You finally summoned all your confidence and decided to bleach your hair at home. You are hoping for that soft golden blonde you see on models and actresses on TV, in magazines, and on runways.
Now that the bleaching part is done, you are excited to see the results. But to your horror, you ended up with a harsh shade of orange.
Do not panic. This is common after at home lightening. It usually means your hair did not lift far enough.
You can fix it. First, figure out if your hair is more yellow orange or true orange. That one detail decides what you should use next.
Many people mention purple. Purple can help sometimes, but not for every orange tone.
Before you cover your hair with purple dye, read this first. Can you put purple over orange hair?
Answer: Yes. You can dye purple over orange hair. But purple does not cancel true orange. Purple cancels yellow. If your hair is orange or copper, use blue to neutralize it.
Color Theory You Need to Know
If your hair is orange (like a copper penny), you need a blue toner or blue shampoo to neutralize it. Blue and orange sit opposite each other on the color wheel.
If your hair is yellow or yellow orange (like the inside of a banana), you need purple toner or purple shampoo. Purple helps soften yellow tones.
Putting purple dye on bright orange hair can overload warm tones and lead to a muddy result. That is why matching the toner to the tone matters.
Safety notes
- Strand test first: apply to a hidden strand, wait about 20 minutes, then rinse and dry to check the final result.
- Patch test: follow the brand directions to check for allergy.
- Stop if it burns: if your scalp stings, burns, or feels hot, rinse right away.
- Do not rush bleach: do not overlap bleach on already lightened hair, it can cause breakage.
- If hair feels gummy: do not tone or dye, focus on repair first.
Things to Consider
Your Current Orange Shade
Check your hair in natural light. Is it more orange or more yellow orange?
True orange or copper needs blue. Yellow orange can sometimes handle purple. If you are unsure, do a strand test.
Lightness and Darkness of the Orange Tone
How light or dark the orange tone is will change your result.
If your orange is light and close to yellow, purple toner may help. If your orange is darker, you may need to lighten again before toning can work well.
If you want purple hair, darker orange usually gives a deeper warm purple. Lighter hair gives brighter purple.
Your Hair Health
Another choice is the type of hair dye you should use. This depends on the condition of your hair.
If you have dry or brittle hair, a semi permanent dye is usually gentler. If your hair is healthy, a permanent dye may last longer. The latter is also a common option if you have lots of gray hair you want to cover.
What Other Colors Cover Orange Hair?
Purple dye will not fix every orange tone. Here are other options, based on what you are trying to do.
Blue
Blue is one of the best choices to cancel orange. Blue and orange are opposites on the color wheel. That is why blue shampoo and blue toner are used for orange hair correction.
This is recommended if your hair is a bright orange or copper shade.
Blonde
Important note: You cannot use a blonde box dye to turn orange hair into light blonde. Dye does not lift dye. A lighter blonde dye will not make orange hair lighter. It can only add tone, and it may look darker or muddy.
To go lighter, you usually need to lighten again with bleach. Once your hair reaches yellow, you can tone it. Purple toner is used to soften yellow. Blue toner is used to cancel orange.
If your hair is already damaged, get a professional assessment before you bleach again.
In short, purple can look beautiful over orange hair, but it will often pull warm and deep. If your goal is blonde, match your toner to your tone. Orange needs blue. Yellow needs purple.
FAQs
Not true orange. Purple neutralizes yellow, not orange. If your hair is copper or bright orange, you need blue toner or blue shampoo to cancel it.<br/>Tip: Do a strand test first so you do not end up with a muddy or overly warm result.
Yes. Purple dye can go over red hair. It often creates a deeper burgundy or plum shade.<br/>If you want a bright purple, you will likely need to lighten your hair first.
Sometimes. If your hair is yellow orange, purple shampoo may help over time.<br/>If your hair is true orange or copper, purple shampoo will not cancel it. A blue shampoo or blue toner is the better match.
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