Color Me Bad!

Going bald has always been my greatest fear after I moved to New York. I used to have thick full fabulous hair when I was living in the Sunshine State. But, for some reason, my body (and habits) totally changed after my migration. Aside from dramatic hair lost, I have started to snore, drool (more), pick my nose in public, and got paler skin complexion.

Anyway, I have a thing for hair. I have been shop for hair products that will improve my hair growth, or even, covert my thin hair back into thicker, fuller hair. So far, I have found some products that worked quite nice.

The point is, I baby my hair very much.

However…

I have been thinking about changing my hair color for the longest time. For the last couple months, I have been wondering back and forth at the hair product section in grocery stores. But I have always afraid to use any chemical on my fragile scalp. I don’t want to cause too much damage to my hair/scalp, and end up with NO hair. It was not until 3 weeks ago, Paw and I went to shop for Haircolor (He wanted to dye his hair dark brown), I picked up a second box of dark reddish-brown haircolor.

“This one is for your back up, incase you need to ‘recharge’ your hair.� I said to Paw.

Paw looked at me with a grin on his face. He smiled.

“What you smiling for?�

He reached forward to grab the box from my hand.

“I’ll pay for this.� I said as I moved away from him.

That night, I helped Paw dying his hair.

“There are still a lot left.�

I held the plastic bottle containing the hair-damaging chemical to Paw.

He said that it would be a waste and asked me to pour the entire bottle on his head.

“But, you already got enough on your head!� I replied.

Out of the blue (uh huh, sure, yeah right), I suggested that I can use the rest of the bottle on my own hair.

So I did.

After I emptied the entire bottle, we sat in front of the television and start playing video games.

“You have to wait 15-20 minutes.� I reminded Paw.

He turned to me and said that he usually left it on his hair longer.

“This thing will burn your scalp! Do as instructed.�

Then he pointed at my hair.

“Your scalp turned red.�

That was when I felt the burning – itching sensation on the first layer of my scalp.

“Oh My Gosh. I’m sensitive to this sh*t!� I screamed as I ran into the restroom.

I turned on the water and dipped my head into the sink. (Do as instructed? Oh whatever!!)

After 2 minutes, I successfully rinsed the color out of my hair.

I walked out of the restroom, toward the TV, and then sat next to Paw.

“You don’t feel anything?�

“No.�

“Oh, good to be you.�

After 15 minutes, I sent Paw to the restroom to rinse his hair.

His hair turned out extremely good. Mine, on the other hand, turned some what dark-brownish. (Too dark, I had to see my hair up close in the mirror, under the yellow light, to see the ‘brown’ in it.)

Bitter sweet, was probably the best word to describe my feeling at that time. Yes. I did dyed my hair, but I was upset over the fact that my fragile scalp couldn’t handle the chemical. I was upset for the fact that my hair didn’t change much.

“I’m going to do it again.� I said to myself.

2 days after, still remembering the shock I had from my hair-dye, I walked into the local drug store during lunch hour.

While looking for some snacks, I ‘accidentally’ walked into the hair product section and ‘accidentally’ picked up a box of non-ammonia haircolor, and then ‘accidentally’ purchased it with my credit card. (Uh, yeah, it felt like, I was day dreaming. Uh huh. That’s right. I didn’t really want to buy the haircolor, really. It was an accident.)

(And you thought I was going to use that dark brown hair color? Well, honey, you are wrong. Dark Red/Purple shades all the way, baby!)

Later that night, I opened the little magical box containing the ingredient that will transform my hair and myself) into a total fairy. No. I mean, into a totally different person. (New Feeling, New Style. I love it!)

Without a second though, I applied the hair gel on my head.

Ammonia-Free, this should be safe right?

I timed myself. Stood in front of the mirror in the restroom, I waited.

“20 minutes� as I re-read the instruction to myself.

Gradually, the gel on my hair start to change into a dark shade of red.

I waited some more.

Then… this happened.

Afraid that my scalp would burn, I rinsed my hair after the initial 5 minutes.

The result?

Up close to the mirror, under the yellow light, I noticed that my hair turned ‘slightly’ red. It was extremely difficult to tell if there have been any changes to the color.

I was bitter sweet again.

Why did I rinse out the color so early? I didn’t feel any burn?

Is it because I didn’t want to end up looking like Ronald McDonald?

Is it because I have not seen any Asian men at work with ‘dyed’ hair?

Is it because I’m afraid that people at work will look at me funny?

I couldn’t answer myself.

The next day, I ‘accidentally’ bought myself a box of low-ammonia haircolor.

“My, what a beautiful shade of Dark PURPLE!�

That is what I said to myself that night, in front of the mirror.

Following the instruction, I mixed the flora-scented chemicals together.

“Low Ammonia, this shouldn’t do much damage.� I assured myself as I squeezed the gel onto my hair.

Slowly, I watched the gel turned pink. It didn’t look like the color appearing on the box. But I assure myself, that the real color will come out after I rinse the hair.

So I waited.

And waited.

“15 minutes. That is all I need. 15 minutes�

Then I saw the roots of my hair turned pink.

Then I saw the surface of my scalp turned pink.

Oh My Gawd!

I waited for a total of 8 minutes before I dipped my head into the sink.

While I was waiting for my hair to dry, I noticed the following words on the haircolor box

“Now you can permanently enhance and brighten your own natural hair color without dramatically changing your color.�

Is that why under the yellow restroom light, my hair turned dramatically brownish red. But after I stepped into the room, under regular light, my hair turned back to black.

I was feeling bitter. (not sweet)

This is not satisfying me.

Do I have shine a flash up at my hair whenever I want people to notice my hair?

Do I have to walk into the restroom (with yellow light blab) to see the change to my hair?

This is great, NO one will suspect that I have a different shade of hair! Including myself!

I want this. No. I don’t want this. Ah….

However, I decided to stop dying my hair, at least, until I grown out all the ‘color-enhanced’ hair.

Which, would probably took me 2-3 months before I can dye my hair again.

I really don’t want to create further damage to my scalp. Where the roots already have been ‘soaked’ by chemicals.

“This is it, Wayne. You will never be happy with whatever color you got. You have tried it, and you are not getting the result. It is time to stop, before you turned bald.�

Then after a week, I ‘accidentally’ walked into a drug store again and bought myself a non-ammonia haircolor. (another dark red-shade color)

I didn’t know why, but I couldn’t help myself.

I went home, took off my clothes and walked into the restroom.

Repeat the routine that I have been cautiously doing during the last couple weeks, it didn’t took me too long before I got all the color gel on my hair.

I stood in front of the familiar mirror, watched the familiar hair gel turned into a familiar shade of dark red that looked exactly like what it appeared on the box.

Good. I felt a lot safer.

So I waited.

And waited.

Then…

The thought of me turning bald, forced me to dip my head in the sink and rinse my hair.

I waited for a total of 10 minutes this time.

The result, my hair didn’t change much. But up close and personal against the mirror (under any light), I can tell that my hair is no longer black.

Another thing that I noticed, was that my hair don’t ‘shine’ under the light. (The glow from the previous dye went bye bye!)

I took out the haircolor box out of the trash can, and found the following:

“It enhances your hair color, adds texture, but does not lighten the hair…�

Oh My Dear GAWD. Do I really have to use one of those Ammonia-Intense Haircolor to get the result that I want ?!

I’ve dyed my hair 4 times with this month.

Oh My Gawd.

What have I done?!

Coloring Recap:

Original Hair- Black.

Color #1- Feria by L’Oreal: French Roast #45 (Level 3 / Permanent Color – Contains Ammonia)

Color #2- Natural Instinct by Clairol: Egyptian Plum - Burgundy Brown #90 (Level 2/ Last up to 24 Washes – Ammonia Free)

Color #3 – Lumia by Garnier: Plum Orchid #32 (Level 3 / Permanent Hair color, Gives the hair a light-reflecting shade without changing the original hair color – Low Ammonia)

Color #4 – ColorSpa by L’Oreal: Caution Red #13 (Level 2 / Last up to 28 Washes – Ammonia Free, enhances the hair without lighten it.)

It has been 5 days since the coloring, and I have been using regular shampoo for my hair. The shampoo indeed, altered and washed out some shades. My hair is no longer black or dark brown now. Want to guess what color is my hair now?

(FANNY, is that why you kept on looking at my hair last night?)