Hi,
I'm having a major problem with my hair. I had it dark red for a long time, and wanted to go back to my natural color (dark blond). I went to a salon where they stripped the red out with a lot of bleach (too much, I was later told). The result was a too-bright blond that didn't suit me, and with every wash it gradually became a more hideous shade of green. I went to another salon to try to replace the color completely, and was told that I had to go darker to get the green out. The new colorist tried dyeing it light brown, but it came out very dark, and with several dark blond streaks here and there. It looks very uneven, and most of it is too dark for my liking. I was told that since my hair was so damaged and porous, it sucked up as much dye as possible, which is why it is so dark. I tried washing it several times (it was only done yesterday), and nothing helped. I don't want to use detergent because my hair is so damaged already, and quite straw-like. Can anything fade it faster? Or, should I try washing my hair with lemon to lighten it? I can't go back to another salon, because they won't touch my hair anymore... I was told not to dye it at all for another 5 months. Please help!

I'm sorry to hear about this. When the they bleached your hair at the salon, it made your hair porous. If your hair is porous, darker hair color will penetrate in the cortex, making the hair look even darker. Since your hair is over-processed and damaged, the hairstylist cannot color your hair because your hair might fall out. I know you're feeling depressed, but you should listen to the hairstylist's advice and don't dye your hair for 5 months. In the mean time, do a deep conditioning treatment twice a week. Deep conditioning treatments will combat the damage of chemical treatments and coloring and restore some moisture in your hair.