Unwanted Hair Dye

The Problem
I myself have had a problem similar to this one. I dye my hair a real pretty red usually and let it fade a little before retouching it normally. I did a really dumb thing over the summer and had parts of my hair highlighted a real pretty blondish red that matched my hair color exceptionally. What I did not know was how bad I was drying my hair out until I went to darken my entire color again. I purchased a color similar to the color it originally was before it was highlighted and prepared to color it at home. Once it was finished and dry I was amazed at how well the color looked on my hair and was really happy with what I had chosen. The next day I washed my hair as I always did after work and noticed a huge problem. My haircolor was running out of my hair into the tub, I mean alot of it. I could not seem to get the water to run clear. When I approached the mirror after my shower everything seemed fine until it dried. My roots and a little past them was still red but the rest of my hair had faded. I decided to leave it be and maybe attempt another coloring later in the week. The more my hair was washed the worse it became. My roots were blood red and the rest of my hair was an awful orange. I was frantic. I went out and bought Color Oops from the CVS only to be turned away from it after reading several online reviews. It wasn't that the product wouldn't work, it was that my hair was already damaged and there was a strong recommendation to not use the product if that was the case. I turned even more to the internet and friends for advice on what to do. One told me to buy a lighter shade and try to dye the roots. Thats a huge no no by the way, my roots were blonde, the longer roots were red and the rest was a funky reddish brown color. I turned to mayonaise to try and calm down the frizzy and dry state my hair was in which helped dramatically.

The Cause
The cause for your hair not processing color can be many different things. I myself purchased a brand of dye I was not familiar with,that and the fact I learned that my hair was so porous that it refused to hold color. A good way to check your hair to see if it is porous is by filling a sink of water and placing some of the strands of your hair in it. If the hair floats its low porosity, if it sinks your hair could be porous. Porosity is related to the condition of your cuticle layer. Porous hair has a raised cuticle layer that easily absorbs water and is quick to lose moisture. Apple cider vinegar mixes once a week will help lower your hairs Ph level. Protein treatments and acidic shampoos may also help to repair damage with your hair. I have read that expired coloring kits can affect the outcome of the product which I tend to double check this before purchasing. There have been studies on the affects of your hormones and hair color which I do not think holds much weight for already grown hair. Already damaged hair is the biggest factor in a color not taking. Too many existing colors on the bottom layer of your hair can cause a huge malfunction in the desired color as well as blow drying, curling and over processing. Bleaching is one of the worst decision to make concerning your hair. It is after all irreversiable and you cannot strip it back to your normal hair color. In a situation like that it seems best to just let the color naturally grow out and trim the ends as you go. Black and red dyes are very much the hardest to remove. If you are having no luck on your own in fixing the hair color a suggestion of scheduling an appointment with a color specialist, not a hair dresser would be your best bet. It is more expensive but in the long run may save damaged hair and help repair it back to good health.

Tips
I started reading about products like Prell Shampoo and Dawn dish detergent to help dull and remove unwanted hair color. These products however do not come without a warning. The Prell did in fact help strip some color and I was thankful for that. I decided to read more on the Dawn which seemed unusual to me to use to try and remove unwanted color. Dawn is naturally used to remove grease and residue which surely it did from my scalp but I could not see a good reason it would remove color. I also read about washing your hair with hot water which opens the hairs cuticle and helps to release the color. It helps. I also read about using hot oil treatments to help speed up the fading process which I have yet to try and have not read many people having success with. I have read that laundry detergent is said to work really well but I have reservations about applying a product like that to any part of my body. If you choose to try this please make sure it is something without bleach present. Anti-Dandruff shampoo mixed with baking soda has been told to remove a good amount of dye from ones hair which I find a little silly. I believe the baking soda may help to polish ones hair but the anti dandruff shampoo sounds like a stretch. One thing many people who color thier hair purchase is colored or permed designated shampoos. Do not use these because you will be defeating the purpose of trying to remove your unwanted hair color but are instead protecting it. If you choose to try any of the tips such as Dawn or Prell do make sure to moisturize your hair as much as possible. A really good conditioner and possibly a leave in conditioner would be my suggestion along with hot oil treatments. Each person is different but if nothing I have mentioned works in helping to fix the problem I suggest visiting a color specialist. Many times products are sold to either open or close the cuticles on damaged hair and these seem to be a good fix for many of the problems people deal with with porous hair. You need to find out what kind of porous hair you have whether it be low porosity or if it is badly damaged before moving forward with a way to treat it. Stripping your hair seems to be one of the biggest don't dos for people who regularly color their hair. The damage rumored for doing so seems to outweigh the problem. Your color specialist can help you further in making this decision. I hope my little post has been helpful and if you have any information or tips to add to it I would love to hear it. Thank you for reading.