“Keratin Treatment Turned My Hair Orange” – How to Fix?

It can be shocking to see your hair color change from blonde or brown to brassy orange after a keratin treatment.

Do not panic. It is common for light brown and blonde hair to turn orange after a keratin treatment. However, there are ways to get rid of the orange color and revert to the originally dyed hair color.

What Should I Do If Keratin Treatment Turned My Hair Orange?

The first option to remove the orange color from keratin-treated hair is to wash the hair with a blue shampoo or toner. Alternatively, you can wait 2–4 weeks to bleach your hair to your preferred color. If you like the new tone, embrace it, and wear your hair confidently.

If your hair is dyed brown to blonde, a keratin hair treatment can lighten it up to two levels, resulting in an orange hue.

The amino acids, vitamins, and nutrients in the keratin treatment penetrate the hair cuticles and strands, causing them to lighten up. The extreme heat exposure during flat ironing to seal in the keratin protein also speeds up the lightening process.

How to Fix Hair That Turned Orange After A Keratin Treatment?

Below is a detailed look at what to do if your hair turns orange after a keratin treatment.

Embrace the Orange Color

If you happen to like the orange color, leave your hair as is and wear it with confidence. Remember, different does not always mean bad. The accidental orange may be all you need to get yourself out of the brown to blonde hair color cocoon you are used to.

If you choose to keep the orange hair as is, observe the essential post-keratin hair treatment measures. These measures include:

• Keeping your hair completely dry in the first 72 hours allows the keratin treatment to set in.
• Even after 72 hours, avoid exposing your hair to extreme moisture. For instance, do not go swimming or use a steam bath.
• Use sulfate free-shampoos to clean the hair.
• Minimize hair manipulation. For example, avoid combing or brushing it aggressively or tying it into a tight ponytail.

Use a Blue Shampoo

In the color wheel, purple is the opposite of yellow. Therefore, if you wash your hair with purple shampoo, it neutralizes and eliminates the yellow color. Similarly, blue shampoo neutralizes the orange color returning your hair to its originally dyed color.

Some may suggest that you can neutralize the orange hair with purple shampoo. However, according to colorimetry, blue will be more efficient.

The blue shampoo works like any other shampoo. However, you should not use it too regularly. It should be used a maximum of one or two times per week until the orange color clears off completely.

You can also opt to alternate between blue shampoo and regular shampoo for subsequent washes. Prolonged use of blue shampoo on dyed hair can make it much darker than intended. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter.

Below is an overview of how to use blue shampoo to remove the orange color after a keratin treatment.

1. Wet your hair sparingly with lukewarm water. Avoid soaking it in excess water, as excess moisture can cause keratin-treated hair to fall out.
2. Gently apply a generous amount of blue shampoo to the wet hair.
3. Massage the scalp and the hair strands with the shampoo ensuring that it is well incorporated.
4. If the hair is deep orange, let the blue shampoo sit for two to three minutes. In the subsequent washes, you will not need to leave the blue shampoo on the hair for too long, as the orange color will have faded a bit.
5. Thoroughly rinse the shampoo with clean, lukewarm water.
6. Follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. You can double up the neutralizing effect of the blue shampoo by using a blue conditioner.
7. Once again, rinse the hair thoroughly.
8. Pat the hair with a soft towel to remove excess water, then dry with a blow drier. You may also apply a moisturizing leave-in conditioner to the hair. Refrain from brushing or aggressively combing your hair after shampooing it to prevent it from falling.
9. Finish with a moisturizing hair serum. It will lock in moisture in the hair cuticles and boost shine.

Use a Toner

Applying a toner to your orange hair can help to neutralize the color. As with other treatments, allow at least 72 hours before applying the toner for the keratin treatment to set in. It is best to have your stylist o the toner treatment on your hair. They know the best type of toner to remove the orange color.

Alternatively, your stylist can use a toning shampoo to wash your hair after administering the keratin treatment to prevent your hair from turning orange in the first place.

Rebleach Your Hair

Another way of removing the orange color due to keratin treatment is to wait 2-4 weeks and then bleach the hair to its initial dyed color. However, this option is the least recommended as it can lead to hair loss.

Keratin-treated hair is already fragile, and the harsh chemicals in hair dyes make it more susceptible to falling. Also, it is not a good idea to do the keratin treatment and bleach the hair at the same time. If you intend to bleach your hair, do so at least one month before a keratin treatment.

So, How to Fix Hair Color That Turned Orange After Keratin Treatment?

Applying a toner to dyed hair right after a keratin treatment can keep it from turning orange. If you did not follow this step and your blonde to brown dyed hair turns orange after a keratin treatment, you can neutralize the orange color by waiting at least 72 hours before washing it with a toning shampoo or blue shampoo.

Limit sun exposure, use filtered water to clean your hair, and use sulfate-free shampoos only to prevent your dyed hair from becoming more orangish.