Hair Color Question

Updated on March 20, 2012
K.J. asks from Picayune, MS
9 answers

When you dyed your hair months ago and it time to re-dyed your hair are you supposed to dye it over the old hair color??? Or get hair dye removal and then dye it a new color.

For some parent reason I always had a reddish tint in my hair. Nothing to noticable but can see it in the sun. My hair is pretty much a medium brown with the reddish tint in my roots more. Well I dyed it a soft dark brown and of course after my hair was dry I can see in my bathroom mirror the reddish tint sticking out plan as day and the middle to the bottom hair is dark?? So now I gotta get hair color removal. Does anyone know if I using the wrong hair color or am I supposed to be using a color more that fit the reddish?

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Are you doing it all at once?
You need to do just the roots first, let that process part of the way first, then add color to the rest of the hair. Otherwise, you end up with what is known as hot roots - the roots are a much brighter color than the rest of the hair.

1 mom found this helpful

More Answers

M.L.

answers from Houston on

I am a hairstylist with over 10 years experience. Hair color removers are typically extremely easy, effective and very safe to use on your hair. I don't know what the other ladies are talking about, they must be thinking of bleaching removers. Even Sally's has one that works great. Removers are best used for fresh, deposit only color jobs that went horribly wrong. Since you just re-colored your hair, the color removal could be a safe bet, so long as it is one that isn't a bleaching method. If you are going to fix it at home, go to Sally's and get the removal.

All medium brown hair has red in it. The color has both blue, red and yellow pigments. So the reddish tint is part of your natural color. If the reddish is only after you color your hair, it is likely because you are choosing a color with too much red or gold in it. So choosing a color with a hint of ash is okay, I would more so recommend using a color with a N/neutral base since too much ash can make your hair turn greenish or even 'muddy' looking, especially since your ends are pulling dark. If you go to Sally's you can choose a color that has natural and ash, such that will look like a 6/NA or 6/01 or something along those lines. The 6 is the level brown I am assuming you are getting based o your description. But ask the ladies at Sally's for a color formula since they can see your hair. Use 10 or 20 volume developer depending on the color you go with, again, ask for help there.

Per the colors' timing instructions, paint the color on your scalp/roots and leave on for the duration of time, minus approx 15 minutes. Then, very slightly spritz your hair with water and comb it through. Take your excess color, and color the rest of your hair, to about the last inch or so of your ends. Leave on until the last 5 minutes, then comb that color through to your ends. It will help not get that muddy/too dark end color. The reason the ends are going too dark, is because the hair is older, has more damage and is more porous.

Or, you can go to a salon (a better choice really) and have it professionally color corrected, they can then give you tips on how to do maintenance touch-ups.

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

You want to use a color that has the letter n in the name for neutral. Anything with an r has red in it. Never pull it through your ends everytime just roots and mid shaft. Only pull through your ends for the last 5 minutes. Hope that helps. You can message me if you need more help. Don't use a color remover without having a salon do it you will be sorry and probably fry your hair.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

You want to get RID of the red?
Maybe you could try embracing the red?
A bit of red can be awfully nice to have.
It gives a plain brown a wonderful chestnut or mahogany tone.
I was red/brown as a teen that got to be more plain brown in my 30's, the brown grey in my 40's.
I used commercial dyes for several years but they were frying my hair.
I've been using henna for several years now and I love being a glorious red head.
Since using the henna my hair is long, strong, shiny, soft, I don't have a single split end anywhere.
Oh well, to each his own but the red you'd like to be rid of is something a lot of women wish they had.

1 mom found this helpful

M.B.

answers from San Francisco on

You should do your color all over. Your natural color and highlights will show through a bit so where it was originally dark it will still be dark and where the red tint showed at the roots, it will still show with the only difference being an all over uniformity of the same color.

The only way to remove color from your hair is to bleach it out and that should only be done by a professional. Go to a salon-if you try to remove color at home or keep applying color over color to achieve the result you're looking for you will do major damage to your hair.

A.L.

answers from Dothan on

You have gotten yourself in a heapa mess! The hair that is darker has, 'grabbed' the color that you put on because it was more 'porous' meaning it was drier & pretreated from previous colorings.

I honestly don't think you are going to be able to correct the ____@____.com can try to fix the problems yourself but you run the risk of your hair becoming more damaged in the process.

Go to the nearest Beauty Supply Store (Sally's are just about everywhere in good size towns) get a color 'stripper', then you will need a color 'filler' the brown will be your best bet, NOW after using the stripper & the filler, choose the color of warm brown you like, apply the color to your most recent new growth, leave it on the new growth only for 15-20 mins., then carefully pull it through the remaining hair & leave on for another 10-15mins.. Don't purchase one of the 15min. or foam colors. You are going to need a good cut after all of this because the bottom of your hair is going to be damaged as well as dried out.

I wish for you that you go to a GOOD salon, ask for the colorist, if they tell you all of their stylists do color DON'T make an appointment, ask your friends who have hair that you think is a beautiful color that normally go to the salon & ask who does their hair. It may hurt your pocketbook to do this but you may damage your hair to the point you will have to get it to a real shorty style if you try to do the color remedy @ home.

I hope it all works out for you!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.C.

answers from Kansas City on

If you want to off set the red, you need to use a color with an ASH base. Using hair color remover and than coloring your hair again will really damage your hair. I recommend you go to a professional to do your color. They are trained to get the results you are looking for:-) Do it yourself colors are very unpredictable and if you really mess it up....hairdressers have the right to charge you more for corrective color.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.E.

answers from New York on

i had the same problem you did.. i dyed my hair a dark blonde it took me 3x of dyeing my hair for the reddish tint to go away.. everytime my roots would grow out i would just dye the whole head blonde again ..it wasnt til after the 3rd time that the red tint went away ... now im letting it all grow out.. its been dyed so many times my hair is fried so be careful

R.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

I quit dyeing my hair years ago and will be the obviously gray long-haired hippie at my high school reunion this June, lol!

But I dyed my hair a lot over the years and know that your natural highlights will show through, my natural color was the same as yours, medium brown with a reddish tint, more noticeable at the roots, especially in the front. Experts recommend getting a neutral shade with no red in it to cover the red, (you'll need to check the package for the color description) but more often than not it still showed through, very frustrating. What eventually worked the best was Dark Ash Blonde, a few shades lighter (another thing experts recommend to avoid a harsh look) but it gave me a softer look with no red.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions