It looks like Tints of Nature hair color (home box color) might be a little better chemically than Wella. The same company also has a professional salon version called Organic Colour Systems. Henna can be another option, I think some Hennas use Indigo, so they can make more colors than just reds, like browns, and possibly black. I've read that with some of the more chemical free shampoos, your hair can go through sort of a "detox" phase for a month or less where you can experience greasy hair, dry hair, dandruff, etc. before it gets back to feeling normal. Hard water can also affect the shampoos, but there are things you can add that can be helpful with this. For really chemical free shampoo and other beauty/personal care products you might want to check out Bumble and Bee Organic, Real Purity, or Natural Joy Beauty (sells some of the products from the other two companies along with others). Natural Joy Beauty and Bumble and Bee both sell samples of some of their products. You can checkout the companies on facebook too, I know the owner of Bumble and Bee Organic is active on there answering people's questions on her products or chemical questions on their personal care products and make up, since she has a chemical background. http://www.bubbleandbee.com/ http://www.realpurity.com/ http://www.naturaljoybeauty.com/servlet/StoreFront

Also, hair sheds naturally, and we all go through shedding periods, that's normal. I think the allegations and investigations on WEN by the FDA had more to do with the abnormally high number of complaints received. Not saying the allegations were/are true, but I remember when women complained about silicone implants, and they went ignored for far too long before anyone did anything about it. I also remember when a medication initially meant for humans but was reported by physicians to the FDA as having too many serious side affects was then targeted and prescribed for dogs by the drug manufacturer to keep from losing money. FDA received an unusually high amount of complaints for that as well and told Veterinarians in the US they had to include "death" as a side effect - many ignored that policy - still do. It's still used on dogs, many with no issues whatsoever, but for one of my dogs as well as a friend's dog (both different breeds, different sizes)... it was their death sentence. I see no reason to jump on the 'fear' wagon, but why take chances if you don't have to? Too many shampoos out there that'll work.

Oakley, you are funny and sweet. :) It didn't come in all at the same time, unfortunately. A few gray hairs in front starting around 19 and staying that way through my 20s, early 30s. They were a novelty and didn't affect the overall color of my hair, dark brown with warm chestnut highlights. But throughout middle age the gray increased, not in a very good way, making my formerly richly colored hair faded and frumpy. I wore it really short then. My husband was getting quite gray and he preferred gray on me so I was never motivated to color it. Suddenly it reached critical mass and it lost its faded warmth and became steely. It threw off my skin tone and colors I used to wear became death on me. It was a long period of adjustment. I still have dark hair underneath and in back, but I describe my hair as gray. ETA: I kinda wish my hair was more uniform in color. It's very streaky. I even have this dark section in the front.

Thank you so very much to all of you for your helpful responses, recipes, recommendations to various products (which i hope are affordable, though nothing really is anymore), and warnings about essential oils which i totally agree with. I don't think it's only tea-tree, but anything which is impure or too intense rather than well-balanced. I took a look at the list of no-no's, but my case isn't so much genetic, as much as the dermatitis type (such as brushing hair, and leaning back). Granted, aging is also probably a factor. It's probably a black-and-blue mark mostly, but i also know that that Argan product was no good.And who's to say it was the Argan for sure? It could have been another ingredient. See, I lean back against my sheetrock-wall, because a bed+headboard is too hard for me to maneuver when cleaning, as i'm a weakling. So i've always avoided headboards due to that. So insofar as my bruise, indeed raee_gw, that part about Nizoral & Benedryl sounds interesting. I'll have to check in with a dermatologist again at my next chance. I've actually just seen one about other issues, such as inflamed fingertip. He gave some cica-cream sample which was horrible, but at least i also got silvadene out of that visit, which is helping a bit. I think i may consider switching to someone else, because he seems very world-weary by now. It's unlikely i'm allergic to anything which lathers my hair - it's more likely that essential oils, or argan oil can cause it, if not properly counteracted by a professional formulator with knowledge on neutralizing ill-effects of strong ingredients (no matter if harsh, acidic, alkalinic or whatever). Guess what - i have jojoba oil which wonderfully agree's with me - so i might rub that into my scalp for awhile and see if i achieve some sorta bruise-repair. As well, i might look out for oliveoil-mayonnaise to go on sale, and try that too. I think that probably would be THE most healing. It's cute how some of you are concerned about my beauty (i.e. hair-loss). But you know, i can't decide what's worse, hair-loss or pain! BTW, since we're anyway on the topic of sensitive skin-care, can any of you with sensitive skin advise whether Cherry-blossom or Milk-honey Softsoap liquid-soap agree's with you (but not Aloe softsoap which gave me the creeps (similar to touching a dry towel after a bath). I currently use blue-dawn, ivory-dishsoap and ivory-bar-soap comfortably. But various palmolive stuff such as the softtouch-coconut and green-original liquid-soap give me creeps.. Note this is not itchiness or pain like on my scalp, but rather its creeps & a dry-skin-feeling.