We’ve all had our hair regrets at some point in our lives. We put on a new hair color that’s a product of a fit of rage or a curious experimentation. What happens after that might make us look silly or ugly.
But what happens when the supposedly “temporary” formula that you tried on stays around longer than you thought it would?
Don’t worry too much about that! You only need persistence, patience, and a set of effective products that act as hair color remedies. Let us walk you through the process of removing semi-permanent dyes from your hair as you read on.
Table of Contents
Remove Your Temporary Hair Color In Various Ways
Here are the various ways to remove a semi-permanent hair dye:
1. Clarifying and toning products
The first step in removing temporary hair color is using a clarifying shampoo, just like oVertone’s The Fader. Apply sufficient shampoo to your hair strands, hair follicles, and scalp. After a few shampoo sessions and considering the dye’s color, there should be some signs of fading.
If you put on a pastel or a lighter shade, the clarifying shampoo alone is enough.
Now let’s move on to the toning. Toners can help in the fading of pastel shades in your hair. Here’s a little guide for using hair toners:
- Yellow hair = Purple toner
- Orange hair = Blue toner
- Green/teal hair = Pink toner
- Pink/red hair = Green toner
Apply the toner to your dry hair. Leave it on for 3-5 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as needed.
2. Baking soda
Yes, you read it right! This baking ingredient is a handy color remover on the now unwanted hair color.
Apply conditioner and leave it on your hair for 10-15 minutes. Put a clarifying shampoo on your hair and rinse it. Just a friendly reminder—use clarifying shampoo in moderation as these may contain harsh chemicals that dry out your hair.
After a thorough rinse, apply a small amount of baking soda to your hair. Leave it on for a minute and rinse it again. Run your hair on cold water. Make sure your wet hair is now free of any hair dye.
3. Put Another Hair Color
If you don’t want to use shampoo and baking soda, how about dyeing your hair with another color? Now that you’ve gone astray from your natural hair color, it’s time to choose a new one.
Choose a hair color that matches the shade of the one you want to remove. Buy at least two boxes of that color. Saturate your hair with the color of your choice.
Rinse your hair with cold water and shampoo after letting the color settle in your hair.
Apply conditioner after washing your hair. Rinse and shampoo it again.
It feels like putting another color on your current one, but it’s a sure option that will let you experiment with a certain color.
4. The Power of Bleaching
If you don’t like the first three choices, then bleaching is the way to go!
Buy a hair bleach and follow the packaging instructions. Use a cotton ball or a sponge to saturate your hair with the bleach. Leave it on your hair for 5-10 minutes before rinsing it thoroughly with cold water.
You have to be very careful when bleaching your hair. Avoid getting bleach on your eyes, lips, nose, and skin. Always use a pair of protective gloves.
Semi-Permanent Hair Dyes: Pros and Cons
Even if temporary hair colors are built to last for a short time, it has its own fair share of upsides and downsides. Here’s what you’ll get and what you won’t like with a semi-permanent hair dye:
The Pros
- These hair colors don’t have ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. These two chemicals, when used repeatedly, can damage your hair.
- It allows room for experiments. Still confused about the color you want for your hair? Test it out with temporary hair dyes! Putting one color after another lets you see which one suits you best.
- It’s washable. You can just wash away the color of your hair if you don’t like it. It’s okay not to commit to any hair color at the moment with these kinds of dyes.
The Cons
- The colors fade faster after 8 to 10 shampoos. Air exposure also contributes to color fading.
- Frequent applications that might damage the hair in the long run. The colors overlap, which leads to lighter roots and darker ends.
- Temporary hair dyes don’t fully cover gray hair. This may make your hair look unappealing to others.
Wrap Up
Removing temporary hair dye can be a time-consuming experience. But even if that’s the case, the right hair care routine will save you time, money, and effort in getting the color out of your hair. You just need the right products and know the steps in removing hair colors.
