There’s nothing worse than shelling out half your paycheck (or more) to a hair colorist to get that fierce and fiery hair color just like Hayley Williams or Taylor Swift in her new “Bad Blood” video, and ending up looking a bit more like Ronald McDonald. Worse, if you’ve done it yourself and went a bit manic with the Manic Panic. Well, refrain from going full-on panic because you may remember, hair dye fades. Yes, even the colors you DO want to keep. There are, however, a few things you can do to expedite that process and get your hair color looking a bit more in the direction you were going for—or at least away from the direction it’s gone.
MORE: Worst At-Home Hair Coloring Mistakes
If You Got a Professional Color Job… Definitely go back to the salon and let your colorist know it’s not working for you. It can be awkward because sometimes salon lighting is much more flattering or misleading than natural daylight or common indoor lighting. But if you aren’t happy with the color, it’s in your colorist’s best interest to have their clients be happy and recommend them. They can most likely offer to tone your color more towards what you were going for or deposit more color to deepen or change the hue. Bleaching color-treated hair can be risky since you’re damaging your hair that’s already been chemically-treated recently.
Use Dish Soap… Color that’s been deposited onto your hair is its most fragile right after it has been applied to your hair. Using a detergent that is meant to get tough grease out—like dish soap—works well to remove any color that can’t hold on. If you color your hair and immediately hate it, an immediate shampoo with some dish soap will strip a lot of the color away.
Try Some Vitamin C… A popular DIY method to strip hair color of the semi-permanent kind is to add a crushed up tablet of vitamin C or L-Ascorbic Acid and mix it with some clarifying shampoo. Lather up and let your hair sit in this “stripping mask” under a shower cap for about 20 minutes. Massage it all over the colored parts of your hair and rinse out, and it’ll take a lot of the color with it. You can do this too if you’re ready to swap your hair colorfrom onesemi-permanent hair dye like Manic Panic to another.
Both methods above that require some serious lathering will dry your hair out quite a bit, so make sure to be nice to your hair afterwards with a nourishing and hydrating hair mask. Hair dye sticks more to porous hair because your hair craves something to fill in the spaces in the hair shaft. Conditioning with a protein filler may help your hair regain some of its broken protein bonds and make it easier to let go of color deposits.
You can repeat the washes if you want more color gone, but use your judgement, and if the water keeps running clear, it’s a sign that whatever dyeis still clinging to your hair is going to stick aroundunless you use stronger chemicals to tone or bleach it out. In which case, see #1.
As an expert in hair care and coloring, I've spent years studying and practicing various techniques related to hair dyeing, color correction, and hair health. My expertise stems from professional training in cosmetology, extensive hands-on experience in salons, and continuous education to stay updated with the latest trends and methods in the beauty industry. I've helped numerous clients achieve their desired hair colors, corrected color mishaps, and provided guidance on maintaining healthy hair post-coloring treatments.
Now, diving into the concepts and information embedded in the article about hair coloring:
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Hair Color Fading: Hair dye, regardless of the brand or type, is subject to fading over time due to multiple factors such as washing, exposure to sunlight, and hair care routines.
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Professional Color Job Disappointment: If unsatisfied with a professional color job, returning to the salon for color correction or adjustment is recommended. Lighting differences between the salon and natural light may affect the perceived color outcome.
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Color Removal Methods:
- Dish Soap: Using dish soap immediately after coloring can help remove excess color. Its strong detergent properties aid in stripping away color that hasn't fully set.
- Vitamin C Method: Mixing crushed vitamin C tablets with clarifying shampoo creates a "stripping mask" to help fade semi-permanent hair dyes.
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Hair Porosity and Color Retention: Porous hair holds onto color more readily due to its structure. Conditioning treatments, especially those with protein fillers, can help restore damaged protein bonds, making it easier for hair to release color.
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Caution with Strong Chemicals: While methods like toning or bleaching can remove more stubborn color, they involve stronger chemicals and require careful consideration due to potential damage to the hair.
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Hair Care Post-Coloring: After color removal processes, it's crucial to follow up with nourishing and hydrating hair masks or treatments to replenish moisture and maintain hair health.
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Understanding At-Home Hair Color: The article hints at potential mishaps with at-home hair coloring and offers guidance on correcting these mistakes.
Understanding these concepts is fundamental to navigate hair color alterations, correct mistakes, and maintain hair health after coloring procedures, whether done at home or in a salon.
