Hair dying problems with black hair?

I didn't want to go to the salon to dye my hair because I didn't want to bleach it and also because I was with my friends and we decided to use the box for each of us because its more fun :P. Anyway, I have naturally black hair (really black) and I wanted to dye it a chesnut color/ brown (but not like an orange brown) so I went with Natural Instincts' Chesnut color (I used natural instincts because I know it isnt permanent and I wanted to try it out). We dyed our hair at night and it didn't really show up and I didn't know why so I assumed that maybe it just needed time. I went to sleep and still in the morning y9ou could barely see it. For the next 28 washes (how long the color stays on), you could only see the color in the sun. My friend has black hair too (a lighter/softer black) and her dye worked fine on her. Any specific hair dyes I can use that have my color and will actually show up? Any other suggestions for my hair?

Thanks :]

Annaa

Hair dying problems with black hair?

Speaking from experience, if your hair is naturally that black, then you have to have the color "lifted" from your hair (using peroxide) before a new color can be "deposited." Unless you just want to spray it with color (that washes out in one shampoo) -- this is like using heavy-duty hairspray (stiff hair!).

I would recommend going to a salon to have the lifting done (at least the first time). I've never done this part at home. I don't want to damage my hair and I figure that a professional will be able to gauge what my hair can take better than me.