Like many I recently dyed my hair black and can't stand it. I have medium brown hair and have been dying it for about 3 years to a brown/red shade.

I have been reading these forums and purchased Loreal Color Zap. I'm scared but prefer to 'take care of this' at home if at all possible - I feel like an idiot.

I have just completed the strand test and my hair actually looks like it's natural color - not red, not orange as I expected. Is this ok - or did I not leave it on long enough (I waited 50minutes)?

Also, if my hair doesn't 'turn' red or orange as expected and I then re-dye my hair, will it just turn black again (as I've read about stories like this)?

Thank you,
*mimi

Perito

L'Oreal Color Zap is a bleach. It works fairly well. Personally, I prefer ColorFix (a reducing agent -- opposite of bleach) because it's easier on the hair. Color Oops does the same thing. I have heard many people say that they've had success with Color Zap.

The hair has to get to a shade lighter than the shade you want your hair to be before you recolor it. It doesn't particularly matter what color it ends up as before you color it -- just so long as it's at least slightly lighter than the shade you're going to dye it.

To answer your last question, chemically treated hair does become porous and porous hair will "grab" (absorb strongly) hair coloring. If you use a brown dye, it may appear black. For that reason, it's generally recommended to use a dye one or two shades lighter than your target color. You also have to be prepared for dye fading because porous hair not only grabs color, it also doesn't hold onto it very well.

The last possibility is that people who use ColorFix or Color Oops have to make sure they wash all of the dye out of the hair. ColorFix dissolves the color so it can be washed out. It doesn't try to bleach it lighter. If any of the dye is left in the hair, it will re-oxidize and turn black. That's why the last step of the ColorFix process is to use a "lotion" (it's actually a weak hydrogen peroxide solution) to make sure that all of the dye is out of the hair. If it is all out, the hair will stay whatever color it turned. Otherwise, it will turn black.

I know people who've had trouble with color removers. Often, they use ColorFix two or three times to get all of the dye out -- especially with black dye. I'm not sure what Color Zap will work. Once you use Color Zap or any other bleach, trying to use ColorFix or Color Oops won't work. Bleach will over-oxidize the artificial pigment and ColorFix won't reduce it to a soluble. form. You can use ColorFix once or twice and if it doesn't work as you'd like it, you can use Color Zap or any hair bleach.

screaming_mimi

Great explanation - thanks. Your response makes me feel a bit more confident in trying this at home.

If I go into my salon to have this taken care of (I'm so scared I'll botch this up), what do they do vs. what I am attempting to do? How long will it take?

One more question - with the Color Zap turning the hair lighter and more red/orange, will my 'usual' hair color dye look the same as it always does or will I need to redo this process as my roots continue to grow out?

Thank you,
*mimi

Perito

Most salons will do the same thing. Unfortunately, not all salons are as competent as we would like them to be. You need to ask the stylist what he/she will do and then evaluate it before you continue. Most stylists will do a free "consult" before doing the procedure.

Touch-ups are always a problem because some of the hair has been treated multiple times. You have to figure out how light your hair is and what process (bleaching and toning or single-process haircoloring) will work for the roots. You will not want to use color remover for touch-ups.

screaming_mimi

Just wanted to post an update for anyone similarly situated who is stumbling upon this...

I decided not to go forward with the color stripping at home. I was just too nervous that I would get an odd, inconsistent result.

I did go to my salon and am so happy with the results.

Here's what they did;

She essentially highlighted my hair, and pulled the black out of these highlghed areas.

She then toned the hair a medium/dark brown - very close to my natural color.

It looks phenomenal.

The funniest part was that I thought I looked terrible, but when I went in they all said they loved my hair black...they said it made my blue eyes pop and that my light skin looked good with the black. I thought I looked like a witch...

Hollyy Dollyy

Im growing my hair dye out . when i dyed my hair it was post to be a dark brown but it went a bit blackish . i think dark hair doesnt suit me that much. i think i might go to the salon(Like you did) and get some hightlight put in when my roots get quite big , what you say thats a good idea , and also did the hightlights cse you alot?
Cose im a teen , i just want my natrual colour back , i regret dying my hair =[

Pankaj Shr

So what's the problem...you should be happy.