Oh, ladies, help!

[Tempest_Gypsy]

I'm sure someone on the boards can help me out with this. About a month and a half ago, I got a little bored with my hair and dyed it black using some of that Clairol Natural Instincts (the stuff that is supposed to wash out in 24 washes). I've had black hair before when it was much shorter, and I liked the look, but I thought I might get tired of it and want my natural color back.

I want my natural color back! But its not fading!!! Cutting it off and waiting for it to re-grow is not really an option as my hair is roughly two and a half feet long. Does anyone know of anything I can do that will make the dye fade faster (as opposed to the usual desired result of slower)?

Oh, please help!

[Wench Shaelyn]

My cousin who is a stylist out in Greensburg PA and owns several Fantastic Sam's out there (the only person I allow to touch my hair) always tells me if I dye it a color I don't care four I should try washing it in a laundry detergent and oxy clean then scrub it for a good ten minutes then rinse and had a very good conditioner.

It doesent totally strip the color completely but when I have used this to get a color I don't care for out of my hair it removed a good portion of the color. I'm not sure if it will work as well for you but I use "Hydriance" when I dye mine.

Maybe this will help! If it doesent work I'll make a quick call to my cousin and ask her for you. :D

[moira]

i did the same thing, but for a show i was in... when i wanted to go back, i used a color remover... dont remember what brand it was... most drug stores should carry it... its not a bleach, it removes the excess color from your hair... just dont use it on your roots if they already grown in a bit, it lightens them too...

moira

[Tink]

I hate to tell you this, but black hair color is not going to go away easily....

If you try Shaelyn's advice...I'd make sure to do a skin patch test to make sure the chemicals in those products do not cause rash or burning....they may be way too harsh for direct skin contact.....

You should probably go to a very good pro salon and ask them for advice.

I'm guessing that you'll probably have to have it bleached a few times, which can wreak havoc on your hair and then have them dye the bleached locks a lighter shade of brown, maybe red...definitely not anything lighter....You'll prolly have to deal with having hair color you're not happy with for a while....I remember when I tried going back to blonde from a rather deep red...the girl had to bleach me 5 times and STILL it was holding, so she stopped for fear of my hair falling out. I had to live with cartoon yellow hair for about a month before she'd try bleaching further.

You'll need lots of hot oil treatments and deep heat conditioning cap treatments to reduce dryness and breakage and stay away from hair dryers for a while to help too.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

[Simoriah]

Reply by e-mail sent. I'm a licensed hairstylist. My specality was coloring and color correction. I had black hair for about two years and Tink is right when she said that it doesn't come out easy(mine took 13 hours just to strip)...but it can be done.

Simoriah

[Tempest_Gypsy]

<snip>

I'm guessing that you'll probably have to have it bleached a few times, which can wreak havoc on your hair and then have them dye the bleached locks a lighter shade of brown, maybe red...definitely not anything lighter....You'll prolly have to deal with having hair color you're not happy with for a while....I remember when I tried going back to blonde from a rather deep red...the girl had to bleach me 5 times and STILL it was holding, so she stopped for fear of my hair falling out. I had to live with cartoon yellow hair for about a month before she'd try bleaching further.

<snip>

I'm hoping I won't have to bleach it, since it's supposed to fade naturally on its own. But, I have bleached my hair once before and it didn't take it too badly. We'll see.

[Tink]

Unfortunately, those temp hair colors don't fade if you apply it to already color-treated hair. Coloring makes hair more porous and therefore, your hair grabs and holds color easier than uncolored hair.....

[Morrigan]

There is some stuff called Metallic's.... i have no idea where to get it... it strips the color out....but if you use it... do it in LITTLE patches of hair and wash it out immediatly... then move on...

GL hun... lol i know what you are going threw....
LOL PK remember some of the colors we did?????? *shudder* course i can't talk right now... i bleached my hair out few weeks ago and now my hair is PINK!

[daBaroness]

A coworker of mine who's also a stylist recently told me a good way to fade haircolor is to get a clarifying shampoo, wash your hair with it but leave it on for about 15-20 minutes (under a shower cap works best). I recently got a very wrong color (I ended up with near-purple rather than mid-auburn) and I toned it down with an application of my regular color over it. It's still darker than I usually wear, but it's a far cry from the God-awful puple I was sporting. It's worth a try I suppose.

[Nevada]

Oh Baroness I got a giggle out of the purple hair..I once used a wash that was supposed to give burgundy highlights...I ended up with eggplant purple hair...my mom wasnt sure if she should laugh or be horrified....and it wouldnt wash out! I just stuck my chin out and wore that blessed color for 3 months before it became light enough to color over...

[Theresa Grant]

Side comment...

Tink got a new picture up! :)

Back to the madness. Good luck with the hair.

[lauradake]

The same thing happened to me a few months ago--I went for "dark brown" and got "goth black". ;)

It's taken over 2 months, but it's finally started to fade to a very dark brown... it's still much darker than I usually wear it, but I don't look like a vampire, which is a plus. ;)

If you're seriously distressed by your dark tresses, I would high-tail it to a professional stylist ASAP. Prefreably one who specalizes in coloring... you will probally pay a little more, but I've found through exprience that it is worth it to go to a prefessional salon vs. a "Great Clips" style place.

Best of luck!!!

[Jayden2298]

I have a hint from a friend who is a colorist. It's helped! 1:1 solution of a good clarifying shampoo to a 30 developer. Shampoo in, leave on 15-20 minutes. Conditioner hair really well. Do no more than twice a week <give two days in between each application>.

Hope this helps....

are you coming to NCRF, maybe we here in the area can help you out....

[lauradake]

Or if we can't help, we can at least lend you a snood so your hair's covered.... *grin*

[Nevada]

A friend from another ren site said she wore a muffin cap for a month while the colorist tried reverse her chlorine green highlights lol

[Isabelle Warwicke]

As a girl with three foot hair, I totally understand your need to save it. Even as color treated, you can't donated it if you cut it off. The package said it would wash out. Make an appointment with a professional who specializes in color correction and wash your hair like crazy until your appointment time.

Beer cures what ales ya!