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Redken Shades EQ hair color is a demi-permanent hair color produced by the company Redken and lasts between 12 and 24 washes. Demi-permanent hair coloring, like Redken Shades EQ, will not lighten hair color and is formulated without ammonia. Redken Shades EQ hair color will darken hair or enrich the natural hair color with exceptional gray coverage. But if you don't like the results, Redken Shades EQ hair color can be removed or faded from the hair by using a hair color removal product or by accelerating the life cycle of the hair color.

Accelerate the Life Cycle of Color

Wash hair with hot water and a volumizing shampoo and conditioner within 48 hours of coloring hair to help accelerate the fading process. Hot water helps to fade hair color. Volumizing shampoo opens the hair cuticle, which will release some of the hair color when shampooing. Continue to wash hair with the shampoo every day to increase the fading of the hair color.

Apply extra virgin olive oil liberally to hair and wrap hair in a heated towel. Leave the oil in hair for 20 minutes and then shampoo and condition. The olive oil will help to strip the Redken Shades EQ color from the hair. Olive oil also works best if applied within 48 hours of coloring hair as hair color takes up to 48 hours to set into the cuticle of the hair.

Leave hair down (not pulled up or in a pony tail) and go outside in the sunlight. Get as much sun exposure as possible to your hair to increase the color fading. The sun will fade color treated hair, so expose your hair to the sun as much as possible to help accelerate the fading process.

Color Removal Product

Mix hair color removal product according to manufacturer's instructions. Recommended color removal products include Developus Color Oops and L'Oreal Colorist Secrets Hair Color Remover.

Apply hair color removal product to dry hair within 48 hours of coloring with Redken Shades EQ hair color. Leave the product on the hair for the recommended amount of time according to the manufacturer's instructions. Leaving the product on longer will not remove more of the color, but may damage hair.

Rinse the product out of the hair using hot water and continue rinsing hair with hot water for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. The hot water will help remove additional hair color from the hair.

Shampoo and condition hair with moisturizing shampoo and conditioner after thoroughly rinsing hair.

Tip

If recoloring after using a color-removal product, take into account that the hair will be porous and will absorb hair color easily.