Professional stylists often use techniques to "bleed" the excess color from hair. This involves using clarifying or dandruff shampoos that help strip away the unwanted dye. This method is less damaging compared to bleaching and is often the first step a professional will take to correct overly dark hair dye.
Much more aggressive than a color treatment, bleaching totally eliminates the hair's natural pigments (or the pigments from a previous color treatment). Although it is brutal on hair, it is often the only way to lighten your natural shade to a maximum or to obtain a bleached base that can be used to recolor hair.
Color remover or a bleach bath/rinse with 10vol and clarifying shampoo. You mix one part bleach powder with two parts developer, then add your shampoo in the mix. Apply it on wet hair and check every 3-4 minutes, leave the solution max 30 mins.
Professional hair bleaching can cost between $150 to $400.
Natural bleaching agents like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, chamomile tea, or cinnamon and honey can lighten hair gently and naturally with minimal damage.
The easiest way to lighten hair is to use a clarifying shampoo or a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. These methods are gentle and can gradually lighten the hair over a few washes. For more immediate results, a professional toner or hair lightener can be used.
The formulas used to lighten or bleach strands can cause the most damage as the process is incredibly complex and changes your hair the most. That's not to say going dark doesn't have its cons.
Often when bleaching black or very dark hair, the hair will lift to a brassy tone, which is completely normal and is to be expected. To fix this, we use a toner to change the shade and counteract any orange. Toner doesn't make the hair any lighter, it just ensures that you can have a cooler, natural blonde shade.
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.
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.
- 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.
Add Apple Cider Vinegar
All around, it's a hair care winner. "Mix one part apple cider vinegar and six parts water to take off build-up (for example, chlorine)," Bodt explains. "This is a gentle way to lighten strands—but you may have to do it a few times to get results."
Use Hair Lightener or Toner
Hair lighteners or toners are great for lifting darker shades and achieving a lighter shade. Apply the toner or hair lightener to your hair according to the product's instructions. Rinse it out once you've reached your desired color.
How Many Sessions Does It Take To Lighten Hair? Depending on the level of your hair, it usually takes between two to five hair sessions to lighten very dark hair. If you're interested in lightening dark hair, we recommend speaking to a trained hair colorist who can provide you with further information.
Characteristics of oxidative permanent and high-lift colour products: Ability to lift up to 4 levels. Lift and deposit tone in one process. One formula will produce an even result throughout the hair.
Chocolate brown highlights
If you have dark brown or black hair and want to subtly transform your look, opt for rich chocolate brown highlights. This deep, inviting tone blends seamlessly with dark brown hair, adding richness and dimension without an overtly “light” effect.
In general, those looking to dye dark hair without bleach will fare best with colors as dark as or darker than your existing hue—think moody burgundies, deep browns, or inky blacks. If you want to go lighter, you'll typically need some form of bleach. Without bleach, you can only deposit color, not lift it.
Highlights, while a popular hair coloring technique, can indeed cause damage to your hair over time if not properly cared for. The damage can range from dryness and brittleness to breakage and split ends. It's important to note that the level of damage can vary based on individual factors and hair care practices.
You can make this treatment by mixing one part honey with four parts distilled water in a bottle. Allow the honey and water to sit at room temperature for an hour. You can also add one to two teaspoons of cardamom, which also has bleaching properties, to your natural lightener.
Going from black to brown hair typically requires bleaching your hair, finding the correct color for your needs, and applying your dye. Note that this isn't a one-day process: At a minimum, you'll want to wait a few days between lightening your hair and coloring it to avoid unnecessary damage.
Hydrogen peroxide
Often used in professional settings for dyeing your hair, this chemical can also strip away color when used correctly.
Colour doesn't lift colour…so, if you've previously coloured your hair to that dark brown, using a light brown won't do much, if anything at all. You may need to use a bleach or a very light blonde shade in order to lift it any and risk that orangey look.
Hair that's too dark doesn't reflect light. It can look opaque and age you, zapping life and color from your face. Very dark, one-dimensional hair will put a spotlight on your grays and regrowth. Ask your colorist for a single process with highlights to bring your natural hair color a shade or two lighter.
Golden Light Brown
Cataanda James, a color expert and multicultural hair specialist, recommends trying golden brown and blonde tones. “Brunettes on the darker side of the spectrum [can achieve] beautiful shades of caramel and warm, golden light browns—without the damage.”