Can dyeing natural african american hair for the first time cause hair dryness and breakage?

Dye will pretty much dry out any hair to an extent. Curly hair is even more at risk. Every bend and turn in your natural hair is a weak spot. Chemicals that touch these weak spots make it that much easier for hair to dry and break. I dyed my hair once, only once, and it took months to get it back to its soft and shiny state. However, I didn't know then what I know now. It's possible to dye your hair and keep it moisturized after. Besides treating it with a color-shielding shampoo and conditioner, you need to do a deep conditioner once a week. Make sure it's not too heavy, as your color could fade. Use proper products and do research and you can retain your hair's health.

I have dark, dark brown hair and I dyed it a lighter brown. There wasn't that much of a difference, but there was enough to give my hair more depth. I would say you could probably find a very nice reddish-brown color to compliment your skin tone. Simply look for a brown color where you can see little hints of red in the light. Cost of a dye job depends on who you go to. I would say go to a stylist for your first time instead of using a boxed dye.

Hmm....I've heard that hair has a predetermined length for how long it can get, but I'm not so sure how true that is. Maybe you're doing too much with it. I used to have that problem so I braided it up for about a year and each time I got it re-braided I cut off about an inch of the processed part of my hair until it was all natural hair growth. After I did that my hair has grown to the middle of my back in about 3 years. I think you should just braid it and leave it alone. Also, diet has a lot to do with the healthiness of hair too. Lots of water and black beans have been said to aid in keeping your hair healthy. And you say you've tried countless products. Have you tried Dr. Miracle? They have tons of products for blacks that actually work. It sells at Wal-Mart.