How to Get Red Out of Hair

Co-authored by April Ferri and Sophia Bell

Last Updated: December 5, 2024 Fact Checked

If you want to strip red dye from your hair, you can use a commercial color-removing product or try a home remedy. If you want to turn your red hair blonde, start by removing the dye, apply a high-lift color, do a bleach bath, wait a few days and bleach your hair again, then finish by applying a blonde hair dye. Be aware that this process is very damaging to your hair, so go to a hair salon for best results. To tone down the red color of your hair, you can get a toning treatment at a salon or use a toning shampoo at home. No matter what method you choose, you can get red out of your hair with a few simple steps.

Tips to Remove Red Hair Dye

Use a clarifying shampoo for best results. A clarifying shampoo cleanses your hair deeply, so it may help to strip the red from your hair. Vitamin C powder is much less damaging than other methods. You may need to repeat the application to get rid of all the red dye. Alternatively, use a green toning hair care system.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Stripping Red Dye

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1
Remove the color as soon as possible. The quicker you can get the dye out of your hair, the more of it you'll be able to remove. Try to strip the color within 48 hours. If it's been weeks or months since you dyed your hair red, you might not be able to remove as much of the color as you'd like.^{[1]
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- Note that a semi- or demi-permanent color is a lot easier to remove than permanent color.
2
Go to a salon for the best results. A professional hair stylist will have lots of tips and tricks for removing dye from your hair. For the least damaging options that will give you the best results, make an appointment at a local salon and ask your stylist to remove the red dye for you.
- Professional hair stylists can remove the color with a safe powder-water mix that breaks the chemical color bonds of your hair. That way, you don't have to worry about your hair falling out.
- Removing dye can often result in an uneven look, which is what hair stylists are trained to deal with. They can help you get to the color you want with some highlights, lowlights, and maybe even a glaze.
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3
Try a color-removing product if you don't mind damaging your hair. Using a color removing product is similar to using hair dye. Typically, you mix together 2 liquids in a plastic applicator bottle. Then, saturate all of your hair with the liquid, cover your head with a plastic cap, and let the product sit on your hair for the specified amount of time (usually about 20 minutes). Rinse it out and wash your hair thoroughly, using shampoo.^{[2]
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- There are tons of products on the market formulated specifically to remove hair dye. However, they can contain some pretty harsh chemicals and may dry out or otherwise damage your tresses. If you truly hate the red color, pick up one of these products from a beauty or drug store and give it a try.^{[3]
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- Some of these products can be used more than one time. Check the manufacturer's instructions to see if this is an option.
- One rule of thumb is that color cannot lift color. You can't throw blonde on top of red and think that's going to turn your hair blonde, because the red color has already penetrated the hair follicles and is permanently there.
4
Use vitamin C powder for a more natural solution. Get regular vitamin C tablets from a grocery or pharmacy store. Crush up about a dozen of the tablets and mix 1 part powder into 2 parts shampoo. Work the shampoo into damp hair to create a lather, cover your hair with a cap, and let it sit for up to an hour. Rinse it out when the time is up.^{[4]
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- Use a clarifying shampoo for best results. A clarifying shampoo cleanses your hair deeply, so it may help to strip the red from your hair.
- Vitamin C powder is much less damaging than other methods. You may need to repeat the application to get rid of all the red dye.
Wash your hair repeatedly with dish soap if that's all you have on hand. Dish soap can help strip out color, but one use might not be enough. Use the dish soap as you would shampoo and wash your hair with it once per day until the color is gone. The high levels of sulfates help remove the red color from your locks.^{[5]
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Tip: Dish soap is really drying, so apply a deep conditioning treatment after every use.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Going from Red to Blonde

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Turning red hair blonde is a complex and lengthy process. Have a professional hairstylist perform the transformation for you for best results and to limit the amount of damage done to your hair.
2
Strip your hair first if it's already dyed red. If your hair isn't naturally red, remove as much of the dye as you can before you start bleaching. You can use a color-removing product or a natural solution like dish soap or vitamin C.^{[6]
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- After each treatment, deep condition your hair to restore some of the moisture.
Tip: For best results, repeat color-removing treatments over the course of a week to remove as much color as possible.
3
Apply a high-lift color to your hair. Wear gloves and old clothes or a hairdresser's cape. Mix 1 part color with 2 parts developer (or as indicated by the manufacturer's instructions) in a plastic bowl with an applicator brush. Comb your hair and divide it into 4-8 sections. Clip all but 1 section out of the way with plastic clips. Paint the color onto each section, working your way from one side of your head to the other. Massage the dye into your hair to make sure every strand is evenly coated.^{[7]
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- Place a plastic shower cap over your head and let the color process for the recommended amount of time. Refer to the package instructions for more information.
- Applying bleach to dyed red hair might make the red color more permanent and harder to remove. Instead, opt for a high-lift blonde color and 30-volume developer.
4
Do a bleach bath the next day. Put on gloves and a hairdresser's cape. Mix together 1 part bleach powder, 1 part 30-volume developer, and 1 part clear shampoo in a plastic bowl. Paint the mixture onto your hair the same way that you applied the high-lift color. Be sure to evenly coat every single strand of hair. Sit in front of the mirror so you can watch your hair process and rinse out the bleach bath after about 30 minutes or once you notice that the red has faded away.^{[8]
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- Keep in mind that bleach is very damaging to your hair and doing a drastic color change—such as from red to blonde—can cause breakage and make your hair more fragile.
- A high volume developer is more likely to damage your hair than a low volume developer.
5
Bleach your hair again the following day or week. In order to remove all of the rest of the color and turn your tresses a true blonde, you'll need to bleach your hair again. Mix 1 part 40-volume developer with 1 part bleach powder in a plastic bowl. Use an applicator brush to saturate all of your hair with the mixture and let it process for 20 minutes. Then, rinse your hair, shampoo it, and do deep-conditioning treatment.
- It's best to wait 3-7 days before bleaching your hair again to give it some time to recover. Use deep-conditioning treatments every day to maintain the health of your hair.
6
Dye your hair blonde to even out the color. If you ended up with patchy color that's different at the roots than the ends, applying an all-over dye can help even it out. Keep in mind that you may need to go a shade or 2 darker. Remember that even, ash blonde hair is much preferable to uneven, platinum blonde hair.^{[9]
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- Follow the instructions to mix the dye and apply it the same way you did the high-lift color and bleach.
- If your hair is even but still has a red or orangey tone, you can tone it instead of dying it.
- You may need to trim your hair if the ends are especially damaged.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Toning Red Hair to Adjust the Shade

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1
Use a toner to make slight changes to your hair color. If your hair is a bit too vibrant or the shade is off—it's too red or too orange and you want something subtler, a toner might be just what you need. If you want to drastically change your hair color, opt to strip or dye it, instead.^{[10]
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- Toner is a semi-permanent solution, so you may need to repeat the process every 2-6 weeks.
2
Visit a salon for a professional toning treatment. As always, it's best to have a professional hairstylist change your hair color. Book an appointment for a toning treatment and explain exactly what you hope to achieve to your stylist so they can choose the right toner for your hair.^{[11]
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- The stylist will wet your hair, apply the toner, leave it on for a certain amount of time, then rinse it out. It's pretty straightforward!
- As an added bonus, toner adds shine to your tresses.
3
Pick up toning shampoo from the store for a home remedy. Toning shampoos are designed to tone down certain hair colors and are widely available at beauty and drug stores. Wet your hair, apply a generous amount of the shampoo, work it into your tresses, and leave it in for about 10 minutes. Then, rinse the shampoo out and repeat the process.
- You can use toning shampoo each time you wash your hair, if needed, but no more than 1 or 2 times per week. If you wash your hair more frequently, then use a different shampoo on other days of the week.
Tip: If your hair is too red, opt for a green toning shampoo. If it's too orange, go with a purple toning shampoo.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I get red out of my hair at home?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You may be able to remove some of it, but honestly, this is kind of a tall order for a DIY job. You really want to see a professional for something like this.

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Question

Is red dye bad for your hair?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

It's not going to flat out destroy your hair, but yes, it's not particularly good for it. As a general rule, the lighter the dye is, the harder it will be to get it out.

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Question

What should I do if my stylist dyes my hair too dark?

April Ferri
Professional Hair Stylist
April Ferri is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Co-Owner of Widows Peak Salon, a hair salon based in Los Angeles, California. With over ten years of experience, April specializes in hair coloring and enhancing and transforming natural tones into vibrant shades for beautiful and low maintenance hair. Her work has been featured in Voyage LA Magazine, and she has worked as a stylist for LA Fashion Week.

April Ferri

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Go back and have them fix it! There are a lot of ways for stylists and colorists to correct their mistakes. From clarifying washes to toners, they should be able to adjust it the way that you want.

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Tips

If you want to make your hair color darker instead of lighter, simply strip out the red and apply a darker hair color to your tresses.

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Warnings

Repeatedly coloring and/or bleaching your hair is very damaging. Book an appointment with a professional hairdresser for best results.

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