How to Remove Hair Dye From Your Hair

By Jay White

February 11, 2015   •   Fact checked by Dumb Little Man

Whether you’re tired of the look, or your hair is an experiment gone wrong, there are a number of ways to remove hair dye from your hair. Of course, if the goal is to get your own, or just a nicer, color back, then hair dye isn’t the trick. Instead, you may want to consider overdying the hair to a shade darker than the one you have, and hide the color that you dislike so much. However, if the goal is just to remove it, then it will take a chemical product that can release the color molecules faster. If you bleached or highlighted your hair, removing the dye won’t get your color back. Instead, you will have to darken it until the bleached areas are grown out. This is permanent, and it is why organizations like locks of love won’t take bleached hair. But if you didn’t use a bleach, removing color is possible with many different products, and a few different techniques. Here are some choices:

Over the Counter Color Remover:

There are a few different bottles to try. Read their backs and see if they recommend themselves for different colors like reds or blacks or even neons (the chemicals needed to hold different pigments in your hair differ slightly, and so some removers work better for colors than others). Follow the instructions on the bottle for these, and don’t keep them on longer than they recommend, or they may not give you the intended result.

Crushed Vitamin C:

This is an acid that will pull color from your hair. It is best applied as a crushed paste mixed with water, combed into your hair, left on for an hour and then washed out. This method can also be done with lemon juice. Stay out of the sun, however, and don’t use a hair dryer on it until the acid is gone, or it becomes instant bleach.

Dandruff Shampoo Mixed With Baking Soda:

Yes, that’s right. Head and Shoulders plus baking soda. Simply mix, and wash your hair about four times in a row. Be certain, after that much washing, that you give your hair a thorough conditioning, though. Overwashing can cause damage, and dry hair out.

Hot Oil treatment:

They sell these in the hair section of stores, but you can simply heat your own olive or coconut oil and do it yourself. Warm it to about the heat that you like shower water, comb through your hair, sit for five minutes to an hour (longer is better), and then wash it out. The washing part will take multiple shampoos to get all the oils out of your hair.

Jay White

I started Dumb Little Man many years ago so great authors, writers and bloggers could share their life "hacks" and tips for success with everyone. I hope you find something you like!

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