Stripping hair colour

[Alsonification]

I've been dyeing my hair very dark brown/red for the last 15 years or more. My roots are now coming in almost completely white. I'm lucky if I get 1.5 weeks out of a colour before the roots are showing.
Hairdresser told me I'm probably 90% white now & she said it's a lovely snow white so I'm seriously considering stripping all the colour out of my hair.
I know this can be done in the hairdressers but I hate even going for a quick trim so I'd like to avoid if possible. So I'm wondering if anyone has done it at home & can recommend a product? I see loads on Amazon but I'm nervous.
What I'm hoping is that I can strip the colour at home & it will instantly be an amazing white mane lol. In reality I know it's not going to be that easy.

My hairdresser told me the only way to lighten hair is bleach but otherwise I'm not sure. You could try a bleach wash as it might be a bit safer doing that yourself. I feel you with the grey though. I'm 32 and Ive been going grey since I was 18. I also get my hair dyed a similar colour to yours, like a dark copper/brown. It's a nightmare. I got my hair done 10 days ago and there's greys shining on my temples already. Considering starting to dye it myself to save money.

A colour remover removes the pigment deposits from your hair. This will leave you hair a very unnatural looking ginger. You will then need to bleach the hair and tone it to the correct shade. It is a very difficult process that requires a lot of skill.

You can get products to do at home.

Be aware 1. The process - home or salon is very harsh on the hair, likely to cause at least some breakage.

If your hair isnt in good condition, best avoided.

1. With history you describe you're unlikely to be able to fully strip ,& get the strands that have been dyed dark multiple times, to the natural white.

1. There is a stage of colour stripping where the hair is likely to go orange.

Further stripping or bleaching usually needed to get past that to paler colours.

Approach with caution and / or consider gentler approaches, like a gradual change.

Low lights on your roots can help blur the demarcation line between white roots and block- dyed dark hair.

Good luck!

Thanks a mil for the replies.

Yes I think im going to have to go to the hairdressers to have it done

I do dye it myself but it's a bloody pain in the arse. Especially when I get so little time out of it. Im 48 this month so I think it's time to embrace my white head lol.

Oh sorry crossed post.

Yes my hair is probably not in good condition so maybe low lights would be a good idea.
Thanks I'll have a look at that.

This is absolutely correct. My daughter did this and it cost hundreds of pounds to fix with a colour specialist. The ginger was a sight to behold. Will attach a photo or two

I have been dealing with this issue for the past couple of years. I’ve always had highlights but it’s expensive plus my hair can’t take it anymore. I realised it’s time to embrace natural- for me that’s a light brown/dark blonde.

I tried continuing with highlights but it gets damaged and then I keep having to cut it. More expense.

I tried having it dyed back to my natural colour. It didn’t come out well and damaged my hair more.

So now I’ve had it cut into a bob. I will grow it out that way. In my experience any other way is expensive, leaves damage and if it doesn’t go well, more expense and damage.

Thanks so much again for the replies. I think I'm just going to have suck it up & grow it out. It seems the best for my hair (though I know it'll look awful for a while!).

If you're going for cold turkey grow out you could try coloured root sprays for a while / special occasions -til it gets to the point it looks intentional.

Once it gets to the ears, it looks like a very cool 'grombre'. See Facebook groups for silver hair for inspiration.

Going against the grain here.

The ‘off the shelf’ colour removers are brilliant and I disagree with pp - they actually very easy to use (just follow the instructions like you would a home dye kit!)

They do make your hair a horrible ginger but if you colour immediately afterwards (which is perfectly fine and safe to do), the new colour is vibrant and takes really well.

If you are allergic to hairdressers which I am too, use a colour remover but immediately dye the stripped hair a colour as close to your natural roots as possible than just wait for it to grow through.

If you can face it, just have it all cut off in a pixie style then grow it again if you prefer it long. Then as it grows you'll have lovely healthy hair that's all one colour!

Been in a similar position. Not all white bit a definite salt and pepper colour at the roots. My hair seems to take, even weak, peroxide as even using the lowest strength I still fade to a blorange instead of my very cool almost black roots.

Tried a few colour removers and it made little difference. In the end went for my hairdresser adding highlights down the shaft with the aim to blend in with the grey colour. We use elumen colour from time to time to break up hair that was coloured previously, it's not perfect but not so obviously regrowth. When it is about chin length I will get the old bit chopped off and just tone from time to time with elumen.

A few low lights and highlights to break the line and elumen toner could work well to break it up and make it less painful!

re: colour immediately after

Its imperative for people to know that you can only do this with colour strippers (the ones that contain bleach)

Colour removers have a high chance of reoxydization (sp) the sooner you recolour. Hair can start to turn darker again, not always,obviously, but it’s quite common.

You can try to counteract this risk by rinsing like hell, and avoiding any peroxide based dyes for a good few days/washes

Thanks again.

I'm not brave enough for a pixie cut though I'd love it.

Using the spray root touch ups might work for a while actually. Good idea.

I'll look up some colour strippers & the like and see what I can find.

The OPs natural root colour is snow white. How and with which product would she dye patchy, colour stripped ginger hair white?

I've tried colour strippers at home and they've faded dark brown to a gingery mid brown colour but nowhere near the colour you're aiming for. I'd think this will be a gradual hairdresser process for you to keep the integrity of your hair. My hair is very dark brown, dyed because I've been going grey since 17. I'm still only grey at the part so not ready to embrace it but I do want to go lighter, I'm having a consultation later to see how light she can strip it 😬

Snow white all over sounds really lovely, plus whatever time and money it takes now you'll be saving it in the long run.

Bleach? My daughter’s hair is naturally mousy but she manages an almost white blonde by using stuff from Boots!

Just don't do it.
Strippers can't remove all the pigment and as others have said, you will left a probably alarming shade of ginger..which is fine if dying straight over but it will NOT take your hair to its natural white.
You can sort of dye hair grey/platinum but it involves a lot of bleach and a multi stage process if you are currently dark. Best way, sadly is let it grow.
The worst is the first 4 months or so.
I grew mine out 6 years ago, but it's not a pretty white and am considering whether to colour again, but I don't regret the process :)