Ask Me Help Desk - Removed black, re-colored brown, now need to remove purple

I recently colored my hair with a permanent color that turned my hair way too black.

Based on what I read here, I removed the color with a hair color remover kit as a first step, and brought it to a color that was a bit lighter, and much redder than what I wanted to end up with. As a second step I recolored with a semi-permanent hair color that brought it quite close to the color that I was hoping for (just a bit darker) but it now has a violet undertone that is noticeable under certain light. I would not normally worry about this, but the undertone is not a natural one.

Knowing a bit about mixing color in other fields, I know that I could counteract the violet undertone by adding a yellow-ish second color on top of the existing color and hope for the best. I am worried though, that adding the second color may introduce yet another strange color in the mix, and that it may additionally take my hair to an even darker shade.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of problem? Should I try adding the yellow second color on top of the existing color and hope for the best? I do need to maintain the value (light/dark) that I have already achieved. I just need to remove the un-natural violet undertones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by candice99

I recently colored my hair with a permanent color that turned my hair way too black.

Based on what I read here, I removed the color with a hair color remover kit as a first step, and brought it to a color that was a bit lighter, and much redder than what I wanted to end up with. As a second step I recolored with a semi-permanent hair color that brought it quite close to the color that I was hoping for (just a bit darker) but it now has a violet undertone that is noticeable under certain light. I would not normally worry about this, but the undertone is not a natural one.

Knowing a bit about mixing color in other fields, I know that I could counteract the violet undertone by adding a yellow-ish second color on top of the existing color and hope for the best. I am worried though, that adding the second color may introduce yet another strange color in the mix, and that it may additionally take my hair to an even darker shade.

Does anyone have experience with this sort of problem? Should I try adding the yellow second color on top of the existing color and hope for the best? I do need to maintain the value (light/dark) that I have already achieved. I just need to remove the un-natural violet undertones.

I am a licensed hair dresser. You should go to a salon and tell them what kind of color you have used to correct the undertones in your hair you are right about the yellow I would use it if I had more info on what you have used but then again doing it again yourself with out knowning a little of hair chemistry you could over do you hair and damage it. If you are willing to take that risk try a sally's professional hair color find the level of your hair color and use a semi-permante color with the yellow being the base color.

The first coloring that I used was Loreal Natural Match 3C Darkest Brown Black - permanent. I left it on until I thought it reached the right color. I left the color on too long.

The color remover I used next was Loreal Color Remover that I left on until the hair color was a couple shades lighter than needed. The hair color was the expected unatural red.

The recoloring that I used was Clairol Natural Instincts 24 Clove - Medium Ash Brown - Semi Permanent. I left it on for 19 minutes.

The hair color is now the right value (light/dark) but has the violet undertones I mentioned earlier.

Will recoloring over the hair color now darken it further? Should I use a lighter color that has a yellow base color to try to keep it from darkening further? Will I need to (shudder) strip it again to lighten it before recoloring?

Professional recoloring is a direction I would like to avoid, if possible.

Try this if you have a sally's beauty supply near go in there ask them to help you determine you hair color level 1-10 1 being the lightest 10 being darkest use the color swatches find that # then get a demi-permante color meaning it will fade in a 4 week period then find one with a yellow base or even get ion color brilliance at sallys get on in the gold family DO NOT leave on any more than 8-10 if it starts to turn yellow rinse immedately.

I would also recommend trying a test strand first you don't have to mix all of the product first read the mixing directions first usually its equal parts. If you need me email me
[email protected]

Yellow and violet are complimentary colors. If you want to neutralize unwanted tones in your hair, you would have to use a complementary color. But, you should be careful because it could make your hair green or an unwanted shade. I really recommend that you go to the salon and have them do a corrective color.

I'm going to try a couple expiriments based on some of the advice that I have gotten here and at other spots on this wonderful site.

If I have good (or bad) luck I will let you all know! Thanks!

Rember test strands you don't have to mess all of you hair up get a strand of hair in the back under a few layers of hair put alumin foil around the hair to apply the color only to one part

Thanks tabitaball and PrettyLady. I have used test strands in the past, and cannot stress enough to the others out there the importance of doing the same. Try a small part before you wreck the whole part, if you know what I mean.

Here is another question though for anyone who has some experience coloring hair. After dying my hair too dark, stripping it to it's raw red stage, redying it a second time to a close approximation of what I was looking for (but with some violet undertones), I was planning on doing another stage of color correction to remove the violet remnants. After two days of waiting, and two showers, I can't seem to see the strange violet color anymore. Is it possible that the violet color that I saw so clearly after the last coloring somehow "worked it's way out" over the past two days? Is it possible that the two showers with their accompanying shampoos and conditionings somehow diminished or deleted the unwanted undertones. Hmmmm...

I have a lot of experience working with color in many different mediums. And, I have seen colors go through significant color-shifts as they fully dry. Could this be the case here as well? I do hope so, otherwise I think I may have lost a few million violet-sensitive cones from my retinae.