Hair is the darkest it's ever been in my life! Why?!?!

Growing up (pre-creamy crack) my hair was a gorgeous sandy brown. My hair would develop its own highlights without any chemicals. When I first started to transition in 2008, I noticed my hair was really dark brown almost black. I figured that my hair would eventually lighten up as it did when I was younger. I've been wearing my hair out since July & it's darker than ever. I've had so many people ask my why did I start coloring my hair so dark. I have no clue why my hair is so dark. I've been using henna to give it a touch of red & liven it up some. Is there a way to lighten it a bit without resorting to coloring with chemicals?

Did you henna before or after you noticed it was getting darker?

I've noticed the same thing. Probably because the chemicals in the relaxer are not reacting with the
elements to dye your hair.

My hair was the same. There where times when it looked almost blond (maybe TMI but my body hair is blonde). My relaxed hair got lighter and lighter with the chemicals and sun to the point where people thought I had my hair dyed. Before I cut it off, a beautician friend warned that my hair was going to be darker. I didn't believe her because I thought I had that pretty sandy brown color all my life...I was wrong. My hair is definitely so much darker.

I'm telling ya hair is weird. Some of my hair is almost black, and other hairs are blonde...

I've been noticing that my new growth is darker than my relaxed hair. I think the chemicals tend to lighten it.

Sorry for not checking back after posting this!

@ishmaygrandchild - I noticed that my hair was dark when I first started transitioning in 2008. I didn't do my first henna until a couple of months after my BC (fall 2009).

@mojitachica - My hair was sandy brown prior to ever having a relaxer. So I have no idea why it would be darker now.

@Erica5417 - So glad I'm not the only one with this problem! SO weird to me!

Hm, another possibility could be the water in your area. I have a friend that was blonde until she move to AZ. The water was so hard their her hair color has changed to brown. Are you living in a different part of the country now? If that's not it, sometimes hair does just change color over time.

I have noticed this on myself as well. My hair used to be more of a dark brown but now it's inky black.
Also, hair color can naturally deepen with age or changes in hormones (as when blond children grow into brunette adults).

I plan to try the honey lightening method. According to info online, when combined with water, honey releases a peroxide that lightens without damaging:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showpost.php?p=16864&postcount=31

my mother is noticing the same thing, she also had very light hair all of her life until recently it is getting darker nearly black. i think is is a natural part of aging. my husband was a toe-head (ash almost white blond) as a child and now at 33 he is strawberry blond with a variety of other shades of red and blond mixed in!! my hair was a funk deep reddish brown as a toddler, but is now jet black, i mean so black it reflects blue it sun. my husband has wasted countless charges of our camera batteries trying to capture this phenomenon!!

I have noticed this with my hair too!! Before I relaxed my hair, it was dark brown. While relaxing my hair, I noticed its shade of brown getting lighter as the years passed (and i only relaxed for 4 years!). Now, my hair is jet black. Initially while transitioning, this bothered me. Now, I don't care about the color anymore, I'm just glad I no longer relax it [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Age will do it sometimes. My husband was white blond as a kid and now he's a brunette.

i agree with the others - its age.
when i was younger my hair was sandy blonde, as i got older it became browner.
now its a caramel'ly chocolate.