Color Match And Fading. Please Help Me!

[Mantis Toboggan]

Hey gang,

So im a typical lurker seriously considering getting a system. Ive been losing my hair since my late teens, im 28 now. Luckily its been slow, and concealers have been my friend the last few years. Now im at the point where they dont cut it. I wish i could just shave my head but i had craniosynostosis as a kid and have a weird shaped head. It would look bad. So my only options are hair transplant or a system....... I feel ive learned alot through this forum and youtube videos (mainly mhe). I still have a concern about systems though.

My biggest worry is the color not matching in the sun because of it fading. I have dark hair so a red tint would be very noticable. Here are my questions......

1. How long does it take to fade? Dont tell me the generic answer of it depends how long you are in the sun... im looking for how long do you go on average before the fade is noticable based on personal experience.

2. How do you fix the fading?.. if you can

3. Would it look weird/noticable if i periodicaly dyed my system and hair so the color matches?

Thanks guys!

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Also, does anyone know of a place in rochester ny thatll do a cut in if i buy a system?

 

[Noah]

Hi MT

I get around 5 months from a system, and during that length of time I am able to keep the colour match intact without dyeing. I do use colour-correcting shampoo/conditioner, and I am meticulous about using a sunscreen. I also use a hat if I am going to be in the sun all day. For full disclosure: I have fair hair, and I live in a temperate climate where it is not baking sunshine most of the year. But I am quite an outdoors person and I don't baby my systems, except for the sunscreen. Hopefully that gives you an idea.

Dyeing a system is difficult. A good system (like a natural head of hair) is not made with a single hair colour, but with a blend of similar tones. If you dye it, you lose that subtlety, and therefore you lose some of the naturalness. Also it is hard to dye system hair and growing hair together, because system hair has had its cuticle removed, so it soaks up the colour far faster. Unless you are going to dye everything 100% jet black it is hard to get a match. But a 100% jet black head of hair can in itself look somewhat unnatural - like a cheap costume wig. So it is better to get a good match to begin with and try to maintain it with sunscreen, colour-correcting products etc.

Hope this helps.

Noah

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Ok thanks, that was helpful!
What brand color correcting shampoo do you use? And any special sunscreen?

 

[Noah]

This is the sunscreen I am using, although there are lots of brands equally good. For colour correcting shampoos and conditioners have a look at the Hair Direct site and search for "colour management". They have a good choice. My brand wouldn't suit you, because I have fair hair.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Cool, thanks for the input! How often do you guys use back2natural in your routine? And do you use it right away on your new system or wait?

 

[Noah]

The system should be a perfect match at the start. The colour correctors are to maintain that match by reversing any sun damage, so you use them when you spot any colour mismatch occurring. There was a very detailed technical discussion of this a few weeks ago, but essentially black hair develops a red tinge as a result of sun damage, and the corrector damps the red out by applying green to it (the colour at the opposite end of the colour wheel). Fair hair goes greenish, and you apply purple corrector to it.

How often depends how much you are in the sun and whether you use sunscreen etc. I find once a month is enough for me.

 

[TooBad]

The system should be a perfect match at the start. The colour correctors are to maintain that match by reversing any sun damage, so you use them when you spot any colour mismatch occurring. There was a very detailed technical discussion of this a few weeks ago, but essentially black hair develops a red tinge as a result of sun damage, and the corrector damps the red out by applying green to it (the colour at the opposite end of the colour wheel). Fair hair goes greenish, and you apply purple corrector to it.

How often depends how much you are in the sun and whether you use sunscreen etc. I find once a month is enough for me.

Are you sure purple is used to cancel out green? I believe red is opposite on the color wheel. I use a lighter (18) system and run into this problem. If your experience shows purple is better, I will give it a go.

 

[Mantis Toboggan]

Thanks for the knoledge noah!

I couldnt find any green color correcting shampoo, only blue. If anyone has a green color correcting shampoo ( as in puts green in your hair to get rid of red tones) let me know

 

[TooBad]

Thanks for the knoledge noah!

I couldnt find any green color correcting shampoo, only blue. If anyone has a green color correcting shampoo ( as in puts green in your hair to get rid of red tones) let me know

The hairdirect Brand is green.