How to Dye Brown Hair After Dyeing Black

You just dyed your hair black but don’t really like it? Your hair is naturally black but you want to dye it brown? Unfortunately, you can’t simply dye your black hair brown without bleaching or lightening it first. After bleaching your hair, you can choose your favorite brown tone and start dyeing. Whether you have just dyed your hair black or have been dyeing it for a while, there are many methods to help you turn black hair into brown.

Table of Contents

Remove dye with shampoo

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Buy the right product. There are 2 types of shampoos that help bleach hair color. Deep cleansing shampoo rich in bleaching ingredients and anti-dandruff shampoo. These shampoos help break down the pigment in the hair and return the hair to its original color. You can also use conditioner (not for dyed hair) to both prevent hair damage and help remove hair color.

Make sure the shampoo you use is not made for dyed hair, such as Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo. The purpose is to bleach hair color, so you don’t need to choose a color-protecting shampoo. ^{[1] X Research Sources}^{[2] X Research Sources}

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Brush the soap on your hair. Wrap a towel around your neck and step into the bathroom. Wet your hair with warm water to help open up the hair follicles. Massage shampoo into hair and smooth from scalp to ends. Make sure the shampoo is applied to the entire hair so that the hair after washing is evenly colored. Skim off soap bubbles while stroking and massaging the shampoo into your hair.

The soap will be the color of hair dye. Avoid getting soap in your eyes.
It is recommended to rub the hair while washing. So shampoo can bleach hair color as much as possible. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Heat the hair. After the hair has been bleached with shampoo, use a hat or plastic bag to cover the hair. Use a hair dryer to heat your hair evenly. Be sure not to melt the plastic from the hood or plastic bag while heating your hair. After heating the entire section of hair, you can leave the shampoo on your hair for about 15-20 minutes.

If you have a hair dryer, you can sit in it.
If your hair is long enough, you may need to use sectional hair clips to fit all of your hair into the hood. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

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Rinse and repeat. Wash your hair after 20 minutes. Take some more soap, comb it through your hair and wash it a second time. This step helps to remove any remaining dye molecules from the hair, after the molecules have been loosened during shampoo application and heating. The second time you apply this shampoo, you don’t need to heat your hair. ^{[5] X Research Sources}^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Apply conditioner and heat your hair. Apply conditioner to hair from roots to ends. Use a hair dryer and blow-dry all of your hair. Leave conditioner on hair for 25-30 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with cold water.

Do not skip this step. Deep-cleansing shampoos or anti-dandruff shampoos strip the hair of oil, leaving it brittle and dry. Using conditioner for hair immediately after washing will help restore damage after washing. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Repeat. After the first time, the hair will be noticeably brighter and not so dark anymore. You can even see part of your natural hair color before dyeing. However, not all of the dye’s black color will be removed the first time, so you will need to bleach your hair a second time. After the hair color is light enough, you can start dyeing brown.

Give your hair a recovery time of about 1 day between bleaching. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
This method does not lighten the dark hair color naturally. Shampoo only helps to remove the dye color from the hair.

Remove dye with bleaching cream

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Choose a bleaching product. There are many bleaching products, some for lightening hair color, some for bleaching dyes. You should choose the type you like best or the one that you think suits your needs.

Some hair color removers contain peroxide, such as L’Oreal Cpor Zap, while others contain bleaching ingredients, such as Effasp.
Remember that hair color removers do not turn black hair back to its natural color. After bleaching, the hair will be slightly orange or blond. ^{[9] X Research Source}

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Apply hair color remover. Hair color removers often come with two other products, powders and activators. After bleaching black hair, you need to mix these two products together to apply to your hair. Make sure to apply the mixture evenly throughout the hair. Wear a hood and wait 15-60 minutes. ^{[10] X Research Source}

For thick and long hair, you may need more than a box of bleaching cream.
Because it contains peroxide, the bleaching cream has an unpleasant smell. Therefore, make sure the bathroom is well ventilated and you should not wear new/beautiful clothes that could be damaged by bleach.
Always mix shampoo according to the directions on the package.

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Rinse and apply conditioner to hair. After 15-60 minutes, wash off the shampoo from your hair. Next, apply a deep conditioning conditioner to repair peroxide damage. Rinse off the conditioner and let your hair dry. The hair color will now be light enough for you to continue dyeing brown. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Be careful when using hair color removers. The chemicals in bleach are not as strong as bleach, but they are also harmful to your hair. If your hair is brittle or dry, you need to condition your hair with conditioner before bleaching. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Dye remover with vitamin C

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Prepare materials. In this method, you need to prepare vitamin C in the form of tablets, capsules or powder. Also, prepare an extra bottle of your favorite shampoo, comb, towel and hood.

For capsules, you need to squeeze hard for vitamin C powder to overflow. For tablets, you need to grind them into a powder. Grinding can be done by hand, using a grinder or a blender. ^{[13] X Research Source}

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Mixing. Mix vitamin C with shampoo. Measure out and pour 1 tablespoon of vitamin C powder into a bowl (do not use a metal bowl). Add 2 tablespoons of shampoo to the bowl. Mix well to form a mixture. If the mixture is too thin, you can add vitamin C powder to achieve the required consistency. ^{[14] X Research Source}

For long or thick hair, you need to use double or triple the amount of ingredients. It is necessary to prepare the mixture just enough to apply evenly to the entire hair.

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Brush hair. Wrap a towel around your neck before entering the bathroom. Wet your hair with warm water and squeeze out excess water. Apply and comb the mixture evenly through the hair, from the roots to the ends. Use a comb to comb the mixture evenly through each section of hair. After making sure your hair is covered with the mixture, you can put on a hat and wait for about 1 hour. ^{[15] X Research Source}^{[16] X Research Source}

For thick hair, you need to clip your hair up before putting on the hood to keep the hair in the hat.

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Rinse, apply conditioner and repeat. After 1 hour, you need to wash your hair to remove all the mixture on your hair. Wait for the hair to dry and then use a deep conditioner to replace the lost moisture after washing. If the hair is still black, you can apply this method again after a few days. After bleaching all the black, you can dye it as brown as you like.

The hair needs time to recover before bleaching again. The acid in vitamin C makes hair susceptible to damage, so you need to give your hair time to restore its natural oils before continuing to bleach. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Explore other options

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Go to a hair salon. If you don’t want to bleach your hair at home, you can visit a salon consultant. Professionals know better how to care and nourish hair, as well as know how to treat hair damaged by dyeing. The experts at the salon are able to determine the type of hair, the hair problems you may be facing, the dyeing method that will give your hair the color you want and the least damage.

This option is quite expensive, so you need to consider the costs associated with it. The professional will have to remove the dye from the hair, then dye the hair again. As such, you will have to pay for both of these processes. ^{[18] X Research Sources}

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Go to a hair salon. If you want salon-like care, you can look to academies. Here, the staff can dye your hair for you at a much cheaper cost than a regular salon and often help you condition your hair. However, hairdressers are still in training, so you need to keep an eye on them to make sure they’re doing what you want. ^{[19] X Research Source}

Be prepared to be a “test subject” because it’s full of students.
All work aside as this process can take several hours.

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Wait. If the above methods do not work or you are not interested, you can wait until the black hair color fades and is enough to dye brown. The wait will take longer, but it’s just as effective. You can wash your hair with a shampoo that is not meant for dyed hair to make the color fade faster. After the black color fades, you can dye it as brown as you like.

Depending on whether you’ve used demi-permanent or semi-permanent dyes, the timeframe can range from a few weeks to a few months.

Advice

Many people recommend bleaching their hair, but this method will cause significant damage to the hair. So you should avoid bleaching if possible.
After bleaching and dyeing your hair, you should take time to care for and moisturize your hair. The risk of dyeing your hair is that it makes your hair brittle and dry.
The condition of your hair can affect the method you choose to dye or change your hair color. If your hair is damaged, you need to determine if dyeing your hair will cause more damage. If your hair is healthy, you need to consider the effects that dyeing has on your hair.
If you dye your hair black with a temporary dye, the color will be easier to remove. The stronger the hair dye method, the harder it will be to remove the black color.

Steps

Remove dye with shampoo

Remove dye with bleaching cream

Dye remover with vitamin C

Explore other options

Advice

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