What do hairdressers use to strip hair color?

Author: Prof. Haven Durgan III  |  Last update: Saturday, October 11, 2025

Your colourist may use bleach or sulfur-based stripping products to lighten your hair back to enable it to be re-dyed safely. You'll get all the help and advice you need when colouring disasters strike, alongside assessments of your hair for damage and the best treatment options.

What do salons use to strip hair color?

Stripping color from your hair almost always includes the use of bleach, which is inherently damaging to your hair's structural integrity. There's a big difference between you bleaching your fragile mane over your bathtub and a trained salon professional doing it—and the two are entirely different experiences.

How do hairdressers remove color from hair?

Process: The stylist applies the color remover according to the product instructions, which usually involves mixing the remover with a developer and applying it to the hair. After a specified time, the hair is rinsed thoroughly. Description: This method lightens the hair and can remove darker dye.

What is the best thing to strip hair color with?

Here are some common methods you might hear about and some that have worked well for me.
  1. Dish Soap. ...
  2. Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. ...
  3. Lemon Juice. ...
  4. Baking Soda. ...
  5. Vitamin C Method. ...
  6. Color Strippers. ...
  7. Bleach Baths.

How can I strip my hair color at home fast?

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.

Hair Color Removers to Go Gray? A cautionary tale

What is the least damaging way to remove hair color?

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.

Is color stripping bad for your hair?

Using hair color removers can cause immediate damage, especially if the product is not rinsed out thoroughly. This can weaken the hair shaft, leading to frizz and breakage. It's crucial to follow the instructions on the packaging to minimize these risks.

How much does it cost to strip hair color at a salon?

On average, a salon will charge $100 per hour for a color correction.

What will take out permanent hair color?

If your hair dye is especially dark or tough to get out, create a mixture of equal parts hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Massage the mixture into your scalp and let it sit for about half an hour. Then, rinse, shampoo, and condition.

Does Dawn dish soap remove hair dye?

You can try washing with Dawn dish soap. It may remove some of the new dye If done quick enough. If you can't afford to go to a salon or there are none open for you to go to, you can try using a toner that will help tone down the new hair dye color.

How to strip years of hair dye?

White Vinegar

According to Bergamy, this common ingredient can bring out natural shine and help strip unwanted hair color. "Vinegar is going to work the best on semi-permanent colors," she says. "It can fade permanent hair color too, but it will not totally remove it."

How to make hair dye fade faster?

Washing your hair frequently with hot water can also help speed up the fading process. Additionally, exposing your hair to sunlight can naturally lighten the dye.

How do professionals strip hair color?

Your colourist may use bleach or sulfur-based stripping products to lighten your hair back to enable it to be re-dyed safely. You'll get all the help and advice you need when colouring disasters strike, alongside assessments of your hair for damage and the best treatment options.

Does Olaplex strip hair dye?

Olaplex is suitable for all hair types, it is sulphate-free, paraben-free, gluten-free, vegan, nut free and completely colour safe to get your hair into the best condition its ever been!

What ingredient strips hair color?

You will find many well-known brand shampoos that contain sulfates. The purpose of adding sulfate as an ingredient in the shampoo is for deep cleansing your hair. Warning! Sulfate (SLS) is harmful to hair color as it quickly removes the absorbed hair colors with each usage.

Can hairdressers strip hair dye?

Go to the salon.

A professional colorist should know how to remove hair dye with minimal damage, and they can help correct any color mistakes (like orange hair) that may arise from the removal process. If you're worried about potential damage and hair breakage, ask your colorist to do a test strand.

What's the difference between stripping hair color and bleaching?

Unlike Colour Remover, which only targets artificial Colour, Bleach penetrates the Hair shaft and destroys all pigment—both natural and artificial. This removal of pigment leaves your Hair without its natural Colour, making Bleach ideal for lightening Hair.

How much does stripping your hair damage it?

Stripping hair color can be a harsh process and might lead to damage if not done correctly. It often results in dryness, so it's recommended to use an intensive treatment afterward. If considering this process, it's advisable to consult with a professional hairstylist to ensure it's done safely and effectively.

How to strip hair color at home?

  1. Use a clarifying shampoo, and leave it on to sit. Use coconut or argon oil as a pre-treatment. ...
  2. Use baking soda in your shampoo. ...
  3. Use Fairy Liquid or other dishwashing liquid to wash your hair. ...
  4. Use Malibu C Direct Dye Lifter. ...
  5. Use Olaplex. ...
  6. Try a bleach bath.

What colour does your hair go after stripping it?

The more often you color, the more likely it is that your natural color has been permanently and irreversibly removed/lightened. In these cases, you will see a lighter to yellow or copper result after applying the color remover, which is now your true natural shade.

Will Malibu CPR remove permanent color?

The first step in removing oxidative (permanent) colour, non-oxidative (semi-permanent colour), direct dyes and stains as well as for colour correction. Can be used on any part of the hair that requires colour removal, be it the entire head or certain sections.

What is the hardest hair color to remove?

Just as with blonde hair, red hair requires a little extra tender love and care. Hack admits that red hair is his favorite to color, but that she's noticed many women don't realize the extent of after-care that's needed. “Red is the hardest color to keep lustrous and the hardest color to remove,” she adds.

What shampoo strips hair color?

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.

What hair color damages the most?

Comparing Permanent, Semi-Permanent, and Demi-Permanent Hair Dyes. Permanent hair color has the greatest potential for hair damage due to the chemistry involved and should be done most cautiously. Ammonia and hydrogen peroxide combine to open up the hair's cuticle to reach the internal structure and make a color change ...

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