Hi there i have died my hair black to and i think its to dark for me.:( I have looked round for many ways how it could be faded and the one i keep coming accross mostly is washing it with prell shampoo and hot oil. I am going to wash it with prell shampoo and see what happens and i recomend you do the same :rolleyes: .. speak soon x

SURPRIZE: I'm a guy. My favorite, 3 year old beard got dyed too dark and I want to lighten it a couple of octaves (for a better word, probably speeeeled wrong too, lol).
I took some of your advice, collecting all of the shampoos, conditioners, baking soda, peroxide, hot oil treatment and made up a potion which reminded me a tiny bit of a witches brew. Well no magic yet. Not much happened, a little tiny bit. I'm going to the store to get my Prell and Dawn dish soap, lol. Not getting the Tide yet.
My possibly original post is this: Hair Club For Men (I have trouble even saying that in public) has an "extra" penetrating dye for "beards and moustaches".
Here is my theory on why it is so permanent acting: it simply is much stronger than what is used on regular hair, thus posing even more of a problem to lighten to a livable color when it came out much darker that the box indicated (I know, I fell for a classic ploy, lol, right?).
I know every one of you beautiful people out there are much too smart to make a mistake like I made... but such is life when you aren't exactly a genius to start with--like me.
QUESTION: Is there an "industrial strength potion" or lotion or gel or secret mix (with or without bones and such, that will help me get back on top with this BeardDyed2Dark chapter of my life?
Thank you for anything, even your spending a few minutes reading about my plight. I won't let this thing keep me from my public too long. The option I have up my sleeve is to cut my, finally perfect, full beard off with a razor and start all over again from scratch. It is an option I don't really want to excercize.
I also just wanted to be with all of you in your homes or at work while you vicariously share at least part of my frustration and let me pick your brains on how I get out of this fine fix.
I like getting emailed, by the way, about any subject, and I always answer right away; I don't sound quite busy enough do I? It's the luxury of an early retirement program. You get more time, and less good food to eat. Not really. You just save your money up for a few weeks and then you can buy Prell and Dawn and maybe even a box of Baking Powder if you are really frugal. Lol. Just kidding. Life is good, but my color job just needs a little tweaking. HELP, please... before I take my beard's future into my own two hands.
It's all good!
PS: What ever I just did that didn't work to well is having an unexpected result. My hands are starting to burn and my fingers too. Maybe I got the potion just a bit too strong. Now I am going back to the scene of the crime (the master bathroom) to get some magic something to stop the pain.
Don't I sound like a typical male? For their sakes, I hope not.
Bye now,
Don Knight: (no shining armor, srry) I got enough to think about without trying to maintain that suit, and besides it is much to hot for summertime and too heavy for surfing.

I dyed my hair black, I hate it. I heard about this Prell shampoo, however, we cannot get it in the UK (Well I don't think we can) Any other solutions that work just as good?

If you cannot find Prell in the UK. Look for Vosene or a dandruff shampoo. These are medicated shampoos and they have the ability to fade hair color. Be sure to use a conditioner afterwards.

Thank you PrettyLady for this wonderful, nurturing and informative atmosphere. It is an A++ in my book. I am the too dark beard Don above.
I see all the advice and suggested products and have gathered a bunch of them but my question is still the same. If a beard and moustache dark dye is used which of these products/techniques should I try. Beard hair isn't same as hair-on-the-head-hair and is much more resistant, someone told me to color changes. I did the Prell thing for nearly an hour today. A scientist with the proper lighting and magnification could see a slight change, but it's not enough to fix the project. It's still about 97% as dark as it was yesterday, maybe a little more. What I did get is sore lips, but that will go away in a day or two.
Last night I did the baking soda, shampoo, conditioner thing, with peroxide (not the right kind, not the 20 volume; I learned a day late I was using the3% cheapo stuff)-- and no result, except reddening my neck and face.
I printed out your three suggestions and I just did the Prell.
Next I do the VO5 Hotoil, as per your instructions.
If that doesn't work I will try the last suggestion you made.
My main point all along was to find out if a more aggressive (I'm burning already) technique is needed with the coarse beard hair that has taken a "serious set" at being dark. I bet you don't ever get beard questions here about dying them too dark... A long time ago I tried to get a pro job but the salon people told me to forget about them, that the stuff they use won't penetrate.
I like doing stuff myself anyway. I am bumbling around right now but all will work out fine, I am sure of that. And in the future I will do things completely different, lighter.. lol
Thank you PrettyLady for your valuable time.
Don Knight
Washington State, USA

I'm glad you found my answers in Beauty & Skin Care forum informative, Don Knight. Each time you shampoo your hair, the artificial color will gradually fade. The color you used on your beard will fade and grow out . If you want to accelerate the fading process, try using the products method every day. Dish detergents such as Dawn can also fade hair color. You might want to add a few drops of dish detergent with your shampoo to help fade the color faster. Keep in mind that your skin could get red or irritated since you're trying to fade your beard. Use a face cream or gel that contain aloe vera to soothe the redness and irritation afterwards.

Hi prettylady,
Same problem with me. They were supposed to color my hair dark brown and it's now black. I have done the prell, hot oil, suave clarifying and drops of dawn. My question is, should I do ALL of these EVERYDAY? Or which one is most effective and how often should I do it?
Thank you in advance,
Julie

Use lemon juice in your hair or orange juice. The acid in these beverages will naturally lighten your hair a few shades at least. Lemon juice diluted with some water is a natural hair lightener I use in a spray bottle on days when I know I will be in the sun a lot...

You don't need to use all these product, choose one product and use it every day to speed up the fading process. If you didn't see any results from the products you've mentioned, try using Head & Shoulders. It can also cause hair color to fade quickly.

Well.. unfortunately I'm another person who has fallen to the dark side. Went in with my light brown hair. Asked for mid brownl.. ended up black... Very upset. I live in Australia...

I've tried.. PPS cleansing shampoo.. and gladwrap heat... seems to work a bit
Heads and Shoulders didn't really
And BIcarb soda... hairdresser put in after I complained!. didn't work either.

At the end of the day. NEVER ever say you want a shade darker than your natural colour.. unless you are completely confident with your hairdresser. He goes ' I matched your eye brows'... what the helL! I'm so upset. And to make matters worst.. I had to pay for this botch up. If its not washed out in 23 washes ( 6 weeks)... I'm going to complain to the hair dye company...

Can we get prell in australia? And is prell like an anti dandriff? What about lemon would that kill it? And head lice shampoo?

Hi everyone. I've read some really good stuff on here so I was wondering if anyone could help me..

Basically, I have naturally dark hair, black/dark dark brown. Last year, I got blonde copper streaks and was really happy with them. It was almost a brown/gold colour and looked good on my hair.
Now obviously I needed to redo them, as my hair had grown quite a bit. So just yesterday, I went to the salon. I asked for blonde copper, but the blonde copper they had was a lot darker than what I already had. So the hairdresser said she would make it a bit lighter for me.
Buut the colour came out horrible. I hate it, but I didn't want to say anything at the salon. It's not browny/gold, as I wanted it, but it's almost red/orange. And I really really hate it. It looks horrible on my hair. I want to get rid of it as soon as possible. I can't go back to the salon and ask to have it redone, because it would cost too much. Is there any way I could fade it quickly? I'd like the colour to be almost golden/brown, not red/orange. If it were to fade, what colour would it go? Please help! I am a young teenage girl who cares a lot about how she looks. :(

:cool:

All is well again, my hair is lighter, my crisis is over and you pretty one saved my bacon. I used three methods, finally succeeding with a bit of Dawn in a bunch of Prell followed by clarifying shampoo and hot oil to fix the slight damage I just caused myself. When using the too weak hydrogen peroxide mixed w/ shampoo/conditioner, some ran off my beard (I really get into this stuff) and I just noticed a streak of hair all the way down my chest and tummy that looks as burnt as a year old rice paddy and pure whitish yellow hair, that looks pretty much destroyed (nothing I can't fix with my clippers, lol).
Not only did my hair lighten, it is about four different colors which I love. Blonde, Brown, Gray and Black. You can't get that from Hair Club for Men. All my love, Don Knight... I hope I can say that... bye now... listen to this lady and don't do most of what I did before I met her.
Mmmmwwwwhhhhaaaaa!!

Hi, I am really hoping someone can help me!

I dyed my hair dark brown (l'oreal semi perm) and it turned black (natural colour is mid to light brown with slight auburn tones) which I coped with as I noticed it faded after bathing in epsom salts - because I liked the colour as it faded, I redyed it 6 weeks later thinking it would fade again with epsom salts - it did take the black hue out of the hair but didn't fade it enough to blend into the roots starting to come through as it did previously

I rang loreal and they advised me to go to a salon to get it lightened as I now had one inch roots

So yesterday I went to the hairdressers and they first used a bleach shampoo then applied a semi perm colour of brown with red tones that I was told would be fab for warming and wouldn't be obviously red, just when the light hit it

After the first colour she had to put another colour on the roots as its was too light (I couldn't see) and then once done I left with hair wet (they had squeezed me in so didn't have time to blowdry)

I got home and all I could see was orange/red - blow dryed it and it looked OK in the evening light but woke up this morning and its defo reddy/orange - the roots especially!

I rang them today and am going back in on Tuesday when they next open but I don't know what to do or say to them as I got talked into having the reddy brown and have ended up with orangey reddish hair - its darker on the ends but still got that hint in

Is there anything I can or can't do between now and then (they have told me NOT to touch it but that's nearly 3 days of orange hair!)

Will it be bad to have an epsom salt bath? Also what's the long term prognosis of my hair as I was given two different answers about what would happen as the colour fades

(am in the UK so none of the fixes mentioned are available here)

Now that the Pretty Lady has educated me and rescued me from the fires of hell, you can have the same positive experience and outcome as I recently did.

JUST READ THE THREADS ABOVE: Read Pretty's advice to me and my last story or two.

Prell regular shampoo with one part Dawn liquid dish soap to maybe ten parts prell, give or take.

Also I had a session with VO5 hot oil treatment. You put it on "cold" and put plastic over it for forty five or 60 minutes. Then shampoo out with the above concoction.

Walla. It took 4 or 5 sessions with just the Prell and Dawn to get back to better than anything I could have expected.

Don't try goofy cures. Just read and learn from pretty and any one here who had positive outcomes. When we first arrive at this site, it is either this, or an asylum.

This is cheaper and more quick.

Don h.

PS: I hope this advice is helpful. My credibility isn't too high yet (new to the board, that's my excuse, lol) I have one whole, complete point (1) reputation point... at least I ain't a zeeerrroooo. But far from, "hero status"...
Pretty Lady is the resident genius here... ask, read and follow... then, eventually you will begin to once again see daylight, drive your car and leave the house again, confident you are the right color... go, my son, and reap the rewards of knowledge... there is more than hope for you... just don't dunk your head in epsom salts or parts cleaner or stand in a carwash bay on de-grease cycle before asking Pretty if it's OK... first.
Become a follower, here on this forum and then you can lead some miserable soul to freedom in the future... and believe me, there is a future, again. I have risen from the ashes of darkness myself, many will follow in my footsteps, which led me to the, "Promised Land".
Go my son, and may the Pretty Lady bless you as she has so many before you...
Don h.

PSS: forgive the fact that the manclass might have thrown me as to your sex... oooppppsss! I am never going to get my second point being so thoughtless... I do believe, however, that Pretty Ladys' advice does apply to all sexes equally, like men, women and the alternatives also, (whatever they might be)... d.

Hi, thanks for replying - I am in fact a girlie lol as in Manc Lass - lady from manchester :D

I have read through all 18 pages and none of the answers really fit as I don't have access to any of the mentioned products in the UK (plus I don't know if I want to fade the colour as that might make the bleach show through more)

And it doesn't seem as if anyone else has had this particular problem that I can see, i.e having their hair bleach shampooed to remove a dark dye and then re-coloured in a salon which has then turned red/orange tinged - they have either dyed blonde hair and its gone wrong or dyed onto another colour or want to fade their colour etc

I don't understand what exactly the bleach shampoo has done to my hair i.e is my natural hair colour underneath it or have they actually removed my natural colour completely and if so will it come back gradually as the new colour fades or is it gone for good and I have to dye my hair until it has grown out?

I am scared of even washing it!

Man/Woman: lol. Yes, I get it all now...and all apologies are handed out and we are fine...not that we weren't anyway.

Ok, you aren't the only one who doesn't have Prell in your country...and Pretty has addressed that small issue, but again....I emplore you young lady: ASK Pretty Lady yourself; she will AMAZE you with her answer to your delimma. And she is down-right affordable. Fitting right into my tiny budget.

She will answer you based on her extensive background in these matters, give her a try, right here in this forum. I bet that you will get an answer back in short-order. She is like the , "Medic One" technition and holds the keys for you.

It is highly appreciated, that you ask her in this forum, rather than her private email, so others can benefit from your scenario too.

She may advise you to go to a professional to solve your problem, or she may have a home remedy (proven) that will save you time and money. I don't know a thing about this area of expertise, as I was a military man till I got too rickity for them to keep me anylonger. I think 30 years was long enough anyway. I am also a writer (not that anyone would care), but not an expert in speeeellling; during some days, anyhow...lol.

Ask and yea shall receive. Cast some bread on the water and you may be surprized at what you get in return (although a pessimist might say you will only get back some wet, salty bread). I have faith in this forum. And no, my dear, I am not Pretty Lady's public relations director.....she doesn't need one. Her reputation preceeds her. We here on this forum are mostly devotees of hers and of this Mecca for the hair-colored impared.

I am quite sure she is who she says she is, although I have often wondered why her private email address says Attica, NY. Lol. (Pretty Lady please don't ban me because I am the only person here that thinks I am funny, or for my non-economical use of words. I have never been called, "short-winded".)

Good Luck Man. I don't know much about all this, but I do know what solid information looks like.

D.R.H.(No I am not doctor, just always wanted to make it look like I was.)

Pretty is pretty busy working in what appears to be two states, NY and NJ, but I'm sure she will answer you soon. I bet it wouldn't hurt to address your next inquiry directly to her. It worked for me. By the way, this next item probably isn't important, but I wish I had more hair left standing on my thick skull so I could change it's color but I am definately among the hair-impared. But my beard is gangbusters....lol...and I still have some unruly stuff growing under my arms. Pretty: can they do a transplant. I hope the answer is no.

2DarkDon. Over and out! ;) :D :rolleyes: :cool:

Prettylady,
Thanks in advance for any advice.. here goes the same but different story...
Naturally my hair is a mid level 4. For the last year, I have been covering highlights and processed hair with an ash level 5 and I have loved it. Prior to that, I was highlighting it to a level 6-7 for 3 or 4 years. Anyway, I moved to LA and everyone has such gorgeous hair, I missed my lighter hair. I went to a professional for some direction. He told me that my hair was too dry to lighten to achieve the cooler light brown I am looking for (because in order to get that shade of ash with the overprocessed hair, he would have to strip/damage it first); He told me to let my natural roots grow in for 6 mo. And then he could take my virgin hair to the color I wanted... Anyway, he took me to a level 3 using a "non-chemical" color to "match my roots". Its flat, it has no shine and it makes me look very gothic. I haven't been darker than a level 5 in over 4 years. I tried mixing 20 volume with shampoo.. nothing. Dishwashing detergent... nothing. I am somewhat familiar with haircolor. I can't stand it like this, should I just strip it and cover with an ash level 6? Will that bring me closer to my ultimate goal of going lighter? Or will it be uneven and a mess? If so, what exactly do I need to mix for bleach? Confident in my abilities just not sure of that's the best course of action... Help!
Thanks, sorry for the lengthy post
:confused:

Hi all.

I've had a few bad colourings and thought it might be useful to write about my experiences here, particularly as I'm in the UK (and so can't buy some of the products mentioned in these postings)...

- Colour at home at your own risk! I now always get a salon to do it as they know much more than me about what does and doesn't work.
- Remember to consider your skin tone when selecting a colour. If you're pale and go darker, you'll look even paler!
- *Always* get a salon to blow-dry your hair after a colouring so that you can see the colour properly.
- If you don't like what a salon has done with your hair, don't be afraid to go back and explain the problem. Any decent salon will fix it for free if you don't like what they've done. I once had highlights done at a salon and they looked aweful, but I went back and they fixed it for free with an all-over colour close to my natural shade (fine by me as my aim was simply to hide grey hairs).
- If you're going to try to fade a colour that's too dark/strong, do it as soon as possible after the original colouring.
- I found that Vosene shampoo was particularly effective at fading my colour. Apply it to dry hair, leave for 30 minutes, then rinse and use a conditioner. Repeat a few times. This won't remove all the colour but should hopefully fade it to a level that you can cope with.
- If you're thinking of dying over a bad colour, get a professional to do it. One colour on top of another can produce unexpected results.
- Don't expect miracles... permanent colour is called permanent for a reason!
- Learn from your mistakes. For me, any dye with a 'hint' of a strong colour always comes out much too strong. Also, I'm quite pale and so have to be careful not to select a colour that's too dark. I've also found highlights are too unpredictable - some salons do a great job while others make a mess. So these days I stick to an all-over permanent brown close to my natural shade as the aim is simply to cover my grey.

I hope this is of use to someone :)

Just be sure and use a good conditioner after you keep using the Prell. You are going to strip not only the color, but all the moisture. I've been in the Hair business for many many years and yes, the Prell will strip color. Of course, you could just as well use any dish soap.. It's about the same thing.

So I am one of the lucky people who dyed their hair to dark as well. My question is... I have read that you are supposed to use the pruell shampoo on dry hair and I have hear you are supposed to wash it like you normally would. Which is it?