Hair Colour Disasters: Problems & Solutions

Fading
After trying all the tips online your hair colour is still fading? There are several possible causes.

Chlorine
Chlorine in house water may be fading your hair colour. The only real solution for this is to buy a water filter. There is more on chlorine below.

Porosity
Your hair may be too porous. If the end are more faded than the rest of your hair this is most likely your problem. To make hair colour stay use a colour filler. This will create a layer and allow even distribution of hair colour. Colour fillers are available in the three primary colour. However, if you are using a colour filler at home it may be best to use a clear filler.

Brand
It might be the brand of colour which is making it fade quickly. Cheap and own-brand dyes are most likely not as good as brand-name dyes and therefore will probably fade faster. Also remember that the type of dye, semi-permanent or permanent, will effect how quickly it washes out. Semi-permanent brands may last until your next colouring session but do not penetrate as deep as permanent dyes and will therefore fade. However, permanent dyes may also fade. If you find your permanent dye still fades quickly it may be best to switch to a semi-permanent. It will still fade but will be less damaging to your hair when you re-colour.

Shampoo
Some shampoos, especially anti-dandruff and volumising, will rapidly face your colour. Use a shampoo for coloured hair, or even better made specifically for your hair colour.

Colour
Some hair colour fade much faster than others. Red hair fades very quickly. Blue fades fastest of all hair colours. Both these colours have very large molecules. The larger the colour molecule the faster the colour will fade.

Too Dark
If you've dyed your hair and it is too dark it can be incredibly difficult to lighten it without bleaching and seriously damaging your hair. It may be best leaving it for a few days. Once you get over the initial shock of being so dark you might find you actually quite like it. However, it is easiest to remove colour in the first few days. There are a few thing you can do to help it fade faster. However, they will probably damage your hair.

Shampoo
Prell shampoo is well known to fade hair colour. Anti-dandruff shampoos also strip the colour. Clarifying shampoos can also do the job as they remove impurities from the hair, including colour molecules.

Dish-washing Liquid
Using dish-washing liquid will fade your colour like the above shampoos but will be much more damaging. If you use this method make sure to condition afterward.

Heat
Heat fades hair colour as it opens the shaft and allowed the molecules to escape. Wash your hair with hot water. Hot olive oil and hot oil treatments can also fade hair colour.

Split Ends
Chemicals in hair dye can severely damage and split your hair. Colouring your hair darker makes them much more noticeable as a split end will not absorb the colour. The only way to remove split ends is to cut them off. There are products which can help hide them but they will still be there & will probably just get worse if you leave them. To prevent split ends make sure you use heat-protection products before using and heated appliances like straighteners. Also, take care when brushing your hair. Do not rip at it. Brush your hair before showering so it will be less tangled and easier to brush/comb afterward. However, it's best not to brush your hair if it's wet.

Green Hair
There are two possible reasons for green hair: chlorine and a bad dye job.

Chlorine
If it is chlorine in your house water turning your hair green you may need to buy a water filter. If it is chlorine from your swimming pool there are several ways to prevent your hair turning green. Firstly, use a clarifying shampoo every few hair-washes. Before you swim you should always wet your hair so that chlorinated water does not immediately penetrate your hair. For extra protection put conditioner in your hair and tie it up while swimming. The conditioner will act as a barrier to protect against the chlorine.

Bad Dye Job
If you are dying your hair from blonde to brown there is a chance your may will turn green. All colours are made up of the three primary colours. Blonde has only yellow, and many browns have blue undertones, so when these two are mixed together it will create the green tint. To prevent this you must add red to your hair by using either a colour filler or a non-permanent dye before colouring brown. If you are dying your hair a reddish-brown you shouldn't have a problem. Ash-browns are the biggest problem. If you do not want to dye your hair red first use a brown with red undertones. You only need to put a little red back into your hair to prevent it from turning green.

Neutralizing Hair Colour
If you are having trouble neutralizing your hair colour here is a list of colours which will neutralize your colour. These colours may be caused by a bad dye job or from dying your hair unnatural colours.
Yellow - Use a neutral, beige or violet based hair colour.
Red - Use an ash or green based hair filler or colour.
Blue - Use an orange based hair colour.
Green - Use a red based hair filler or colour.
Orange - Use a violet based hair colour.

If your hair colour is really bad it may be a better idea to ask a hairdresser for advise.