When you fall in love with some new potential hair color, nothing else matters.
That platinum blonde or sultry maroon is the only color you want to see on your tresses, and you feel like you’re ready to commit to it long-term.
So, you color your hair with permanent dye thinking you’ll never get sick of it.
However, for many people, that high winds down after a couple of weeks or months.
They might realize it’s not their “forever” color, or they might just not be happy with how it wears after so long.
Others will probably want to try another color.
But after coloring your hair with permanent dye, you can’t just cover it up with a new color.
That will spell disaster and damage your hair even more.
What you need to do is get rid of that permanent dye first, and then think about how you’re going to wear your hair after.
Want to know the different ways how to get rid of permanent hair dye fast? Read on to find out!
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Why Is It Such A Challenge To Fade Permanent Hair Dye?
It’s easy to remove semi-permanent dyes from your hair.
After all, they were designed to be washed out with shampoo eventually in a few weeks anyway.
But it’s completely different with permanent dye. It’s way harder to work with.
That’s because while temporary color simply sits on the outer layer of your hair, the permanent dye penetrates the hair cuticle and settles in the hair cortex, a deep part of the hair fiber.
The pigments from the dye bond with your natural hair color, making it incredibly difficult to wash out with just shampoo.
This is a very important step before trying on a new color.
Coloring Dyed Hair?
If you dye your hair while you still have permanent color in your locks, the new dye will simply coat your hair instead of penetrating it, since it will have nowhere to go while your hair cortex is filled with the old pigments.
This can clog and suffocate your locks, making them weaker and more dehydrated.
So, when you’re trying to remove permanent dye from your hair, you’re doing more than just washing it out.
You’ll have to try methods to open up your cuticles so that the pigments can escape from your hair.
Sounds scary, I know.
But don’t worry, there are lots of ways to remove the permanent dye from your hair safely.
The best part is that many of the products you’ll need are already probably somewhere in your home (although others are specialty products you might want to invest in).
How To Get Rid Of Permanent Hair Dye Fast
Ready to fade that color?
Here are seven easy ways you can get rid of permanent hair dye fast:
Use A Hair Color Remover
If you approach a stylist about how you should go about getting rid of your permanent color, they might suggest a hair color remover.
It’s one of the fastest ways to remove your hair dye, so it’s great if you need the job done pronto.
This is a product designed specifically for your concern.
While some are suitable only for temporary color, many are formulated to work on permanent dye too.
What a hair color remover does is that it extracts the artificial molecules from deep within the core of your hair fiber, leaving you with a clean base without pigments in your tresses.
Sounds intimidating, but it’s a lot safer than using bleach to strip your hair of color.
How To Use A Hair Color Remover
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how you can use a hair color remover:
Wash Your Hair
Wash your hair with shampoo.
Clean hair is key when applying this product because any build-up on your strands will just get in the way of proper penetration of your hair cortex.
It’s best to use a deep-cleaning shampoo, like a clarifying shampoo.
Let The Hair Dry
Wait until your hair is completely dry.
Hair color removers won’t work on wet hair, so dry your locks thoroughly first with a towel or blow dryer.
Some people prefer to dry their hair with T-shirts to minimize frizz and breakage.
You could also wait longer and air-dry it if that’s what you prefer.
Prepare The Hair Color Remover
Your specific remover will have instructions on how to mix it, whether it’s with warm water, a developer, or an activator solution that comes with the set.
Follow these instructions to a T.
Apply The Mixture
Apply the mixture to your hair.
You can pour the solution directly into your strands in sections, making sure to massage it into your locks.
Focus your application on the ends of your hair, since that area is often more damaged and stubborn.
Incorporate Heat
Wait around 20 minutes for the product to absorb into your hair.
If you can, go under a hooded dryer.
The heat can help speed up the process of removing your permanent color.
Rinse
Rinse the product out thoroughly in the shower.
If you see the color running from the water, that means the hair color remover is working.
If you’re worried about a strong odor or residue from the product, you can use a gentle shampoo to wash your hair.
One of my favorite hair color removers is the L’Oreal Effasol Color Remover.
It works so efficiently on the most stubborn permanent dyes, so if you need something heavy-duty, this is your best bet.
It will even remove jet black dyes – arguably the most challenging to remove.
Wash With Strong Shampoo Or Soap
Although permanent dyes don’t usually get washed out in the shower, soaps and shampoos with stronger formulas can do the trick gradually.
These include clarifying shampoos, anti-dandruff shampoos, and even dishwashing liquid.
Clarifying Shampoo
These shampoos are designed to detoxify and deep-clean your hair, getting rid of any hard minerals and stubborn build-up that your regular shampoo can’t eliminate.
So, it can be strong enough to get rid of permanent color.
Just make sure you select a clarifying shampoo that isn’t labeled “safe for colored hair”.
You want something that can break down the pigments, not encourage them to stay longer.
One clarifying shampoo you might want to try is the Nexxus Clean and Pure Clarifying Shampoo.
Not only can it potentially fade your color, but it nourishes your locks too.
It’s formulated with ProteinFusion, a special blend of elastin protein and exotic sea minerals to strengthen and smoothen your locks.
It doesn’t contain any silicones and parabens either, which is terrific for your hair’s health.
Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
While this type of shampoo isn’t exactly deep-cleaning, it often contains an ingredient called selenium sulfide.
This active ingredient helps treat dandruff issues, but it can also fade permanent hair dye.
If you want to remove your color gradually, you can use anti-dandruff shampoo for your daily showers.
Make sure to rinse the shampoo out with hot water to open the hair cuticles and encourage the pigments to seep out.
Dishwashing Soap
Add 4-5 drops of your dish soap into your shampoo when you wash your hair.
If you’re feeling a bit daring (and your hair isn’t extremely dehydrated) you can even use dishwashing soap alone to cleanse your hair.
Over time, you’ll notice your hair color fading.
Just note that shampoos and soaps won’t give you results instantly.
You’ll have to wait a while to see a gradual effect on your hair.
Use Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is one of the chemicals found in many permanent hair dyes.
That’s because it’s a terrific active ingredient for forcing the hair cuticle open for the pigments to penetrate the hair fiber.
However, you can use this chemical for the opposite goal.
When used on dyed hair, it can open up the cuticles again, allowing the hair dye pigments to escape from your hair.
Just mix equal parts of water and hydrogen peroxide in an empty spray bottle and shake it well.
Then, apply the solution all over your hair, making sure to drench and saturate every lock.
Leave it in your hair for about half an hour and rinse thoroughly after.
A lot of your color should be faded now.
Note that hydrogen peroxide is a powerful chemical that can deal a lot of damage to your hair if used too frequently (that’s why diluting it in water is important).
So, make sure you don’t do this method multiple times in one sitting. Make sure to follow up with conditioner too to prevent dry hair.
Make A Baking Soda And Lemon Juice Paste
Ever wonder why baking soda is sometimes used as a detergent?
It’s because it has cleaning properties that break the bonds of dirt and debris.
It’s also alkaline, which means it can penetrate deep into your hair, and that’s essential for breaking down permanent hair dye.
But to make baking soda even more effective, you can combine it with lemon juice.
Lemons are highly acidic, giving them bleaching properties that are perfect for lightening the hair.
Combine baking soda and lemon juice in a small bowl until you create a paste.
The texture should be something like a thick, rich deep conditioner.
Then, apply the paste with your hands (but wear gloves so you don’t dry out your skin).
Leave the paste in there for 5-10 minutes and then jump into the shower.
Rinse with hot water to help flush out all the gunk and pigments in your hair.
Crush Some Vitamin C Pills
Another acidic ingredient you can use is vitamin C.
But don’t even think about using your expensive vitamin C facial serum for this!
You can use something as simple as those vitamin C tablets lying in your medicine cabinet.
Vitamin C is known to be brightening, and it works not just on the skin but on the hair too.
It might not remove all the dye from your hair, but it can certainly fade a significant amount of it.
The ascorbic acid in vitamin C works in the hair by oxidizing the pigments in it.
These color molecules then loosen up, making them easier to wash out of your hair.
Take 10-15 1000mg tablets of vitamin C and crush them into a fine powder with a mortar and pestle.
You can also do it with a rolling pin and a Ziploc.
Either way, just make sure to crush it well until it’s a super fine powder, not one with chunks that can get stuck in your hair.
Mix this powder with an anti-dandruff shampoo and apply it to your hair.
Leave it for 45 minutes to an hour in your tresses and wash it out in the shower.
Saturate The Hair In Vinegar
Vinegar is known to be a cleansing weapon in the house.
But it has acidic properties that can also aid in fading permanent hair color.
All you have to do is mix plain, white vinegar with hot to warm water and pour it all over your hair.
Let the liquid settle for 15 minutes, and then rinse it all out.
If you want an option that’s less drying, you can go for apple cider vinegar instead.
It’s less potent and acidic than white vinegar, so it’s more pH-balancing.
It’s also known to clean the scalp, so you can get rid of product build-up and add shine back to your hair too.
Give Yourself A Hot Oil Treatment
Lastly, you can give yourself a hot oil treatment at home.
Not only does this help get rid of permanent color fast, but it also smoothens and softens your mane.
You can use any vegetable oil you want for this method.
I highly recommend coconut oil, which is rich in omega fatty acids that can moisturize your hair deeply.
It also has penetrative properties that help open your hair cuticle.
Olive oil is another good option.
It’s known for its hair-conditioning properties, adding elasticity and shine to dull tresses.
Just heat a cup of your choice of oil in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
It shouldn’t be extremely hot, just warm enough to be comfortable in your hair.
Saturate your hair with the oil with your fingers and cover it up with a plastic wrap.
Leave it alone for 30 minutes.
During this time, the oil will penetrate your hair strands and loosen up the permanent dye pigments.
Then, wash the oil out with a clarifying shampoo and rinse with warm water.
Conclusion
If you’ve colored your hair with permanent dye and realize you don’t want that shade forever, don’t panic.
Sure, it’s called “permanent” dye, but there are plenty of ways to go about getting rid of that color in your hair, from professional hair color removers to at-home solutions like ACV and Vitamin C.
If you follow the steps above religiously and care for your hair properly after, you’ll enjoy happy, healthy hair without the color you’ve gotten sick of.
Now, you’re free to enjoy lighter-colored hair or experiment with other fun shades you’ve been fantasizing about!