Help I dyed my hair today, it is too dark

[madhairgirl]

I tried to dye my hair today a "hazelnut" colour today. It was on top of the existing colour that my hairdresser had done last month, but it has come out much too dark. My natural colour is reddish, (going white), and I was just wanting to keep it natural looking. Any ideas how to lighten it before I have to go to work on Monday? I have heard that lemon juice works, has anyone tried this. Please someone make me feel better about this.

I'm sure Boots or somewhere open on a Sunday would sell a stripper product and then start again.

Head and Shoulders always seems to fade my colour fairly quickly

Just re-dye it asap. I had to do it once - had no problems.

I would probably avoid stripping it or using lemon juice etc, you may end up with a disaster on your hands. Usually, I find that colours can often look too dark at first, but if you wash it quite a lot, it usually fades to a good shade after a week or so.

You are probably right mayaswellbeme. I have already tried washing it again and was going to try again tomorrow, I just panic when I actually see it as it is so different from what I am used to, and I keep forgetting how dark it is until I walk past a mirror, plus my DD looks at me oddly.

I think the worry about stripping the colour is the effect on the condition of your hair, as you would then have two lots of colour, a stripper, and then another colour on top, so a lot of chemicals. On the other hand, if you re-dye it, it iwill be hard to get it lighter to a natural shade, at home anyway. Wait and see, it might look great next week. Your dd will get used to it very quickly I am sure

Okay, there is a stripper product on the market called ColourB4, but the problem is, you cannot redye it straight away as the colour will reoxidise and you will be back to where you started. It needs 7 days/3 washes in between (or 5 ish days minimum, so that's your working week)

You cannot "redye" with a lighter colour and expect it to lighten your hair - it doesn'tn work that way, you will just use up "conditioning points" or "9 lives" that you can't afford to lose.

Bleach will lighten it, and allow you to redye immeditately, but is harsh.

How dark is it? A bit too dark? A lot too dark?

You can just wash it 10 times tomorrow (in a row, one after the other, rinseing well in between!) and again on Monday morning. This will probably achieve something.

And is probably your best bet.

Or - if game - you could buy the Scott Cornwall foil effects cap, some 40 volume bleach, and a semi permenant colour of highlight you would like, and follow the instructions and add highlights to your existing colour to lighten and soften the overall effect.

They are the only options that will work.

Reply if you need more info.

Head and Shoulders will help lighten colour. It wont completely remove it but if you wash it daily it will really help it fade quickly.

it will fade. Just wash lots.

I tend to agree with the above 2. Worst case scenario - take a sickie on Monday.

Call in and say..."I'm washing my hair"...

I had the same problem a few times. I have once (never again) used colourB4. My hair was light/bright ginger at the roots and just got worse on the way down. It then stunk like 'eggy farts' (not my terminology, a work collegue ) for WEEKS. Not all of them time but when it was hot and when it was being washed. My dp could smell when i had wet my hair in the bath from downstairs. It also got gradually darker over the next few weeks too.

If you just want to lighten it of when you have a few hours spare get some vitamin c tablets and crush them into a powder (find a rolling pin works best). Mix it in a bowl with the cheapest shampoo you own/head and shoulders/baby shampoo. Slap it on everywhere and leave it for a while. I sometimes wrap some cling film around my head and blast it with the hair dryer seems to work better. Then wash of, makes your hair really shiny too :)

Vosene the old style one over and over

Thank you everyone, yes I don't want to ruin the condition of it. I think I might spend a lot of time in the shower today. If it will just lighten a bit I will get used to, serves me right for not being happy with going white. It must be dark as even DH noticed when he came home from work