How to Remove Blue or Green Hair Dye from Hair Without Bleaching

Co-authored by Steven Waldman

Last Updated: March 11, 2023 References Approved

While you may have enjoyed your blue or green (maybe even blue and green) hair, you've decided it's time for a change. You can always go to a salon to correct the color. However, if you prefer to fade the color yourself, then there are several strategies you can try using easy to find products, some of which you may already have. Whatever strategy you choose, keep in mind that fading your hair color may take some time.

Things You Should Know

Apply clarifying shampoo to your hair, put on a plastic shower cap, and blow-dry around the cap.
Mix 1,000 mg of vitamin C into your shampoo and lather it in your hair. Cover up your shampooed hair with a plastic shower cap and wait 45 minutes.
Remove your hair dye with household products like bath salts or dish soap.
Fade your colorful hair dye naturally by spending some extra time out in the sun.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Stripping Dye with Shampoo

1
Decide if a clarifying shampoo will work for you. Clarifying shampoo is a great way to fade semi-permanent dyes. However, if you used a permanent dye, then using a clarifying shampoo may not be powerful enough to make a difference. This method may fade permanent dye a little, but it will take longer to do so.
2
Buy a clarifying shampoo. You will need to buy a clarifying shampoo that is not recommended for use on dyed hair. This type of shampoo will help to strip your hair of the dyed color. You will also need conditioner. This can also be on the cheaper end of the conditioner spectrum.^{[1]
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- Suave Daily Clarifying is a good shampoo to use.
- If your hair tends to be dry or unmanageable, you should buy a deep conditioner that will give your hair the nutrients it needs.
- You can also try an anti-dandruff shampoo.^{[2]
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3
Consider mixing some baking soda into your shampoo. Baking soda is a natural bleaching agent, so adding it to your shampoo can make the color-stripping process go faster.
4
Use warm water to wet your hair. Make the water as warm as you can stand it. Warm water opens up hair follicles and cuticles making them more receptive to being stripped of the dye. Get your hair thoroughly wet with the water before shampooing.
5
Lather with the clarifying shampoo. Pour a quarter sized amount of shampoo in your hand and apply it to your hair. Use your fingertips to give your head a good scrub. Squeeze off any excess foam (which should be the color of the dye you are removing). Make sure your hair is thoroughly coated in the shampoo, but do not rinse yet!
6
Clip your hair up. If you have short hair, you can leave it down. Place a bath towel around your shoulders that you don't really care about (the shampoo and dye will run and could potentially get on your towel).
7
Place a plastic shower cap on your head and apply heat. Make sure the shower cap covers all of your hair and is securely fitted on your head. Use a hairdryer to heat your hair, but take care not to hold the heat on one spot for two long or you could potentially melt the plastic. The heat will help the shampoo strip your hair of color.^{[3]
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- If you don't have a plastic shower cap, you can use a plastic bag. Wrap it around your head and secure the opening in the front with a clip.
- If one's available, you might also sit under a heated hair-dryer. This will distribute the heat evenly over your whole head.
8
Let your hair stay in the cap for 15 to 20 minutes. Once you have let it sit, rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water. Lather your hair with shampoo two more times, rinsing after each time you use the shampoo. When you are done rinsing, the foam should only have a hint of dye left.
9
Cover your head with conditioner. Rub your hair thoroughly with the conditioner, making sure your whole head is covered. If your hair is long enough, clip it up, otherwise just leave it down.
10
Use a hairdryer to heat your hair. Once your hair is semi-dry, let your hair sit for 25 to 30 minutes. Rinse your hair with cool water so that all of the conditioner gets washed out.
11
Rinse your hair with cold water. To close the hair cuticles up, blast your hair with freezing cold water. This will help to ensure that your hair retains the nutrients and moisture it needs from the conditioner. You should see that the dye has faded to roughly 2/3rds of what is once was. Let your hair rest for a day and then repeat this process.^{[4]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Stripping Dye with Vitamin C

1
Use 1,000 mg of vitamin C mixed with shampoo. You can buy vitamin C in packets, bottles, or as a powder. Place your vitamin C in a mixing bowl. If it is not already a powder, crush it up into a powder using the back of a spoon, a pestle, or, in a pinch, a hammer.^{[5]
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2
Add shampoo to your vitamin C. You will want to use good shampoo that leaves your hair soft and healthy. Add a good amount (a little more than you normally would use) to your vitamin C and mix the two ingredients together. Make sure there aren't any lumps and that the powder is thoroughly mixed in.
- You can also mix a little dish soap in with the shampoo and vitamin C if you want to boost the dye lifting power of this technique.
3
Wet your hair with warm water and apply the mixture. Warm water really helps to open up your hair follicles, making it easier to remove the dye. Apply the shampoo mixture to your hair. Lather up to work it into your hair and coat each strand from root to tip.
4
Clip your hair up and put a shower cap on. This method can be messy, so it is important to wear a shower cap while you wait for the treatment to work. You should also wrap your shoulders in an old towel, as the dye tends to drip down. The shower cap should catch most of the drips, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
- If you don't have a shower cap, you can also use a plastic bag clipped in the front, or cling wrap that has been wrapped around your hair.
5
Let your hair process for 45 minutes. During this 45 minutes, the shampoo and vitamin C mixture will be working to rid your hair of color. Once it is done processing, rinse your hair.^{[6]
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6
Work conditioner into your hair. This is important to do so that your hair does not dry out or become frizzy. This method works on both permanent and semi-permanent dyes, however everyone's hair is different. You may have to repeat these steps again if your dye is still noticeable.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Household Products

1
Run a bath and add bath salts. Bath salts, which can be purchased at drug stores, grocery stores, or at big box stores like Walmart, are known to fade blue and green semi-permanent hair dye. Run a bath with hot water and add a package of bath salts. Soak your hair for as long as possible in the tub. When you are done, your hair dye should be faded. You should then shampoo and condition your hair. Repeat this process in a day or two if necessary.^{[7]
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- You can also stop up a sink and add bath salts to that if you don't want to soak in the tub.
2
Use dish soap. Note that this will really dry out your hair so it is important to condition your hair well after using this method. Add four or five drops of dish soap to a quarter-sized amount of shampoo. Get your hair wet using hot water and then lather your hair with the shampoo mixture. Leave this mixture in for 10 minutes, then rinse.^{[8]
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- Follow this with a conditioning treatment.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Fading Dye in the Sun

1
Spend more time outside. Exposing yourself to some natural sunlight over the course of a few days can also help to fade your hair color. Try going for a daily walk in the afternoon when the sun is at its brightest. Make sure to use sunscreen on your skin and do not spend too much time outside in the sun or your scalp may get burned.^{[9]
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2
Use hairspray. Cover the colored hair with lots of "strong hold" hairspray. Sit in the sun for as long as possible. Then brush out the hairspray, wash with an anti-dandruff shampoo and condition well to restore the hair's softness.
3
Sit in the sun after going swimming in a chlorinated pool. While exposure to chlorine will not strip your hair of color immediately, going swimming in a chlorinated pool and exposing your hair to sunlight will begin to fade your dye.^{[10]
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Research source} However, you should always wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner after you have gone swimming. Do not expose yourself to so much sun that you end up getting burnt, as this could lead to skin cancer.

Expert Q&A

Question

Is the vitamin C method effective? And, if so, will it damage my hair?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

While everyone's hair is different, the vitamin C method does work for semi- and permanent dyes. Keep in mind that it will most likely cause your hair to feel dry.
Question

I dyed my hair blue and green over a year ago. How can I get rid of the dye?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

It sounds like you used a permanent dye. If so, I'd suggest trying the vitamin C method to fade the blue and green on your hair.
Question

How do I lighten a blue that is almost black in medium brown hair?

Community Answer

I dyed my brown hair blue and at the beginning, it looked black. I just waited for it to fade, although you could try one of the suggested ways listed above. I would try using a clarifying shampoo.

Warnings

Always use caution when using household products like dish soap and detergent. Take extra care not to get any in your eyes, ears, mouth or nose.

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Do not try to dye over blue or green hair with shop bought dyes like brown and black. Often, it will make them extremely dark and they will have a blue tinge to them.

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