Hair Color
How to Go Back to Your Natural Hair Colour
Bad dye job? Take a deep breath and follow these steps to return to your natural hair colour ASAP.
We’ve all been there: A professional or at-home hair colour application goes awry (you forgot to set the timer, facepalm!) or simply isn’t as flattering as you anticipated. Or maybe you’ve had bleach-blond hair for ages and your stressed-out mane needs a break. Whatever the case, it’s possible to return to your gorgeous natural hair—often from the comfort of your own bathroom. Here’s everything you need to know if you’ve ever wondered “How can I get my natural hair colour back?”—whether you’re fixing a major colour mishap or simply returning to your natural shade after months or years of consistent hair-dye use.
If you have brassy hair or your hair colour is unflattering…
First, ask yourself if you want to return to your natural hair because you miss it and want (or need) a colour break or because you’re dissatisfied with your current hair dye job. If it’s the latter, there are solutions to fix your hair colour. You can fix brassy hair with L’Oréal Paris EverPure Blonde Shampoo , Conditioner and Shade Reviving Treatment or try a different yet similar shade of hair dye that might suit your skin tone better—say medium ash brown versus medium golden brown hair.
If you definitely want to return to your natural hair colour but there’s no rush…
Whether you’re trying to return to natural blond hair, natural brown or natural black hair, you’re most likely to succeed if you give your mane time to grow out a couple of inches. That way, you’ll be able to use your natural colour as a reference point when attempting to choose a hair dye to create a seamless match between your natural roots and your ends. While your hair is growing out, use L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up to blend your roots so the regrowth is less obvious.
After you’ve grown out your roots two inches…
If your natural hair is darker than your current hair colour (say natural brown hair versus a light blond dye job), it will be relatively easy to colour your lengths to match your roots. Before you colour your hair, make sure you do a strand test on your lengths in an area that’s not visible (say the back of your neck) to ensure that you’ve picked a good colour match.
If you don’t want to recolour to match your natural hair…
Is dyeing your hair again simply not an option? Then your only choice is to let the roots grow out for a couple of months or years (not ideal, even if you can hide your roots for a while with L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up) or go for a big chop. It may just be your chance to try a very trendy pixie cut.
If you need a quick damage control…
Hate your new hair but don’t have the necessary time to grow out your roots? Back to natural hair colour you go—STAT! When going back to natural hair colour after bleaching, choose a box of dye that you feel most closely represents your natural shade (since you can’t see it without visible roots) and go to town. Remember that your hair will be extra-porous from the bleach and will guzzle the dye, so do a strand test first to see how long you should let it sit. If your natural shade is quite a bit darker than your bleached mane, you may want to start with a less shocking transformation and choose light brown hair colour before returning to your natural hair. This slow transition is the best way to go back to natural hair colour. Don’t be surprised if a bit of blond peeks through after your first few washes as it may take a few dye applications spaced several weeks apart to return to your natural dark locks.
When your dyed hair is significantly darker than your natural hair, your best bet is a trip to the colourist for a full lift. If you’re returning to the same salon that messed up your colour in the first place, be honest about your concerns and they should be willing to fix your hair at no extra charge.
Which line of hair colour should you use?
- For high-quality, fade-defying colour: L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Permanent Hair Colour
- To cover grey hair: L’Oréal Paris Excellence CrèmePermanent Hair Colour
- To enhance your shine: L’Oréal Paris Féria Permanent Hair Colour
- If you prefer demi-permanent, not permanent, colour: L’Oréal Paris Casting Crème Gloss Demi-permanent Hair Colour
You deserve to love your hair, so whether that means trying a new shade or returning to your natural hair colour, you can totally do this!
