Removing Hair Dye at Home

Bleaching Out Hair Dye

When your hair has been dyed, it can be hard to remove the coloring. The hair will be fragile from the dye and more prone to breakage and split ends. A common ingredient to take out the color from your hair is bleach. When used in small amounts, bleach will remove some of the color, with less damage to your hair. Pour a few tablespoons of bleach and mix it in a cup with enough shampoo to wash your hair. Take a shower and work the mix into your hair thoroughly. It may take several treatments like this to get the color out. Don't do more than one a day or you risk causing more damage than good. You can also use laundry detergent and laundry detergent with bleach if it is the color safe type. Be careful when using bleach; too strong a mixture can burn your skin.

Using Products to Remove Hair Dye

If the color you chose to dye your hair was darker than your original color and you haven't dyed your hair before, a store-bought hair dye remover may work. It can also work for other colors, but lighter colors, or black, will not come out so easily. In the hair dye aisle, there will be a section of hair dye removal items. Most of these do not contain bleach and may be less damaging. Follow the instructions that come in the kit to remove the dye from your hair. If it does not work, you may try the bleach suggestion above, but keep in mind your hair will be weak by this point and you risk damaging it. If it doesn't work, or if you have dyed your hair a lighter shade or black, consider going to a professional salon. They'll be able to do more with your hair while causing the least amount of harm to it.

Working with Black Hair Dye

Black hair dye is a special case, and it is recommended to seek a professional stylist to try to remove it. Many times it will not come out on its own, and your hair will become damaged and could break off easily. If you have just dyed your hair, it will come out easier than if you wait a few days. If you decide to try to remove the hair dye yourself, buy some strong dandruff shampoo and conditioner that are not for colored hair. Wash your hair several times, and you may remove some of the color. You can also try heating up extra-virgin olive oil to a temperature that is hot but won't burn your skin. Apply it to your hair and wait until it is starting to cool down, then wash it out in the shower with hot water. This works for other hair colors as well and can be used before trying bleach.

Resources

• Fixing Hair Color Disasters