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Love styling your hair? Changing looks with time makes us happy. And of course, to do so, the salon is the first station that comes to mind.
But with the vast range of products and salons, it’s almost like rocket science to choose the best salon and hair experts for you.
Honestly, if you are lucky enough to find one, it’s sometimes questionable whether it’ll go as you thought, or something erratic 1might happen. But, how to strip hair colour at home?
Today, there is nothing we can’t do by ourselves. And of course, the internet has been a great aid for us to reach every corner of the world.
Well, stripping hair colour at home is also not a bad idea, but as you are not proficient in the subject, you should be aware of the required steps taken while colouring.
So, what are you waiting for? With this guide, we will be knowing some of the useful tips or hacks: how to strip hair colour by yourself at home.
Let’s get started!
1. Types of Hair Colours
1.1. Temporary Hair Color
After applying, the colour molecules enter the spaces between the hair cuticles, which is the outermost layer of the hair. It then coats the surface of the hair.
However, it lasts up to 8 washes and fades gradually along with every wash.
Benefits of Temporary Hair Colour
- It has a low pH in comparison to permanent hair colour.
- Gives you a vibrant and natural hair look.
- Can be easily removed.
- No ammonia and peroxide are present in the colour.
1.2. Semi-Permanent Hair Color
The small colour molecules are absorbed by each hair cuticle and enter the edge of the cortex of the hair. No ammonia 2is found in the molecules, however, peroxide is present. This is because it helps your formula to at least 30-40% grays. Moreover, it lasts up to 28 washes.
Benefits of Using Semi-Permanent Hair Colour
- Contains low pH in comparison to permanent hair colour
- You get similar colour variations like permanent
- Low peroxide than permanent
1.3. Permanent Hair Dye
Just like semi-permanent colours, the colour molecules penetrate each hair cuticle and enter the hair cortex.
The permanent hair dye also reacts with the melanin in your hair and removes the natural colour permanently (through bleach powder). It usually contains ammonia and peroxide.
Permanent hair dye lightens the natural pigment of your hair and adds tone to cover 100% of grays. It fades gradually with the wash but never vanishes.
Benefits of Using Permanent Hair Dye
- It covers 100% of grays
- Offers an effect of subtle hair changes
1.4. Natural Dye
Henna itself contains a characteristic red shading part, called lawsone. It is a natural dye with minimal side effects or drawbacks.
The point when used to colour hair, the henna glue covers the hair shaft and lawsone bit by bit moves from the henna into the hair shaft through holes in the fingernail skin, then, at that point, ties with keratin and reinforces the fingernail skin.
These outcomes in normally hued hair3. With rehashed use, the shade of the hair settles and develops. The strength of the hair is expanded, and the dampness maintenance limit of the hair is likewise reinforced.
Furthermore, scalp condition improves, diminishing balding and dandruff. The covering of henna on a superficial level shields hair from UV beams and contamination, bringing about solid and sparkly hair generally speaking.
Before knowing how to strip hair colour, Let’s understand the three major terms of hair dyeing or hair colouring.
Bleaching, Highlighting & Lightening
Bleaching or lightening is nothing but, allows your hair to turn from dark to blonde. It is found in a powdery format (bleach powder) with oxidizing ingredients, alkaline4, hydrogen peroxide, thickeners, and many chemicals.
When applied, the mixture blends itself with, melanin and tends to change its natural colour into blonde (yellowish golden).
On the other hand, highlighting is covering the blonde with your favourite colour palette.
Make sure, that if you bleach your hair before with a bleacher, you won’t be able to regain your natural hair colour, even after the colour washes off. And, no hair colour remover will help you in fading hair dye.
If you are bleaching your hair to remove black hair dye, make sure you consult a professional.
NOTE- Many permanent hair dyes contain bleaching agents in the dye, to lighten your hair easily without applying it before.
2. How To Strip Hair Colour without Damaging Your Hair –
6 Simple Ways
2.1. A Dish Soap
What? A Dish soap? How to strip hair colour with Dish soap?
Commonly used for breaking up oily particles on dishes, a bar of dish soap will help you remove unwanted colour naturally at home. But before that, you need to make sure that no dust particles are present in your hair.
Well, you don’t need an expensive hair dye remover. A washing powder can also be used in this process. Rub dry dish soap on the single hair strand. But, definitely, it will result in you with positive outcomes.
2.2. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is one of the traditional methods to remove stains, unwanted oil, colour, or anything.
It is also used in removing strip colours and transforming shades lighter in many dust removal ideas. And it’s absolutely working most of the time.
Also, pouring lemon juice on stripped hair can help you lighten the colour of your hair.
However, it cannot be so effective in completely removing the colour according to the hair type but can return your natural colour.
2.3. Shampoo
Anti-dandruff shampoos have a quality of reaching end to end of your hair layers. You can also use clarifying shampoo and baking soda.
NOTE- This method can dry your hair eventually. This is why you need to mitigate it by conditioning it regularly. Use a deep conditioner and leave it for 2-3 minutes of the treatment.
2.4. Baking Soda
Baking soda or baking powder is also categorized in the same group as lemon juice and dish bar. Having a default characteristic of removing dust and whitening also helps in removing unwanted hair dye.
Mixing baking soda with concoctions like shampoo and baking soda will help you maintain a slightly thick paste. Apply it on the strips gradually.
Make sure you do not apply it to your scalp, as its chemicals can be harmful to your follicles. Now wash your hair with warm water, and you are ready to regain your natural colour.
2.5. Hair Strippers
Strippers are used for permanent hair colours. You can also use it on semi-permanent or temporary hair colour, but some chemicals present in it can harm your hair.
Sulphur-based hair strippers are the most recommended as they work more efficiently than hair colour removers.
When talking about removing dye without harming your natural hair colour, strippers are the best option. Two to three rounds of this process are enough to remove permanent hair dye completely.
2.6. Vitamin C
If you ask me to tell one product to remove hair dye with nourishment, it’s Vitamin C
All you need is vitamin C powder vitamins, 1/2 cup of powder, shampoo or an anti-dandruff shampoo.
Mix it well and apply it on your strips, and rub it slowly with your fingers.
Other than these hacks, vinegar, and water solution, can also be a great option for stripping hair colour. Take plain white vinegar and wash your hair gently with the solution.
3. Hair Dye with 5 Easy Kitchen Items
Well, dyeing your hair is not a big deal. There are numerous ways to do it. For instance- going to a salon, bringing a pre-kit at home, or using temporary spray bottles.
As we always say, there is nothing better than natural. Likewise, here you can choose some in-house kitchen ingredients to dye your hair.
Some dye contains chemicals like ammonia, peroxide, and alkaline which turn your hair rough and dry.
Try the following natural ingredients if you are looking for a natural alternative for your hair!
3.1. Coffee
Do you like those coffee dark brown hair? If yes, then don’t miss these simple steps to get beautiful natural shade.
Take a cup of brewed coffee, and add some coffee grounds to it. Add your favourite conditioner to it, and leave it for 2-3 minutes.
Now, apply the mixture to the hair. In the end, wash it off! It turns into a light brown shade after every wash.
3.2. Carrot
Well if you are searching for a natural red hair dye, then this hack will help you out. Mix carrot juice with any carrier oil.
Apply the mixture well on your hair and leave it covered with a plastic bag. Make sure to have a vinegar rinse.
3.3. Henna
Recommended by many, henna is one of the best natural ingredients to dye faded hair. It is a plant-based dye, that was earlier used for tattoos and dyeing hair.
It appears like green powder, however, leaves a red colour on the hair after washing. You have to mix henna with water.
To increase the density of the colour, you can add two tablespoons of sugar or lemon juice.
3.4. Sage
Want dark black hair? Using sage can be a great choice. It acts like black hair dye and helps you cover your grays effortlessly, without causing damage. Also, this will allow you to wash the artificial pigment out of your hair!
All you have to do is add some dry sage in warm water and leave it to cool. Wash and dry your hair. Now, pour the sage water on wet hair and let soak the colour.
4. Dying Hair at Home? 6 Tips to Avoid A Blunder
Applying a hair dye box? Don’t want to go salon? No worries. you can be your colorist for a while. But make sure to check out these steps to have a blunder-free colouring session.
It’s not mandatory to use natural ingredients from the kitchen, but if you are using a prepared hair dye kit, then you need to be more conscious this time.
4.1. Choose Your Shade Wisely
Don’t get confused about your shade. There are times when the pictures on the box display another colour, but you get a bit lighter or darker. So, make sure you choose a trusted brand with the exact shade you want.
4.2. Difference Between Lighter & Darker
The permanent dye needs a darker shade than what you want, whereas using the lighter side of the colour in semi-permanent dye.
Moreover, simply applying the colour to your hair will not result as effectively as you thought. You need to know where to put darker layers and where lighter ones.
4.3. Two Boxes
If your hair passes through your shoulders, it will take two boxes to dye completely. Just make sure both the boxes are of the same colour and shade.
Did you know? Processing the dye in a metal bowl can oxidize it and create a reaction. Therefore, always use a plastic bowl for mixing your dye.
4.4. What’s Your Hair Texture?
This matters a lot. You cannot just blindly apply a dye without knowing your hair texture.
Know that curly and frizzy hair (untangled hair) sucks up colour faster. This means it will change its colour into a faded one easily. Whereas, a fine hair texture doesn’t absorb colour as easily and will easily turn into a darker tone.
4.5. Section Your Hair
Sectioning your hair will help you cover all hair under enough hair colour. If you directly put on applying, it will lead to patchiness, and won’t define the colour clearly.
On the contrary, sectioning your hair one by one will provide full coverage and a better colouring session for your hair. What say?
4.6. Protect Your Hands
Now that you’ve known all measures, it is important to understand that the chemicals present in your dye can harm your skin. It means, oxidants, alkaline, and many other chemicals while bleaching or colouring comes in contact with your fingers, which leads to allergy, itching, or tearing of the outer skin layer.
Hence it is essential to wear rubber or plastic gloves during the dyeing session.
NOTE- Don’t try to smell the powder, as it may cause a nose infection or unstoppable sneezes due to a reaction.
4.7. Conditioning is a Must!
Dried ends can be treated with regular conditioning. We know how to strip hair colour and obviously stripping over and over time can harm your hair.
Conditioning will help you sustain the colour as well as the smoothness of your hair without causing dryness to your hair. Also, if you get a darker tone than you expected, a deep conditioner can help you out.
A deep conditioning treatment is always a must after you’re done with the session will help you get a lighter tone. For more nourishment, look for natural ingredients like aloe vera, natural oils, vitamin C, and much more.
Besides hair, your skin is another concerning factor.
5. Natural Hair Dye VS Chemical Dye
Hair dyeing is a very common subject amongst men and women today. It’s okay to cover your grays and regain your beautiful blacks. But which is better?
A natural hair dye or a chemical one? Which resist for long? Well, this is a great concern that is overlooked by many people while dyeing their hair.
Sometimes people are unaware of the difference and unintentionally ruin their hair. Today, we will be exploring the best dye one can use without spoiling their hair.
5.1. Effects on Hair
Natural hair dyes like Henna protect your ends, and hair cuticles, resulting in shining hair, increasing the hair volume.
Whereas, on the reveres, a chemical dye contains bleach and other chemical agents that break down the cuticles and damage your hair in depth. It also causes split ends, hair fall, and dry hair.
5.2. Effects on Roots
Using a natural hair dye will give you a clear dandruff-free scalp. It also nourishes your scalp and strengthens your hair roots. Moreover, henna gives you an improved growth structure of the hair.
Chemical dye job on the other side, increases dryness, loss of moisture, and itchiness on the scalp, which may develop dandruff on your scalp. Puts a stopover hair growth and results in hair fall and split ends.
5.3. Results
As sounds, a natural hair dye leaves a natural pigment-like colour on your hair which soothes down with your natural hair pigment covering the grays well.
Chemical dyes also give a good colour development on your hair but bring damaged cuticles and hair fall.
6. Can You Make Your Hair Dye Last for Long?
We can’t neglect the fact that natural hair dyes are temporary. Actually, very temporary. After knowing how to strip hair colour, it’s important to learn how to maintain them naturally. This is why maintaining the colour for a long is quite difficult.
Once you’ve dyed your hair, it gives you a gratifying shade. But, unfortunately, it keeps fading wash by wash.
Did you know? You can save your hair colour by simply following these precautions-
- Your hair goes through a lot. Regular hair dryers, straightening, and curling machines can worsen your hair condition. It’ll result in the fading of your dye.
- While ironing hair, make sure you are using a thermal protectant. This will maintain the colour of your hair.
- Use filtered water to rinse your hair. Hair is one of the delicate body parts, which might damage if exposed to hard water.
- Wash your hair 5-6 times a month. Continuous washing can lead to the removal of the colour.
- Don’t experiment with your hair with different styling products. It can increase the chances of hair fall, and frizziness.
- Oiling is a must. This will maintain the softness of your hair.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) –
1. How long after stripping my hair can I dye it again?
2. Is stripping good for your hair?
Conclusion
Colouring and experimenting with new hair colours are very cool. But, simultaneously you need to underline which product you are using, and whether will it cause any damage to your hair or not.
You’ll find numerous hair colour brands out there, but they might not give you as effective results as you want. You also don’t know how much damage they might cause. Hence, natural products are always good.
Natural hair colour like henna leaves a satisfying impact on your hair and gives additional benefits besides covering grays.
Moreover, with this guide, we learned about some of the unknown facets of how to strip hair colour at home.
The safest way to get in touch with a professional is to get a better understanding of the topic. They are experienced and hence will provide great ideas about restyling your hair without ruining its texture. So, what is the delay?
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Last Updated on by Sathi Chakraborty, MSc Biology