I’ve been coloring my hair for a few years now and I’m thinking about stopping because it’s too much of a hassle to keep up with. However, I still like the color, so I’m undecided. Part of what’s holding me back is that I don’t know how to stop without having to go through an odd growing-out period. Maybe y’all can help me with that.
My natural color is medium brown (yawn). I dye it black with whatever home hair coloring product is on sale. (It’s not as if it’s a hard color to match!) So I guess the question is: Can I do dark brown over black, then next time a lighter color, and so on, until I get back to my drab but low-maintenance original hair? If not, do I just have to go around looking weird (er) for a year?
Trying to get back to your natural color from black is going to be tricky. Using dye in your natural hair color will probably only take on your new hair growth.
I think the only way to get black dye out is to strip your hair and that can be expensive and it is really bad for your hair.
My suggestion would be to dye the new growth with a color darker than your natural color, maybe the next step down from black. That will help your roots blend in better with the dyed hair. There might be a slight difference in color but it won’t be as noticeable as letting it go on its own.
Another option is highlights. Having a few highlights in a shade between the two colours will make the difference between the two less noticeable.
I’m having the opposite problem. My roots are black, my hair is currently medium brown, and everytime I dye my hair back to its natural colour, the hair dye fades to brown again within a few weeks… :rolleyes:
This is a good idea if you don’t want to spend a butt-load of money at a salon.
Lighter colors will NOT dye over black - almost nothing will, actually. A red color may give it a red cast, but it will stay black for the most part. In order to get rid of black, you need a color correcter, which you should only do at a salon. It is possible to get a kit to do it at a Sally Beauty Supply, and even some drug stores, but it’s tricky to get right, can turn your hair color splotchy, and even damage it severely. I know this by experience, and not listening to my hairdresser
A color correcter lifts the dye off of your hair, and leaves it an orange-y color which must be dyed over. It can run anywhere from $100 to $300 (but probably closer to $100), depending on how much correcting needs to be done, the condition of your hair, length, end color desired, etc.
Good luck!
-badbadruberdyejob
Back when I did my own hair color, I’d take a break every so often. I’d dye my hair basically the same color, but with semi-permanent dye. It would fade gradually and be grown out after a couple three re-dyes. Granted, I never tried this with black, so YMMV.
I like the semi-permanent dye idea, and remember to only touch up your roots and not to layer the new dye on top of your old dye if you want to eventually go back to brown. I just spent 95 dollars and 5 hours getting the years of jet black off of my hair and almost gave Hector a nervous breakdown.
Go see a professional colorist. Seriously.
They can help get you back to your original color without damaging your hair beyond repair. If you screw your hair up, you will end up going to see them anyway so save yourself the nightmare of damaged hair.
Good luck 
I’ll have to second consulting a colourist. Although semi-permanent might work, depending on how light your natural colour is, it might not come out as easily as you would like. I had a friend dye her hair black one year for Halloween. In March, she had her hair dyed back to its original colour–the black hadn’t faded at all in that time. Your hair probably isn’t as light as hers, but a professional opinion never hurts. (And as Tiggrkitty said, if you damage your hair, you’ll be there anyways)
Whoa! I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into! However, the semi-permanent color thing that **Ashes, Ashes ** came up with sounds like a possibility. I could do it until I grew out most of the permanent stuff, then get a short cut.
Thanks everyone!
Warning: My hairdresser warned me, (and I found out myself the hard way when I ignored her), that continued use of semi-permanent colour will end up giving you permanent results. Even though the boxes say the results will last 4-6 weeks, it’s not like the colour completely disappears at the end of the 6th week. So as you continue to use the semipermanent colour, you’re just adding onto the previous colour, and so on.
I too was hoping that the semi-permanent route would help my hair get back to its natural colour after a bad dye job. No luck.
I seriously agree that you should just bite the bullet and go to a professional colourist. What about scheduling a consultation? It’s free and they will tell you the best way to achieve the results you want. If you get a recommendation from a friend, you might feel more comfortable about it?
S.