How to Lighten Dyed Hair That is Too Dark
Hair color too dark? This is one of the most common hair color mistakes people make at home and one of the trickiest to fix. “This is the most common complaint I hear,” says Candy Diaz, a hair pro in New York City. For new at-home colorists, finding your best shade right out of the box (pun intended) is tricky. That’s one reason many pros recommend picking a box of color that’s a smidge lighter than you think you want because, more often than not, DIY color will process darker than expected. Stay on the safer side, and you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time and money in the long run. (Plus, it’s easier to deepen, rather than lighten, color if you don’t get it right the first time). That said, lightening up a too-dark dye job is not impossible.
How do I lighten dyed hair that is too dark?
The key, says Diaz, is to wash your hair right away with dish soap to strip out those fresh color molecules.
“This should help fade the color pretty quickly,” she says. “Just be sure to follow with a good, nourishing conditioner because using dish soap can be very drying”.
Lightening dyed hair that is too dark at home comes down to acting quickly, the sooner you wash, the more color you can remove before it fully sets. Our custom conditioner can include the ingredients you need to support your hair’s overall health. If you are trying to remove a darker color, and your hair feels damaged, let us know. We will formulate a conditioner that can help restore moisture to your hair.
How to Fix Hot Roots?
What are hot roots? Frequently referred to by pros as “hot roots,” the orangey tint near the scalp is usually the result of using a dye that is too warm or too red for your natural hair color. Why this mismatch only shows up at the roots is because your virgin roots are less resistant to the dye than your previously-colored lengths. New hair growth is much more reactive to dye than previously dyed hair.
How to Fix Hot Roots Fast
The fastest way to fix hot roots: apply an anti-brass, at-home gloss (it’s usually purple or silver and can be found at a beauty supply store) to the orangey areas for the recommended time, then rinse. If that still doesn’t do the trick, try recoloring just the regrowth with a permanent dye the same color as the rest of your hair and labeled ‘cool or neutral’ (never ‘warm’).
Blue toners can also cancel out orange tones, and purple toners work really well to cancel out yellow tones. When figuring out how to fix hot roots, the toner you choose should match the underlying tone you’re trying to cancel. We also offer a custom anti-brass conditioner that can reduce the yellow or orange tones in your hair. We recommend using this conditioner a few times to truly see the effects. Your hair will be moisturized and brass-free in no time.
How to Fix Light Roots on Dark Hair
Light roots on dark hair is another common hair color mistake that catches many at-home colorists off guard. Similar to the orangey issue above, when your regrowth ends up a shade lighter than the rest of your hair, it is typically because virgin hair reacts differently to dye than previously colored strands. The latter is more porous than regrowth and thus quicker to absorb color molecules.
To avoid these hair color mistakes, many color pros suggest applying permanent color only to the roots for the full recommended time. Then, for the final five minutes of processing, combing the color through the rest of your hair for a quick refresh.
As for those light roots on dark hair? A root touch-up kit (you can use one with permanent color—or temporary dye) will help deepen the shade until it’s time to color again in six or so weeks. This is the simplest and most effective fix for light roots dark hair issues between full color appointments.
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How to Fix Dry Hair Ends?
Wondering how to fix dry ends after coloring? Over-bleached, dry, split-prone ends are one of the most common consequences of DIY color, but there are real solutions. Typically, dry, split-prone ends that are the result of over-bleaching can be hydrated back to health, though Diaz says usually the best, most effective fix is a trim. Just have your stylist snip off the most damaged areas to keep those splits from traveling up the hair shaft and weakening your hair further. This trim could even mean a light dusting for your hair, so that you aren’t losing too much length.
Then, commit to a weekly hair mask, look for ingredients like silk proteins to strengthen, collagen and hyaluronic acid to repair, and argan oil to deeply hydrate. These are the key ingredients to seek out when learning how to fix dry ends caused by chemical color processing.
Pro Tip: Deep conditioning right after your color is a smart strategy, as it acts as an instant antidote to the drying, damaging effects of any bleach or ammonia in your hair color formula. This can quickly combat any harsh effects on your hair, and hydrate your strands and ends. If you’re serious about knowing how to fix dry hair ends long-term, deep conditioning after every color session should become non-negotiable.
Looking for lasting hydration after a color mistake? After you fill out the free consultation, we can provide specific products and recommendations. Your hair may do best with our curl cream, leave-in conditioner, or hair oil. Once we learn more about your hair, we can provide specific recommendations to support it.
Another product that may help bring your hair back to its natural state is our custom hair supplements, also known as Root Source™. These personalized supplements can help to soothe your scalp and encourage hair growth.
How to Fix a Red Tint that’s More Fire-Orange Than Auburn?
This is another hair color mistake that’s more common than you’d think and knowing how to fix hair dyed too dark in a red tone requires a strategic approach. When your new red hue is too bright, the best way to fix hair color mistakes is usually with brown. Choose a boxed color that matches the predominant brown tones in your hair, minus any warmth (look for ‘cool’ or ‘neutral’ on the box).
Then, rather than applying the dye for the full recommended time, leave it on for between five and ten minutes—and rinse. This should be long enough to cut the red without over saturating your hair color. This will help minimize the intense orange color, and leave you with a more auburn tone. And don’t forget to use a nourishing conditioner to help prevent over-drying from the double dye sessions.
Our custom leave-in conditioner can help to bring intense moisture and nourishment to your hair. A leave-conditioner or hair mask are wonderful for helping give your hair life and restoration after dyeing your hair.
Our custom hair mask has your strands in mind. Recommended for pre-shampoo use, this hair mask hydrates and smoothes hair lengths and ends. Your custom hair mask could include ingredients for color protection, deep nutrition, anti-breakage, or fiber repair. Better ingredients for better hair.
The Wrap Up
If you still can’t find the right solution for your hair, reach out to your stylist and create a plan. Afterwards, complete our free consultation. In the consultation, we ask you questions about your hair type, specific problem areas, as well as goals you might have.
We then use this information to create custom hair products for your hair needs. hair color too dark, hot roots, light roots on dark hair, dry ends, or any other hair color mistake, we’ll recommend the best custom formulas to help restore your strands and get your color back on track.
