Orange Hair Color Correction

Girl with orange hair
Photo: Inna Reznik/Shutterstock
Q: My hair naturally is a light ash brown. I dyed it a chocolate brown about a year ago and then got blonde highlights. In the summer my hair gets lighter, so it turned a blondish orangish color. I box dyed it again a few weeks ago and now it's fading drastically and turning orange and I don't know what to do because orange makes my pale face look even more washed out. Help please!
 
A: This is a case where you need a color correction. What it sounds like is that the chocolate brown color you used had an orange base, which became more apparent as the hair was sun-lightened. The boxed color you used was likely another orange-based color.
 
Regardless of the cause, we need to correct the color issue you have now. Here's what you need to do:
 
Go to your local beauty supply store and find a hair color that is level 8 or 9 and has a blue base color. This will be a very light blonde color, but that's okay. What we need is the blue base to combine with the orange and neutralize its prominence. Be sure to get the other supplies you'll need: hair conditioner (your choice), gloves, a plastic cap, and a color applicator bottle (or a mixing bowl and color brush). You also need to get a 20-volume peroxide developer for the color.
 
When you're ready to correct the color, put on your gloves. Mix together 1 ounce of the hair color formula (it comes in 2 ounce bottles) with one ounce of the 20-volume developer, and 2 ounces of your favorite hair conditioner. You can combine these items in your color bottle, or the mixing bowl, depending on which you purchased. Apply the mix to your clean, dry hair carefully, being sure to cover all the hair from scalp to ends. Once applied, place the plastic cap over your hair and warm the hair with a hair dryer for 20 minutes.
 
After 20 minutes you should rinse the hair thoroughly and dry the hair to check the color results. This should give you less of an orange tinting and more of the brown you were seeking. If the hair is still too orange, you can repeat the process again. (You will have purchased enough color for two applications.)
 
I want to say that by giving you these instructions, I am only offering information. Your decision to attempt the color correction procedure is entirely voluntary and should be done at your own risk. I prefer to have persons who are experiencing problems with their hair color visit a salon professional for corrective services, but acknowledge that some people consider this an unacceptable (or unpreferable) option. I wish you the best.
 
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See also:
 
Basic hair coloring information
 
Hair color level and peroxide developer
 
Brassy orange hair after lightening roots
 
Reddish-orange hair color after dying brown hair blonde
 
How to get back to your natural hair color