I have searched through the questions on here about black hair dye but most of the answers suggest going to a salon which I just can't afford.

I have naturally very dark hair, almost black. I had been dying it dark red for about a year but wanted to go back natural so I dyed it jet black, which ended up being too dark. I tried to put red over it to lighten the color which of course didn't work (I knew it wouldn't but I was desperate).

It's been almost a year now since I dyed it black but the color is still going strong in my hair and I hate it! I currently have about three or four inches of natural roots and the rest is still jet black.

I want to bleach my hair but I'm scared it will either 1. Burn all the hair off my head or 2. Leave me with platinum roots and red everywhere else. I've been told that bleach will work better if I strip the color out of my hair first? A friend of mine offered to help me bleach my hair and she has been a blonde (naturally brunette) for a long time. Should I continue to wait it out or try the bleach?

I would strongly suggest saving up for a few months (you've waited a year already) and get it fixed properly in a salon. Coming from a hairdresser and salon owner I have seen way worse results from people tryig to fix their hair at home. It is not going to happen, sorry to say. If you bleach it at home it will turn orange (if you are lucky) and then reapplying that drug store bleach will absolutely wreck your hair. Don't do it! Save up and you will be much happier.;)
I hope this helps. I know you wanted a different answer, sorry.

I would strongly suggest saving up for a few months (you've waited a year already) and get it fixed properly in a salon. Coming from a hairdresser and salon owner I have seen way worse results from people tryig to fix their hair at home. It is not going to happen, sorry to say. If you bleach it at home it will turn orange (if you are lucky) and then reapplying that drug store bleach will absolutely wreck your hair. Don't do it!! Save up and you will be much happier.;)
I hope this helps. I know you wanted a different answer, sorry.

Thanks for the honest answer. I just got discouraged about the salon when reading other people's posts saying it took two or three salon trips and that seems like it would be ridiculously expensive.

If you go to a stylist who you really trust, you should get something close to what you are wanting. Remember they are "fixing" your present color, the results may not be exact. But by the sounds of it, it's not like you have an "unrealistic" idea of what you want.

Hiya my friend dyed her hair dark and then wanted to go back blonde so she bleached it and it went orange! She ended up going to the hairdressers anyway and they had to cut her hair shorter because her hair went all crapy she described as being like bubble gum! Good luck I hope you wait and go to the salon

I have searched through the questions on here about black hair dye but most of the answers suggest going to a salon which I just can't afford.

I have naturally very dark hair, almost black. I had been dying it dark red for about a year but wanted to go back natural so I dyed it jet black, which ended up being too dark. I tried to put red over it to lighten the color which of course didn't work (I knew it wouldn't but I was desperate).

It's been almost a year now since I dyed it black but the color is still going strong in my hair and I hate it! I currently have about three or four inches of natural roots and the rest is still jet black.

I want to bleach my hair but I'm scared it will either 1. Burn all the hair off my head or 2. Leave me with platinum roots and red everywhere else. I've been told that bleach will work better if I strip the color out of my hair first? A friend of mine offered to help me bleach my hair and she has been a blonde (naturally brunette) for a long time. Should I continue to wait it out or try the bleach?
I don't think that you necessarily had to wait. I used Garnier black hair dye and eliminated it pretty quickly by doing the following: 1) I have shoulder length hair, so give yourself a nice, shoulder length hair cut FIRST (hair dye will take much better). Use any permanent medium brown hair shade NOT something for lifting or any thing like that, just a NORMAL medium brown shade. I recommend in a natural shade. I used two or three different brands but only because I saw no difference. You only might see a change in the roots. 2) you should be able to re dye again with a semi-perm as soon as 24 hours, but wait until you feel you hair is in healthy shape. Use Clairol medium ash brown for regular time. Be sure you use this exact color. You shouldn't be lighter technically, but will have a translucent, lighter and natural looking shade. I would continue to use this about every three weeks until, eventually, you see the permanent under your semi-permanent coming through to your hair from the roots. This was a good solution for me and it worked.

Follow up: Maybe you oughta use something darker. My hair was naturally medium brown but you said yours was darker. The key for black hair dye, since it does not lighten, is to the closest to your natural level. When your color is not black, that is when you use at least one shade lower. Here you are simply trying to change your tone. I know that garnier "brown" is like a darker medium brown, yet applies quite dark. So that should be good. Otherwise, plain dark brown, or another brand in dark brown. I recommend the perm color to be natural to avoid possible problems, and NOT WARM. But you MUST use ASh afterward. This is to eliminate red, which all black has, and give a natural look. Just mix equally dark brown with medium ash brown which I believe makes dark ash brown, but ask the clairol people from the hotline (very helpful). Just match it as closely as possible to the perm color you used. Note: most people believe that their natural hair level is darker than what it is. I thought mine was really dark, well it is a lighter medium brown. A pro stylist should be able to pull out swatches and match your hair natural hair level (if your roots are showing) to the swatch. Your hair level should be one hair level darker from what the swatch says and THIS is the color exactly you want for black. This is why mine matched to light brown. Just tell the hairstylist you are curious about getting your hair done there. They should be eager to show you your hair level. You are right, going to a hairdresser for this, would be Ridiculously expensive. All in All, I would suggest the way I mentioned because it is FAR gentler, so you really can't go wrong, or using whatever shampoos or rinses that are out there to deposit brown or rinse black, but I don't know. In fact I would not recommend doing this at the hairdresser if I Could afford it. Good luck.