I Lightened my Too-Dark Henna with Sun-In (Yes, really.) VERY pic heavy!!

**NurseMama** · January 29th, 2009, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Nightshade

It would be nice if the Sun-In package was more specific

The conditioner/Peroxide and heat would be an interesting test. I know Iris mentioned that when she tried peroxide she got a sightly green effect on the hair, so I'd be keen to see what results you get with peroxide + heat.

Gah! Green is a little scary. Thank goodness for the strand test.

Originally Posted by Heidi_234

From what Iris told me, hydrogen peroxide + conditioner didn't work much. The greenish cast she reported was probably due to the hendigo she had. In my peroxided hairball wasn't much green effect, it's light brown with blond streaks.

Did you see any lightening in your peroxided hairball? What volume of peroxide did you use, how long, and what concentration if you cut it with condish? Did you apply heat?

Thanks!

**iris** · January 29th, 2009, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by NurseMama

Nightshade,

I am wondering if there is something about Sun In and the heat process itself that helps lighten or if 20-30V peroxide mixed with condish would have a similar effect? I have peroxide and I will be trying that out on a strand this week once I get a big enough hairball, but it occurred to me that it might not work without heat. A bonnet dryer would be ideal, but as I don't have one of those I was thinking about breaking out the hairdryer. Right now I am really wishing that the Sun In package stated what type of peroxide that it contains!

Several of us in the old henna removal thread found that conditioner made peroxide way less effective.

Also, 20-30vol peroxide really does a lot more damage than plain old 10vol household peroxide, in my experience. And it isn't even that much faster - with 40vol it worked only twice as fast for me, but the damage was horrible at 40vol, while with 10 vol and twice the time I got no visible damage.

The method I used was 10 vol household peroxide, no heat, applied in several sessions adding up to about 36 hours total. (I was really trying to get rid of the henna).

If you're going to try with plain peroxide, do lots of strand tests. Without heat, it takes a long, long time to work - on my hair it was about 10 hours to get to orange, another 10-15 hours to get to a dark dirty-looking yellow. Hours. With 10vol=3% peroxide.

It goes in stages - seems like nothing happens for 10 hours, then boom it's orange, then another 10 hours nothing, then boom dark yellow. Trying to lighten beyond dark yellow resulted in completely fried, unsalvable, mushy hair. Be careful.

**Heidi_234** · January 29th, 2009, 08:25 AM

Originally Posted by NurseMama

Did you see any lightening in your peroxided hairball? What volume of peroxide did you use, how long, and what concentration if you cut it with condish? Did you apply heat?

Thanks!

Here's a picture of my hairball as opposed to my hair (ie starting color):

I used 3% (10 vol) hydrogen peroxide people got at home for cleaning wounds/cuts. 3% means it's diluted in distilled water 3 peroxide parts to 97 water, I didn't dilute it any further. Also I didn't add anything, nor conditioner, neither oil pre-treatment as ktani recommends to reduce damage.
I soaked it in the liquid for at least 10 hours, and there was significant lightening already. I kept it in the liquid some more, but I don't think it lighten much more after, so roughly it took 10 hours to do the job. I didn't intentionally applied heat, but sometimes it was in warmed surrounding, when my desk lamp was on. But I don't think it made much difference.
I must warn you, I'm not sure the hairs are in good shape. I pulled one of the hairs by both ends and it snapped rather easily. So I can't vouch for the safety of this to the hair.

**NurseMama** · January 29th, 2009, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by Heidi_234

Here's a picture of my hairball as opposed to my hair (ie starting color):

I used 3% (10 vol) hydrogen peroxide people got at home for cleaning wounds/cuts. 3% means it's diluted in distilled water 3 peroxide parts to 97 water, I didn't dilute it any further. Also I didn't add anything, nor conditioner, neither oil pre-treatment as ktani recommends to reduce damage.
I soaked it in the liquid for at least 10 hours, and there was significant lightening already. I kept it in the liquid some more, but I don't think it lighten much more after, so roughly it took 10 hours to do the job. I didn't intentionally applied heat, but sometimes it was in warmed surrounding, when my desk lamp was on. But I don't think it made much difference.
I must warn you, I'm not sure the hairs are in good shape. I pulled one of the hairs by both ends and it snapped rather easily. So I can't vouch for the safety of this to the hair.

Okay, you just convinced me to try Sun In instead. I was thinking incorrectly that the Sun In would be more damaging because of the application of heat, but it appears that I was mistaken.

**Heidi_234** · January 29th, 2009, 08:37 AM

Do strand tests, and you'll see for yourself what seems more hair friendly. It would be interesting experiment.

**Scrofula** · January 29th, 2009, 08:42 AM

Oh my!! Beautiful hair to begin with but I am amazed at the colour transformation...awesome work Nightshade

**ktani** · January 29th, 2009, 09:26 AM

51 reviews of Sun-In, http://www.buzzillions.com/dz_990136..._fl_oz_reviews. They run the gamut from no damage to a little damage to very
damaged hair.

Bottom line IMO, one needs to do exactly what Nighshade, iris and I have all said and use caution when using peroxide/bleach.

I believe that coconut and argan oils can help prevent peroxide/bleach free radical damage and the reports on coconut oil used as a pre treatment support this, http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...&postcount=248.

However, frequency and amounts of conventional hair lightening chemicals must be considered carefully.

**NurseMama** · January 29th, 2009, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by Heidi_234

Do strand tests, and you'll see for yourself what seems more hair friendly. It would be interesting experiment.

If I can collect enough hair I will test the peroxide/condish, household peroxide, and Sun In. I have been reading the old henna lightening thread and there is a lot of great information in there!