What Is Stripping Hair?

When someone changes her hair color and doesn't like the results, options are available to change the color or remove it. Some of these methods are known as stripping hair or color correction. These processes can take you back to your original hair color or close to it; but use caution, because the products can be damaging.

Time Frame

Professional colorists have products that strip away permanent hair dye. Hair stripping works in the way that lightening and bleaching do, except that the ingredients in color-stripping products are more harsh. These chemicals make the hair more porous by raising sulfite levels, which allows the color to be removed.

If the coloring has taken place within the previous 72 hours, colorists can sometimes fix the problem without resorting to hair stripping. If not, it can take multiple sessions to completely remove the color. The most difficult problems to solve are removing dark shades like black, brown and blue from blond hair. Even when the color is completely removed, the resulting hue may not be close enough to the original color to make the client happy. The stylist may then need to add a different color to the stripped hair.

Significance

If the hair dye was oxidative, salon professionals can use a gentler product called Elimin8, sold by RUSK. This works even when the color has been in the hair for a long time. A person who wants to have color removed must first determine the type of dye that was used, because not all of it is oxidative.

Considerations

Some home-use hair-stripping products are sold in retail stores. Color Fix by Jheri Redding and Color Zap by L'oreal both remove permanent color, and online reviews rate them as less harsh than some other hair strippers. They also tend to lighten hair beyond its natural color, something that is difficult to control without sitting for multiple sessions at a salon.

Warning

These products all contain chemicals that can be very damaging to hair, causing excessive dryness, split ends and breakage (and in some cases unusual color). For all these reasons, it is safer to have the work done at a salon. Whether you are having the hair stripping done professionally or doing it at home, many deep-conditioning treatments will be necessary afterward.

Potential

Less intense products can fade dark hair color in some cases, particularly over the first few days. Washing your hair several times with Prell shampoo is an old trick used to fade dye that comes out too dark. Applying hot mineral oil or extra-virgin olive oil also can strip some of the hair color and make it a lighter shade. Another possibility is mixing 3 parts lemon juice to 1 part conditioner and saturating your hair with the substance.