I was going through a life transition as I committed fully to my creative work. I felt compelled to cement my new identity aesthetically and had been toying with the idea of dyeing my hair for the first time. However, growing up I had always heard it would ruin your curls and guarantee irreparable breakage.
As such, I steered clear of color out of fear of ruining all the hard work I put into growing and maintaining my tresses, though I was often tempted by the mesmerizing hues adorned by both friends and beauty icons alike. Then I met my colorist, Lucille Javier, whose expertise with textured hair and commitment to keeping it healthy gave me the confidence I needed to take a leap of faith. Now a year later, here’s what I’ve learned about coloring and caring for natural hair.
My Natural Hair Journey
I’ve always been a relatively low maintenance natural. It might sound boring to some, but I’ve been married to my weekly wash and go for years, only straying for seasonal knotless braids, which I am currently on a six month hiatus from to preserve my edges. Additionally, I rarely if ever use direct heat. My tightly coiled and curly, fine, high-porosity hair thrives with low manipulation styles and frequent cleansing and conditioning.
Other than a very brief stint with a relaxer for about eight months when thirteen, that left hair falling out in chunks, I have been chemical free ever since. From high school onward, I was a DIY girl, making my own flax seed gel and concocting avocado and coconut oil deep conditioner in the kitchen that also found a home in my shower drain (apologies to my parents). These days, I forgo home remedies for professionally formulated products and keep my routine simple, prioritizing hydrating, lightweight leave-ins and botanical gels that won’t weigh my hair down or cause buildup.
A Step Into Color
Still, the decision to dye my hair wasn’t one I made lightly. My past forays into chemical processing had been traumatizing, to say the least, and I didn’t have anyone to look to who had healthy, color-treated hair. After connecting with Javier, whose intentionality in caring for the health of your hair first, my perspective changed.
Ranked as one of New York’s best colorists, she’s been doing hair for over 18 years and has worked with some of the industry’s best talent including famed stylist, Lacy Redway. She’s known for bold transformations and is committed to achieving the look you want while maintaining the health and integrity of your hair. After our first consultation, and seeing her extensive work on textured clients, I felt confident she was the right person for me.
A few weeks, and hours spent curating a Pinterest board of inspo photos in consultation with Javier later, I was ready for my first color process. I wanted a warm, brown tone to brighten my frame but that would also grow out subtly without the need for frequent root touch-ups. The dyeing process felt quite similar to getting a relaxer, as far as how it is applied to the hair, minus the burning scalp and stinging eyes. We did a single process and after followed with an intense repairing treatment to nourish my curls.
This was the part I was most nervous about. I decided to style my hair myself in my tried and true wash-and-go to properly assess the state of my hair. My anxiety was preparing (tormenting?) me for the worst but to my surprise, I didn’t see or feel any change in the texture and curl pattern of my hair. Javier had mentioned that hair dye technology had advanced significantly and was nowhere near as damaging as it was in the past, and my results concurred. Now, after a year of bi-monthly root touch ups and gradual lightening, my hair remains healthy and curls are fully intact.
What To Know Before Trying Color
Professionals Know Best: It is always best to go to someone who is licensed and has in-depth experience to ensure the health of your hair. At home box dye is nowhere near as precise as an in salon treatment where your colorist can customize it for your hair texture, porosity, and base color.
Consider Your Lifestyle: Heat, tension, and long periods between wash days can further compromise already delicate strands. Javier recommends consulting with your stylist first to gauge if your hair can handle color.
Curls Hide Color: Straight hair shows color better than curly. When stretched, my hair appears 2-3 shades lighter. If you want a lighter lift on your hair, but mostly wear it curly keep that in mind.
No Bleach Necessary: For most hair, bleach is only necessary to go full blonde and that is what really causes intense damage. You can achieve a significant lift without the need for the extra harsh chemicals.
Oxidation and Sun: Time and exposure to sun will gradually lighten your hair. Whatever color you achieve after your first process will lighten with time, especially in the summer.
Dryness Is Inevitable: Your hair will be dryer but as long as you keep up a solid routine, you should be fine. I never go more than a week without washing my hair and deep condition every wash, prioritizing clarifying and hydrating shampoos to keep my strands healthy.
Heat or Color: Ideally, you should pick heat or color because together they can be a recipe for disaster. Both the process of coloring and heat styling breaks down the bonds that keep your hair healthy and strong.
Never Skip Wash Day: Deep conditioning and bond repair are a must. Fully saturating your hair with water is the best way to hydrate it, so I make sure to never go more than a week without washing. I also use a bond building treatment every few washes to repair and strengthen.
If you are considering dyeing your hair, I say go for it as long as you are working with an experienced professional and are ready for the additional maintenance. Just over a year in, I’m falling in love with my color more and more each day and I’m pretty much convinced it grew out of my scalp like this. Maybe this is how Beyonce feels as a natural blonde.
