Whether your at-home hair color experiment went horribly wrong or you simply can’t get into a salon any time soon, sometimes you have no choice but to peel off hair color yourself. When you’re in a hurry, there are some expert-approved solutions to remove excessive hair color from your home.
If your most recent hair color didn’t go as planned, or if you’re simply looking for a change, you might be wondering if you can restore your original color.
The quick answer is probably not, unless you’re using a nonpermanent dye. However, you can use commercially available hair strippers and home cures to fade the dye and redye it.
Continue reading to find out how to safely keep hair color off parts of your hair at home and in a salon.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF APPLYING HAIR DYE?

There are three layers to your hair strands.
A source you can trust:
- Medulla – The sensitive deepest core of your hair. It isn’t found in every strand of hair.
- Cortex – The thickest section of your hair is responsible for the texture and strength of your hair.
- Cuticle – The outermost layer, which resembles fish scales, is made up of overlapping cells. The inner cortex and medulla are protected by the cuticle.
According to a 2013 scientific review, the amount and kind of melanin contained in the cortex of your hair determines your hair color.
A source you can trust. Melanin is the same protein that determines the color of your skin.
YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS FOR CHANGING THE COLOR OF YOUR HAIR.
1. Bleach your hair to remove melanin.
2. Use a hair dye to add artificial pigment to your hair.
Hair dyes include:
• Temporary
• Permanent
• Semi-permanent
According to the same scientific review, temporary hair dyes bond weakly to your outside cuticle and can be washed away with a single shampoo.
Permanent hair dyes penetrate the outer cuticle of your hair and combine with the natural color in the cortex.
Semi-permanent colors penetrate your cortex but do not chemically react with your natural pigment, causing them to dissipate after several washes.
BLEACHING VS. STRIPPING

The chemical methods of stripping and bleaching are used to lighten the color of your hair.
Bleaching breaks down the melanin in the cortex of your hair with alkaline chemicals like hydrogen peroxide or ammonia. Your hair will appear whitish-yellow without pigment.
The process of stripping involves dissolving the connections between hair dye and the melanin that gives you your natural color. Only the hair dye lightens your natural hair color, not the stripping.
If you bleached your hair before coloring it, you won’t be able to get your natural hair color back.
Many permanent hair colors include bleaching agents, which lighten your hair while it is being dyed.
PRODUCTS FOR OFF HAIR COLOR AT HOME
Having your hair stripped by a professional is the safest approach to avoid damaging your hair or having a coloring accident.
If you’re doing it yourself, you can lighten the color with one of the various commercial hair strippers on the market.
A variety of home remedies may aid in the fading of the hue, but they are unlikely to lighten it more than a shade or two.
1. Hair remover containing sulfur
Sulfur-based hair strippers open the cuticle of your hair and break down the dye molecules bound to your cortex, allowing them to be washed away.
These products target hair dye without altering the color of your natural hair. They could be helpful for whitening your hair or prepping it for re-dyeing.
If you’ve bleached your hair before dying it, you won’t be able to get it back to its natural color.
Where can I get it?
Hair-stripping products can be found at:
- Online
- In a wide range of pharmacies
- In other hair-care-related establishments
2. Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoos are meant to deep-clean your hair while also removing product buildup. They don’t have much of an effect on eliminating permanent hair dyes, but they may diminish them over time.
Avoid clarifying shampoos labeled “color-safe” if you want to fade your hair color.
3. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant.
Many people say they’ve utilized vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to fade their hair color anecdotally. Although ascorbic acid may lighten your dye by a shade or two, it will not restore your hair to its original hue.
To remove hair color with vitamin C, combine a cup and a half of vitamin C pills with a clarifying shampoo. Allow it to sit for 30 to 60 minutes before rinsing and applying a moisturizing conditioner.
4. Using of baking soda to remove hair dye
According to Trusted Source, alkaline chemicals such as baking soda have the ability to penetrate the cortex of your hair and aid in the removal of hair dye. However, many people claim it isn’t very successful anecdotally.
Baking soda is more likely to remove semi-permanent colors, but it may be able to fade permanent hues significantly.
If you want to use baking soda to lighten your hair, make a paste with roughly a teaspoon of baking soda and a tiny amount of water. Allow 15 to 20 minutes for it to rest in your hair before rinsing it off.
METHODS TO AVOID FOR STRIPPING HAIR DYE

When it comes to removing hair dye, there are several methods to avoid. Although bleaching products such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonia can help erase hair dye, many hair specialists advise against bleaching your hair at home. Bleaching your hair has the potential to be dangerous.
If you keep the color in your hair for too long, it may turn entirely white or hurt your scalp. Bleach can also make your hair brittle and prone to drying out, especially if you leave it on for too long.
Both your natural color and the hair dye will lighten if you bleach your hair.
MEET A PROFESSIONAL TO REMOVE HAIR COLOR
If you want to get rid of your hair color, the safest option is to consult a salon specialist.
A colorist may use bleach or sulfur-based hair stripping solutions to lighten your hair so that it may be re-dyed. They can also examine your hair for damage and make recommendations for the best treatment.
CONSIDER YOUR HAIR TYPE

When it comes to hair types, these at-home procedures aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. For starters, if you’ve already bleached your hair, the lightening process has already weakened the hair, making it more prone to damage and dryness. “Finer hair, or anyone who has dyed their hair numerous times in a short amount of time, is in the same boat.”
When it comes to texture, “for fine or curly hair, these procedures can be detrimental. Fine hair is more sensitive than curly or coily hair, which is naturally drier.
Natural textures 1-3A can employ these approaches because their textures naturally hold more oil, but textures 3B–4C must be more cautious. Because these hair textures store less oil, these at-home treatments can be exceedingly drying and harmful to them. “
“Remember these tactics won’t work miracles.” “Seeing a professional hairdresser is the only way to make your hair lighter than the results you’ll get from these approaches.” If you already know your hair is in bad shape, I would strongly advise you to consult with your hairdresser for advice on how to proceed. ” When it comes down to it, it’s always better to be careful than sorry!
SUMMARY
Commercially available hair stripping products might be able to help you lighten your hair dye.
You won’t be able to restore your natural hair color if you’ve bleached your hair or used a dye that contains a bleaching chemical.
Contacting a professional at a salon to help you select the best technique to restyle your hair is the safest way to strip your hair.
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