Why does my hair look ginger after dying it?

Author: Elinore Hamill  |  Last update: Saturday, May 31, 2025

“There are two primary causes of your hair color turning out too red or orange,” says Papanikolas. “Either the color you chose was too light, or you picked a color with warm undertones.

Why has my hair gone ginger after dying it?

Darker hair is made up of several underlying pigments which give your brown, dark brown or black hair depth and dimension, and red and orange are the most dominant undertones. So if your at-home bleaching didn't remove enough of these red and orange pigments, the end result is orange hair.

Why does my dyed brown hair look ginger?

Oxidation: Over time, hair can oxidize, especially if it has been previously colored or treated. This process can lead to a change in tone, often making brown hair appear more orange or red. Water Quality: Hard water, which contains high levels of minerals, can effect hair color.

Why does my hair look orange after dying it brown?

Oxidation: Over time, hair can oxidize, especially if it has been previously colored or treated. This process can lead to a change in tone, often making brown hair appear more orange or red. Water Quality: Hard water, which contains high levels of minerals, can effect hair color.

What cancels out ginger hair dye?

Green is definitely the best color to cancel out red hair.

Because it's the opposite of red, green neutralizes it. Green is also a cooling shade, so applying it on top of red tones will either tone down or completely get rid of their warmth.

how to get rid of orange yellow hair - get rid of yellow hair in 5 minutes!

How do you tone down ginger hair dye?

Reach for green shampoo

Much in the way that purple shampoo can help neutralize brassy tones in blonde and silver hair, green shampoo can help tame unwanted warmth in red hair.

How to stop brown hair looking ginger?

Try a blue or purple toning shampoo

Blue or purple shampoo can help your client get rid of the brassiness in their hair.

What toner gets rid of orange hair?

For lightened brunettes and dark blondes, a blue toner for orange hair—namely, blue shampoo—will be your best friend. As you can probably imagine, blue shampoo contains cobalt-colored pigments that help offset orange and other copper-leaning tones.

Why does my hair turn reddish when I dye it brown?

Any time you go lighter than your natural color, you will bring up your natural underlying pigments.” Brown and black hair have darker orange and red underlying pigments than naturally blonde hair, which is why these hair colors tend to turn more brassy once lightened.

Should I dye my hair again if it turned orange?

If you were unfortunate enough to end up with hair that is not only brassy but also has patches of orange or yellow, it's probably best to cut your losses and dye your mane dark again. Select a brunette hair dye that's either close to your natural color or dark enough to cover the orange, and breathe easy once again.

Why is my hair turning ginger?

Sun exposure, hard water build-up, diet, and even certain deficiencies such as Vitamin B12 could be responsible for this color shift. Age, genetics, medications, stress, and diet can also induce changes in hair color, potentially leading to a red hue (source, source).

What color brown will cover orange hair?

If you want to go to a darker brown, your stylist can find a color that will have cool, blue tones (you won't see any blue in your hair, however), that will give you the deep brown look you're going for, and cover up the orange.

Will blue toner fix orange hair?

Blue is the exact opposite of bright yellow and yellow-orange. As a result, blue will actually cancel out bright yellow and yellow-orange. Using blue is therefore a great way of dealing with hair which is too yellow or too orange or too brassy.

Why did my brown hair dye turn ginger?

When brown hair is lightened - for example, if you have balayage or ombré hair - the melanin which gives your hair its natural brunette hue is stripped, which leads to these unwanted warm tones becoming more visible.

What does toner do on brown hair?

Toning products work by depositing hair colour pigment onto each individual hair strand. Anyone can use hair toners regardless of whether your hair is dyed or not, but they're especially great at topping up faded colour, getting rid of those unwanted warm orange or brass tones, and adding intense shine.

Why did my blonde hair dye turn my hair brown?

The primary reason why hair goes so dark when you dye it is often related to the dye application itself. That is, many people make the mistake of coloring their entire head of hair each time they color. Not only do you not need to do this, you don't want to do this, either.

Why does my brown hair look orange?

Brassy brown hair happens in color-treated brown hair and refers to the orange and red undertones that appear in the base color over time. When hair is lightened, the pigments are stripped, which leads to these unwanted warm tones that come to the surface.

Why does dyed hair look red?

“There are two primary causes to your hair color turning out too red or orange,” says Papanikolas. “Either the color you choose is too light, or you picked a color with warm undertones.

What happens if you don't leave hair dye on long enough?

ending up with a color that's too dark/too light

They think that if they leave the color in shorter, it'll be lighter. And conversely, if they leave the color in longer, it'll be darker. But just like filling up a cup of coffee, the fuller the cup, the longer the color will stay in your hair.

Is T14 or T18 toner better for orange hair?

If you have any orange left in your hair, T14 is probably the best for your hair over T18. T18 is only effective if your hair is a level 10 or higher (purely yellow). Putting the wrong toner in your hair won't necessarily harm it, but it likely won't affect the color at all.

What is level 7 hair?

The level system is made up of 10 numbers which help determine the depth level of your natural hair. 1 is black, 5 is light brown, 6 is dark blonde, 7 is blonde and 10 is the lightest blonde.

Will purple shampoo cancel out orange?

The reverse is true for yellow undertones. Purple shampoo is great for removing yellowness, but not effective for orange or red tones. While you should stick with purple or blue shampoo most of the time, you do have the option to use both if you have multiple undertones.

What cancels out ginger hair?

The opposite of red on the color wheel is green, which means that green can cancel out red tones in the hair.

What is the best toner for brassy brown hair?

Best Hair Toners For Brunettes
  • Color Wow Color Control Blue Toning + Styling Foam for Dark Hair. $18 at Walmart$19 at fragrancenet.com. ...
  • Matrix Total Results Brass Off Shampoo. ...
  • Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Hair Gloss. ...
  • John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Visibly Deeper Color Deepening Treatment.

How do you get rid of ginger tones in your hair?

To neutralize the ginger tone in your hair you can use a blue toner or blue shampoo to help tone down the brassiness and get rid of the orange hue. Also applying a semi permanent shade that you like, like a cooler tone darker blonde will counteract the ginger tone.

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