Hi!
I have naturally blonde hair which I dyed black for 2/3 years, I then (after quite a lot of dying) have got it to a very red colour. However, in the sun it looks really brassy, so I'm thinking that it may be better to have it back to my natural colour for the summer?

So how would I go about removing the red dye?
I can't afford to go to the salon, but have always dyed my hair myself so I think I'd be all right.
Also I live in the UK so can't get any colourfix/zap without paying a lot for postage from the US.

Sometimes when I use hair dye it burns my scalp a little, is this normal? As I'm concerned that bleach would really hurt.

Bleach your hair with 9% hydrogen peroxide.

Remember to first apply to midlengths (most resistant), ends (which is porous so processes quick) then scalp in the end (because the heat from the scalp processes quicker).
When bleaching the hair, it goes through different stages. So when you have bleach on, it first strips out the red, then goes to an orangey colour. When it comes to put this point; DO NOT BE ALARMED. Leave the bleach on so it can strip out the orange, then it goes to dark blonde, then blonde, after that light blonde and finally white. So rinse off the bleach when you have reached the desired colour.

TIP - Keep a damp piece of cotton wool next to you so you can take off the bleach from different parts of the hair to see if it needs more time to process or if it's reached the desired result.

After you have rinsed off the bleach, you can either use a violet toner to neutralise unwanted yellow tones or you could re-colour the hair to the desired blonde shade.

As you said earlier you've dyed your hair a fair few times, when dyeing hair, the colour just builds on top of each other so the bleach may not lift out all the colours. So you might need to bleach your hair after again if your hair is up to it that is, as bleaching the hair can be very damaging!

Another option is you can go to a college and get your hair colour stripped. At colleges they give discounted prices and are very affordable. Yes, it will be students doing your hair but then if they weren't up to the job, their tutors would not allow them to do anyone's hair.

Bleach your hair with 9% hydrogen peroxide.

Remember to first apply to midlengths (most resistant), ends (which is porous so processes quick) then scalp in the end (because the heat from the scalp processes quicker).
When bleaching the hair, it goes through different stages. So when you have bleach on, it first strips out the red, then goes to an orangey colour. When it comes to put this point; DO NOT BE ALARMED. Leave the bleach on so it can strip out the orange, then it goes to dark blonde, then blonde, after that light blonde and finally white. So rinse off the bleach when you have reached the desired colour.

TIP - Keep a damp piece of cotton wool next to you so you can take off the bleach from different parts of the hair to see if it needs more time to process or if it's reached the desired result.

After you have rinsed off the bleach, you can either use a violet toner to neutralise unwanted yellow tones or you could re-colour the hair to the desired blonde shade.

As you said earlier you've dyed your hair a fair few times, when dyeing hair, the colour just builds on top of each other so the bleach may not lift out all the colours. So you might need to bleach your hair after again if your hair is up to it that is, as bleaching the hair can be very damaging!!

Another option is you can go to a college and get your hair colour stripped. At colleges they give discounted prices and are very affordable. Yes, it will be students doing your hair but then if they weren't upto the job, their tutors would not allow them to do anyones hair.

Thanks very much for the quick reply!

I've got a few days free next week so I'm going to have a go at the bleaching.
Thanks again =).

Thanks very much for the quick reply!

I've got a few days free next week so i'm gonna have a go at the bleaching.
Thanks again =).


You're welcome! Let me know how you get on. :D

Sweetie, going from red to blonde is a tricky process, so do not attempt to do it yourself. It requires a two-step coloring process. To achieve results, you will need to pre-lighten your with bleach to a yellow stage, and then apply a blonde toner. If going to the salon isn't an option, ask someone that's experiencing in hair coloring to do coloring process for you.