How to remove non permanent hair dye

I've been in the position where a dye job went wrong. Here's what worked for me to "lighten things up."

How to Get Dye Out of Your Hair

So here's the scenario: you've dyed your hair, you don't like it, and you need to be "normal" again. Most people at this point would choose to go to their neighborhood pharmacy and purchase an expensive hair dye remover. This option works well for most hair types, but some over-the-counter brands have harsh chemicals that can cause damage. Not to mention they're pricey!

If you're looking for a natural alternative, you don't need to look further than your kitchen cabinet. These ingredients are all safe, environmentally friendly, and, best of all, they won’t break the bank! You can use them on either permanent or semi-permanent hair color.

How Does Natural Hair Dye Removal Work?

When you dye your hair, you're essentially expanding your hair strand and allowing the dye molecules to attach to your hair strands. Ammonia or ethanolamine in hair dye expands the hair cuticle and adds pigment to the strand. (Compounding Interest)

Hair color remover breaks the molecular links holding the hair color in place. Once the bonds are dissolved, the dye is solubilized in water and rinsed down the drain.

Dye penetration information from StyleCraze.

Best Ways to Fade Hair Dye at Home

1. Mix baking soda and shampoo. Anti-dandruff shampoo works best, but some people also swear by clarifying shampoo. Whichever you choose, you should use a 1:1 ratio of baking soda and shampoo. Lather the mixture into your hair, and then leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing with hot water. Do this for a few days or until the dye completely fades.
2. Mix vitamin C tablets and hot water to form a paste, and apply this to your hair. Leave it on for an hour while wearing a shower cap. Then, rinse with hot water. This method works best if you use it a few days after dying your hair. You will still see results after this timeframe, but the results will be minimal.
3. Douse your hair with a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. Then cover your head with a shower cap for 15 to 20 minutes before rinsing.

Author's Note

These methods are extremely drying and may cause damage depending on the current health of your hair. If you have thin, fragile hair or a sensitive scalp, use these ingredients with caution.

Use ant-dandruff shampoo with baking soda or vitamin c.

https://unsplash.com/photos/PD2RYMtsGhc

1. Baking Soda and Anti-Dandruff Shampoo or Clarifying Shampoo

Baking soda is a natural and effective cleansing agent and is often used to remove stains. It's no wonder so many people swear by it for removing hair dye as well. It works best when mixed with an anti-dandruff shampoo. This is because the shampoo's active ingredient selenium sulfide is known to fade hair (it may also fade metallic jewelry).

Remember that this process is gradual and will not work immediately. The baking soda acts as a scrubbing agent and the selenium sulfide lightens hair, but these two ingredients won’t remove the dye completely after the first attempt. Repeat the process for a few days or for as long as needed.

Note: Clarifying shampoo may also work.

2. Vitamin C Paste

Vitamin C is probably the safest and most non-abrasive option for people who have dyed their hair a particularly dark color and would like to lighten it quickly. The acid in vitamin C works by oxidizing the dye and, therefore, loosening up the dye's molecular bonds with the hair strand.

MIx vitamin C with hot water in a 1:1 ratio to make a paste. Remember, this method works best if the paste is applied no more than a few days after dying your hair, although it will show decent results if you wait a little longer. There will be a notable difference, but don’t expect any miracles.

3. Vinegar

Removing dye with vinegar is more time-intensive, but is easily the most gentle on your hair. For this method, you should use plain white vinegar. Similar to the way vitamin C works, the acidity of the vinegar will help strip the dye from your hair without damaging your scalp as some expensive, chemical-based products do. This is because most hair dyes cannot handle acidic substances.

Mix together two cups of water and half a cup of white vinegar. Shampoo and rinse your hair, then pour the vinegar mixture on your scalp. Let the mixture soak in for about 20 minutes. Repeat this twice a week. You can also try this with apple cider vinegar.

What are your other options for dye removal?

Photo by xandtor on Unsplash

Alternative Methods for Fading Hair Dye at Home

Some people swear by the following methods, but depending on your hair type and how long you've had the dye on, they are not usually as effective as the ingredients listed above. If nothing works for you, you can give some of these methods a try.

1. Dish Soap: This works for semi-permanent hair dye, but it can be really drying.
2. Baking Soda and Lemon Juice: Mix equal parts baking soda and lemon juice. Leave the mixture on your hair for just a few minutes. Lemon can really dry and damage your hair, so remember not to leave it on for too long.
3. Hydrogen Peroxide: To lighten hair color that is too dark, spray your hair with a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and water. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse.
4. Epsom Salt and Baking Soda: Fill a bath with warm water, Epsom salt, and baking soda, and let your hair soak in it. This only works for semi-permanent dye.
5. Bleach and Shampoo: If you feel particularly daring, you can mix a little bleach in with your shampoo. This method lightens the artificial dye, but may also affect your natural color, so proceed at your own risk. You should test this mixture on a strand of hair first before doing your entire head. The bleach may be too strong and may cause permanent damage.
6. Bleach Powder and Water: Mix equal parts bleach powder and water. Pour through your hair and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse it out, and then shampoo and condition as normal. This is not recommended as you can truly screw up your hair if you're not a professional.
7. Swimming: Chlorinated water fades semi-permanent dye, but the effects are minimal. Over-exposure to chlorine can cause damage and result in dry, brittle hair.
8. Sun Exposure: Heat of any kind will shorten the life of your dye, so if you want that artificial color to fade fast, let your hair out under the sun.

Do You Need a More Robust Hair Dye Removal Method?

If you have red or black hair, you may be concerned that these natural methods, albeit cheaper, are too time-consuming. Red hair dye can be removed using red dye hair stripper, and black can be removed using a combination of clarifying shampoos and black dye remover. As always, it's best to consult with your hairstylist before doing anything too out of the ordinary—you don't want to burn your hair off!

Sources

Chris Challis, Our Favorite Shampoos With Selenium Sulfide. Dandruff Deconstructed, April 2, 2017. Accessed August 6, 2017.

Compound Interest. The Chemistry of Permanent Hair Dyes. May 14th, 2015.

Sable, My 2-Ingredient Hack For Removing Hair Color. xoJane, July 22, 2014. Accessed August 12, 2017.

Syeda, Arshiya. Can You Use Vinegar to Remove Hair Dye? StyleCraze. February 25th, 2021.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.

wiserworld (author) on August 29, 2020:

This video has some useful advice suggested by a hairstylist about how to go grey naturally...

https://youtu.be/jGARYgtpjt4

Dawn comer on August 18, 2020:

Ive died my hair for years, im now wanting to get rid of the die and go naturally grey, im currently light brown, what would work for me

Ivonne on August 12, 2020:

Great Advice on this site and easy to understand.

Thank you

Nisulu on July 20, 2020:

These options truly worked for me!

I dyed my light brown/gold highlighted hair using a store bought dark golden-brown hair dye aiming for a medium brown shade. To my great surprise my hair turned out jet black! I absolutely disliked it and was desperate to fix it as so, I ran into this article and did the following: Considering that I dyed my hair just Saturday afternoon and didn’t wash it the following Sunday, I chose to try the vitamin C capsules option Monday afternoon. I powdered 15 Ester-C capsules and mixed them with about three tbs of hot lemon water (I had previously boiled a cup of water with a two lemon wedges), I made a not too thick paste, applied it on my hair, covered it with a plastic back, let it rest for an hour and then rinsed with hot water. I immediately noticed the hair dye washing off my hair upon rinsing the vitamin C paste. To ensure that I removed as much of the hair dye as possible and taking advantage of my very healthy and hydrated hair, I proceeded to wash it using the recommended mix of baking soda and shampoo. I mixed one tbs of baking soda with one tbs of Main and Tale shampoo, I applied it on wet hair, let it sit for 10 minutes and then rinsed with hot water. I again noticed the hair dye washing off my hair upon rinsing but I also noticed that my hair felt very dried. I immediately applied a hair hydrating mask on my damp hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Finally, after a long but successful process, my hair color is now a beautiful medium brown and it feels as hydrated and silky as before!

wiserworld (author) on June 15, 2020:

It may be more difficult to remove a skin dye like henna. Here is a recent video about how to do it on Youtube that could be helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMdhimkidfo

Ylennia on June 13, 2020:

Do these methods work to remove a natural dye, such as henna?

Louise on June 10, 2020:

I have naturally strawberry blonde hair and before lockdown i dyed it dark brown because it was easy to keep on top of at home, i used a permanent darkest brown dye and hated it i have been using Head and Shoulders Dandruff shampoo for about 3 weeks every day and have been using conditioning treatments also and it’s working the colour is stripping very quickly. I would recommend to anyone!!!

wiserworld (author) on May 13, 2020:

You may want to try a natural method that will not irritate the skin. Perhaps try witch hazel and a gentle soap like Dove. I noticed that this article had a few good tips and alternatives that you could try: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/a4754...

Cynthia Hoover from Newton, West Virginia on May 04, 2020:

Any tips for removing hair dye from the scalp as well. I recently let my son use a semi-permanent pigmented conditioner to color his hair blue. It did not work out so well, even though he had light hair it came out more green. But it did leave bright blaring blue patches on his scalp. So far I have tried a few things like dish-washing soap with no luck. Any tips are appreciated, it doesn't bother him but now that the color has all but washed out you can't miss it.

Sadie Holt on February 26, 2020:

Since these are super drying, is it safe to do like a leave in conditioner mask or some sort of hair mask afterwards?

on February 20, 2020:

I used fairy liguid about six times and it worked a treat all the red gone

Sara on December 30, 2019:

Pink

Madhu on November 21, 2019:

My natural hair colour is dark brown (nearly black)

I dyed my hair with golden brown high lights. I want to remove that coz it is too much in the front.

How to remove it with out graying my natural hair?

deanna on November 16, 2019:

what conditioning shampoos did you use

on September 25, 2019:

Hi what will strip my orange hair color

wiserworld (author) on September 23, 2019:

This video shows a solution that could be helpful to you. The woman in the tutorial has purple hair dye that she fades using a similar approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCFUFuUgI-k

CatLady4Kali on September 13, 2019:

I am on the upper side of the fifty’s and have dyed my hair since I was 18. I have decided that no more dye jobs and unhealthy chemicals.

I have embraced my hair going Gray. It is frustrating how long it takes.

I for some reason still have the last color which has a purple base on the lower half of my hair. The last it was died was about six months ago. Need advice on how to get the dye color out without it effecting my Gray hair.

Phyllis on August 23, 2019:

I have short fine thin hair which I have been highlighting and low lighting for 20 plus years. I use a salon for coloring. My stylist got the low lights to dark and too heavy leaving me with few highlights. I used 2 tablespoons of head and shoulders shampoo mixed with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. I combed it into my dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. I didn't try to saturate my hair just combed it in. This is two days after the salon color. The shampoo and baking soda worked really well. It lifted just enough color for the highlights to show. I didn't get any orange, red or green shades. Be sure to condition even if you have oily hair. This is pretty drying.

Jessica brown on August 22, 2019:

How can I get this black dye out and back to my original color

Ned on August 05, 2019:

Its been almost a month since i dyed my hair golden and was not happy with the results even back then i tried the vinegar but there was absolutely no reasults and my hair is still the same and I'm getting really impatient with it. Should i try the baking soda with the shampoo? I'm concerend cause my hair is thin and weak

Rachel Vintilescu on July 03, 2019:

do i use the baking soda and shampoo on wet or dry hair my hairs brown but got bright red it in been bleached

Amanda on July 01, 2019:

My hair has been dyed black for 20 years. Are theses options really worth doing?

Robin on June 12, 2019:

I just tried the Vitamin C and Dawn dish washing liquid. Put a plastic bag on head and left it on for about a half hour. At first I thought it hadn't worked. Still looked dark brown. Then I rinsed it out and toweled the excess wet. Then I looked at it looked somewhat orange and I was like oh no!!! I dried it and the orange was gone and it's now what I would call light brown. So, I am happy with the results.

I don't know if I'll do it again. Maybe in a week. I eventually want to grow my gray out. I actually bought a 1 day gray highlight spray. I tried that before my experiment with the lightening shampoo. I think it looked great. So I'm thinking that I will use that as my gray grows out and maybe I can combat that horrible line between the gray and the brown.

Olivia on April 15, 2019:

Do I put the baking soda and shampoo in on wet or dry hair? B

Michelle on April 15, 2019:

Vitamin c and dandruff shampoo and baking soda dont work

Kait on March 21, 2019:

I have been dying my hair jade green for a while and decided I wanted to change it up. Fading was taking what felt like forever though. Decided to use the baking soda hack to help it along. Takes about a month of doing this to fade out a good chunk, but it was better than harsh chemical treatment. If you want fast results then you can go straight to the salon.

wiserworld (author) on March 13, 2019:

Sorry to hear that none of the methods worked very well for your hair. Maybe try checking out other strategies on YouTube to see if there is something else to remove the dye. You may just have to wait it out or try dying it back a darker color...

Anonymous on March 11, 2019:

Hi, I tried to dye my hair blonde a few days ago with permanent hair dye, now I know that the permanent wasn't the best option, but it turned out to be a red, ashy color. This isn't what I wanted, and I think it looks really bad and I miss my old hair. I tried these methods multiple times, along with shampooing my hair about a dozen times. Unfortunately, the dye is still there and I've wasted some time. I'm sure these methods work and I'm either doing it wrong or have strange hair, so could you help me out a bit?

wiserworld (author) on March 06, 2019:

Judging from most of the comments here, it seems to have worked reasonably well for most people. Give it a try and let me know how it goes...

Emma on March 06, 2019:

Hi i dyed my hair black 4 months ago can this method help to get the black out

addy on February 04, 2019:

shampoo + baking soda worked great! i had bright green hair and after a few washes with the mixture it faded completely out of my hair. would highly recommend!

Ana Maria Orantes from Miami Florida on January 25, 2019:

Good morning miss wiserworld. Everything with moderation is good. The fast solution to fix a color that some people do not like; it is a great idea. It is Good to check the porosity of the hair after removing the wrong color. It is good to use a great deep conditioner to revitalize the hair shafts. Any color hair remover, it is so harsh for the hair. It is an individual decision to remove the wrong color of their hair. Thank you for writing about the removers. I am going to try some of your ingredients. I wish you a wonderful day. You are going to save a lot of people’s bad hair day.

Laykan on January 20, 2019:

They all work great first time I mixed together dawn dish soap, clarifying shampoo, and baking soda applied it to my red hair and it faded to a pink color.

The second time I used the same method but this time I have used vitiman c method about 3 times so far with clarifying shampoo it really worked I seen an amazing difference but today I have done the vitiman c method and also I applied about 1/2 cup of baking soda to my hair and let it sit for about 1 hour and added on rubbing achohal to that and it’s really helping it come out like a lot!

Totally recommended but make sure to deep condition after done.

Sonia on December 16, 2018:

Victoria, It says to use a 1 to 1 ratio. That’s 1 part of each. So say you use 1/4 cup shampoo, you also use 1/4 cup baking powder.

Victoria on December 15, 2018:

How much baking soda do i mix with my shampoo

Tasha on October 18, 2018:

I used the anti dandruff shampoo and baking soda, it really worked to remove pink from my previously platinum hair but it dried out my hair SO much and it's now breaking a lot, so be very very careful with that method. I'm going to do a few hot oil soaks and hopefully save my hair.

Katherine on September 18, 2018:

I used crushed vit c tablets with anti dandruff shampoo, left it on for 2 hours and saw quite a difference on my permanent colour, going to give the baking soda a try next

Charlotte on August 26, 2018:

None of them worked to get the blue out of my hair

wiserworld (author) on August 03, 2018:

I haven't seen any advice relating to using white wine vinegar so you would probably be better off sticking with the regular vinegar.

Tome on August 02, 2018:

Can you use white wine vinegar instead of regular white vinegar

wiserworld (author) on July 29, 2018:

I would recommend doing the treatment only once a day or once every other day. Otherwise, it could make your hair too dry and get split ends. Don't rush it. You have time.

Lois on July 25, 2018:

Hi I dyed my hair red and I’m a natural light brown and was wondering how many times I would have To use the baking soda treatment for? and how many times can I do it in a day ?

I need my hair back to normal before October 2018

joy on July 01, 2018:

To get rid of my semi-permanent colour I am relying on the sun fading it, but will my hair return to its natural colour of grey?

Elisa on June 29, 2018:

Hi after I use the shampoo and baking soda to remove color can I die my hair or the following day

robinlee quinones on May 24, 2018:

Vinegar doesn't remove hair dye.

wiserworld (author) on May 24, 2018:

You could try doing another cycle with the vitamin C method to lighten your hair a bit more. But don't expect a radical shift in tone for the second time around. If you want to go for a light blond color, check out what Kaila uses in her video here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVoZFRYeSV8

CieloDLP on May 20, 2018:

I dyed my hair black last thursday night and instantly regret it the next morning. Tried to dye my hair again blonde but it didnt change the black dye on my hair. I tried vitamin C with hot water and it worked! now my hair turned into coppery red color but at least now its lighter than before and not black. Now what I'm wondering is that do i have to repeat again soaking my hair in vit C until it gets even lighter then color my hair next with the color I want which is light blonde? Thanks

Brodie on March 02, 2018:

Almost a year ago I dyed my hair permanent red about three times, I tried to grow it out but I was impatient so I dyed it a dark purple which didn’t stay in. Afterward there was still red in my hair and I hated it so I dyed it a brown to try and cover it up but ...... there was still red. Do you think one of these methods will work for me?

Liliana on February 26, 2018:

A Couple months ago I dyed my hair Dark violet. I’m a natural redhead so naturally the roots grew out lighter than the dye answers it looks so bad... im going to try the baking soda method

Noel on December 10, 2017:

How many days does it take for the shampoo and the baking soda to work

Rheanna on October 30, 2017:

I dyed my the underneath part of my hair Manic Panic blue and it was beautiful I liked it a lot but it was fading. So I dyed it again to keep it that vibrant blue but my hair turned dark green-blue on the bottom and faded into my hair on the top that now shows a light green. IT LOOKS HORRIBLE!!!! PLEASE HELP!!! I there a way to get this out. I have head ans shoulders and baking soda. Please tell me does it work, or do you think it would work for semi-permanent hair dye?

Kari on October 26, 2017:

My hair is jet black and has been for 20+ years what's best to strip it. My hair is already damaged and I can't afford a professional

Akira on October 08, 2017:

I've had a few people tell me that dish soap by itself works too. I dyed my hair a teal color and I've been trying to get it out so I can my dye a silvery white. Dish soap does work but it doesn't take out as much as you think it would.

mary on October 02, 2017:

i just want to tell everyone i did my hair was suppose to be grayish blue well it turned out real blue i couldnt stand it so i did the vitamin c crushed up and made a paste put on hair for 15 min and blue all gone now have light brown hair

hailey on October 02, 2017:

this works love it

Caitlin on September 28, 2017:

I had a semi-permanant red done at the salon a month ago and it faded loads to a really muted red with my natural roots. I used baking soda with shampoo (just regular shampoo) 1:1 and it has made a huge difference already. I'm going to do it again with the vitamin c tablets and see if that helps.

Kait on September 22, 2017:

I dyed my mom's hair and then decided to dye my blonde eyebrows the same shade as her hair. I've done this before and had fine results. Well not this time. I must've left the dye on too long because my eyebrows were DARK and with red hair and pale skin, it looked repulsive. I used the vinegar/water method, rinsed, used the vitamin c paste, rinsed, washed with dish soap, rinsed, put coconut oil on, rinsed and washed with normal soap. Then repeated a few times. My skin (which is somewhat sensitive) was kind of dry and red from all the acidity and scrubbing, but the dye has faded so much!!! I didn't let the vinegar solution or vitamin c paste sit on my face, I just kept reapplying as I leaned over the sink so that it didn't drip in my eyes. My eyebrows aren't back to normal, but they look about 10x better.

Mounika on September 13, 2017:

I dyed my hair red..ND after again I dyed with black..but now I want to remove that colors..how can I get my original??

Lynn closs on September 11, 2017:

I did a tumeric powder mask for my hair and it turned my blonde hair orange is there a way to remove the tumeric powder dye?

Madi on June 20, 2017:

i just had my roots dyed blue and it's bled into the ends of my hair which were bleach blonde and now are a light greeny blue blonde, can i use the baking soda and head and shoulders shampoo(both i have already) to just get the bled colour out of my blonde ends? Thanks

Cassy on June 11, 2017:

I had a terrible purple color in my blonde hair. I crushed up half a bottle of vitamin c tablets and mixed it with dandruff shampoo. After sitting on my head under a shower cap for an hour, I washed my hair. All of the dye came out but I had to use a deep conditioner mask as it dried my hair out.

Emma on June 02, 2017:

i apologize, but the baking soda did not work at all for me. i don't know what i did wrong but it didn't work and even looked intensified if that's possible. i want my blonde hair back and i have rose gold hair that is faded orange.

Alice O. from SC on May 26, 2017:

I am an older lady and after using a cheap hair dye for many years, I noticed my hair getting thinner and thinner. so I stopped dying it. My natural hair color use to be light ash brown..Well now it is grey, mostly, but I still have the old color in my hair and it looks terrible because mostly my roots are grey now... I want to remove all of te old hair color which has faded to a light brown, almost blonde...How can I do this without damaging my hair and making it thinner?

dollfactory on May 20, 2017:

I dyed my hair on white blonde bleached hair with Crazy Color's Capri Blue and it was very dark and vibrant...except my roots which remained yellowish white even though I washed my hair before dying it to remove any grease buildup but I guess I wasn't thorough enough or something else went wrong...I was ok with itsince it didn't look too bad but after a few washes I saw that it would not wash out nearly as much as regular semipermanent dye. Blue is a pain to get out...so I tried vitamin C which did help a tiny bit...and then baking soda with vitamin C and shampo, which also helped a bit but not as much as I wanted. This also left my hair very dry and dull. The next time I washed my hair I tried the vinegar and water solution 2:1 and left it on my hair for a good half hour before washing it out with shampoo and then twice with baking soda and shampoo again. Safe to say I feel this did a much better job than vitamin C and it also didn't dry out my hair as much for some reason. My hair is still, well, blue but it's getting there. A few more weeks and I will be my gleaming old white blonde again. Next time I will go with a pastel pink :D

Andreina Martinez on May 19, 2017:

I have my natural, medium brown hair. It's my natural hair color since I was born. When I turned 18 for my FHS graduation, I had blonde highlights, then medium golden blonde hair. In 2009-2014, I dyed my hair light blonde. On August of 2014, I dyed it copper, the next month, I dyed it red until the last time was in April of 2015. Six months later, I dyed it orange copper, but it didn't last. I've two colors mixed from middle through the tops of my hair. I tried blonde, red, and copper. I want to dye my hair a different color. What can I do to remove the color?

wiserworld (author) on April 07, 2017:

You could try washing it more frequently than you normally do. If you can find a hair "clarifying" shampoo, it may help speed up the process. Remember to condition it afterward to prevent dryness. Have you tried using coconut oil to prevent split-ends?

Liz d. on April 06, 2017:

I'm a dirty blonde naturally, & I just dyed it today trying to go a little bit lighter & now it's bleach blonde, what kind of home remedies can I use to help the color fade?

Bonnie on February 21, 2017:

Right. I tried white vinegar. Keep it away from your eyes. Didn't seem to do much. Tried dish washing liquid - damaged my hair. Tried baking soda mixed with shampoo - harsh. Tried Head and Shoulders - ditto. Tried washing powder - keep it away from your eyes, too. Got some orange flavoured vitamin c tablets, crushed with shampoo - left my hair orange. Best was Head and shoulders mixed with bicarbonate soda and shampoo. But I am going to get vitamin c powder - white - and use that with bicarbonate soda and use that.

Each of the treatments faded my awful, over the top red - supposedly only to last eight washes - a little at a time. So, persevere. I actually used washing blue in the final rinse to counteract the copper colour.

Good luck.

Tammy on January 26, 2017:

my real color now is white with a little salt and pepper in the back, I've been coloring it a very lite blonde but have decided since it has grown out to see what it would look like if it was all white, can i use this method to remove or lighten this pale blonde to white?

Whitefoxylady on January 25, 2017:

Did It ALL!!

I am naturally a dirty blonde - goes crazy light in the sun to almost white but still have dark roots so I occasionally color or lighten it. I wanted to go dark to eliminate the contrast -sick of coloring and have damage it a little. So, I decided to go for a bright red brown - a little flair - completely ORANGE! I laughed for hours then I had to get it out. I shampooed like 10 times and did a oil and vinegar rinse. I ended up with red and dark roots and splotches of my blonde. I did this at night so next morning I hit CVS - got a medium brown, Vitamin C, conditioning mask, trial size head and shoulders, and baking soda. I did the baking soda and head and shoulders for two hours - got purple, dark roots, and blonde. Then I did vitamin C and it worked! I am sure there is some red, but conditioning now. I am going to wait a week to do the medium brown but I tell you - I am NEVER coloring my hair again. I had a good laugh - funniest thing in the world, but it was a pain in the ass:) With the Vitamin C - I used tablets and soaked them in a little water and head and shoulders - I was lazy and kinda of crushed them, but it work as good as it is going to get:) Good luck!

Sam on December 07, 2016:

If you dyed your hair, then bleached it then dyed it darker you cannot get your natural color but if you dyed it darker then try mixing baking soda, dish-soap, and head and shoulders 2 in 1. I tried it and it works you will have to scrub hard and leave it in for a bit. do it about 3 times it works pretty well. Also it does dry your hair out so afterwards lather your hair in conditioner unless you like crazy frizzy hair.

Taylor on December 06, 2016:

I tried the Vitamin C treatment twice - in two days. I dyed my hair black with semi-permanent hair dye. It's been a month since I've had it in and I want it out. I have naturally blonde hair and want to go back, but I do not want to resort to bleaching it. So I tried the Vitamin C treatment. The first time I did it really didn't do much (I also did a conditioning treatment right after since it's very drying). The second time though did lighten my hair to a brown - but not all of it. Some of my hair is still black and some of it is now brown. It also left my hair very dry, even after using the hot oil conditioning treatment.

Ash on November 26, 2016:

People regarding to getting rid of bleach in hair, nothing is really going to work. The way bleach works is it strips your hair colour pigments out, so once your hair is bleached your natural hair colour is gone. Best thing to do is dying your hair the closest colour to what the natural colour was.

lyssa on November 09, 2016:

seriously people... a little common sense goes a long way. if you bleach then you have removed the color from your hair, you cannot "get it back" to the natural color until you grow it out and cut off the bleached portion. You can remove color that is a direct dye that does not strip color but if you lighten you cannot go back. *smdh*

tina on November 03, 2016:

Does any of this work when you've been dying black for 5 years ?

Sharanjeet on October 25, 2016:

HI, I hair color yesterday but i dont like it at all.. is lemon works perfectly without any damage to hair pls reply ASAP

msmarvel on August 06, 2016:

i also believe that baking soda and shampoo is the best option. I have tried also dissoluble vitamin C tablets and shampoo but i feel that soda worked best.

Anon on August 01, 2016:

I just used the baking soda/shampoo method—and it worked miraculously to remove almost all of a strawberry-red color. Thank you!

Lucy on July 02, 2016:

I have used the baking soda twice and red is already lighter. It was suppose to be a warm golden blonde and it was red. I just dyed it yesterday so maybe that's why it's getting lighter so quickly. I used it twice in a row and blow dried it. i'm much happier, thanks for the tips.

maria on June 08, 2016:

does it matter if the vit c tabs are orange coloured

All on May 06, 2016:

Don't do the vinegar one! I'm pretty much into haircare and form my personal experience I know mixing vinegar and water 1:1 will kill your ends as it's way to acidy. 1 tbsp per 1l of water will be enough.

+ I don't really see why should anyone use vinegar to get rid of hair dye. Vinegar, as well as lemon juice and cold water, makes you hair more "closed", so after using it is be more difficult to get anything (including hair dye) out of the hair.

Tracy on May 04, 2016:

My hair is naturally dark brown . i dyed it light blonde , then back to black , and then highlighted blonde , but I want my natural hair color back. I've tried everything and i do not want to dye anymore . What do I do ? i want my hair brown again . I am willing to try baking soda .

Flynn on April 08, 2015:

Tried the vitamin C one with dissolvable tablets and it didn't really do anything...I'm going to try edible tablets.

Vitamin C tabs crushed up on February 21, 2015:

The vitamin c is good for you hair and lightens it up I left it on for an hour and wrapped my hair in plastic bag wow my hair was pretty#

helena on January 02, 2015:

im a young girl who originally had natural dirty blonde hair but make a stupid choice of dying my hair black then bleached it back but killed my hair and now I dyed it brown and I miss my natural color I've been trying to get my hair back to its natural shade of blonde by using vinegar but it smells like shit, I would recommend baking soda paste it works very effectively

Rai on May 16, 2014:

Mixing vinegar and baking soda is not toxic.

Sondra Rochelle from USA on July 16, 2013:

My only comment here is that vinegar and baking soda...when mixed together, create a very toxic drain cleaner so people seeking any of your remedies must be careful to use only one of them and not mix them together!

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