It can be incredibly fun to rock blue hair, it is a great signature look. But the key question is how to remove the blue hair dye when you want to change your look?
If you colored your hair with a temporary hair dye, or spray-on color this is not a problem, all it takes is one wash and the blue dye will completely wash out of your hair.
Most people color their hair blue using a semi-permanent or permanent hair dye because it lasts longer and tends not to rub off as temporary hair dye does. The downside though is that it takes some work to remove once you decide you are done with blue hair. Below are five methods for removing blue hair dye.
There are 5 Possible Methods
Method 1: Use Hair Bleach
The fastest and most effective way to remove blue hair dye is to bleach the color out. We recommend you go to a professional hairstylist to have this done. Bleach is a powerful chemical that needs to be applied with care to maximize safety.
A good stylist will know how to use the bleach protectively, making sure to not leave it on your hair for too long. If you are going to bleach your hair yourself, please be very careful.
The bleaching process works by stripping the blue color out of your hair. Because of this, it can damage and weaken your hair. It is, however, the most effective method to remove blue hair dye because it gets everything out of the hair, and there is no residual color remaining.
Depending on the length of your hair and the style you want to wear it in, it can take up to seven hours at the salon to complete the color removal.
Method 2: Wash Out Over Time With Clarifying Shampoo
This method works best for hair that has been colored with a semi-permanent dye. Clarifying shampoo is a shampoo that is more fortified than everyday shampoo. It is ideal for use once every fortnight to remove any dandruff, product residue or stubborn scalp build-up in your hair.
Washing with clarifying shampoo is a deep clean for your hair.
It is a good idea to leave the shampoo in for a few minutes to really dissolve the blue dye. Rinse out the hair and then apply a deep conditioner. Towel dry the hair.
Depending on how concentrated your hair dye was, it can take anywhere between 10 and 15 washes with clarifying shampoo to completely wash out the blue color. Try and stagger the washes out over a few weeks so that you do not dry out your hair. Hair that is excessively dry is more prone to breakage and will be damaged by heat treatment.
So if you are washing the blue out over a few weeks, take extra care of your hair and avoid using heat when you style it, until you have finished all your dye removal washes.
Method 3: Using Dishwashing Liquid
You can use common household items such as dishwashing liquid and concentrated bath salts to remove blue hair dye from your hair. The active ingredient in dishwashing liquid is the cleansing agent. This is an acidic compound and it is responsible for lifting all the grime and dirt from your dishes. It will do the same to the blue dye in your hair!
The first step with this method is to prepare a mixture that is one part your normal shampoo, and one part dishwashing liquid. Then wash your hair with hot water to wet it completely.
Rinse out your hair and immediately apply conditioner. If you can, consider using a deep conditioner as dishwashing liquid is not fortified with any moisture-rich compounds and will leave your hair extremely dry and brittle.
As with the clarifying shampoo method, you will need to repeat this washing process multiple times over at least a few days to completely get the blue color out. Remember to be extra gentle with your hair as you are going through the color removal process. Condition it daily and do not pull on it too much or brush excessively.
Method 4: Wash Your Hair With Vitamin C
This method involves washing your dyed hair with a mixture of vitamin C and moisture-enriched shampoo. This mixture can be used on semi-permanent and permanent blue hair dye. You can find vitamin C in many forms in your local supermarket.
Pro tip: buy Vitamin C gel rather than the more commonly available powder. The gel mixes in with your shampoo better than the powder which may not fully dissolve.
Once the mixture is on the hair, cover your head with a shower cap or a warm towel, and sit for up to one hour. This gives the vitamin C time to remove the blue dye. After an hour washes your hair under warm running water.
Ensure that you get all of the shampoo mixtures out of your hair. you will notice that your hair will be extremely dry and bristly to the touch, but the blue color should be gone! To address the dryness, immediately condition your hair.
This method is very effective, and you should be able to remove most if not all of the colors in one wash. If not, you can repeat the washing process straight away.
Method 5: Maximize Your Sun Exposure to Fade the Blue Color Out
The final method is the most natural, it is also the slowest, and the one with the least reliable track record of success. This approach to expose your hair to the sun and allow the blue color to fade naturally over time.
This method works best if you have naturally dark hair and you did not bleach it before dying your hair blue. In this case, repeated sun exposure will cause your blue hair color to fade, and eventually, it will no longer be visible.
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Conclusion
The easiest way to remove permanent blue hair dye is using bleach and ideally a professional hair salon. Failing this, we introduced you to four gentler alternatives that get the blue dye out of your hair without stripping it of its natural nutrients.
They are washing your hair with clarifying shampoo, washing with vitamin c, or dishwashing liquid and exposing your hair to the sun. With all these approaches, the blue dye will gradually fade out of your hair.