Removing red tones from dyed brown hair

[trillcat]

After much angst and pondering, I have decided to *heavy sigh* not go blonde again and will let my hair grow out it's natural color (dark ashy blonde/brown)
So now what do I do with the hair that is here?
It is a mish mash of colors that are not at all flattering to my skin. I am very pale and I have rosacea, so pale and red, not good with the orange/red tones that are now in my hair as the brown fades. The top of course is me, about 2 inches of dark ash with a supprising amount of silver, (Egads! was not expecting that!) and gold, in the sun, that is the only time the gold comes out, lol, I am a christmas tree! Silver and gold! The next 6 inches or so is not bleached, but has been dyed with a permenant dye, then a demi on top of that. (all brown) the rest has been through a myriad of bleaching and coloring.
I am OK with the darkness of the hair, even though it is summer soon and I soooooo want to be blonde, but no, no no no , cripsy hair, roots a plenty, just no no no. *more heavy sighs*
I need to get the red out though, is there a gentile way to do this?
An at home thing would be prefered, I dont have the $$$ to go to a salon, and I dont want to go through the lecture of my damaged hair and how they can "fix" it = chopping off about all my hair and adding more chemicals to what remains.

[Konstifik]

I'm pretty much exactly in the same situation as you are. But I'm afraid i have no solution. Red tones are very hard to get out of the hair, sometimes even with chemicals. My best solution is, sorry, to just let it fade away. It takes time, I know. :/

I hope someone else will have a better (faster) suggestion.

[vanity_acefake]

You could try a purple shampoo for blonde hair. It cancels out the red brassy tones in blonde hair so it should do the same for you.

[Konstifik]

You could try a purple shampoo for blonde hair. It cancels out the red brassy tones in blonde hair so it should do the same for you.

Don't they cancel yellow tones?

[Leneveu]

You could try a purple shampoo for blonde hair. It cancels out the red brassy tones in blonde hair so it should do the same for you.

I was thinking along the same lines, but of a violet rinse (i.e. old-lady-style blue rinse!). You have to use it after ever wash, but it's cheap and effective!

EDIT: These sorts of rinses are intended for blonde hair - on my medium brown hair I use double concentration to get the effect I want. I don't know whether this would work for you, Trillcat, with the mix of colours in your hair :)

(Here's (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31P9gx3fD-L._SL500_AA300_.jpg) what I mean)

[Calaelen]

I am a stylist and I can tell you the only way to get red out of darker hair is to colour over it with a shade that cancels out the red. The purple shampoo or a toner will not work for this.
I recommend Natural Instincts in the Brass Free collection. (seen here http://www.clairol.ca/en_ca/collections/naturalinstincts/natural_instincts/brass_free/) these are available in most drug stores.
These colours are semi permanent, but on my hair last even longer than permanent. Also it is ammonia free, and not damaging to hair at all. One thing I will mention is that the colour shows up much darker than they claim, so medium brown is actually VERY dark, and light brown is a medium brown shade. I have not tried the blondes as I am in a completely different boat than you, I am a natural blonde who wants desperately to be a brunette...

[Kathie]

I have the same skin-tone. The wrong hair color can make me look really ruddy. I'm also a big fan of silver shampoos, but I have been using them to cancle yellow tones.

Also, what about wearing your hair up- the artificial colors would be away from your skin and updos with varying colors in the hair can look really nice!

[trillcat]

I am a stylist and I can tell you the only way to get red out of darker hair is to colour over it with a shade that cancels out the red. The purple shampoo or a toner will not work for this.
I recommend Natural Instincts in the Brass Free collection. (seen here http://www.clairol.ca/en_ca/collections/naturalinstincts/natural_instincts/brass_free/) these are available in most drug stores.
These colours are semi permanent, but on my hair last even longer than permanent. Also it is ammonia free, and not damaging to hair at all. One thing I will mention is that the colour shows up much darker than they claim, so medium brown is actually VERY dark, and light brown is a medium brown shade. I have not tried the blondes as I am in a completely different boat than you, I am a natural blonde who wants desperately to be a brunette...

The last color I put on my head was Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes, lightest brown. Brass free? Not so much. It also holds the hair better than most permenant dyes I have used.
I used it over a perm. brown dye that was fading to orange over my bleached hair. It turned my hair red, gold and bronze, I liked it actually when it was all on there, it was quite pretty, though it looked so fake, and was not at all what I was going for. The remnants of this are what is making my hair an odd color now.
Im not a brunette, or a blonde or a red head, it is like someone put all these pretty colors into a bucket, mixed them up and dumped it on my head!

[manderly]

I am the poster child for getting the brass out. I use Wella Color Touch in a cool brown shade with the weakest developer they have. It closely matches my natural color so there is no demarcation line, and it's cool so it covers all the old orange hair.

And can I just say to stay away from box dyes. They are the reason you are getting brassy. I'm surprised a stylist would recommend them to be honest.

Why do they create brass? Because they use a high volume developer because they want the color to work for everyone since it's a generic box. When you do it yourself, you are able to minimize the damage and get a gentler deposit with minimal lift.

Here is a recent LHC thread about the color touch: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46412&highlight=wella+color+touch There are also photos of my hair before and after, plus a photo of my hair when it was at its brassiest.

[Ariane88]

According to the color wheel the opposite of red is green, or blueish green if its more of an orange tint.

So you would be looking to add a greenish or blueish tint to your hair to cancel out the red tones.

I don't know about any hair products that come in that color and are just a color rinse, but what you could try is either food coloring or sugar free kool-aid.

Either one adds just a slight tint to your hair which might take out the red tones. Theres a bunch of tutorials online on how to use either for a color rinse (or to dye your hair with if youve bleached it)

This ehow article also suggests a certain product http://www.ehow.com/how_6185242_use-color-corrector-shampoo.html
but Ive personally never tried it.

[Calaelen]

I am the poster child for getting the brass out. I use Wella Color Touch in a cool brown shade with the weakest developer they have. It closely matches my natural color so there is no demarcation line, and it's cool so it covers all the old orange hair.

And can I just say to stay away from box dyes. They are the reason you are getting brassy. I'm surprised a stylist would recommend them to be honest.

Why do they create brass? Because they use a high volume developer because they want the color to work for everyone since it's a generic box. When you do it yourself, you are able to minimize the damage and get a gentler deposit with minimal lift.

Here is a recent LHC thread about the color touch: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=46412&highlight=wella+color+touch There are also photos of my hair before and after, plus a photo of my hair when it was at its brassiest.
Just to clear this up, the reason this stylist recommends this colour is because it is not a harsh drug store brand, it is actually made by the same company that does several different proffessional brands (only this one is ammonia free). Not only that, professional product is in most cases no different from most drug store brands. Stylists are trained to say that because they are trained to make sales. Most of the higher end, reputable, hair product manufacturers make products the same as, or better than salon brands.

Also, as most people on here are trying to baby their hair, I recommend things that are a safer alternative. Hence, for different purposes you will find me either recommending henna, store brands, or professional services instead of the common "go see s stylist" answer. I am a trained stylist who refuses to work in salons because of all the BS that goes on in them. I am apprenticing on my own, and have my own clients. You'll never get standard "sell it" crud from me.
That said, hair colouring is a science, and in many cases it does require someone who knows what they're doing, or at least has a good understanding of the way colours work to achieve a desired result. All I am saying is that if a person is going for a one tone colour, and has an easy issue to fix such as cancelling out a red tone, that they can most likely do it at home without dropping triple or more the money in a salon. The product in most drug stores is up to par with salon brands, and it alone will usually do no more damage to your hair than anything you can get in a salon.

[manderly]

Calaelen, thanks for the input, however, I think I need to clear something up.

I did not say to go to a salon. Never. I said to purchase salon products because you can CUSTOMIZE the developer to your needs.

Someone who wishes to dye their brown hair brown and cover old brass doesn't need the 30 or 40 volume developer that comes in boxed hair dye. THAT is where the brass comes from. And THAT is where store dyes vary from professional one....not the color, but the DEVELOPER and customization of it.

If you don't want to lift your color multiple levels, there is no need to use such a strong vol developer.

In the link I posted we purchased our own Wella Color Touch (for approx $20) and our own level of developer and dyed our hair at home.

Here is more information about dying your hair at home and the science behind it: http://killerstrands.blogspot.com/

[GlennaGirl]

Just to clear this up, the reason this stylist recommends this colour is because it is not a harsh drug store brand, it is actually made by the same company that does several different proffessional brands (only this one is ammonia free). Not only that, professional product is in most cases no different from most drug store brands. Stylists are trained to say that because they are trained to make sales. Most of the higher end, reputable, hair product manufacturers make products the same as, or better than salon brands.

Also, as most people on here are trying to baby their hair, I recommend things that are a safer alternative. Hence, for different purposes you will find me either recommending henna, store brands, or professional services instead of the common "go see s stylist" answer. I am a trained stylist who refuses to work in salons because of all the BS that goes on in them. I am apprenticing on my own, and have my own clients. You'll never get standard "sell it" crud from me.
That said, hair colouring is a science, and in many cases it does require someone who knows what they're doing, or at least has a good understanding of the way colours work to achieve a desired result. All I am saying is that if a person is going for a one tone colour, and has an easy issue to fix such as cancelling out a red tone, that they can most likely do it at home without dropping triple or more the money in a salon. The product in most drug stores is up to par with salon brands, and it alone will usually do no more damage to your hair than anything you can get in a salon.

Interesting...thanks for that info!

[vanity_acefake]

I googled your problem and found that ash hair colours should remove the red from your hair. As should blue shampoo (not purple sorry!). So in theory putting an ash blonde or ash brown (if there is such a colour!) wash in wash out or semi through your hair should get rid of the red. I hope this helps.

[Idun]

I have a similar problem. I´m thinking about trying buxus/katam on the lenght. It gives off a blue dye I read, but I´m not sure yet how to use it to get the result I´m after. Never ever will I dye my hair with chemicals again, that´s for sure.

[Calaelen]

Calaelen, thanks for the input, however, I think I need to clear something up.

I did not say to go to a salon. Never. I said to purchase salon products because you can CUSTOMIZE the developer to your needs.

Someone who wishes to dye their brown hair brown and cover old brass doesn't need the 30 or 40 volume developer that comes in boxed hair dye. THAT is where the brass comes from. And THAT is where store dyes vary from professional one....not the color, but the DEVELOPER and customization of it.

If you don't want to lift your color multiple levels, there is no need to use such a strong vol developer.
I don't want to sound argumentative, so please don't take this as such.
I didn't say you recommended going to a stylist, i understood that it was the product you recommended. The Wella Colour Touch is a great brand, and being able to by it in your area if you're not a stylist is lucky.
My point was just to say that very often there is no difference between drugstore stuff and professional product. This does have exceptions of course. One thing I can say with certainty is that most drugstore brands only have 20volume developer in them unless they specify that they are a high lift, or unless it is a very light shade that is chosen. On this note though, they use 30 volume, and not 40 volume because the 40 volume is a liability being as harsh as it is.
Trust me when I say that it is not often you'll find 40 volume peroxide in a drugstore brand. They have colour guides on them to show the colour you can expect to achieve, this is because they do not "use the highest volume so that it will work for everyone", but because they use a lower level of developer to minimize negative scalp reactions.. (Of course there are exceptions to this as well)

[manderly]

Calaelen, thanks for clearing that up. You're probably right about the box dyes and the volume, I was exaggerating.

But would you agree that when one is only trying to deposit color in depleted hair and staying in the same color level that far less than 20 volume is needed or even recommended?

I never did salon dye jobs, I am a box hair dye kind of gal. I've always had success with it - until I was trying to dye back to my original brown and growing my hair out. The need to redye when the color faded (left me orange) and the harshness of 20 volume repeatedly wasn't helping me out at all. Once I switched to using professional dyes with 10 vol (or even 6) developer I got much better results that were actually (strangely) longer-lasting and faded more naturally with no orange like the old days.

I also just wanted to mention that I live in Hawaii, and have no access to anyplace that sells those products. I have purchased them online, most recently ebay. Another great thing about them is you can mix colors to customize your results :) :flower:

[Calaelen]

I definitely recommend using the lowest volume developer as needed for any colour job. Always.
Hmm, I never considered trying to buy colour online, professional or otherwise. I actually am laughing at myself at that one.
When you were trying to get back to your natural colour did you pick colours with a neutral tone in them, or an ash tone rather than say a golden? (sometimes this can be difficult to do)

Very often the problem with fading no matter what kind of colour or level of developer used is that natural hair has certain tones in it that are lifted up with the developer, so when hair fades they show up very clearly, whether it is an ash tone or a red tone. This can be very annoying, myself I have to deal with the red tone, and so I use neutral or ash shades to cancel it out.

The colour I originally recommended in this topic is the one that works best for my hair (of over the counter or cheaper ones) which is what the original poster asked for. I used to use professional stuff, but just got lucky to find an over the counter brand that is perfect for me.

[manderly]

Yup. I have 2 colors in my hair right now, an ash (violet per Wella's chart) and a neutral. :)

I posted these photos in the thread I linked earlier, but I'll post them again here.

Before:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/astrauser/Hair/Before.jpg

After:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/astrauser/Hair/After.jpg

Not a huge difference, but this is because I've figured out how to not get such bad fading, and that was to stick with the Wella or Sally's Ion Shine and a 10 vol (or less in the case of Wella) developer. Essentially I'm just doing a demi permanent almost deposit-only color, which holds up much better than anything else I've tried.

Here is a good shot of the orange tones I had been battling:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/astrauser/CIMG1738.jpg

[-simply Venus-]

Use a green toner. =D

[jackie75]

I have battled with red tones for years. I have used the brass free collection & it didn't work. I have used ash toned dyes, & it didn't work. The only thing from a boxed dye that remotely worked for me was a neutral or natural color.

I stopped using these darn boxed dyes, because they just don't work how you want them too, & plus, they were destroying my hair.

One thing you can try is a green manic panic gloss. I plan on trying this to get rid of my ugly red tones.

Other than that...I wish I had better advice for you. I want my golden light brown hair back & it's next to impossible with all the gunk (boxed dye) on my hair. I refuse to bleach again....I had to chop my hair to a bob length over a year ago because my hair was so damaged. Now it's a darker reddish brown, with almost an inch of virgin hair that's graying. It makes it pretty complicated to get where I want to be.....ugh!!