Hello to anyone reading this! I have been lurking here for a long while but this is my first time posting.

After 4 or 5 years of using toppik and similar concealers, I'm ready (or at least readying) to make the transition to wearing hair. Like a lot of people here, this decision is partly based on the realization that i have reached a point where i have more concealer on my head than hair, and i am perhaps pushing it a bit.

Unlike a lot of people here, a very big part of my motivation to make the switch is the opportunity to once again experiment with color more. One of the things I miss the most about having a full head of hair is dying it all kinds of wild colors (of course, toppik and dermmatch do not come in 'outrageous cherry' or 'atomic turqoise').

My natural hair color is extremely dark brown, almost black ("off-black"), so in the past when I've colored my hair, it's always necessitated bleaching it blonde first.

I realize that people dye pieces all the time, and that in theory it shouldn't matter what the target color is. However, a lot of these kinds of dyes are semi-permanent and quite runny. After dying my hair green or whatever color as a teenager, I'd usually wake up with a green pillowcase the next day; Staining the lace is a major concern. The only relevant thread in this or any other forum (http://forum.toplace.com/showthread.php?...anic+panic) expresses a similar concern.

There is a product called L'Oreal Hi-Color HiLights which is intended for use on unbleached dark hair that is available in a few wild colors (magenta, red, copper). This product lifts the dark color to the lighter target color. I understand this product is more professional and colorfast than manic panic or special effects and those kinds of kids' dyes, although I have concerns about lightening a dark colored hairpiece as well, since pieces are already prone to dryness and weakness that would only be exacerbated by lightening.

Having said that, Indian hair is black. Is there any reason why I shouldn't be the one to lighten it?

The general rule with dying pieces seems to be to start with a color lighter than you'll be dying it. I could start with a blonde piece, and bleach my natural hair to match. However, in addition to the risk of staining the lace with the manic panic-type dyes, i'd have dark roots growing in around the piece - not ideal, especially as i keep my hair very short. I'd have to bleach my (real) roots much too frequently and this would be very bad for my natural hair.

It seems like the best option may in fact be to work with a dark piece that matches my real hair, leave a bit of the "roots" dark so that my natural roots don't look weird when my hair grows a bit, and use a product like L'Oreal Hi-Color to lighten and dye both the piece and my real hair. Again, since i assume the Indian hair used for the pieces is naturally black, I'm not sure what reason there is not to do this. If I order a blonde piece, it's really just dark hair that's been lightened by someone else, no?

I'm obviously something of a guinea pig with this, so any thoughts, suggestions or cautions would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the ridiculous length of this post. Thanks and all the best