How to Remove Permanent Hair Dye from Grey Hair

If you are looking for a step-by-step process of how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair. Then, this is the article for you. If you have a hair dye that has gone wrong, or you dyed your hair with a permanent hair dye. It ended up being dark, then you are in luck. Because there are ways that will get the hair dye out of your hair. This article will explain in detail what products and techniques are most effective.

How to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair

Grey hair is a natural part of the aging process. As melanin, also known as pigment around the base of each hair shaft begins to break down. There are often left behind traces of grey or white color. You could be unfortunate enough not to have any grey hairs. But instead to have patches where your original hair color does not exist anymore. To remove permanent hair dye from your hair can sometimes prove quite difficult. This article will give you some hints on how you can safely remove permanent makeup dye from your grey hair.

When it comes to choosing what type of product to use for removing the color. It all depends on the state of your own individual hair strands. If they are very healthy and strong, it is best to use a chemical hair coloring product. But this should only be done by a professional. If you have weakened hair, which has been caused because of over-processing with various chemicals and high heat appliances. It would be wise to look for a natural way to remove the color.

Types of permanent dye

There are two types of permanent makeup dye: developers and oxidants. Developers add volume and lift to your own natural strands while oxidants will actually destroy them. The latter having the ability to strip away any pre-existing color from your grey strands.

This is going to be a long guide on how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair. For this, you will need several things which we will discuss in detail. If you wish to go about removing the color in an easy manner, then simply follow these tricks:

How to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair Methods

1. Use a dry shampoo to absorb the excess dye

If you can get to a pharmacy that sells dry shampoo then buy some. Where the color is extra dark and rubs it into your hair. The dry shampoo will absorb the excess dye and you can then wash your hair as usual.

2. Use a clarifying shampoo

You can use a clarifying shampoo to remove the extra dye from your grey hair. The good thing about using a clarifying shampoo is that it will not alter your natural hair color. So, if you have dark brown colored hair, then this could be an option for you. Simply wash your hair as you normally. You should see the dye coming out of your hair.

3. Use a re-pigmenting shampoo

If you are wondering that how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair then this tip is for you. You can use a re-pigmenting shampoo so that it will gradually change back to your natural hair color. This is easier than using two different shampoos. All you need to do is wash your hair as you normally do. The re-pigmenting shampoo is much gentler on your hair. It’s actually formulated to your color of hair, instead of just being a strong clarifying shampoo.

4. Use milk and vinegar together

If you have blonde hair then the trick is to use milk and vinegar together. Mix the milk and vinegar together in a bowl and then use it as a hair mask. Leave the mixture on your hair for about an hour and wash it off with cold water.

5. Use Baking soda scrub

If you have dark-colored hair, then a baking soda scrub is useful to remove hair dye. Simply combine baking soda with shampoo or conditioner. Scrub it into your hair to see the dye coming out of your hair.

6. Use hydrogen peroxide

You can use hydrogen peroxide because it will slowly bleach the color out of your hair. So, you may want to dilute it in water before putting it on your hair. You can also use it as a hair mask and leave it on your hair for an hour.

7. Use dry cleaning fluid

If you want to know how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair then this method is very quick. So if you don’t mind the smell and simply want to get rid of that dye. Then this is what you should use. Simply put the dry cleaning -fluid on your hair and rub it in. Leaving it there for about 5 minutes before washing your hair with cold water and shampooing as usual.

8. Use hydrogen peroxide and baking soda together

If you want to get rid of that permanent hair dye then simply mix baking soda with hydrogen peroxide in your hand and scrub it into your hair. You can leave it on there for about 20 minutes before washing it off with cold water. You can shampoo again to get rid of any residue.

9. Use lemon juice

If you have blonde or even light brown colored hair then this method should work effectively. Because the acidity in the lemon juice will help to re-pigment your hair. You can use a few tablespoons of lemon juice and leave them on there for about 30 minutes. Before washing off with cold water and shampooing your hair as usual.

If you want to learn how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair then you have options. So, pick one of these methods and start looking forward to nice, grey hair!

10. Rinse with cold water and shampoo

Wash your hair with cold water to remove the excess dye and then shampoo as usual. You can use a clarifying or re-pigmenting shampoo to see if that helps return your hair color back to normal.

11. Use apple cider vinegar

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative (and natural/chemical-free) then we recommend rinsing away all of the excess dye with apple cider vinegar instead!

This method will help to exfoliate the excess dye from your roots and it will also help with any discoloration that may be there as well. Simply apply white vinegar onto your roots for about 10 minutes and then rinse it off before shampooing as normal.

This helps close up your cuticles but also helps balance out the ph. level of your scalp giving you an overall healthy head of hair. You can use apple cider vinegar up to 4 times a week if you like, yes it is that gentle! You can repeat this process a few times if necessary.

12. Use ammonia based hair dye remover

This process is chemical-based so it is an explanatory guide to avoid any accidents that might occur. In order to answer how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair, you must first purchase an ammonia-based type of hair dye remover. We recommend using a brand called bedhead Pravana, Color Run Remover because it is cheap and can be found online or in beauty supply stores for under $10. One bottle will last multiple uses so do not fret about spending too much money on something that may not work well with your hair.

Always start with a test strand

When using permanent hair dye on your grey hair, always start with a test strand by applying the color to a small section of your hair in an area that is not visible when styling it. For this, we recommend sectioning off a small part of your hair and then applying some of the dye removers onto that strand before doing anything else.

If you do not see any result after about 30 minutes (such as no reddish tint) then wait another 10-15 minutes and check again for results. If there is still no change then apply more dye remover and wait 15-20 minutes before checking again. Repeat these steps until you see some sort of tinted result, whether it be red or orange or whatever color.

During this waiting time, it is important that you do not touch the strand so as to provide your skin with minimal contact. The dye remover can be irritating to the skin so bear in mind this when applying. If you have sensitive skin or open cuts on your fingers, we suggest wearing rubber gloves during this process.

If there is no tint change after 30 minutes then most likely the hair dye has been permanently sealed onto your hair and will probably never come out unless another chemical reaction occurs. In other words, if you want to turn grey hair back to its original color then all hope might be lost as well as a large amount of money spent on doing so. But if there is a tint change then proceed to step 2.

Rinse the dye remover off

Now that you have seen a change in your hair, rinse the dye remover off and wash it with shampoo. If there is still some tint then leave it wet and apply more dye remover and wait another 15 minutes. Repeat this step until all of the permanent colors have been removed from your hair. At this point, you should see results that look similar to your natural grey hair color or even darker than before! For some people depending on how dark/light their grey was, they will find that after using this method their previous color may be showing through making them appear darker than they initially were before applying the permanent color. Do not fret about having obvious roots because we will be taking care of that problem later on in step 4 below!

Wash it one more time

After all of the permanent color is out of your hair, wash it one more time with shampoo and then leave it to dry naturally. You may also blow dry it if you want but we recommend leaving it alone for about 10-15 minutes (long enough for all excess dye remover to evaporate). If you do not feel like this extra wait is necessary then go ahead and wash it.

Apply conditioner

Now that you have removed all of the permanent hair dye from your grey hair, it’s time for conditioning! Rinse your hair in cold water (this will close up your hair cuticles making them look shiny/smooth) before applying conditioner to ensure there are no chemical residues left on your scalp or in your hair that might irritate your skin.

Depending on the condition of your grey hair, you may or may not need to apply a color-treated shampoo/conditioner as well, if you have already dyed your hair using semi-permanent dyes then it is possible that most of those chemicals will still be in your hair and therefore work to “lock” the new dye into place. We do not recommend this though because applying permanent dye after semi-permanent dye will only result in patchy results due to the different types of ingredients used for each type. So, just go ahead and use a color-treated shampoo/conditioner with the dye remover!

Sign that the dye you used to color your hair was not compatible with your grey hair

If you find that there is no change at all and your grey hair is looking exactly like it did before, then this is a sign that the dye you used to color your hair was not compatible with your grey hair which will never lead to positive results. In order words, the color you want may be incompatible with the color of your natural strands.

You can purchase a ton of products at any local drugstore/grocery store such as John Frieda, L’Oréal, and Garnier Nutrisse among many other brands. These are all great for beginners just starting out with dying their hair without using professional hair salons! The instructions on how much product do what exactly is always printed on the bottles so read those carefully and follow them closely. We know that this sounds like common sense but it’s always best to ensure you don’t damage your hair.

Now use a permanent dye that matches your grey hair

After your hair has dried (may take about 15 minutes depending on how much hair you have), go ahead and use a permanent dye that matches your grey hair in the same way as step 1. The last thing you want to do is make your grey hairs even darker than before, so be very careful when choosing the right shade. Using lighter colors will make grey strands appear silver while using darker shades will make them look like ash blonde or brown is not an attractive option for anyone who wants to retain their natural hair color.

How to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair: Use Vitamin C

In the case of people who have colored their hair a dark color and wish to remove it as quickly as possible, vitamin C is the safest alternative. It includes an acid that can oxidize hair dyes, causing the pigment molecules to become looser.

The permanent dye will not fade over time because it chemically bonds with your hair, therefore there is no way to reverse the process without using products that has chemicals that actively do the opposite of what the permanent color did. In this case, they will break down the chemical bond between your natural hair and hair color leaving you with grey hair again.

Vitamin C can aid in the removal of hair color.

To make a paste, dissolve the vitamin C tablets in boiling water until they dissolve completely. Afterward, you’ll apply it to your hair strands. Make certain that the distribution is even. Make use of a shower cap and leave it on your hair for approximately an hour. Wash your hair with lukewarm water to remove the product buildup. It is recommended that you use it for a few days to remove hair dyes, just like the previous approach.

Applying the combination to your colored hair no more than a few days after coloring it is the ideal way to ensure that the approach works. It provides you with respectable outcomes, but you must wait a little longer for them.

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Conclusion

The best answers to how to remove permanent hair dye from grey hair are through a baking soda scrub. Simply mix together baking soda and shampoo in the palm of your hand, then use this mixture to scrub into the roots of your greying hairs. This will slowly break down the color over time so you can wash it out with cold water afterward. If you want more immediate results, without any chemicals, try using dry cleaning fluid instead! All methods should work well but if you’re looking for an affordable alternative that’s chemical-free too, give apple cider vinegar a shot. You can also purchase an ammonia-based type of hair dye remover or vitamin c tablets too if your hair can stand chemicals.