How To Remove Hair Color From Red Hair: Simple, Effective Solutions

The easiest way to remove hair color from red hair is to find a shampoo or a conditioner that will dissolve the unwanted dye. Shampoos and conditioners specially made for this type of hair tend to be used during the removal process. All shampoo and conditioners with “color” and “dye” in their names are acceptable. It is best to use a shampoo and conditioner specifically formulated for colored hair, as they are prepared to be less harsh on dyed hair.

The easiest way to remove hair color from red hair

Take a shower with the shampoo, wait a few minutes for the shampoo to thoroughly lather up your hair, then wash it out with shampoo only. This is all that you need to do to remove the dye from your hair. Let your hair air dry completely after rinsing it with cool water. If you have very greasy hair that is difficult to clean, you can try to clarify shampoo.

These are shampoos that are planned to be used on very greasy hair and thoroughly wash away any excess oil on your hair. Laser Hair Removal is the fastest and easiest way to remove unwanted hair from your body. The lasers used in the process target the hair follicle on your body so it is not damaged.

Choose a gentle shampoo and conditioner

Choose a gentle shampoo and conditioner

If you’ve colored your hair, you want a gentle shampoo or conditioner that won’t dry out your hair. The shampoos and conditioners containing dyes will strip the hair of natural oils, so they must be gentle on the hair. Some hair care brands and lines make their shampoo and conditioner color-safe.

Color-safe shampoos contain no dyes and are color-safe. This means they can be used on hair that has been colored and that is not bright, hot red (as in bright red, orange, or yellow). You could dye your hair red and use any color-safe shampoo or conditioner without having to worry about fading it.

Steps to remove hair color from red hair

Steps to remove hair color from red hair

If you aren’t ready to commit to buying a new shampoo or conditioner, try to use a product that has red dye as its main ingredient. This will dissolve the color more quickly than products that use other ingredients.

For instance, dyes that are designed for blonde hair, red, brown, or black hair. It is much less potent on the scalp. For other products, your hair will be less shiny, so it’s up to you whether you can live with the fact that you will need to touch up every time you wash your hair. Followings the steps on how to remove hair color:

Step 1 Rinse hair with the shampoo and conditioner

  • Rinse until hair is completely dry 
  • Condition once again 
  • Repeat the process until all hair color is removed
  • Give hair one final rinse to remove excess water 

Pre-rinse

Rinse hair with the shampoo and conditioner

 

Rinse thoroughly and remove excess shampoo from your hair.


Step One: Conditioner condition your hair prior to shampooing to keep color from soaking in. Condition your hair thoroughly. This step is very important to ensure that the color doesn’t hide or smudge throughout the process.


Step Two: Shampoo After thoroughly conditioning, rinse your hair with a mild shampoo.


Step Three: Rinse your hair thoroughly with water and take a generous amount of conditioner to wet your hair before rinsing the color out. Samples of products designed to remove hair dye are available in drugstores or online.

Step 2 Rinse

Rinse

Rinsing the colored hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner will be most effective for getting rid of red dye from red hair. It is essential to ensure that all the colored hair is rinsed before using another product to remove the red color from red hair.


It is important to get all the last traces of red hair dye out of the hair, so if there are still traces in the hair, use a shampoo and conditioner that will strengthen the hair to make it lighter. Rinse hair thoroughly with shampoo and conditioner. Then, apply a second moisturizing product as needed, such as an antioxidant-rich lotion, a conditioner with argan oil, a product containing avocado oil, etc.

Step 3 Repeat if necessary

Many redheads may experience red hair changes. The permanent color fades from the head, but the strand in your hair is still visible, often looking gray or blonde in your hair color. The subtle change may be enough for your hairdresser to alert you to the need for a dye replacement. In this case, repeat the process that you’ve already read about above.

Step 4 Use heat-free products

Use heat-free products

Some products melt red dye out of the hair without harming it. These products must be used after the dye has been removed since heat damage may permanently color the hair. These products are not suitable for color-treated hair (although they may get rid of a dark, reddish stain).

Step 5 Towel wrap

Put the towel on the hairline. Place the red hair in the towel, lying flat against the head and the towel's surface, without pulling on the hair. Leave the towel on the head for 20 minutes to 30 minutes, depending on how many colors you have.

Towel wrap


Remove the towel. The hair should be dried and be much lighter in color than before. Tips for Red Hair: A few reds may last longer, so if you have a lot of red in the hair, leave the dye on for as long as it will take for it to dissolve completely. Sometimes the lighter color can fade with time, so it is best to work with an experienced hair colorist who can advise you of the best way to remove the dye. Try to hold on to the color that is still in the hair.

Step 6 Rubber spatula

For removing hair dye from the root, apply a quick layer using the rubber spatula to the entire area, starting at the scalp and working toward the ends. Work the spatula along the hairline to gently remove the color from the root and then pull up just enough to take it out of the hairline, along with the dye. You don’t have to go straight through the sources (this will damage the hair), but you can if you like. Once you’ve removed the color, take the spatula and run it through your fingers through the roots, working the color back into the hair. Some hair colors take longer to come out than others, so if the color is stubbornly still on the hair, you may need to repeat the entire process.

Step 7 Washing the hair with warm water

Washing the hair with warm water

When you have naturally darker hair than medium blonde, it may be too strong to wash away using normal shampoo and conditioner gently. For this reason, some color-treated hair types may find a browning-based shampoo or conditioner helpful for the process. Mix one tablespoon browning-based shampoo or conditioner with one cup of warm water. Warm water is gentler on the hair, so it is best for people who have a darker hair base. If the shampoo or conditioner does not contain browning ingredients, you can use a less harsh shampoo or a mild conditioner instead.

Step 8 Saturating the hair with cold water 

Saturating the hair with cold water is slightly more aggressive than soaking the hair with warm water but still gentle.

What to avoid?

If you plan to color your hair, then try to steer clear of any bleach. Bleaching can change the color and texture of red hair to where it does not resemble its natural color. Red hair dye products can also have a wide range of dye sources and intensity. It is best to select a product that uses a solution containing one to three peroxide molecules per gallon.

You can find this in a grocery store near the laundry detergent or home cleaning products. A product that has a high concentration of peroxide may be suitable for color lightening, but it is a more severe process. This type of dyeing is typically used on dark hair but is not appropriate for lighter colors.

Is there a permanent solution?

Is there a permanent solution?

Some permanent solutions exist, but they are usually not very effective, and they are expensive. Only the least costly solutions can be used for red hair removal, though they typically work. Permanent solutions usually include Chemical hair dye. Some chemical hair dyes will remove red hair without leaving much of a permanent mark. These dyes contain a process known as a peroxide or a peroxide derivative, meaning that they can also reduce the brightness of colored hair. This can usually be accomplished through regular dyes that contain peroxide (for example, they are used in hair dyes for blond hair). A toner can be purchased to remove the dye from your shirt.

Red Hair dye removal products

Red Hair dye removal products

Barry M Salon 3 in 1 Color Contour Shampoo - This shampoo contains essential oils such as rosemary and citronella that will help neutralize any harsh chemicals that may have been placed in hair care products. Vitamin E and geranium extracts help nourish the hair as well as soothe the dye irritation. Barry M Color Brite – it's a product specifically designed to neutralize the chemicals in red dye, sulfuric acid, ammonium perchlorate, and dicyclopentadiene in your hair. The ingredients weaken the hair cuticle, producing frizzy highlights and hair that has a yellow undertone.

Henna Hair Remover - Henna hair dye is a widely used hair dye in India to get rid of permanent henna tattoos. Although it has been reported that red hair dye becomes mixed with henna, there is no harm done to your hair if you use Henna Hair Remover instead of the dye.

The Henna Hair Remover contains an alcohol base that burns the color from your hair while the henna pigment vanishes. After two washes, your hair will be as red as before you had henna applied. You can use this product if you don’t want to make your hair permanently darker.

Remove Red Hair Dye At Home with Minimal Damage

Conclusion

One good way to easily remove old red dye from red hair is to let the hair “sit” for a while in an atmosphere devoid of red or amber dyes. The hair will absorb the dye in the air, and after a few days or weeks, the hair should be soft and undamaged.

However, you should be aware that the red hair dye can progressively fade in the presence of high-quality shampoo and conditioner. This is because the shampoos and conditioners remove normal hair color but may not remove it completely from the hair color. Image via pxhere.