Permanent hair dye - disaster

[Hauntedlobster]

Help - I’ve dyed my hair black accidentally using a supposedly light brown hair dye. Is there any way of lightening it now? I’ll go to a hairdressers in the new year to fix it but is there anything I can do to fade it in the meantime as they don’t open till the 3rd up here

There is a product called Colour B4 which you could use. It can leave hair a little warmer toned than it was originally but will definitely remove the box dye.

If you don't want to risk that use Head and Shoulders. Massage in, leave for 10 mins and repeat as required. It'll need a good conditioner afterwards though.

Wash it with fairy liquid and the colour will lift.

Was your hair blonde before?

Nope it was light brown - I was trying to dye it the normal colour as it was a bit red tinged.

Thanks will try all that - not keen on the stripper though.

What are the numbers of the shade on the box? Some very innocuous sounding one have turned mine very dark. I think it's where the 2nd or 3rd number is a 3.

It wasn't a clairol, was it? I've done the same in the past.

I echo the H&S shampoo advice above. If you use something very astringent and stripping which includes lots of sulphates in the ingredients, and the dye hasn't been on your hair for more than a few days, you might be able to shift a lot of it.

Washing up liquid will work, too. Have lots of conditioning treatments to hand for afterwards! The trouble with black is that it's bloody annoying to shift. It took me a couple of months of washing and a bleach bath (shampoo mixed with a small amount of hair bleach) to lift it back to the shade I wanted.

6.0

The colour strippers are a bit unpredictable to be honest depending on the dye you've used.

I used one yesterday as i've recently gone from light blonde to dark brown and ended up looking very washed out and pale. It has left my hair a very warm dark blonde/light brown but it is even and kinda works.

I've lost the goth vibe thankfully which is all I needed to do

Oh no OP, I’ve no advice, but thought I’d show some solidarity...

I dyed my hair a chestnut brown today, I thought I’m not starting a new year with all this grey. Well. It’s orange. Actual orange.

I too am stuck until 3rd. Fml.

Colour removers expose the underlying pigment, which on naturally brown hair is red, so I wouldn’t risk using one as a non professional.
You could try a handful of high strength finely crushed vitamin c tablets mixed with shampoo and leave on for about an hour, then rinse out.

I've been there twice OP. Not tried the colour strippers but know they are an option.

Wash your hair absolutely loads with clarifying shampoo, baby shampoo and Head and Shoulders (even washing up liquid but only if you think your hair can stand it). Follow with some really deep conditioners as the shampoos will be drying but also because I've been told that heavy conditioners help to lift the colour (not certain of the truth to that but can't hurt)

At first it will seem like nothing is working then all of a sudden you'll realise it's lightened a lot. It does take a couple of weeks though.

With mine, I then went to hairdressers and had some highlights under the parting (so they weren't too obvious if they came out brassy) which actually came out really well and broke up the dark.

Wasn't too long before it was back too normal but it is an awful feeling at first! I wore more make up as felt washed out at first

Btw I know you are going to hairdressers anyway but this is an option if not (and if the shock has worn off by then and they suggest waiting for a bit as mine did)

I also got a spray tan which helped loads!

Vosene!

Clairol nice'n'easy 6.0 has turned my light brown hair almost black. I had to wash it several times over the course of the next few days with head and shoulders. It faded to a mid brown colour with an orange tinge over a couple of weeks with daily washing (with h&s) and lots of intensive conditioner left on over night. I had to use use a light ash brown temporary dye if I was going out anywhere nice to tone down the orange until it was faded enough to re-dye it properly.

Apparently, you need to use a dye 2 shades lighter than the actual shade you want with most box dyes, especially if you leave the dye on for the max time to cover grey.

Thank you all ladies, I’ll give it a go. I can’t strip it because beneath it all is some super super blonde highlights. I had dyed it brown on top but it was a bit ginger. I think I need to go to the hairdressers but I’ll try the fairy liquid tomorrow (scotland so No where will be open at all tomorrow to get head and shoulders).

I did the same and my hairdresser was not surprised as the dye was a 6. I just tied mine back and wore a hat outdoors until my appointment. She worked miracles and I've stuck with her since then.

In the future use a temp ash dye neutralises the copper

I use a 6.0 semi-permenant on my hair (mid brown with maybe 30% grey) and yes it does make it quite dark (I'm told I look like Sue Perkins , not sure if that's good or bad though ? )

Try the Washing Up Liquid + condition

Just to second what FestiveNinja said about the Vitamin C tablets - google it for method, works best with a clarify shampoo or medicated shampoo like head & shoulders or vosene. Has worked well for me several times before.

The fairy liquid took the black tinge off. It’s still a bit dark but my whole head is all the same colour now so I’m quite liking it thank you all!