How to Fix Hair Color that is Less than Ideal

Nearly everyone who has ever dyed their hair has found themselves in a situation where they needed a hair color fix. Sure, the box says to not lighten more than two shades relative to your natural color, or perhaps you told your hair stylist you wanted brown not black, but these things happen. But the question remains: what can be done about it?

Orange or Brassy  

Brunettes insist on trying to dye their hair blond with the wrong products for some reason. This generally results in orange or brassy hair. If this sounds like you and you need to know how to fix hair color because your head has turned into a pumpkin, try to remain calm. This is not the end of the world and believe it or not, you do not have to shave your head bald!

You’re either going to need to put a hat on and make a trip to the beauty supply store, or call a friend and tell them you need to fix hair color immediately. Grab a product like Ardell Unred which will lift the orange out of your hair. You will also need to pick a dye that offers a 9 or 10 blue base with a level 10 peroxide. Additionally, a toner and developer are going to be very helpful in creating that gorgeous blond shade you were hoping for. As a final option, you can always just dye your hair back dark.

Too Dark 
 

Some people look exotic and mysterious with super dark hair, others simply don’t. If you need to know how to fix hair color because you’re looking a bit like the Bride of Frankenstein, you have a few different options.

Most people find that the easiest way to address this situation is to wash your hair with a cheap shampoo. If the dye hasn’t had time to set, it’s going to be a lot easier to lift the color. The tricky part is making sure that it’s removed evenly, so use a comb to spread the shampoo. Now, you may only want to lighten it a shade or two, and in this case you only really need to leave it on a few minutes before rinsing away.

If you need to fix hair color that is permanent, there are special clarifying shampoos you can use that are designed to lift overtones that occur from colors which deposit an abundance of red, ash, copper or lavender. If you don’t want to spend money on one of these hair color fix products, you can always make a soap-bleach shampoo cocktail that combines two ounces of shampoo with one packet of powder bleach. This could result in a shade too light though, so you may want to have hair dye handy in case you need to color it again.

Too Blonde 

Some people will argue that you can never be too blond, but many people find themselves needing to correct their hair color for this very reason. Fortunately, the instructions for how to fix hair color in this situation are very straightforward!

There’s a good chance that if your hair is too light, bleach is involved, so you should moisturize deeply before dying again. Choose a demi or semi-permanent color according to your specific problem. An overly pale shade needs something with a warm hue, and hair that is too brassy requires a cool shade. Choose a color that is one or two shades darker than what you have and you should be fine. Never use a permanent dye for a hair color fix if bleach has been involved. Bleach leaves the hair porous and will have an unpredictable effect on the outcome.