OK girls, here is my dilemma. I started going prematurely gray at 23, started coloring at 27 (apparently it runs in families, my mother is prematurely gray but both my sisters missed out).

Now, I have been buying clairol nice n easy mainly because they are the only ones I can find locally that are also close to my hair color; cool blonde. Which, by the way, does not turn out blonde on me but a light brown. That's fine but the color fades pretty quickly, ending up reddish and within 3 weeks roots are showing.

Anybody have any tricks to keep the roots from coming out so quickly, short of recoloring?

Also, brown spots on my face (long term birth control use gives you brown spots ). Should I try the skin whiteners on my brown patches? Those kinda give me the creeps tho. What about lemon juice? Or is that damaging too? I have really great skin otherwise and don't want to do any damage just for the sake of some almost unnoticeable brown patches.

Girls, feel free to post your own girly questions too!

Hi SBK

I have exactly the same problem. Found my first grey hair in Mrs Maces maths class at 16 years of age. How devastating!

Anyway, back to your (our) problem. I have to do the same thing. Only I have been putting in dark colours in my hair, so end up looking like a skunk before the end of the month!

After a long consultation with my hair dresser back in Australia last week, the only solution is to change to a lighter colour, and put in highlights rather than a straight colour, which will lessen the severity of the re-growth.

Sucks, hey?

If anyone knows of some sort of hair growth inhibitor, I would love to know what it is and where I can get it. I think it is on sale for other parts of the body in Australia, but would be hesitant in plastering the stuff all over my scalp. Yuk.

As for the skin - hmmm...dunno about that one. I can ask my beauty girlies tomorrow and get back to you on that.

Donna.

It is a bummer. I have gone as light as possible without going blond (something my husband vehemently opposes). Highlights would be good but I don't trust the local beauticians with my hair and frankly, highlights don't last that long in my hair anyway. It kind of highlights itself after awhile.

The skin isn't too noticeable --or from what I hear, only noticeable to myself. Not much of a worry really, just curious. It's the hair that really gets me.

Hmmm... Ko Pha Ngan is hardly the hub of beauty, hey? All my friends there are Thai so I can't help you there.

I will PM you a number of a girlfriend on Samui and she may have an idea where you can go on Samui for highlights.

Actually Boo told me about a woman in Chaweng (whom I went to and liked) but getting over to Samui can be a trek for me (boat schedules don't run to my timing unfortunately). Especially when I need it done every 3 weeks. Also, to be honest, I have lived so long doing for myself I have a hard time letting myself have it done for me! I think I have lived a life of privation too long and need to learn how to pamper myself again

sbk,

Donna is right about highlights / streaks - your roots don't show a much. I'm naturaly mid to dark brown but have blondie / red streaks (or foils as we call them in UK) and only have to have them redone about every 3 months. I realise that there won't be anywhere on Pha Ngan to get this done, but you can buy home kits nowadays and I believe they are quite good. Herbal Essences do one. Maybe a bulk buying session next trip to BKK? Or, can you get mail order there? I think there is a Boots the Chemist in BKK - perhaps they will send it? If you want to try some and you get stuck, I'm heading over to Samui shortly for a few months and don't mind bringing you a pack.

Kate

or else, SBK use the boots in Samui on Chaweng beach road.

SBK:

on the skincare thing, let me think this one out. I think I must of been a skin care guru in another life

But in all seriousness, for now, I think the lemon juice may be a bit too harsh for long term use. What you might consider researching and investing in is a good Vitamin C serum. It reduces spots and revitalizes your skin. On the low budget side, cocoa butter and Vitamin E oil is great for holding back any tendency toward skin discoloration. However, it is virtually impossible to find cocoa butter in Thailand, but I have come across some products in Kuala Lumpur.

Don't the Thai girls swear by seaweed masks? Could be wrong there, but I think that's the one.

Forgot to check today but will do tomorrow.

Yes, but do Boots have highlight kits?? I have done it before but it always comes out kinda orange (I come from a family of redheads--must still be in the hair somehow) --usually (when I am in the US) I do the highlights and then color with a semi-permanent (that way the highlights are still brownish but lighter than my other hair). All I have ever found here is permanent hair color which tends to just make the hair a uniform color.

Vitamin C serum? I might check around in Thong Sala, it's amazing the number of skin care products you can get but not hair! Although they do have bleaching kits for Asians, do you think that would work for highlighting as long as I colored over the top?

Be careful! Bleaching kits for Asians are extremely strong. It takes a high power bleach to bring hair from black/very dark brown to blonde. If your natural hair color is brown or blonde, using one of these kits could damage your hair to the point that it breaks off.

This happened to a friend of mine - all she wanted were highlights - and she's still trying to grow it all back!

About the age spots, my doctor in Canada recommended a cream which has worked very well for me, don't know if you can get it here, maybe on-line order? Here's the info:

It's called

Reversa/ UV

anti-spot lightening cream. with Glycolic acid + botanical extract.

Made by

Dermtek Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Montreal, Canada. No website or email info on the jar

re the grey hair, I finally had it with roots and let the grey grow in! I've been here 4 weeks and have had 2 strangers tell me they love it! It's so liberating to not worry about it all the time.

Good luck, let me know if you can find that Reversa here, I'll be needing more eventually! When visitors come to Bangkok, I can get some brought over, also.

Ooh, thanks for the warning, don't think my husband would go for the bald patchy look!

Reversa UV, is it over the counter or prescription? I go back to the US every year so will keep an eye out for it when I go home next. But your spot cream is definitely not a whitening cream then, huh? personally, that stuff scares the heck out of me.

Ooh, thanks for the warning, don't think my husband would go for the bald patchy look!

Reversa UV, is it over the counter or prescription? I go back to the US every year so will keep an eye out for it when I go home next. But your spot cream is definitely not a whitening cream then, huh? personally, that stuff scares the heck out of me.

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It's an over the counter face cream, they also have eye cream, which I use. It's a moisturizer, not a whitening cream at all, don't know if you can get it in the states, the only place I've seen it is Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

Goodluck!

Take note that the slight darkening of facial skin in blotches can frequently be due to a mild fungal infection. Treat with Canesten cream, applied twice daily for a fortnight and it should go away.

I was flicking through an Australian mag today and found an ad for a cream that seems to do exactly what you want. It can be used for lightening marks caused by hormones, as yours seem to be.

Anyway, you can log on to johnplunkett.com.au and have a look. I have not looked at the website yet, but the prices are really reasonable. Only AUD$20 for a bottle of the stuff. Results in 6 weeks or so I think.

Good luck.

Thanks for the tip P1P but I have seen a dermatologist about them already. She suggested laser removal, although it would be for purely cosmetic reasons. The main reason I went to the dr about it was because I come from a family of redheads and my dad has already had numerous carcinomas frozen or lasered off. Age spots was my diagnosis . Then a friend told me she had developed similar spots after long-term birth control usage. So, I suspect that is the cause as I am not quite that old yet!

I started going bald when I was fifteen. Haven't had too many grey hair problems. Well, OK, there are a few on my chest . Just thought I'd share (if not care).

Well, at least with gray hair I can remedy the problem a bit. Bald would be much harder to deal with (especially as a girl ). But, you certainly have my sympathy

Yes, but some bald men are also very sexy. It also means that testosterone levels are very high

Yes, but some bald men are also very sexy.  It also means that testosterone levels are very high 

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Apparently medical fact. My ex said it wasn't just medical and I like to believe nice things that people say about me.