How to Remove Hair Dye Using Clarifying Shampoo?

Have you recently dyed your hair and realized the color isn’t for you? Now you want to switch up your color, but struggling to remove the existing dye?

We’ve all been there at least once. You can use clarifying shampoo to remove hair dye.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through a simple, step-by-step process to remove hair dye using clarifying shampoo and how long it can take for clarifying shampoo to remove the hair dye. This method is easy to follow and can be done right at home.

Things to Consider When Using a Clarifying Shampoo

Since you will need multiple washes to remove the color thoroughly, keep these essential facts in mind:

• Do not use the clarifying shampoo more than once a day. Clarifying shampoo is known to cause dryness in hair.
• Allow for 24 hours between using the clarifying shampoo. You don’t want to over-dry your hair and damage it.
• Use a conditioner that deeply nourishes and moisturizes after using a clarifying shampoo, and leave it in for five minutes before rinsing out.

How to Remove Hair Dye with Clarifying Shampoo

Clarifying shampoo can gradually fade hair dye with several washes. It works by scrubbing the outer layer of the hair, where semi-permanent dye resides.

However, it may not effectively remove permanent hair dye or dark, solid colors that penetrate deep into the hair. Using clarifying shampoo typically results in significant fading of semi-permanent dyes after five washes.

Here are the easy step-by-step instructions to remove hair dye with clarifying shampoo:

1. Wet your hair with warm water to open up the hair cuticles.
2. Apply a generous amount of clarifying shampoo to your hair.
3. Massage the shampoo into your hair to create a lather.
4. Put on a plastic cap and let the shampoo sit in your hair for at least ten minutes.
5. Rinse the shampoo out of your hair with warm water to help lift more color.
6. Rinse your hair again, but this time with cold water to close the cuticle.
7. If necessary, repeat the steps from the beginning.
8. Finally, apply a conditioner, moisturizer, or hair mask to keep your hair soft and shiny.

For quicker results, you can combine the use of clarifying shampoo with other methods like using baking soda or vitamin C.

Spending more time under the sun or in swimming pools, or washing with dandruff shampoo can also accelerate the color-fading process.

However, avoid overuse of clarifying shampoo to prevent hair dryness.

Using a clarifying shampoo that contains sulfates and sodium chloride can boost color removal. Though they’re usually avoided due to their drying effect, their color-stripping power is beneficial in this case.

Shampoos labeled as color-safe are typically too gentle to effectively remove hair dye.

Using a clarifying shampoo in the first five days after coloring your hair is the most effective as the dye molecules haven’t fully settled, and the hair cuticles are slightly open. This makes the dye easier to remove.

How Long Does Clarifying Shampoo Take To Remove Hair Dye?

Regular shampoo can take up to 15-20 washes to thoroughly fade hair dye. However, a good clarifying shampoo can do this in a quarter of the time, meaning it will only take about five washes to fade most of the hair dye from your hair.

It’s important to note that clarifying shampoo does not entirely remove hair dye from your hair. It will, however, fade the color faster than regular shampoo.

Additionally, it’s essential to use a clarifying shampoo within the first week of dyeing your hair to remove the most hair color. The sooner you use it, the more color you can remove from your hair.

Using Clarifying Shampoo on Semi-Permanent and Permanent Hair Dye

The process for removing hair dye from hair varies depending on whether the hair dye is semi-permanent or permanent.

Now you might be wondering why that is. It’s because semi-permanent hair dye coats the hair strands in hair dye while permanent hair dye deposits the hair dye into the hair strands, thus making it last until the hair grows out.

Semi-Permanent Hair Dye

Because a semi-permanent hair dye only coats the hair strands with hair dye, it typically only lasts about three to four weeks. Of course, you could wait for it to wash out naturally but if the color is too much of an eyesore, then using a clarifying shampoo as soon as possible quickly speeds up the process of getting rid of the hair dye.

For semi-permanent hair dye, leave the clarifying shampoo in your hair for up to 20 minutes, then rinse it out. You should only need to use a clarifying shampoo once or twice more on semi-permanent hair dye.

Permanent Hair Dye

As the permanent hair dye deposits the dye into the hair strands, it can last about six to eight weeks. Remember that using a clarifying shampoo as soon as possible will speed up the process of removing the hair dye and allow you to remove the most color.

For permanent hair dye, leave the clarifying shampoo in your hair for up to 30 minutes, then rinse it out. You will need to use a clarifying shampoo two or three more times.

Key Points

• Clarifying shampoo fades hair dye over several washes.
• Avoid daily usage to prevent hair dryness.
• Always condition after using clarifying shampoo.
• Works best on semi-permanent dye, less effective on permanent hair dye or deep colors.
• Apply the shampoo to wet hair, let it sit for 10 minutes, rinse with warm and then cold water.
• Other methods like baking soda, vitamin C, sun exposure, or dandruff shampoo can hasten fading.
• Use a shampoo with sulfates and sodium chloride for better color removal.
• Best used within the first five days after coloring.
• Semi-permanent dye fades faster than permanent dye; adjust application time accordingly.

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