How can I lighten my dyed hair without damaging it?

Author: Kaylie Tromp IV  |  Last update: Monday, September 15, 2025

Use a paste of Baking Soda and Lemon Juice
  1. Mix equal parts baking soda and lemon juice in a bowl to form a paste.
  2. Apply this mixture to your strands.
  3. Leave it on for 45 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
  4. Shampoo with a color-safe shampoo and condition as usual.

How to lighten dyed hair without damage?

Use a cream bleach, or one that has extra goodies like keratin, bonding agents, etc that help keep the lightener moist and are a bit gentler on your hair and pair it with a low volume developer (never go higher than 20).

How do I lighten my hair after I dyed it too dark?

There are a few ways to lighten a hair dye. You can use a clarifying shampoo, which will help to strip away the color. You can also try using a bleach bath, which will lighten your hair slightly. Finally, you can try using a lemon juice and water mixture, which will lighten your hair over time.

Can you lighten already dyed hair?

The only way to lighten color treated hair is with bleach. You cannot use a higher level (lighter) shade on color treated hair and get a lighter final result. Hair will either stay at exactly the same level (yes, even if a much lighter shade is used) or it will become darker, because hair color builds up upon itself.

How can I fade my hair color fast without damaging it?

One approach is to use a clarifying shampoo to gradually fade the color. Another option is to apply a mixture of equal parts lemon juice and conditioner to the hair, leaving it for several hours before rinsing. Additionally, rinsing with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water can help lighten the hair over time.

How To: Dark To Light Brown Hair in ONE STEP | NO BLEACH Method TESTED *Results*

Will Dawn dish soap lighten dyed hair?

Dish Soap

Fortunately, if you go through the effort of using this drying soap on your dyed hair, it can help remove unwanted color. You'll need to do many washes to fade it out, but it is a step in the right direction if you want to remove a color.

How do you fade hair dye ASAP?

The fastest way to remove hair dye is typically by using a clarifying shampoo or anti-dandruff shampoo. These shampoos contain strong cleansing agents that can effectively strip color from the hair. It's important to follow up with a deep conditioning treatment, as these shampoos can be harsh and drying on the hair.

What is the least damaging way to lighten your hair?

Natural bleaching agents like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, chamomile tea, or cinnamon and honey can lighten hair gently and naturally with minimal damage.

How to remove hair dye from hair?

Baking Soda Paste

Baking soda can be an effective way to remove permanent hair dye naturally because of its lightening properties. Try mixing baking soda with lemon juice, which is acidic, to create a paste. Then, work the paste through your hair, allow it to sit for five minutes, and rinse thoroughly.

What happens if you put lighter hair dye over darker hair dye?

- Using a lighter color over your last hair color will not work and will create unnecessary stress to your hair. - You cannot inflict hair color over hair color on your hair or it may just break. Wait at least one month before dyeing your hair again.

What to mix with hair dye to make it lighter?

Want a lighter colour? Add conditioner. Mixing white conditioner with the semi permanent dyes will lighten the colour, turning down the intensity and taking it to more of a pastel vibe. Just be aware that it can also mean the colour might fade more quickly.

Can you lighten hair over box dye?

To achieve a lighter shade on previously-colored hair, we recommend you do one of two options. The first option is to use a strong lifter—treatments that have a volume of ingredients like ammonia, peroxide, bleach, or alternative chemicals that clear the hair molecules of color.

How to fix a bad hair dye job?

If you had a bad coloring job your best bet is to visit a reputable beauty salon and have a trained professional perform corrective coloring that will rid you of the unnatural color and give your hair a second chance.

How can I lighten permanent hair dye quickly at home?

How to Lighten Hair Dyed Too Dark with a DIY Approach
  1. Use a paste of Baking Soda and Lemon Juice.
  2. Wash your Hair with Apple Cider Vinegar.
  3. Take some Vitamin C Tablets.
  4. Wash Hair With Clarifying Shampoo.
  5. Use Purple or Blue Shampoo for Brassy Tones.
  6. Do a Bleach Bath.
  7. Bleed the Color Out.
  8. Use Hair Lightener or Toner.

Do head and shoulders remove hair dye?

Does Head & Shoulders remove hair dye? It doesn't! This potent formula may be tough on dandruff but it does not remove hair colour. You may notice that your hair dye fades over time, which is completely natural when you stop dying your it.

Will apple cider vinegar lighten dyed hair?

Wash Your Hair with Apple Cider Vinegar:

When used as a rinse, it helps to gently strip away excess dye and product buildup, which can contribute to lightening the hair color over time. This method is particularly beneficial for those looking to subtly lighten their hair without resorting to harsh chemical treatments.

How to fade hair color fast without damage?

Use a clarifying shampoo.

These deep-cleansing formulas are designed to remove buildup from the hair and scalp and may aid in fading your color faster (just be sure not to choose a color-safe variety, as these are specifically designed not to strip color).

How do I go back to my natural hair color after dying it?

When it comes to giving your mane a breather from salon color, you have two options—dye your hair to match your natural base shade, or gradually grow-out your salon hue.

Does vinegar really remove hair dye?

According to StyleCraze.com: "Vinegar has a low pH level and may remove light or semi-permanent colors. It should not be used to remove red hair dye as it can leave you with badly colored hair."

How do you fix dyed hair too dark?

You Dyed Your Hair Too Dark

Once you've noticed the color is too dark, you can make the dye fade faster by washing it as soon as possible with a clarifying shampoo — focusing on the deepest parts if the color is uneven.

How do you get caramel highlights on dark brown hair?

Caramel highlights on dark brown hair can be achieved through hand-painted balayage or foils to lighten the base subtly. When the color is evenly distributed and placed in the right areas, it should mimic what the sun does naturally: give the hair a more dimensional look.

How to make dyed hair lighter?

How to Lighten Dyed Hair at Home
  1. Step 1: Section Your Hair. If you have longer hair, you'll need to section it off. ...
  2. Step 2: Mix Your Bleach. ...
  3. Step 3: Apply the Bleach. ...
  4. Step 4: Wait for the Hair to Process. ...
  5. Step 5: Rinse Out the Bleach and Check the Color. ...
  6. Step 6: Tone (if needed) ...
  7. Step 7: Shampoo and Condition. ...
  8. Step 8: Style.

How to make dyed hair fade faster?

Ways to Fade Hair Color

Wash your hair with clarifying shampoo as soon as possible after dyeing it, then rinse with hot water to strip away the color. Try exposing your hair to the elements as well, like the sun, salt water, and chlorinated water. As a last resort, apply a chemical color remover to strip the dye.

What shampoo fades hair dye?

Sulphate-rich shampoos are ideal for stripping hair since they help to release the colour - especially with dark or vibrant colours. These include clarifying or deep cleansing shampoo or anti-dandruff shampoo.

How long does it take for permanent hair dye to fade completely?

The length of time that permanent hair dye will last depends on a few different factors, including the health of your hair, how often you wash it, what shampoo you use, and the type of hair dye you use. Generally speaking, though, you can expect permanent hair dye to last anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks.

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