Changing the color of your hair is a big decision. But it becomes even more important if you have your heart set on one of those “fancy” and complicated shades.
One thing is generally true about unnatural colors, such as you might get bored of them quite fast. But what can you do when you are bored of having your hair blue and you want to change its color?
This is what we are going to discuss in this guide!
The best colors to go to after blue would be a dark shade of red or brown and even brunette. You can take a chance with any type of shade that has orange in its composition such as copper.
The lighter shades such as blonde are out of the question, unfortunately. And we will see just why your options are so limited when you want to switch from blue to a different color!
What Colour Cancels Out Blue Hair Colour?
There are many myths regarding the blue shades and yellow or orange shades canceling each other. But does it actually work like that?
The truth is, from all the colors you can use, orange over blue actually gives you a fair chance of success. So, if you want to cancel blue, you should definitely consider using a color that is orange based.
Yellow based colors might work too but not at a high degree.
So, all you have to do to obtain an even shade will be to dye your blue hair with the orange-based shade entirely. This process should follow the regular hair coloring rules that you are familiar with.
Once you cancel the stubborn blue shade, you can continue to dye your hair until you get the shade you want.
If you are not sure how this process works, you shouldn’t take unnecessary risks. Go to a specialist and ask them if you don’t want to spend hours in the salon to get it done.
The last thing you want is to end up with a new color that you want to remove as soon as you see it. Your hair will not cope well with so many changes.
But if your main goal is to get rid of blue, no matter what, you can definitely try to neutralize it.
What Colors Go Over Blue Hair?
As we mentioned above, orange-based colors will work best over a blue hair.
This is because they will even out the shade and help you neutralize the blue. Each color has the opposite color that neutralizes it. For blue, this color is orange.
With this being said, you can be very successful if you choose to dye your hair in a copper shade.
But you can also try dark shades of brown with some orange in their composition and of course, black. Black is known for covering everything. When it comes to black, however, you have to remember that it is a very hard color to remove.
The reason for that is that in essence, black is based on a blue structure. So, you will not take out the blue by using black, but you will cover it and darken it a lot!
It is important to put your creativity on hold when you go through such a process at home. You might be tempted to combine different hair dyes and shades in order to achieve what you want.
While this could turn out very good, it can also turn out dramatically bad. You need to understand the chemistry behind it and how two different shades (plus the one in your hair) interact.
Stick with the simple steps in order to get more chances of being successful.
How Do I Get Blue Hair Dye Out of My Hair?
If you have your heart set on getting rid of the vibrant blue color of your hair, you need a lot of patience.
Some methods will damage your hair a lot in the process while others will be less harmful. You should think more than once before you decide to take action.
Worse than a blue color you don’t like is a damaged and brittle hair that looks like a broom! There are 3 different ways to go about this goal.
Bleaching your hair
This is the fastest way to remove blue color out of your hair. But it is also the most drastic way.
You might have to repeat the bleaching process twice and use a strong bleach to get the results that you want. This can be traumatizing for your hair.
Not to mention how much care you will have to take off your hair after that in order to revive it.
If you are brave enough to choose to bleach your blue hair you have to be prepared for a few aspects. To begin with, you might discover that your hair turns a shade of pink after the first bleaching session.
Note that I said, “the first”! This brings us to the second aspect you need to consider which is bleaching your hair again. Most stylists will recommend you not to bleach your hair twice in a raw.
So, you will most likely have to wait for a few days (at least!) until you can repeat the bleaching.
Bleaching your hair at home, if you are not having any experience, can cause serious damage to your hair. You might end up even with hair that is so fragile it breaks at the easiest brush. And the only way to repair this type of damage is bu cutting your hair. So, consider going to a salon and spend many hours there in order to get the bluer out!
If you take the risk of bleaching your hair at home, make sure you hydrate it intensively with a lot of conditioner at the end of the process. Wearing a coconut oil mask before starting the bleaching might help as well.
Either way, provide the right moisturizing to your hair so it will not end up extremely dry.
Using neutralizing colors
A less harming way to remove blue shade out of your hair is by neutralizing it. This requires a bit of coloring knowledge but with the right research, it can be done.
You can use any type of hair dye that has a high concentration of orange. You can even go for orange itself as it is a very fashionable color nowadays. But if you want something closer to natural shade, there are many types of brown dyes that are rich in orange pigments.
Once you choose your neutralizing color all you have to do is dye your hair like you normally would. Allow the dyer to take effect for around 30 minutes before you rinse it off your hair.
Dying your hair is something you can do at home if you want to save some money. But you can also go to a salon if you want to be sure of certain results.
And speaking of results, there is no way to guess them properly. You never know how the dye you apply over your blue shade will change your color.
In some cases, your hair might turn a completely different color than you anticipated. It might be redder or more orange. Or it might even get a lot darker. However, you can count on the fact that your vibrant blue will not be there anymore.
From this point on, once you neutralized your blue shade with an orange-based shade, you can take the steps to achieve the color you want.
You have more chances to be successful if you aim for a darker shade such as a dark copper or brown color. Auburn will work as well in this case.
If your goal is to go from blue to an ice blonde, for instance, you will need to spend a lot of time to get there. Going to a light color like blonde requires many neutralizing sessions and even some bleaching sessions.
Needless to say what all this can do to your hair!
Get a haircut
Getting a haircut might seem drastic but there are ways to do that without ending up with a short haircut.
First, you should let your hair grow a bit. Once your roots are out in the view again, you can focus on achieving a nice ombre hairstyle. You will cut the edges of your hair (as much as you are comfortable to cut them) and style your hair in an ombre, wavy style.
This method is the less compromising one and in some cases, the best that you can choose.
It will not damage your hair and it will give it time to regenerate! But from all the women who want to get rid of blue hair, getting a haircut is the least desirable option.
Getting a haircut could, however, be a great choice if you want to change your look. You might not even dislike your bluer hair as much if you change your hairstyle. Plus, since you will be cutting it, there will be less of it to deal with!
Can I Colour Over Blue Hair?
When it comes to blue hair, coloring over it might be restrictive but not impossible. We saw that you can use certain colors to change your blue shade without drastic interventions.
So, if you want to color over your blue hair, you should stick with those types of colors.
And you have many shades that will work perfectly over blue. Some shades you might never guess that they have orange tones in them.
For instance, you can go to most types of brown dyes.
Orange and yellow dyes will also go great over blue. So, you can choose between brassy hair colors, reddish ones, coppery colors and auburn. As long as you are open to a significant change in color, you should have all the options you want.
As we mentioned, there is always black. However, since black also contains blue tones and no orange tones, most likely it will just cover your blue. You will end up with a lot of darker blue, even black in some areas of your hair.
But dying your hair black will not neutralize your blue shade.
Blue or Purple Shampoo to Get Rid of Blue Hair?
If you are debating about what shampoo to use in order to reduce the blue in your hair, the answer is simple.
No blue or purple shampoo will do the trick.
Why? Because blue shampoo neutralizes orange and brassy shades while purple shampoo neutralizes yellow tones. None of these features can help you tint or reduce the blue in your hair.
As a matter of fact, using one of these two types of shampoo might actually add some intensity to your blue hair! If you have your heart set on getting rid of this color, intensifying it is definitely not a good option.
So, let’s forget about shampoos that will just make you waste time and money! Focus on the other tips to help you get rid of your blue hair.
Final Words
Blue hair can be extremely beautiful when you first get it. Everyone will compliment you for being so bold and creative. But removing it is a lot less fun. However, this guide should help you evaluate all your options.
Think good before you start doing something drastic to your hair such as bleaching. This is how long you need to wait between bleaching hair!
Some actions have no reverse way and you might regret them soon enough. You should try neutralizing your shade of blue before anything else. If you do that right, you might be pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Follow the tips in this guide and learn how to remove your blue hair at home in a safe way!
But remember to always put the health of your hair first and take all the protection measures you can. It is easy to act in the spur of the moment but it is very hard to fix the potential damage.