To dye your hair black is one way of creating a very dramatic look and for quite a few different skin tones, black hair is flattering. However, if you don’t have natural dark hair, it is considered to be a big mistake using permanent hair dye to dye your hair black. Removing black hair dye is considered to be the most difficult dye color to remove. The reason being is that the pigment

used in the dye is so saturated that it clings to your hair strands and penetrates deep into the hair shaft itself. Should you ever decide to change your hair color after dying it black, it will not be as easy as simply applying a new hair color treatment to your hair.

It is recommended to let black hair dye, especially if it is of the permanent variety, to grow out naturally because it is very hard to get out black dye completely. If you do feel you have to remove the black hair dye you will need to start by bleaching out the black hair pigments. This is a long, drawn out process and can have the effect of severely weakening your hair. The problem with using chemicals to remove hair dye is that they will stress the hairs, possibly leading to stretching, thinning or even breakage. Care has to be taken that the bleaching is done in a fashion that the black hair dye color is removed uniformly.

In a severe case of over-dyeing, it will probably be best to go to a hair salon and have the dye professionally bleached. The hair will still be damaged, but at least they can add other products that could ease some of the stress.

As each layer of color is bleached away you may notice your hair changing to various shades of red, orange and then finally, white. Once a light shade has been reached, you can add a hair color that is closer to your own natural color.

Products for Removing Black Hair Dye

Two products that are on the market at the moment that can be used for removing black hair dye are Color Fix by Jheri Redding and L’Oreal Color Zap.

Color Fix has been formulated to remove unwanted permanent hair color and you can also use it to color correct specific areas only. It has been reported that the smell is dreadful, but if you leave it on for about 20 minutes and then rinse it out thoroughly, you should observe much of the black hair dye fade. You shouldn’t be worried if some patches of hair look lighter than you wanted because there is going to be some oxidation over the next couple of days but after that the color will settle. The black will not be entirely removed, but the effect could end up being like hair lowlights. Some stylists have warned though that you might not be able to use a brown dye on the treated hair because it will go back to black. Various people have reported that it may be best to coat the ends of your hair initially and then steadily work your way up, all the time avoiding the roots. If you do use Color Fix on the roots, they could end up a strange color of red that you will then have to dye again.

The other product that can be used for removing black hair dye is L’Oreal Color Zap. This has the effect of washing out permanent and non-permanent hair dyes, but will frequently leave your hair brassy. Its main purpose is to correct problem dye jobs and prepare the hair to be re-dyed. While this product is less damaging than bleach, you may still need to do a deep conditioning treatment and wait at least a day before applying more dye. This will give your stressed hair a chance to recover.

Home Treatments for Removing Black Dye

Success or failure at removing the hair dye really depends on how quickly you can get to work on it. If the hair has just been dyed and you decide that you don’t like it for whatever reason, you have an improved chance of getting at least some of the dye out than if you let it set for a few days. The main thing to remember with black hair dye is that it saturates more deeply than any other hair color, so it’s going to be much harder to remove totally.

Something you could try immediately, if available, is a strong anti-dandruff shampoo. The chemicals that are used to fight dandruff also strip color. You must shampoo your hair several times and then use the strongest conditioner you have at hand. Hair conditioner that is considered not color-safe also acts as a color stripper.

What about Bleach?

Even though there are some home bleaching products you could use, it would still be best to go to a stylist or hairdresser. It’s extremely difficult to judge just how damaged your hair really is and you wouldn’t want to risk it breaking. Bleach is exceptionally harsh and very hard to manage at the best of times. A hairdresser can assess your hair and could probably do a light treatment to start with and then slowly work the color out.

At the end of the day, if the worst came to the worst and you find you do have trouble removing the black hair dye, just cut your hair nice and short for a remarkable change that will get everyone gasping in surprise. It will grow back faster than you think!

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