Aaargh! Hair crisis, had colour today and is almost BLACK. How do I lighten???

[crazy88]

Oh ffs. I had crap hairstyle ~(see earlier post re wigs~!) and now I have awful colour to match. Is much much too dark and have wedding next week. Can't go back to hairdresser as even if I could get an appointment before then I have no one to look after baby and toddler (my Mum helped me out today but is going on holiday tomorrow!). Is there anything I can do myself?? I need to lighten by a good 3 shades I reckon. Can anyone recommend anything??

Head and Shoulders and Vosene shampoos can lighten it but it takes alot of repeat washing, or there is something to strip it completely called colour b 4 that you can get from Boots, then redye with a temp colour until your hair gains enough condition to dye it permanently again.

My last colour went way too dark and I had to have highlights bleached in at the hardressers, it left my hair like straw.

I coloured my hair recently far to dark. I bought a colourB4 in Tesco (make sure you follow it to the letter then rinse a bit extra) then coloured it a more natural colour (8 wash colour until it calms down enough for a semi perm). Mine was also black looking. Good luck!

I'm sure I read here that they'd changed the Head & Shoulders formula so it doesn't strip it so much? You could try a few goes with washing up liquid and see where that gets you before trying ColourB4.

Dh uses head and shoulders. Going to try that with fairy liquid and see if that does anything. If not it's ColourB4 I think. Does it strip completely or will it just lighten a bit if I leave it on for less time?

Be careful with washing up liquid, make sure you use a good conditioner afterwards and leave on for a good 10 minutes.

I used colourb4 on my almost black hair and ended up bright orange with blonde roots. Not pleasant. Had to re-dye straight away so make sure you have another dye handy! Again I would suggest a good conditioner after stripping.

Good luck!

I wouldn't leave the colour b4 on for less time, it won't fade the colour, it opens the follicles in the hair to release the colour so you would just end up patchy. It takes dye out of your hair and back to the last bleach/natural colour, if it was bleached before it will look brassy etc and the pack says to have a semi perm dye ready to apply straight away afterwards.

To be honest, i wouldn't bother with Head & Shoulders, fairy etc, it won't lift the black out enough. Just get Colour B4 and apply that. As mentioned before, you must follow the instructions to the letter, especially the rinsing part.

You may end up with a gingery tone, if so (i would recommend you buy this at the same time as buying Colour B4 - at least you will have this if you should need it) you can apply this immediately after -

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this will subdue any brassy gingery tones - unless you like it a bit gingery! DON'T put a permanent colour on for at least 4 weeks, your hair will return to a dark shade again if you do. You can use a semi-permanent - but choose a colour at lease 2 shades lighter than what you want to be to avoid your hair going too dark again.