I'm Lindsay Ferrier, a Nashville writer with a passion for family travel, exploring Tennessee, and raising kids without losing my mind in the process. This is where I share my discoveries, along with occasional deep thoughts, pop culture tangents and a sprinkling of snark. Want to get in touch? Use the CONTACT form at the top of the page.
November 27, 2007
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“So I’m thinking of dyeing my hair again,” my 14-year-old stepdaughter told me the other day.
“Didn’t you just dye it two days ago?” I asked.
“Yeah, but I think it’s a lot redder on top than it is at the ends,” she explained. “I didn’t actually read the instructions first, so I um, did it wrong.”
“Ohhhhhh,” I exhaled. I’ve had a love affair with do-it-yourself hair dyeing ever since I was 17 and dyed my hair Fire Engine Red (to my mother’s horror). Since that time, I’ve dyed my naturally dark brown hair every shade of red known to man and even delved into ash and apricot blondes and highlights. My 14-year-old knew all of this very well. “You’ll want to wait at least a few weeks before you dye it again,” I concluded knowledgeably, “trust me.”
“I thought dyeing it darker made it shiny,” she said dubiously.
“It does, but it also dries it out in a major way,” I said. “Your hair needs time to recover. If you dye it again that quickly, it’ll be a frizzy, staticky mess.”
“Well, I think it’ll be okay,” she said. “Besides, I should have used two boxes anyway.”
“Oh no, you don’t need two boxes,” I said helpfully. “Even when my hair has been down to my waist, one box has actually been plenty. You just need to make sure every strand is saturated. And it will be.”
“Hmm,” she replied shortly. “I’m still thinking I’m going to use two boxes.”
I paused. So this was how it was going to be. Whom was I kidding, anyway? The whole situation was par for the course. Tell your teenager one thing and I swear to Jupiter, she will do the exact opposite.
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Well, whatever you do, don’t use any conditioner after you dye it. Especially not an ultra-intensive conditioner for extremely dry hair.” I thought for a minute. “And leave the dye on for a really, really long time. At least thirty minutes.” I could see the gears turning in her head. Go to supermarket for intensive conditioner, I imagined she was thinking. Wash out dye after ten minutes.
“And whatever you do, don’t clean your room or put your clean clothes away,” I continued quickly.
She paused and looked at me strangely. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
Damn. Foiled again.
This post originally appeared on Parents.com.
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