Many consumers with color correction issues don’t realize that hair color can not often be instantly reversed. It can take up to five visits for some serious color problems to be reversed.

Hair color is not like paint on furniture that can easily be removed with paint remover.

Haircoloring is a lot more like painting a white wall. Sometimes you can’t just paint over the color with corrective white paint.

Many times you have to remove the botched color in several steps. The same is true with hair color gone wrong. If you go to a color correction specialist and they tell you that it will take several treatment sessions, take the time to talk to them and find out why before you reject the suggestion outright.

If you went to a professional colorist or stylist, contact them immediately to report your color problem.

Most experts believe you have a 48-72 hour window before the color has a change to lock into the cuticle Prompt action is critical for safe color correction. Don’t get wrapped up in the blame game. While its good to evaluate what went wrong so you can avoid it again, forgive yourself and your colorist/stylist and focus on fixing the problem. Avoid outbursts of anger or emotion. Yelling and forgetting to be polite will only make the situation much worse.

Remember, even the best colorists and stylists in the world can encounter problems. Give them the benefit of the doubt and be willing to let them try  and fix the color to your satisfaction. Most professionals will try to correct color problems and will do it at no additional cost, unless you caused the problem in some way.

When in doubt about henna, don’t do it. Take your time and do lots of research to be sure you are on the right track to desired color results..

Many people have color disasters with henna. Not only does henna coat the hair, it is highly unpredictable for some users.

1. Saturate hair strands with a mixture of 70% alcohol applied with sterile cotton balls. Avoid the scalp area.

2. Follow 5-10 minutes later with a coating of mineral oil. Apply the mineral oil on top of the 70% alcohol. Avoid the scalp area.

3. Cover your new oily head with Saran or similar plastic. A plastic shower cap will also work well.

4. Sit under a hood dryer for 30-45 minutes. If you don’t have a hood dryer, direct a heat concentrator towards the hair from your blow dryer.

5. To remove the oil apply a little shampoo to the palms of your hands and then pat on the oil BEFORE you apply water. If necessary, repeat as needed.

6. Be sure to perform deep conditioning treatments to restore moisture to the hair. This will make your hair dry.

It is a well known fact that trying to repair home hair color can be very difficult. Don’t panic! There are some options to help with your hair color disaster. If you can afford to hire a color correction expert, do so immediately. Home hair color has the same 48-72 hour window.

When finding and/or utilizing a professional color correction expert is not an option, turn to the hair color maker for assistance. Most of the major manufacturers have a toll free consumer help line printed on the box or on the brochure inside. The consumer help lines are usually only available during daytime business hours. Some of the help line consultants will require the exact hair color formula information. Be sure to have the box available to answer any questions that they may have. It is important to note that other consumer hair consultants will probably not be able to provide any detailed email or phone assistance since the best source of color correction assistance will come directly from the home hair color manufacturer.

There are some cases where serious mistakes will require you to find a color professional to help correct the problem. Although a bad hair color experience can be heart breaking, there is nothing worse than a color disaster that becomes even worse and causes hair loss or permanent cuticle damage.

If you went to an unfamiliar colorist or stylist and you are unsure that they can correct the problem, find a color correction expert that you are sure can undo the color damage. When possible, it is always best to stick with the colorist or stylist that made the mistake. Good colorists will know what to do to undo the damage. Going to a second or other stylist or colorists who did not cause the problem can just be asking for additional problems. Try not to panic and take your time to find the best solution for you.

If you sincerely believe that the first professional stylist or colorist caused the problem, call and ask them to pay for your correction treatment or refund your money for the treatment that caused the problem in the first place.

Once you have suffered through bad color, try not to panic and rush to find a solution that might cause even more harm. Many people try to fix the color problems themselves once they get home. This will often make the problem a lot worse and potentially damage hair beyond easy repair.

Avoid the temptation to add more color or try to remove the color at home with bleach or other harsh chemicals. Once you have a color problem the very best solution is to find a professional color correction expert and work with them to get you back to your desired color.

The only way to remove permanent hair color is with a color removal product. Depending on the color that you selected, you may be able to cover the permanent color with a semi or demi-color. Enlist the advise of the color manufacturer before you start experimenting with different coverage shades or you could wind up with the color of mud.

If your visions of color turned to Carrot Top orange, only a color expert can safely get you back to a safe color zone. The same is true for purple, pink, blue or some green. Some chlorine enhanced greens can be removed with a special chlorine removal shampoo. When all else fails, try the tomato juice soak. The red in the juice will neutralize the green in many cases.

Hair vitamins will not instantly help you outgrow a bad dye job. However, it will help maximize your genetic hair growth rate and to help you grow super healthy new strands and leave bad color behind. Consider adding a good essential fatty acid to your daily vitamin count which will help to internally condition new strands.

Hair trims and salons treatments will help to the process. We suggest a trim 6 to 8 weeks, non rinse protein, bonds systems.

Hot water is notorious for fading chemically colored hair. Some volume shampoos and gels like Matrix Amplify and related products may also help fade color faster because it is designed to blow open the hair cuticle which sometimes accelerates hair color loss. Hot extra virgin olive oil and some commercial oil treatments will also help to strip chemically applied color. An old trick of colorists is to shampoo with Prell shampoo which is known for its color striping talents. Don”t assume that it will remove your unwanted hues. It will help fade your color which may or may not be a good thing. While this may or may not be a good option for quickly moving past unwanted temporary or demi-perm colors, it may actually accentuate a bad shade on permanently applied color.

Surviving one really bad hair color experience should help you avoid them in the future. Always make sure that you have a pre-color consultation with your stylist and that you believe you are both on the same hair page. Take photos of your desired hues since stylists work well with a visual view to guide them. Once the color begins, watch carefully. If you think the color process is going wrong, instantly stop the process. If your head or scalp starts to sting or burn speak up immediately. Remember, it is your hair and you have to live with it. Don’t be shy, speak up and leave if you must.