Stripping Hair Color
A: This is one of the most common misconceptions people have about how hair color works, so you're definitely not alone in thinking this way. The reality is quite different from what many expect, and understanding the science behind hair coloring can help you make the best decision for your hair.
How Lightening Hair Works
When you lighten your hair from a darker natural color to a lighter shade, the process isn't simply adding a coat of color on top like painting a wall. Instead, the developers and lighteners used in the process actually break down and disperse the natural color molecules (called melanin) inside each hair strand.This chemical process permanently alters the internal structure of your hair by removing natural pigment, which is how dark hair becomes lighter.
The Paint Analogy vs. Reality
Many people imagine that hair color works like an opaque coating sitting on the surface of the hair shaft, similar to how paint covers a wall. If this were true, you could theoretically strip it off to reveal what was underneath.However, the only hair color formulas that work strictly on the surface are temporary colors, which wash out after a few shampoos. Temporary products can never lighten darker hair because they don't penetrate the hair shaft to alter your natural melanin.
What Hair Color Remover Will Do
Because of how the lightening process fundamentally alters your hair's structure, you cannot simply strip off your current color to return to your original natural shade. The natural melanin that gave your hair its dark brown color has been chemically oxidized and permanently removed.If you use a chemical hair color remover, it will shrink and wash out artificial dye molecules, but it will only reveal the underlying, lifted base beneath. Depending on how much lighter your hair was dyed, stripping the color will typically leave you with a bright orange, brassy, or warm yellow shade, and not your natural dark brown.
Your Options
Instead of waiting to grow it out, you have several effective ways to bridge the gap without stripping:• Deposit color back with a demi-permanent dye: Instead of stripping, the most effective approach is to deposit color back into the hair using a demi-permanent shade matched to your natural dark brown.
Demi-permanent dyes use a low-volume developer to deposit pigment without further lightening or damaging the hair. They last roughly 20 to 28 washes (about 4 to 6 weeks) and fade gradually without leaving a harsh line of demarcation.
Note on gray hair: Demi-permanent color blends gray rather than completely covering it, making grays look like soft, natural highlights against the darker brown.
• Transition with lowlights or a blended shade: If you want a lower-maintenance growth process, ask a stylist for lowlights or a transitional shade between your current light color and your natural dark brown.
This breaks up the harsh line between your roots and ends, seamlessly blends the gray, and makes the growing-out process look intentional and smooth.
Fillers & Hair Porosity
Keep in mind that previously lightened hair is more porous, meaning the cuticle layers are raised and will absorb new dye quickly. Because lightening strips away the underlying warm tones (red and gold pigments) naturally present in dark hair, applying a dark brown dye directly over lightened hair can make the color look flat, hollow, or even greenish-ash.To prevent this, stylists use a filler (re-pigmenting the hair with a warm gold or copper tone first) before applying the dark brown shade. Filling the hair restores the necessary undertones so your final brown shade looks rich, natural, and even. Consulting a professional for this step is the safest route to ensure a smooth transition back to your natural color.
©Hairfinder.com
See also:
How to color hair
How fast hair grows
How to get back to your natural hair color