How to Color Bleached Hair Brown

Pre-pigmenting bleached hair before applying color results in a natural brown tone.

Coloring bleached hair to a natural brown can be tricky and requires patience. Applying a box of brown color without properly preparing the hair can turn bleached locks to an ash green, gray or other undesired shades. Most salons consider this task a "corrective color" service and usually charge by the hour. Though best left to the experts, doing the color at home is not impossible and can save a significant amount of money.

Things You'll Need

• Hair color filler
• Brown hair color
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Leave on conditioner
• Towels
• Gloves

Instructions

1. 

   Inside each hair strand is a base color of red, orange or yellow.

   Determine what color is needed to pre-pigment the hair. Inside each hair strand is a red, orange or yellow "base" color that appears when the natural color is stripped. Base color, known as "filler" must be applied first to prevent a green or ashy final result.

2. Choose a red filler if the desired result is dark brown. For medium-brown results, use red-orange; light brown results will need orange. Colorful Professional Protein Filler, sold at supply shops such as Sally Beauty, fills the hair with base color and adds protein to porous ends.

3. 

   Fillers turn hair a bright red or orange color.

   Follow package directions and apply filler. Depending on the manufacturer, the fillers are processed for various times. Some require rinsing, others require only towel blotting prior to final color application. Don't panic when you see a bright red or orange result, this is normal.

4. Towel dry hair and apply brown color according to package directions. Permanent hair colors and demi-permanent hair colors require the product to be mixed with a developer. Depending on brand, semi-permanent colors might not require a developer and last between 6 to 12 shampoos. Demi-permanent colors last up to two months but are more gentle on the hair than permanent colors.

5. Rinse, shampoo, condition and towel dry hair. Use a leave on conditioner for added protection against split ends. Bleached hair that has been color treated is extremely vulnerable to breakage.

6. Repeat process if needed, waiting at least one to two weeks in between colorings. If the color is not even, or fades quickly after shampooing, a second application may be necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Using a demi-permanent brown color will outlast a semi-permanent color, producing the best possible results with the least amount of damage.

• For even color results, take small sections to ensure product covers every strand.

• Use a shampoo for color treated hair for longer-lasting results.

• Wear gloves for both the filler and color applications, as both stain hands.

References

• Hair Finder
• Style Hair Magazine
• Sally Beauty

Resources

• Clairol