The process of growing out hair color takes time, but it may be beneficial to your health. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), the majority of hair dyes contain highly toxic chemicals that are linked to a multitude of health problems, including cancer, neurological problems and immune system problems.
Gray hair does not have to stop you from going au naturel. The book "Going Gray, Looking Great!" suggests that gray colored hair with a great hair cut looks shiny and beautiful. It is all about feeling beautiful with your natural hair.
Whether you are going back to your natural hair color for health reasons or you simply want your natural hair color back, getting help from a hairstylist and using a few home tricks will make the growing out stage go smoother.
Step 1
Dye your hair one last time with a permanent or semi-permanent hair dye, to a color that closely matches your natural hair color. This is especially useful if your dyed hair color is a much different shade than your natural hair color. For example, if your natural hair color is dark brown and your dyed hair color is a light blonde, the growing out stage will be very obvious. Dye your hair brown, and the growing out stage will be less noticeable.
Step 2
Apply a water-soluble color rinse on your hair to blend in the new growth of natural colored hair with the old growing out dyed hair. Water-soluble color rinses are a temporary color solution that require reapplication with each hair washing.
Step 3
Go to a hairstylist and get a great new haircut. Short haircuts are useful when growing out hair color. The shorter your hair is, the less time you will be stuck in the awkward growing out stage. Another solution is to get layers cut into your hair. A layered hairdo creates dimension in a hair style and will take some of the focus off the color.
Step 4
Trim the ends of your hair often to remove old, damaged dyed hair.
Step 5
Pull your hair back with hair clips or wear your hair in an updo (bun, French twist) to hide your hair color problems while you are in the growing out stage.
Tips and Warnings
- Water-soluble color rinses cannot lighten the color of hair and they can darken hair by only two to three shades.
- Semi-permanent hair dyes can permanently stain light colored hair.
Things You'll Need
- Permanent or semi-permanent hair dye
- Water-soluble color rinse
References
- Environmental Working Gropu - Safe Ways to Color Your Hair
- Going Gray, Looking Great!: The Modern Woman's Guide to Unfading Glory; Diana Lewis Jewell, Peter Freed; Apr. 20, 2004
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