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Just as the best-laid plans of mice and men sometimes go astray, so do your best intentions for fabulous hair color sometimes go, well, a little awry. When this happens, you may fear that you'll be wearing a head scarf for the next six to 12 months while the disaster grows out, but there are some faster remedies to the solution. You just need to know what to use to strip your hair at home when your coloring session comes out a little crazy to keep your tresses intact and your color under control.
Timing is Everything
If you hate your new hair color, you need to act right away. Most hair dyes take 48 to 72 hours to fully set into the hair cuticle. This means you have a small window of opportunity in which to reverse the damage. Take the time to test any stripping methods on a sample lock of hair before using the treatment on your entire head, but do not waste too much time trying to decide what to do or that critical window will close and your situation will be permanent and possibly require professional restoration.
You're In Hot Water
Sounds too simple to be true, but if you just dyed your hair and you hate it, hit it with some seriously hot water. Take a long, steamy shower and really heat up your hair to fade out colors that may be too dark for your taste. You'll feel calmer after the sauna treatment and your mane will likely be more to your liking as well.
Hot Oil Treatment
If the hot water didn't do enough for you, then let the spa treatments continue. Heat olive oil in a glass bowl in the microwave until it is warm but not hot enough to burn you. Work the oil through your hair from roots to tips, then wrap your head in a hot towel and leave the treatment on for one hour. Rinse your hair with hot water to further open up the cuticle and strip off the color. You can repeat this treatment if the results are not as extreme as you hoped without damage to your hair.
Getting Rid of Green
If your efforts to go blonde ended up more on the green side, then a tomato juice rinse can help alleviate this problem. This is also an effective treatment if you are having a bad hair reaction to a highly chlorinated pool. Rinse your hair with straight tomato juice, working the juice from the roots to the tips. Allow the tomato juice to sit on your hair for 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water. This should strip off the green without destroying your blonde.
Baking Soda Solution
Many women use baking soda on their hair to avoid harsh chemicals and detergents in shampoo. However, you can also use this gentle cleanser to strip out unwanted color. Combine 1 tablespoon baking soda with 8 ounces of water. Apply this solution to your hair, working it through your tresses from roots to tips. Once your hair is thoroughly saturated, work another tablespoon of dry baking soda into your hair as well before letting it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse your hair with warm to hot water. The baking soda will not damage your hair but it will strip off the chemical colors and can be used repeatedly without hurting your head.
