Lighten Dyed Hair

Maintaining hair color can be tough on a budget. If you’ve recently had your hair dyed but it wound up too dark, there are a few things you can try to save yourself money on another salon trip. Limited lightening is possible, but don’t set your hopes too high—if you find your efforts unsuccessful (and you can’t live with the hair color as-is) you might have to suck it up and head back to the professionals.

Steps

Intervening Immediately After Your Dye Job

1. Rinse your hair with hot water. The heat will open up the cuticles, allowing more of the dye to be stripped out. Thoroughly saturate your hair, in either the shower or over the sink.
2. Wash with a non-color-safe clarifying shampoo. The shampoo should be used immediately after you undergo your unsatisfactory coloring, and should strip some of the new color from your hair. Squeeze a dime-sized amount (or as much as is recommended by the product’s instructions) into your palm, and rub it into the dyed, wet hair. While you shouldn’t be rough with it, more effort should be exerted than a usual shampoo session's “gentle massage.”
   • There are myriad, appropriate brands available to purchase wherever you normally get shampoo. Just make sure the clarifying shampoo you select is non-color safe.
3. Condition afterward. After scrubbing your hair with the clarifying shampoo, you’ll want to mitigate the harsh cleansing effect on your hair by moisturizing it. Condition liberally: squeeze a quarter-sized amount into your hands, massage it into your hair from root to tip, then rinse it out.
   • When possible, it’s advised that you wait a few days to allow your hair time to recuperate from the chemical processes used to dye it before attempting to scrub out the dye. If it has to come out as soon as possible, though, ensure you offset the damage as much as possible with conditioning.

Mixing Baking Soda and Shampoo

1. Combine 2 cups of baking soda and 1/4 cup of clarifying shampoo in a non-metal bowl. The alkalinity of the baking soda works to open your hair up, letting the clarifying shampoo better strip its color. Use a whisk to work the baking soda and shampoo together.
   • You might want to bump the baking soda up to 3 cups if you have longer than shoulder-length hair.
2. Wet your hair with hot water. Heat, in conjunction with the baking soda, will greatly open the cuticles of your hair.
3. Rub it into damp hair. You can use your hands, or a spatula. Thoroughly cover the dyed hair, so that you don’t end up with mis-matched color.
   • Take care not to get the mixture in your eyes! You might want to use a towel or cloth around your head, to keep the mixture from dripping down toward your face.
4. Wash it out after 5-15 minutes. The duration will depend on how much color you’re looking to remove. Leave it in for longer for more drastic results, but no longer than the recommended 15 minutes. Multiple batches is recommended if 15 minutes doesn’t prove sufficient.
5. Blow-dry part of your hair to check the color. As you might need to wash it again—and heat will cause undue strain on your hair—you should only dry a small section of your hair. If the color looks good, then great! If not, you’ll want to mix another batch of baking soda and shampoo and get ready for round 2.
6. Make another batch, if necessary. If your hair hasn’t sufficiently lightened, you can re-apply for better results. A more powerful mixture can be concocted by adding a tablespoon of hair bleach powder to the original recipe. When handling bleach, be sure to wear gloves.
   • After you’ve finished, avoid any styling that uses heat for a day or two. Both dyeing and “un”dyeing your hair take a toll.

Making a Vitamin C Paste

1. Crush 15-20 tablets of vitamin C in a bowl. You can use a mortar and pestle, or any blunt instrument which won’t damage your bowl.
2. Add some anti-dandruff shampoo to the crushed tablets. A small amount will work, enough to make an effective paste with the powder. Combine the two ingredients with a whisk.
3. Dampen your hair with hot water. The heat will open up the pores on your hair, which will let your mixture better sap the unwanted color.
4. Spread the mixture into your hair. You can apply it with your hands. Cover the entire affected area; if you fail to apply it evenly, you might wind up with an interesting pattern in your hair.
5. Leave it in for an hour. Cover your hair with a shower cap if necessary. After an hour has passed, rinse the paste from your hair with cool water.
   • Moisturize thoroughly with conditioner if your hair feels dry after you’ve washed the paste out.

Spraying with Peroxide

1. Pour hydrogen peroxide into a spray bottle. For best results, you’ll want to be able to apply the peroxide to your hair via spray bottle. Pouring it directly from the bottle over your head will leave you to guess as to how much of your hair has been affected.
   • Peroxide is definitely the least predictable, and likely the least optimal option available to you. It doesn’t work against the dye and chemicals already in your hair, but instead adds another one. Use it with caution.
2. Spray the peroxide evenly onto your hair. Use the “mister” setting, if you have the option, as opposed to the “stream” setting. Spray the hair you wish to lighten from a distance of about a foot away, using a hand or cloth to cover your eyes.
   • Peroxide is safe to get on your skin, but can cause burning in your eyes. If you get some in them, flush them with cool water.
   • Going outside in the sun can cause further lightening, but can also dry your hair out. Be aware of the effect sunlight will have if you choose to go outside with the peroxide in your hair.
   • Use pins or clips to arrange your hair, so that you only spray the hair you want to.
3. Rinse it out with cold water after 30 minutes. Any longer risks your hair becoming overly dry, or overly bleached. Excessive peroxide use can easily lead to a brassy, orangey hair coloration.
   • A deep conditioning is recommended if your hair feels dry after the peroxide treatment.
4. Finished.

Tips

• Seek the advice of a hair stylist if your hair is severely damaged from coloring.

Related Articles

• Lighten Brown Hair
• Highlight Dark Hair Naturally
• Make Hair Color Last Longer
• Lighten Hair at Home

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do Ecaille Hair Color
• Dip Dye Dark Hair
• Lowlight Gray Hair
• Lowlight Blonde Hair
• Bleach Hair Blonde
• Prepare Your Hair for Bleaching
• Color Hair With Food Coloring
• Dye Hair
• Dye Your Hair Brown After It Has Been Dyed Black
• Dye Hair Two Colors

Read more ...

What links here

• Bleach Your Hair
• Lighten Brown Hair
• Lighten Hair Naturally