Black color can test patience

[tweetylonghair]

I'm fully aware I did black permament box dye....and I do like it to some point...just curious what are ways to lighten it if any?

[Calaelen]

speaking as a stylist, and someone who has been there, your options aren't many. If you did it very recently as in within 72 hours, you can try baking soda, or dish-washing liquid to get very minimal results. Or, if you're really wanting it a couple shades lighter you can try color oops, or a similar product, that will lighten it considerably or remove it almost completely if you want.

[sarelis]

I removed 10 years of multiple applications of permanent black box dye with 3 applications of Colour B4, so it can be done! :)

[akilina]

It will never be able to be removed back to your natural color. Permanent dye lifts color, then deposits color. SO it lifted whatever color you had before away, and deposited the black color in.
But oh yes you can lighten it up a bit :)
I like color oops alot. I have never had a bad experience with it other than it smells like big farts.
Many here toy with honey lightening and vitamin C lightening. I find both too tedious to go through, with long term results. You usually can't see a difference after the first time (but everyones hair is different, some have had success)
Just know that if you do use some color oops it will likely not lighten to the best color in the world.
There is also color fix...which I hate. It was really damaging and if you don't do it right (many dont) it will re darken.
Another one I think was called Color Zap or something? Horrible. It even removed the color from my virgin untouched roots so that wasn't right.
What is your ultimate goal with your color?

[boofles]

I used a "chocolate brown" box dye at the start of 2009 and it made my hair jet black, in a way that simply didn't fade and I really didn't like it that much, as I had a jet black chin-length bob.

By that summer I got sick of it and went to several hairdressers asking if I could be lightened to my natural colour (my avatar pic shows this lighter than it was, but a light brown) and they all refused on the grounds it would fry my hair.

In the end I went to a top salon in my local area and they got it back to that colour in one go with a colour strip, followed by loads of conditioning treatment. It worked, but it made my hair quite dry and I still struggle with my ends a lot in terms of splits, but since then my bob has grown to BSL and still looks and feels pretty good, so I can state 100% it is possible to lighten it up, just do it in stages and slowly if you can, and maybe get a pro to help as they should be trained in doing this. I saw a specific colour expert in that salon to be 100% safe. Cost more, but worth it!

Perhaps start with just highlights and see how those areas go? That way if it is really bad, its only some of the hair that gets damaged?

[seven77]

I had a thread in the henna section.. I had box dyed my hair black (actually blue black) I decided the tone was too cool for me so I used henna to warm it up, I mixed the henna with ONLY yogurt, nothing else and it was BAQ henna purchased from mehandi.com, well I was totally shocked when it lightened my hair up majorly!!!
NOW, before the black dye, I did have bleached hair.. so I don't know if that made all the difference.. like my cuticles were so open the black molecules fell out and the henna coated, I have NO Idea how it happened!
But maybe try a test section of henna, at the very least it might warm it up.

[Rosetta]

I removed 10 years of multiple applications of permanent black box dye with 3 applications of Colour B4, so it can be done! :)
I second the Colour B4!
I've never had black hair though, but I too have managed to remove multiple dyes with just one Colour B4 treatment - it's powerful stuff :)