Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or professional treatment. Always consult a healthcare provider for scalp/hair conditions and perform a patch test before using any chemical products.
“My hair turned purple after dyeing brown!” How did this even happen? And more importantly, how can you fix it?
If you have work in the morning and your newly purple hair is not something you want your coworkers to see, there are steps you can take to fix your hair. There are also specific reasons why your hair turned purple after dyeing it brown.
Read our guide below to learn why your hair turned purple and the ways you can fix your hair color back into your preferred shade.
Why Did Your Hair Turn Purple
Hair dyes made of a chocolate brown color tend to have a purple base. Natural or neutral brown hair dyes also have a violet base, which is why your hair may have turned purple. You’ll often find that hair turns purple after trying to dye it brown if you have previously bleached your hair into a blonde color.
Because bleached blonde hair is highly porous and lacks underlying warm pigments, it can rapidly absorb the hidden violet or blue bases found in chocolate and some neutral brown color dyes, resulting in an unintended purple tint. Permanent brown dye can work on blonde hair, but it can turn muddy or purple if you don’t “fill” the hair first with warm tones.
What to Consider Before Mending Your Purple Hair
If you’re looking to mend your purple hair and change it into an extremely light color, you will need to bleach your hair. However, if you want a dark hair color, you’ll need to first fade the purple. Only after it fades can you add a new hair dye. Golden brown or warm, honey-toned brown glosses work best to correct a purple mistake. Because yellow is opposite violet on the color wheel, adding gold tones will neutralize the unwanted purple.
When changing your hair color, you may want to let it first fade and always use the color wheel to figure out which dye to use. You might want to move over to the next shades on the color wheel.
If your hair turned purple, avoid chestnut or mahogany dyes. Purple is already a mix of red and blue, so adding more red to the hair will only result in a dark burgundy, plum, or cherry cola color. It would be much harder to move straight to brassy yellow and dark or light blonde.
These are some of the things you might want to consider before moving directly to changing the purple hair color.
How to Fix Your Purple Hair Mistake
Depending on how dark the purple is, there are a few ways to correct the tone. While a gold-based toner or gloss can help neutralize a light purple tint, remember that you cannot use traditional hair dye to physically remove or lift the purple color from your mane.
You cannot put yellow or orange dye directly over dark purple to erase it. Color cannot lift color. You must first lift or fade the dark purple using a commercial color remover or a clarifying shampoo treatment before applying a correcting tone.
Worst-case scenario warning: Attempting to layer more permanent box dyes at home to fix a mistake can result in severe damage or a muddy color that requires a highly expensive ($200+) salon color correction. If in doubt, stick to temporary toners or see a professional.
When considering using toner, toner is best for light purple tones or after you’ve already faded the purple. For very dark purple, fade or lift first, then use a correcting tone.
You can also choose pigmented conditioners with a brown pigmented shade if your box dye turned your hair into a very light purple color. An effective clarifying shampoo can also help fade your hair color if it turned into a very dark purple.
Different Options to Fix Your Purple Hair and Make It Brown
If your hair turns purple after dyeing brown, you can take other key steps to fix this problem and change your locks’ color. Here are some different options:
#1. Using Vinegar
Safety note: Apply this carefully outside of the shower or with your head tilted backward. Do not allow this watery mixture to run down your face, as it will cause severe stinging and irritation if it gets into your eyes.
- Rinse the vinegar mixture thoroughly with warm water.
- Gently wash your hair with a clarifying or sulfate-free shampoo to ensure all vinegar residue is completely removed.
- Finally, apply a heavy hydrating hair mask or deep conditioner, leaving it on for 5 to 10 minutes to restore moisture and seal the hair cuticle.
#2. Using Baking Soda
You can also use baking soda to remove the purple from your hair. Follow the steps below.
Important: Baking soda is highly alkaline and can irritate the scalp. If using a baking soda mixture, limit it to a single use, try to keep it off your scalp, and immediately follow with a pH-balancing conditioner. Do not repeat alkaline treatments like baking soda for multiple days, as they can permanently damage the hair cuticle and cause severe breakage. If you have curly or coily hair (Type 3 or 4), do not use baking soda, as it can cause extreme dryness and matting. Rely on a gentle clarifying shampoo followed by a heavy moisture mask instead. Safety note: Apply this carefully outside of the shower or with your head tilted backward. Do not allow this watery mixture to run down your face, as it will cause severe stinging and irritation if it gets into your eyes.
- Mix two tablespoons of baking soda with a cup and a half of water
- Wet your hair and step out of the shower before applying
- Apply the mixture to your hair and leave it in for 10 minutes, trying to keep it off your scalp
- Rinse your hair out with water
- Immediately follow with a pH-balancing conditioner
- Use this mixture only once. Do not repeat for multiple days. Rely on a gentle clarifying shampoo instead.
#3. Using a Commercial Color Remover
For blue-violet or stubborn purple tones, a commercial hair color remover is usually a better option than messy home remedies. Use it as directed, then follow with a clarifying shampoo (if needed) and a deep conditioning mask.
Final Thought
If your hair turned purple after dyeing brown, the problem might be that the chocolate brown hair dye has a violet base. Those with bleached blonde hair can absorb the hidden violet or blue bases in some brown dyes more quickly, which can turn hair purple.
Our guide should have taught you all the steps to take when changing your hair color and fixing the purple mistake. You can choose more toner and hair dye or go a more natural route with a pigmented conditioner or apple cider vinegar and baking soda.
Whatever steps you choose to follow, you’ll want to consider changing your hair color based on the color wheel and go a few shades past the purple color, such as reddish-brown.
With the right corrective steps and plenty of deep conditioning, your hair’s color will be much closer to your goal, and you’ll be ready for compliments on the new look!
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