You can remove hair dye BUT . . . know what to expect!

It is possible to remove hair dye at home effectively but to get it right requires some due diligence on your part. A reader recently asked us about removing hair dye with “Color Oops” by Developlus and then how to dye it back to a lighter color.

“Remove Hair Dye Carefully”I haven’t used “Color Oops” before so we asked the manufacturer if they would answer the question below, but there are some things that are a ‘given’ when dying your hair and especially if you want to remove dye from your hair.

• Read all the information given by the manufacturer, some hair dyes may not be able to be removed.

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• Prep hair by doing deep conditioning or protein treatments.

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• If you have questions, call the manufacturers help line. Every one’s situation is different. The process to remove hair dye and get to YOUR desired end result requires specific steps.

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• Strand test - leaves no surprises!

Sarah asks;

I was alternating going to a hair salon and home hair coloring to cover grey roots, but we recently moved and I haven’t found a new hair salon yet. My hair color is a bit darker now than I’d like and so I want to use Color Oops. I use permanent hair color for the grey roots only, and use a color gloss over the lengtht to refresh color.

My question is on recoloring after using Color Oops. Should I still use permanent hair color on the roots since that is virgin hair? WHAT should i use for the lengths??? Semi, or Demi, or just a color gloss again? Also, for the virgin roots, I’m assuming I pick the hair color shade I want (say 5N) But for the lengths that are more porous, do I need to use a 7N or 8N for them to “match?” I am planning on using a protein treatment after Color Oops and waiting 1 week before recoloring.

Phillip Agrey of research and development at Developlus says;

Yes, you should use permanent hair color on your roots/virgin hair. On your ends you should use the semi color as you have done in the past. However, you should only process for 5 minutes on the ends. Your ends will be porous and they will absorb color quickly. Processing longer than 5 minutes can cause grabbing and the hair color can turn out too dark.

Satin Reconstruct

We highly recommend using a good protein treatment such as Satin Reconstruct. Apply the conditioner, place a shower cap over your hair and leave on at least 20 minutes.

A lighter hair color will be not necessary if a reduced processing time is used. In either regard, a strand test is highly recommended, as every ones hair reacts differently. A strand test will let you see what the color will turn out prior to recoloring your whole head.

Hope that helps Sarah! Remember the hair color shade you pick for your roots now should be lighter than what you have been using or you will eventually be back to having darker hair than you want. If you were using 5N you may want to consider using half 5N and half 6N to gently lighten up, or even add some warmth to that formula.

Also I found that www.developlus.com has a great FAQ’s section that covers just about any question you may have on how to remove hair dye effectively.

For further discussion on your natural hair color you might want to check out these other articles:

• How to Get Back to Your Natural Hair Color
• How Can I Get my Natural Hair Color Back?
• How do I go back to my natural hair color?
• Getting Back to Your Natural Hair Color
• Can I get my natural hair color back? How long do I need to wait?
• Stripping Hair Back to Natural Colour

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Hair Coloring Too Pricey?  You’ve Got Some Options!

Salon hair coloring can blend a range of colors  giving you a unique custom hair color.  Because your hair colorist is a pro, when you leave a salon, you have vibrant, rich color plus soft, conditioned hair that’s been nurtured back to health after the dye chemicals. A salon hair color treatment is definitely pricey, especially if you need regular touch-ups.  But, if your budget is tight and you need to cut it back a bit, there are ways to get your hair colored for less.

Make Your Color Last

First off, you will get the most for your money by making your hair color last as long as possible. Dial down that water temperature when you shower, since hot water rinses out hair color dye faster. The same goes for reducing the heat on your blow-dryer, curling-iron, flat-iron or hot rollers.  Since beach hair and casual messy looks are totally in for spring and summer, let your hair air-dry as much as possible using texturizing products like, sea salt sprays or volumizing mousses, with a leave-in conditioner and your hair color will last longer and get healthier at the same time!

Try one of the many tinted shampoos and conditioners available to help enhance shades of reds, blondes, and brunettes. These hair color refreshers will help boost the richness of your hair color with temporary dyes and extend the time between hair color appointments.  If you only can afford one of these products, go with the tinted conditioners which don’t rinse out as much as the shampoos.

Professional Hair Color for Less

If you can’t pay salon prices, there are ways to get your hair colored for less. If you live in or around a city, there may be a beauty school or an advanced hair color school nearby, let your fingers do the walking. Beauty school students need hair models for cuts and colors. The prices will be half the cost of a regular salon treatment. The instructors will over-watch the formulation of  the color but students are in the process of learning placement of color.  So, if you have a simple root touch-up or a semi-permanent coloring, no problem.  However, placement of highlights and lowlights is a learned skill, so if you want to look like . . . say, Jennifer Aniston . . . take it to a professional.

If the idea of seeing a beauty school student makes you shudder, you can still find cheaper way to get your hair colored  if you’re willing to do some legwork. Ask everyone you know–your manicurist, your coworkers, strangers (with really good colored hair) where they had their hair done.

Call salons and ask about their color prices. Some reputable salons have in-house training for staff. By calling around for prices, you might luck into a discount for hair color at a salon that’s doing some advanced training for their colorists.  Scour craigslist or salonapprentice.com where you also may find a color service for less near you.

DIY Dye

Brave divas can wade into the world of hair color with dye kits, highlight kits, and temporary color. First, do  your  homework and read “How to Dye Your Hair at Home.”  Then be sure to start with a hair color that’s no more than two shades different from your natural color. Have a friend help you apply color to your hair, to help you get even coverage.  Always, always, always follow the directions . . . don’t make any of these most common hair color mistakes.

Rinse out when time is up, then nourish with the deep conditioner included in the dye kit. Take the same approach when it comes to touching up roots or doing your own highlights. It may be nerve-wracking the first couple times you dye your own hair, but you can do it.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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These gorgeous blonde hair colors rock with cool skin tones?

When your hair color meshes right with your skin tone, you just look better, more natural. Get this delicate balance wrong and your hair color risks looking fake, or your skin will appear muddy, ruddy, washed out, or worse! That’s why it’s so important you understand what color skin tone you have before putting any color on your hair. If you’re not sure where you fall on the chart, here is a quick and easy quiz on “how to know your skin tone.” 

If  you’re a blonde, or a wanna-be blonde, and you have a cool skin tone, there are lots of great hues to choose from that will totally flatter  your complexion. The choices of blonde hair colors for cool skin tones is plentiful and becomes especially flattering when used with multiple hues as dimensional coloring.

Dimensional color involves an artistic mixture of highlights and lowlights woven into the hair. Salons are doing funky dimensional color, (above) or more natural looking dimensional hair color like Jennifer Aniston. Leave this color job to the professionals . . . seriously. Dimensional color can look ‘drop dead gorgeous,’ or it can make you feel like you want to ‘drop dead,’ if  you know what I mean!

Hair Colors for Cool Skin Tones

The hue of your skin matters and some blonde hair colors will look better than others depending on the undertone of your skin. Olive skin is naturally cool, and going too light with blonde hair on an olive skin tone, can make this skin look yellow. Avoid golden or caramel colors in favor of cool blonde tones like honey, taupe or cool ash browns. For celebrity inspiration, think of Carrie Underwood. Her skin tone is a natural light olive, and she keeps her hair a medium platinum blonde with cool ash tones. The blend of colors give dimension and compliments her light olive skin tone.

Women with darker olive skin need look no further than another hot singer, Shakira. Shakira’s olive skin is part of her classic Latin American beauty, and she went through a pretty major blonde phase. Shakira kept her ‘do a tawny honey color, with ashy undertones. The same honey color with more caramel would have yellowed her complexion.

Olive-skinned gals can go as light as strawberry blonde, but getting much lighter than that risks affecting the skin tone. If you really want some light strands in there, talk to your hair stylist about bringing in platinum-ash highlights, but avoid the temptation of getting all-over light . . . It won’t do your skin any favors!

Fair-skinned women, who have pale skin and blue undertones, can go pretty light in the blonde category and totally get away with it. The key here is to add color to your face by wearing bright red lipsticks, dark eyes and don’t forget to define the eyebrows. Think platinum, like Gwen Stefani.

If you’re not ready to take your hair that light, more blonde hair colors that work for cool skin tones include dark cool blonde colors with names like  sandalwood or bamboo, and medium ash-blondes that lie somewhere between platinum, ash and mocha. Cate Blanchett is wearing a strawberry-blonde here, which adds some richness to her overall cool tones.

Dark-skinned divas can totally rock a blonde style, as Rihanna knows. The same color rules apply; Keep away from warm, honey or caramel tones, if your skin tone is cool, in favor of ashy colors. Check Mary J. Blige for some inspiration on going blonde when you have dark, cool toned skin.

If you still aren’t sure what blonde hair colors for cool skin tones work for you, go to the mall and try on a hairpiece or two. Just remember to bring along a trusted friend who can give you some good objective advice. Or, consult with a hair stylist or two till you feel confident about going blonde in a way that works best for you.

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

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