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Just got my hair colored yesterday at a salon (permanent color to cover grey) after doing the color myself at home most of the time. I have shorter hair, my natural color is dark brown, been getting grey hair for at least 15 yrs. Since I hadn't colored my hair for almost 3 months (let it go for the summer), there was lots of grey (and white) hair coming in. Picked out a medium-dark brown hair color, asked hairdresser to leave it in a little longer than usual because of my "stubborn greys" but my hair turned out jet black! Awful!!
Just acted like it was OK but I hate it! Hey, I know the color will fade eventually, especially since I'm out in the sun so much playing tennis at least 4 days a week. But later today I'm meeting some new people for doubles tennis, was invited to this tennis club for the first time. Talk about terrible timing! And probably a horrible first impression!! Why did I go to the salon & do this yesterday? Should have done the hair color myself at home!!
Don't have time today to go back to this salon. Questions: can I lighten this hair color myself today by extra shampooing? Use harsher clarifying shampoo instead of my usual gentler shampoo? Use dish detergent? And the hairstylist put lots of conditioner & hair products on my hair after the color was done-- will this prevent the harsh shampoo from doing it's job?
Would appreciate suggestions. Any hairstylists here to give me some professional advice?
Location: Prescott Valley, Az (unfortunately still here)
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Okay, just relax. This you'll need to know is that dark brown is kind of tricky when it is in your hair. Yes, it does look black for a while, but after about 4 weeks and some hair washing, it will be brown again.
Trust me on this. Relax. Dark brown always looks black at first, when first applied in the first 3-4 weeks. It will look brown after that.
I've dyed my hair dark brown so many times (for the last 6 years now) and it always looks black at first. But after a few washings and conditioning (in the next 3 weeks or so) it looks brown and it's very pretty. Even out in the sun a little more will turn it brown gradually also.
So, just relax and don't worry. It will be brown soon.
LinaJo is right that if you give it some time it will fade on its own, but if you need it lighter right now, there are several approaches to speed up the fading. Using a harsher clarifying shampoo helps - that old standby Prell is frequently recommended for this purpose. Using a protein treatment will help even more - Nexxus Emergencee is a great one, and your hair will feel fantastic afterwards, just follow the directions (shampoo first, then Emergencee for 2-3 minutes, then shampoo again and finally, condition). Another option is One 'n Only Colorfix. On the inside of the package there are directions for a partial correction, this is accomplished by mixing the Colorfix with shampoo, that allows you to slowly remove some of the pigment with great control. Make sure you do not follow the directions for a full correction or it will remove all the dye instead of just some of it. You may want to start on the ends for a more natural effect (i.e. make the ends a bit lighter than the roots). Err on the side of caution with it, remember that wet hair is darker. You can always apply more if it didn't remove as much color as you would like. Good luck!
You can use Prell. That will lighten it because it is a harsh shampoo...OR,,,you can go to Sally's and buy a 20 vol peroxide and an application bottle. Fill that bottle with half shampoo (Prell) and half peroxide...less peroxide if your nervous. Wash your hair with it and let it sit for a bit. Maybe wash your hair with it in the shower, let it sit while you wash the rest of your body and then rinse and condition. BE SURE NOT TO GET IT IN YOUR EYES. That is called a peroxide shampoo and will lift a little color out of your hair.
I had this happened one time - thought I was going to get a rich dark brown and ended up with harsh jet black (I left the color on too long and it really "grabbed" it). I didn't want to go to work with it like that. After a few shampoos failed to lighten it up, I went to the hair salon and had them put in just a few warm brownish/burgandy highlights. It looked 100% better instantly, and I was able to live with it until it gradually all faded to a much better, lighter shade.
I purposely have my hair dyed black (black hair suits me). I cannot use Pantene or Suave because those products strip my color something fierce! You might want to give those a try as well.
Location: Prescott Valley, Az (unfortunately still here)
2,543 posts, read 4,859,456 times
Reputation: 1521
The really cheap type shampoos will strip the color and make it lighter for sure (like Prell, Suave, Pert, and other "old" style, cheap shampoos you can find at flea-markets and $1 dollar stores).
Try that, if you want to get rid of the black quickly. Just make sure to put some really great conditioner in your hair after, because those cheap shampoos are very harsh to the hair.
Another option is One 'n Only Colorfix. On the inside of the package there are directions for a partial correction, this is accomplished by mixing the Colorfix with shampoo, that allows you to slowly remove some of the pigment with great control. Make sure you do not follow the directions for a full correction or it will remove all the dye instead of just some of it. You may want to start on the ends for a more natural effect (i.e. make the ends a bit lighter than the roots). Err on the side of caution with it, remember that wet hair is darker. You can always apply more if it didn't remove as much color as you would like. Good luck!
Totally agree, Colorfix is a lifesaver. And while your hair might feel dry until a couple conditionings, Colorfix doesn't damage it.
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Awful!! 
