Hair dye recommendation specifically for Gingers who are going grey

[DunkyWhorey]

I used to be Tatty Devine by the way, I namechanged, but under that name I used to contribute to lots of threads about hair colour, particularly home hair colouring and home colouring but with professional dyes.

Over the past year or so I've been trying to achieve the perfect shade of ginger that is more ginger than it is brown, but not too dark, but not TOO ginger, such that it looks very unnatural.

I experimented a bit with various shades of intense copper and the like but have decided that the best shade of ginger, the most natural close to "real ginger" is more gold that it is copper, but does have a copper contingent, but no mahogany, no brown, and no "red" as such - just mainly gold with a bit of copper. Think Bianca Jackson in Eastenders (Patsy Palmer) but perhaps slightly darker if you are working from a darker base.

Anyway, you can't buy it in a shop, its professional only, and any gingers going grey who want to cover it can try this, do a strand test by all means before you slap it on all over.

Majirel 8.34

Buy a 50ml tube of it (eBay) and buy a bottle of 6% (20 volume) peroxide (any brand).

Mix the 50ml tube with 75ml of the peroxide which will yield 125ml, enough to cover most hair unless its very long or very thick.

Mix it well, let it sit for a few minutes, slap it on, development time is 35 minutes. Add water, emulsify (lather up) then rinse out, shampoo, condition, dry, and admire your natural looking ginger hair.

Do do a strand test though. To do a strand test, raid your plastic measuring spoons in the kitchen and measure out 1/2 teaspoon of the tube dye and mix 3/4 teaspoon of peroxide to make a small amount to do a strand test with. Find some hair (perhaps at the side but well buried, try and find your greyest or lightest bit), snip it off, secure with a sticky label, paint the dye on, wrap in turkey foil, put it somewhere warm (down ya bra is good or under your laptop! - or airing cupboard!) to emulate a warm head environment, leave it for 35 minutes, rinse it, dry it, and observe it in natural light. If it looks scary, don't do it.

Let me know how you go, anyone who tries it! There was a regular, was it Trillian Astra? Tethersend? I can't remember, sorry, who asked about ginger and I had mentioned 7.4 or 7.43 but I now am of the belief that more gold, and a lighter base is more natural and better for dying greys so give it a try if you are yet to find your ideal natural ginger shade!

Majirel 8.34

20 volume (6%) peroxide

Oh yeah and get some latex gloves.

Thanks for this, have been debating what to do with increasing greys and the fact my red hair seems to have gone brown!

Will give it a go when I feel brave!

Do you do recommendations for dark brown hair?!

Thanks Dunky.

How do you get the very last traces of ginger out of white hair?

What like natural ginger or ginger that you dyed your white hair with?

It has been bleached from years of dark brown to pure white but there is the oldest remains of the dark brown which has now turned a very pale ginger.

Hmm that's tricky. Its unlikely you will get any more lift out of it if its been bleached up from dark brown, so I would just keep toning, have you tried a purple coloured shampoo? Lee Stafford Hot Shots or Beach Blonde range from boots is as good as any. If you've done that there's not a lot else you can do, I wouldn't risk a re-bleach, the purple should tone it down a bit though...

Ray of Sun - dark brown hair you say - I wouldn't go lower than a level 5. A lot of people with dark brown hair have trouble with box dyes off the shelf because they either build up to a nearly black colour or they fade a mahogany/ginger/reddish tone which many people dont like.

If that's your beef I wouldn't go any darker than a level 5 and I'd keep any mahogany ginger or red tones out of it, and would recommend you mix Majirel 5 with Majirel 5.3 (which has a golden reflect, but gold, not red, and not copper or mahogany either so it won't fade ginger but it will look natural).

So if you mixed 2 tablespoons of this with 2 tablespoons of this and then mix 6 tablespoons (or 90ml) of this then you would have 150ml of a lovely medium chocolate colour to use which would not fade ginger and will cover grey a treat but isn't so dark that it will build up too much causing the Pauline Prescott Effect

As a greying Ginger, I love you more than words can say.

Thanks!

No worries, Tethers it was you! Glad we found each other!!! Give it a go!

I've been using Loreal Feria in the Mango Intense Copper shade for the best part ofg 6 months and although permanent, it does seem to 'wash up' a little to a nice natural auburny colour. However, in saying that i don't know how it would take on a full head of grey hair, but i suspect it won't be too long before i find out as i can see strands of 'silver' coming through!

Hi Delta. Yep, that's a fairly good shade, and the closest thing to a pure ginger/copper that you can buy as a box dye off the shelf. Basically, in terms of colour numbering Mango is a 7.4 - the seven is for depth and the 4 is for the primary tone, 4 stands for copper.

So with the 8.34, the 8 stands for depth (so its a good shade "less" or lighter), the 3 stands for Gold and the 4 stands for copper. So its a lighter depth, with Gold as its primary tone, and copper as its "reflect" or secondary tone.

In terms of covering white, the 8.34 is a much "safer" option as I'd imagine the Mango could be a bit intense in terms of the copper - in fact I have used it myself and its a great shade on its own, but if you want to touch up roots and you have white hairs to deal with you can really find it start to build up - gets a bit purpley after a few coatings!

Its a great shade though. Great for light brown haired people who want to go "auburn" in a true sense because they are adding pure copper but not lifting terribly high which gives a lovely auburn hue.

this is brilliant if you have julianne more type colour. Very natural and shiny and really lasts I only have a couple of greys but i use it about 3 times a year for teh gloss and intensity and condition.

Is there a way that you can colour the greys but not the bits that aren't grey? (hopeless, deluded, ginger speaking!)

Thanks Dunky.

Will hit Boots and try the toners.

noddy - which one of the nice 'n' easys do you use? Sounds perfect. Do you find you get visible regrowth?

this one A couple of odd grey hairs appear after about 10 weeks-ish. Its so natural as it is exactly my colour so no one has ever noticed it

Thanks, Noddy. That is not a million miles from my colour either. Will check it out.

Ok - just to throw a huge spanner in the works.....

When I had my colours done (deep summer) my info pack said that we gingers look better ran anyone else with grey hair....

That's my story and the lazy me is sticking to it :)

Ooh a summer ginger!

I'm a Paintbox Spring.

I know of a strawberry blonde winter though so there you go.

Agree that gingers look fine with grey - I'm not a natural ginger though so I'm buying shares in Loreal before too long with my dying frenzy!

So deep summer, are you good in the dusky pinks and muted blues and sheeeeet?

My hair is more strawberry blonde than ginger I suppose. Have never had colours done not my thing at all but have always suited a light (fake) tan and find when I am looking my best any colour bar neon ok.

Not really DunkyW, more deep plum/ burgundy/ air force blue and the like. Much darker than I'd ever worn before.

Ah like Winter (jewel) colours with a splash of milk? That's what my deep summer friends say.