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6 Easy Ways to Lighten Dyed Hair That is Too Dark

6 Easy Ways to Lighten Dyed Hair That is Too Dark

If you like to dye your hair often, you know that hitting just the right color might become a hassle. There are hundreds of shades to choose from and the selection can be quite overwhelming.

But there is a way to fix your hair color if, by any chance, the result you got is not what you were looking for! Here is everything you need to know about how to lighten dyed hair that is too dark for your preference!

How can you lighten permanent hair color?

Dying your hair in a permanent color is quite brave. And you take the risk of ending up with a shade that you don’t like as much as you thought you would.

But the good news is that you can lighten your hair color up even if you used a permanent dye. Here is the best method to do that step by step and with no struggle!

1. Wash your hair with hot water

Washing your hair should be the first step to take when you think the shade of your hair’s color is too dark. You will need to use hotter water than you would normally use during a regular wash.

And you should rinse it for a few minutes more as well. If you use enough heat, you will open up your cuticles and lead some of the dye out of your hair. Make sure all your hair is diligently rinsed and move on to using your shampoo.

2. Use a strong shampoo

The shampoo you should use should be one that doesn’t protect dyed hair. There are plenty to choose from on the market. From shampoos with stronger chemicals to all organic options, you can decide on what product you prefer.

And don’t buy a big quantity because you will most likely use it just when you want to lighten up your shade. Once you reach the hair color you want, you will need to use a color safe shampoo to maintain it.

Use this strong shampoo as soon as possible after you decide that you want to lighten your hair. This will increase your chances of reaching the shade you want with a lot less effort. The more the permanent hair dye stays in your hair without being washed, the deeper in the cuticles it gets.

While you are at this step, you can use a bit more shampoo than you would normally use to wash your hair. You wan all the layers of your hair to be covered by it in order to absorb as much dye from them as possible.

washing dyed hair

3. Use plenty of Conditioner

Using a conditioner is also recommended when you want to lighten your hair color. Plus, you will need to condition your hair in order to hydrate it after using the shampoo so this is an important step.

You want to lighten your hair color but you don’t want to end up with a dull hair that has no shine or smoothness.

Unlike other times when you would apply your conditioner mostly on the tips of your hair, this time you should apply it from roots to the edges.

Make sure it covers the entire surface of your hair so it can nourish it properly. Allow your conditioner to take action for around five minutes before you rinse it off with plenty of water.

4. Rinse your hair and let it dry naturally

Once you are done washing your hair with this method, make sure you clean all the shampoo or conditioner residue off it. Rinse it with hot water for a few minutes until you feel that there is no product left in your hair.

When you are done, allow your hair to dry naturally if possible. You don’t need to use a hair dryer and other tools to style your hair at this stage.

This will help your hair to eliminate some of the colors and remain just a little lighter. And you can wash it like you normally would next time as this is just a one-time process in the name of lightening your color.

5. Make a Homemade Mask to Reduce the Intensity of Your Hair Color

Hair masks have all kinds of benefits. From hydrating and repairing your hair to lightening the color and take out some of the extra dye. And for this last purpose, you can create the perfect hair mask at home, without investing in fancy products full of chemicals that could damage your hair on the process.

Create your hair mask

All you need for such a mask is 2 cups of baking soda and 1/4 cup of shampoo. Make sure the shampoo is not the type meant to protect your hair color.

Clarifying shampoo should work best for this task. Mix the two ingredients together in a bowl that is not made of metal until they reach a homogeneous composition.

Baking soda has an alkaline structure which is perfect for opening your cuticles for the shampoo to break in deeper into your hair. And if your hair is longer just double the two measurements when you mix your ingredients.

Wash your hair with hot water and use the mask as you would use the shampoo

Next, you will get your hair wet with water that is warmer than your average washing water and use the mask as a shampoo to wash out your hair dye.

Rub the mixture into your hair until it reaches all layers and all the surface of it. It is important to cover your hair from roots to the edges to obtain the best results.

Do not get the mask into your eyes as it can be very dangerous. If you do feel like some of the mixture reached your eye rinse it with plenty of water until it is all gone.

Rinse your hair after you wait 5 to 15 minutes

This mask, like any other mask, needs some time to take the effect you want. If you want to lighten it up just a little bit, 5 minutes might be all you need to wait for. But if you want to lighten your hair color with up to two shades, you might want to wait as long as 15 minutes.

Don’t leave this mask in for more than 15 minutes. If you are not completely satisfied with the result after this time, you can repeat the process next time you wash your hair.

Rinse your hair good with hot water. Make sure all the mask is removed and your hair is completely clean. You don’t need to use a hair drier at this stage either. Your hair should be just the shade you were looking for.

6. The miracles vitamin C can do to lighten your hair color

This is not a commonly known trick but it is a very efficient one and it might just be the solution you were looking for to get the shade you want for your hair.

You will need plenty of vitamin C for this method but it is going to be all worth it. And you can apply it for hair dyed with permanent dye as well as with other types of dye.

It even works when you want to lighten your natural hair color. But in case you want to apply this method for your natural shade, the results might be weaker and you should consider repeating this strategy for a few times.

So, here is how you can lighten your hair color by using the amazing power of vitamin C!

Get your vitamin C mask ready

All you have to do is smash up to 20 vitamin C tablets in a cup or a cowl and add shampoo that is anti-dandruff. This type of shampoo is essential to the success of this method so try not to use any other type.

You don’t need a lot of shampoos. Just add a little bit in order to create a paste once it is mixed with the vitamin C tablets.

Get your hair wet and add the mask on it

Use hot water to rinse your entire hair and scalp. You need to get it wet enough to be receptive to your mask. Use a towel to get the extra moisture out of your hair but don’t dry it out too much. As long as it is not dripping, it is at the perfect level of humidity.

When you apply your mask, treat it like you would apply your regular hair dye. You can use a special brush as well if that makes the process easier for you.

Just make sure that you cover your entire hair with it and also your scalp. If you don’t apply it evenly, your hair might have different shades and this might not be the result you are looking for.

So, pay attention to cover all the layers and rub it in at the end just to make sure. You can use a comb as well when you are done applying the mixture.

Let the vitamin C mask take effect for up to one hour

Yes, this is a long time but the results will be the best you can get. To increase the effects of this mask you can cover your hair with a shower cap. This will increase the heat inside of the cap and empower the action of the hair mask.

It might be a good idea to check your hair from time to time just to see the effects your mask had on your color. If you think that you are looking too much color, feel free to rinse it off even after half an hour or 40 minutes. But inspect your shade good because wet hair might give you a wrong impression.

Rinse off with cool water

Unlike the other methods, for this one, you will not need hot water to rise your hair. As a matter of fact, using cool water might be the best thing for your hair and the outcome you are aiming for.

Take into consideration that your hair stayed covered with a shower cap for up to one hour which maintained a higher temperature for it.

Now it is time to cool it off with plenty of water, without using cold water. You don’t want extreme temperatures like that on your hair because you can damage it.

Simply use water that is room temperature without being warm or cold and rinse all the layer of your hair. Once you are done, you can dry it with your hair drier or allow it to get dry naturally.

Conclusion

As you can see, ending up with a hair color that is darker than you wanted is not a tragedy. There are definitely solutions to get rid of one shade or even two without having to bleach your hair and do it all over again.

As a matter of fact, bleaching your hair just to get rid of one shade of your hair color might be a very inefficient idea. This process will take out way too much color if not all of it and even if you dye it again, you don’t know that you will end up with the shade you wanted. Not to mention the damage a bleaching process will do to your hair!

So, instead of going through such a chemical trauma, try out one or more of the methods presented here! You will have the results you wanted with no hassle and no extra money involved!

Plus, since none of these methods are going to damage your hair in any way, you can repeat them as you find fit until you get the results that you want! Just make sure that your hair stays hydrated at all times because the shine and the texture of it is just as important as the color!