Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask

Removing red hair dye

Asked Oct 30, 2006, 01:21 PM — 35 Answers
A week and two days ago I was a hair model for professional stylist in NYC. She said she wanted to alter my natural medium ash brown hair to give it a more "honey" tone. The photograph she showed me was almost my exact hair color, just slightly warmer.

When she was done, my hair was bright red-orange. Apple red, with a hint of orange. I was in tears. She was astonished and confused and promised to fix it.

She then put a medium dark hair dye over the bright red/orange, and now I have a very dark red hair color. Sort of a "cherry cola", although the stylist tried to call it "mahogany."

I won't let her touch my hair again, but I really want to get the red out and get my hair a little lighter. (My eyebrows are too light for this color.)

My hair is coarse, but healthy (as it can be after a double dye job).

How can I get my color more ashy?

35 Answers
PrettyLady's Avatar
PrettyLady Posts: 2,775, Reputation: 1719
-
 
#2

Oct 30, 2006, 03:09 PM
You can strip away the permanent artificial color with a hair color remover. When using hair color removal products, your hair will end up looking raw and brassy, so you will need to re-color your hair to make it look natural. After the color has been removed, apply your desired color, which is medium ash brown.
Helpful
semarr's Avatar
semarr Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
New Member
 
#3

Nov 7, 2006, 11:33 AM
This didn't really work for me. I tried a hair color remover, and it pulled some of the color out. It went down to a dark auburn. I waited 24 hours and did the hair remover again, and it's now like a light to medium auburn at the roots and a medium to dark auburn at the ends.

To get this to a medium ash brown, should I use light ash brown dye? Or should I use one of those dyes "for dark hair" (the one's meant to take dark brown hair and make it slightly lighter). Right now I bought a light ash brown dye, but I'm afraid that my hair is so porous that the dye will turn it black or something.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!
Helpful
PrettyLady's Avatar
PrettyLady Posts: 2,775, Reputation: 1719
-
 
#4

Nov 7, 2006, 03:25 PM
If your hair was chemically colored, it will be difficult to get your natural back. The hairstylist that did your hair...did an awful. Since the hair color remover didn't work, I advise you not to do anything else to your hair, it will only make matters worse. I think you should go to the salon and have them do a corrective color. A hairstylist will mix a formula to match your original shade.
Helpful
saintsvalentine's Avatar
saintsvalentine Posts: 4, Reputation: -1
New Member
 
#5

Nov 6, 2007, 07:11 PM
Hi, I had this problem recently and gained a little insight into the problem. My hair was colored a deep dark auburn - I hated it - so I used color oops (colorfix works well also) to lighten it to a light pumpkin brown. I've discovered over the years that more than one attempt to remove color with a color remover usually doesn't lighten it any more than it did the first time (unles I'm not doing it right). When you re-color you MUST use a color that is 2-3 shades lighter than your ideal shade. If you want a medium ash brown, you should use a light ash brown or maybe even a dark ash blond (you can always go darker if it's too light which it probably won't be). Also, use a 40 developer in order to prevent the color from turning too dark or even black. Additionally, it may help to mix in 15 drops of red eliminator (available at sally's beauty supply, along with everything else.) I like Ion creme color with the developer for sensitive scalp. Good luck to you!
stylist101 (Aug 31, 2009 12:16 AM): it will not turn black! a light brown doesnt contian enough pigment2turn black! n a 40volume is crazy! once you have lifted the color out your simply depositing your desired color!a developer isnt even needed!leave it2a stylist2advise cuz ur clueless   Source:
Helpful
redmistake's Avatar
redmistake Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
New Member
 
#6

Feb 11, 2009, 08:17 AM
I had the same incident happen to me exactly 2 weeks ago. My natural color is dark ash blonde with slight honey/red tone with light blonde highlights on the ends. I grew in some gray hairs and wanted to cover those with highlights. The hair sylist (Marlo Jennings) convinced me to go with red lowlights and blonde highlights. Marlo said that my lowlights came out "funky" and she proceded with putting 3 different toners on my head. My scalp was burning and I started to panic and begged her to wash it out. It looks horrible. My husband hates it. I have been washing my hair with chlorine remover shampoo for swimmers.
I am going to another salon tomorrow to hopefully get some more blonde highlights, as my highlights are non-existant due to all the toners she put on my hair.

It took a week for my scalp to stop burning.

I am sorry you are going through this, it is horrible, I know. I don't recognize myself in the mirror and all my friends laugh when they see me. It sucks.

I guess hair grows out and I really trust my new stylist. I am putting lots of Aveda damage rememdy conditioner on my hair and currently it is very soft and touchable.

Take care of yourself and find a hair color specialist, even if it really expensive, you need someone to listen to you and to norish your hair!
Helpful
misstexcanada's Avatar
misstexcanada Posts: 1, Reputation: 1
New Member
 
#7

Apr 2, 2009, 02:15 PM
I have naturally red head, more of a reddish blond. I've gone to salons and have done coloring at home and it is really hard to get my natural color. I have used a shade of Loreal but it isn't available here in Canada so I listened to one of their representatives at a store and chose a color she recommended...with results being very dark compared to my natural color and the rest of my near waist length hair is my natural color. So disaster!

I looked online and read about Color Zap from Loreal where you can use it and then immediately dye your hair again. But...it isn't available here in Canada.

I called Loreal and they recommended using a clarifying shampoo or dandruff shampoo that will naturally strip the color and lighten it! You are supposed to put the shampoo on, then leave it on for 30 minutes, then wash...followed by a good conditioner. You can do this 3 times a week.

This may work for any other dark hair disaster! We will see if it works, until then...a ponytail & a prayer!

Also she added that if your hair is sun damaged (mine bleaches very easily) or naturally dry, any dark color will become darker on those parts of your hair.

If your salon goofed up: they owe you a full refund and a solution!
Helpful
amy4m87's Avatar
amy4m87 Posts: 1, Reputation: 10
New Member
 
#8

Aug 27, 2009, 02:31 AM
Hi my natural hair colour is ginger and I wanted a change so I dyed it red. Now I hate it and want to go back av been told to use head and shoulders dandruf shampoo so wish me luck lol .
Helpful
stylist101's Avatar
stylist101 Posts: 43, Reputation: 10
Junior Member
 
#9

Aug 31, 2009, 12:10 AM
Do not out 40volume developer on your hair! It won't do anything but dry it out! Color doesn't lift color only bleach or modulate! You need to see a stylist! If you dislike the red n want it lighter you need a color correction done! Don't attempt this on your own! You'll end up in the salon w a bigger mess n spend more money n the long run! Go to salon n don't take advice from anyone who's not a colorist! These answers were off the charts!
Helpful  (1)
colorcrazy's Avatar
colorcrazy Posts: 1, Reputation: 5
Junior Member
 
#10

Nov 20, 2009, 07:32 PM
We all do different procedures and use different products on our hair, is very hard to help fix hair disasters when we are the only ones who know what we did to our hair and what it was used. After some time of playing with different hair colors our hair is far from being and looking natural and no matter what we do to make it look natural, it never will be., it is possible to make it look natural again but it won't be the same unless we let it grows out. If we try to do what a person is recommending to do because it worked for her, doesn't mean it's going to work for you too. It's best to keep track of what we do, when and what we use, so we let the color specialist know and they'll be able to do a better job and we don't experiment with ourselves... One thing I have to say is, better to have short healthy hair than long fried hair... Good luck to all
Helpful  (1)

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.

Remove Text Formatting

Undo
Redo
 
Decrease Size
Increase Size
Bold
Italic
Underline
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Ordered List
Unordered List
Decrease Indent
Increase Indent
Insert Email Link
Wrap [QUOTE] tags around selected text
Wrap [CODE] tags around selected text
Wrap [HTML] tags around selected text
Wrap [PHP] tags around selected text
Wrap [YOUTUBE] tags around selected text
Notification Type:



Check out some similar questions!

Hair loss due to hair dye [ 14 Answers ]

I feel so terible, I used dye called (biegen, I think) it is very cheap, I did not like the color so I used around 3 boxes in a week to change the color now my hair is very dry and is falling like crazy especially at the front I can see my scalp now, what should I do would my hair grow back or will...

HELP! Brown hair color turned my hair a dark red! [ 31 Answers ]

So my girlfriend helped me color my hair to hide a few gray hairs coming in. Its usually a light to med brown, thought I might go darker. We used Loreal excellence creme ( Medium Brown). It actuall turned my hair into almost a dark redish brown, looks like I have naturally dark red hair! HELP! ...

How to get rid of hair dye/keeping hair dye from fading [ 4 Answers ]

Hello I have kind of a problem and no one knows what to do, especially me! I have beautiful dark dark brown hair. I don't know why, but I let someone highlight my hair blonde about 2 years ago. They turned orange, so I dyed my hair dark brown again to get my color back and I was happy. Within a...

Hair dye [ 2 Answers ]

I dye my hair either brown or a reddy brown I'm 46 I would like to no if giong black would age my face

Hair dye Help! [ 4 Answers ]

Hi I really need help! I died my hair on the 7th october the colour said natural darkest brown my hair origionally is dark brown but I had blonde put through it so I wnted 2 go bk to dark brown however. My hair is that thick I have to use 2 colours to cover it I washed it out 10 minutes early as...


View more Hair Care questions Search