Read this article to know how to fix orange hair after bleaching. Get orange out of hair at home using blue toner, box dye and other easy tips.
There are many reasons as to why your hair might have turned into an orange shade that you never wanted.
Maybe your bleaching or hair dyeing process went horribly wrong or probably the hair dye didn’t dye your hair the way it was supposed to or maybe you did get your desired hair color but it faded into this orange shade over time.
Well, whatever the reason may be, there are various ways to fix this problem!
How To Fix Orange Hair
1. Bleach your hair again
If you had planned to dye your hair blonde, and bleaching it in the process caused your hair to turn orange, then you can try out the re-application of the bleach method.
The reason your hair turned orange is probably because you took off the bleach too soon, before it lightened to a yellowish shade.
Therefore, after 7 to 8 days of bleaching your hair the first time (the time it turned orange), you can re-bleach your hair again and lighten it until it turns into the yellowish shade.
After this, you can then dye your hair the blonde color you were initially aiming for.
2. Make use of a toner
First let us talk about what exactly a toner is and why it is used and get that out of the way.
I often see that hair toners are confused with hair dyes because of their color depositing properties, but are in fact two different types of products.
Toners are used to help balance or even out the tones in the hair after it has been dyed. This means that while the dye will alter the hair color, the toner will help neutralize the hair color, in case of any brassiness.
So, in this case, if your hair has turned unwantedly orange, then you can use a toner to neutralize the color.
Using a toner according to the level of the lift is important, which means you may have to tone your hair more than once in case the orange color in your hair is very intense.
3. Use a blue shampoo for orange hair
Just like you’d use a purple shampoo to get rid of yellow brassiness in light colored hair, a blue shampoo is used to help get rid of the orange color in hair.
Now you may ask why use a blue and not a purple shampoo?
Well, let’s talk about the color wheel!
In order to neutralize hues, we need to check the color wheel and use the color opposite to the one you want to neutralize, in this case it is orange (you can refer to the color wheel image).
If the yellow in your hair had to be got rid of, you’d use a purple shampoo because purple is the opposite to yellow in the color wheel.
Similarly, to get rid of orange from the hair, you’d have to use a blue shampoo because it is the opposite to the color orange in the color wheel.
- Related: What Does Brassy Hair Look Like
4. Dye your hair to a darker shade
Well, this is more of a last ditch option but when you decide to dye your hair a darker shade, it will cancel out all the orange tones in your hair.
And this will then let you start off your hair lightening process on a better note.
5. Try using a hair gloss
Hair gloss is a hair treatment that is used to add shine to the hair. This process is semi-permanent and is used in order to make the hair look healthier.
But how can the hair gloss get rid of the orange color then?
Well, hair gloss often blends in with the hair and helps get rid of brassiness which is caused due to the coloring of hair.
When the hair is colored the cuticle of the hair strand gets lifted, therefore, in order to help correct the existing color and keep the hair color from fading further hair glosses can be used.
It is important to remember to use the color hair gloss and not the clear hair gloss for this process.
Hair gloss treatments usually last between 30 – 40 days if it was done at a salon, while a home-done treatment may last around 20 to 30 days.
6. Visit a professional
There are Corrective Color Stylists who are professionals who specialize in color corrections. You may want to know why color correction is required?
Well, there are times when we bleach or box dye our hair and the resulting color turns out a different shade than desired.
Therefore, a Corrective Color Stylist will suitably fill in the required color pigments into the hair, balancing out the tones, in order to regain the color of your hair or give you the color you initially desired to get.
Why Does Hair Turn Orange?
One of the most common reasons for hair turning orange is because the bleaching process of the hair wasn’t done the right way. This could mean that the bleach was removed before time, before it reached the yellow shade.
So, suppose you have dark hair and used bleach, but did not keep it on your hair for a sufficient time, the hair will turn out orange.
Another reason can be that, when the hair was lightened, it wasn’t lightened or lifted enough to turn blonde.
This means that when we dye or bleach our hair, our hair begins to lift, as soon as the pigments get slowly diluted with the chemicals from the dye or bleach.
There are also times when the hair gets dyed the right color, but can turn orange over time due to the effect of it fading.
When the hair is dyed, the pigments (which can either be orange, yellow or red colors) fade over time and the resulting color can tend to become orange.
Lastly, it is also important to note that not everyone who dyes or bleaches their hair will get the color they desire.
Each person’s hair type, texture, hair health and hair history (if the hair has previously been dyed) will play a major role in defining the final color of the dye or bleach on the hair.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I use purple shampoo instead of blue shampoo to fix my orange hair?
Well, it is important to note that for colors to neutralize, you should use the right color to fix it – that is the color opposite to the one you want to get rid of (as per the color wheel), should be used.
This means that purple can get rid of yellow tones, while blue can get rid of orange tones.
But in case your hair is not completely orange and is an in-between shade of yellow and orange, then maybe you could try using a purple shampoo to fix your hair color.
2. How long would you require to keep the blue shampoo on your hair?
Well, this all depends on the level of orange color on your hair. The darker the orange the more number of minutes you’d have to leave the blue shampoo on, say around 3 to 4 minutes before washing it off.
3. What are some good brands of blue shampoos?
Choosing the right brand to buy a blue shampoo may be hard as there are many brands out there you can choose from.
You can try out brands like Lush Cosmetics, L’Oreal, Schwarzkopf, BBlunt, Aveda, Matrix, Joico, John Frieda, Fanola and Not Your Mother’s for the best blue shampoos. My favorite is the Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo as it is sulfate free.
4. Can orange hair be prevented?
Yes, it can be prevented if your hair has turned orange due to other reasons apart from dyeing or bleaching.
If it is because of the type of water you use to wash your hair, then you can use a shower filter to get rid of the mineral deposits in the water, which will also stabilize the pH level of the water you’re using.
You can also wash your hair with chemical free shampoos (like those without sulfates and parabens) and maintain your light hair by using a blue or purple shampoo to prevent your hair from turning orange.
5. Are there natural remedies to get rid of orange hair?
Yes, there are. You could try using an apple cider vinegar hair rinse, along with coconut oil and blue food coloring.
Also, you can make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, ½ a cup of water and a drop or two of blue food coloring. Rinse your hair with this mixture after you’ve shampooed your hair like you normally would.
Remember to prepare your hair the night before, by applying the coconut oil all over your hair.
Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?
The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.
The final takeaway
Ending up with unexpected orange hair can really be very disappointing, but luckily enough there are many methods available to solve your problem.
Also, to avoid this problem from happening again, remember to dye your hair the right way and/or seek help of a professional in case you aren’t sure or vary of the process.
It is important not to lighten hair more than three levels in one time.
Also Read:
Will Ginger Orange Hair Dye On Black Girl Look Good?
To Summarize