When you dye your hair at home, there is a risk of facing surprises you’d like to avoid. One of them is getting a brassy, mandarin hue. If you are not ready to boast the results of your experiment to the public, you can use certain hair shades for toning and color-correcting your flame-like hair.
In this article, I will tell you how to fix orange hair with box dye, guide you during the entire process, and unveil some alternative solutions in the FAQ section. Read on and turn from a fox to a human again.
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Guide on Toning Orange Hair With Box Dye
If you google “I dyed my hair and it turned orange how do I fix it,” you can hit upon professional box dye. Buy the right product, examine the instructions, wear an old T-shirt, section your hair, apply the dye on your strands, let it sit for the exact time, and rinse your mane. Don’t forget about the conditioner.
Why does hair turn orange when you dye it?
This is when you’ll need some basic knowledge of hair anatomy. Your natural hair color is a mix of different color pigments, such as visible and underlying shades. The darker your mane, the more pigments your hair contains.
Red comes as the basic undertone color for all hair types. It might show off when you lighten your hair. Since you reveal orange or red pigments that are typically not visible in the hair by dyeing your strands, you might face a foxy look in the mirror after the coloring session.
Therefore, if your initial intention was to get a light blond shade but you ended with half blonde half orange hair, you need to lift out all the warm color pigments.
If all of them are not lifted out while lightening, you will be left with carrot-like hair color. Also, brassiness can come naturally, as the result of the dye fading.
How to fix orange roots with box dye step by step
The simplest and the most logical way to fix your orange chevelure is to repaint it. Even if you are tough on money and can’t afford another dyeing session in a professional salon, it’s not a reason to postpone the decision to amend your mane.
With the right guidance, you can do color correction at home. First, let’s view all the options at your disposal:
- toning the orange out;
- dye your hair in a darker shade;
- lighten it more;
- try natural apple cider vinegar.
If your lightning experience went wrong, you can fix your tangerine hair with its complementary color, which is blue. My detailed instructions will help you complete all the necessary steps and end up with the look that will satisfy you.
1. Buy a box dye
The first thing you should do is purchase a new dye to cover the consequences of your orange experiment. There are several points to keep in mind while choosing a new product in the nearest store:
- choose one with an ashy undertone;
- adhere to the same color level as the hue you want to get;
- make sure to buy an essential amount of the product. If you have long locks, you might need several packages of dye. The golden rule here is two boxes if your hair is of over-shoulder length and more if it is longer.
2. Study the manufacturer’s instructions
Always read the details on the box and other instructions in advance. This way, you will prevent further surprises and potential stress. Usually, a quality box dye kit contains everything needed for the procedure: a developer, a hair dye, and a post-color treatment, which you should apply after shampooing and rinsing your hair.
3. Prepare all you need beforehand
Wear an old shirt you won’t regret staining. Don’t wash your mane before you color it. The hair should be dry, combed, and unwashed. Natural oils in the hair will help you achieve a more even shade. This will help pigments penetrate the brassy strands.
4. Divide the chevelure into multiple sections
It is necessary to apply the pigment further. The smaller each section, the more thoroughly you will manage to cover your strands with the product. The more carefully you do that, the more chances you won’t get patchy locks in the end.
5. Vigorously follow the instructions attached
This is where you should precisely stick to the manufacturer’s instructions. Hold the pigment on your strands for the required amount of time. If you fail to keep the timing, you can get either wrongly colored or overdyed locks.
If you rinse the dyed strands too early, the pigment won’t settle, and your mane will look faded. If you decide to “improve” the result by letting your hair soak the pigments for too long, you risk damaging it or getting the wrong shade.
Here’s a little tip: if you’re not using a pro-level dyeing kit, you can apply the product with a toothbrush from the roots to the ends of your hair.
Sometimes, it can give even more precise results than brushes of poor quality. To prevent freshly-made color from bleeding, prop each strand up away from your head using a cotton ball.
6. Rinse the dye
Rinse the pigment off with a shampoo till you see the transparent water in the bath. It is essential to achieve the desired shade. If you poorly rinse your hair, you can get blended, uneven tones.
7. Condition your freshly-dyed hair
For an extra treatment and your hair health, apply a nourishing or moisturizing conditioner to the dyed tresses. This measure will help them to recover. You can also use a specialized hair mask formulated for color-treated, damaged hair to help your hair rejuvenate.
It’s better to choose a product free from harsh chemicals, sulfates, and parabens to regain hair smoothness, boost its shine, and prevent your new color from fading.
After shampooing your mane, distribute a conditioner or a mask through your locks and let the product do its job for nearly five minutes before rinsing it.
What box color to use for fixing this problem?
Let me navigate you through all those tones and shades to find what color covers orange hair. The trick here is simple: to get rid of the unflattering, warm, orange tones, you should opt for ashy shades.
Lighter, cool undertones can help you neutralize the orange since they usually deposit blue pigments onto the strands. This results in fewer warm pigments such as yellow and red. Stick to the words “ash” when choosing a cooler hair dye. If you use toners, you can neutralize yellow with violet, orange with blue, and red with green.
FAQ About How to Fix Orange Roots With Box Dye
To fix the sudden and unwelcome brassiness on your strands, you should be well aware of all the solutions possible. Here I will answer the most common questions you might have when shifting your flame-like hair color to the one you like.
Does vinegar get rid of orange hair?
Vinegar has an acidic nature, so it can help you get rid of orange and yellow undertones. If you prefer the natural way, add several tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into approximately a cup of water. Drop a little liquid food coloring; blue for more saturated orange mane and purple for more yellowish tones.
Mix thoroughly, and apply it to your hair after washing and conditioning it. Rinse the mixture off your strands. You can repeat this procedure every two weeks to tone down the orange hue in your hair.
What color cancels out the orange in hair?
If you want to cancel out orange from your strands, go for blue. According to the color wheel, blue and orange are located opposite each other. This means they are both complementary colors and can neutralize each other. Blue color works as a neutralization of orange, so you can use blue-based shades and toners to tone down your foxy hair.
Can I put ash blonde over orange hair?
Yes, ash-blonde can tone your orange hair. This hue can neutralize the brassiness either on the roots or on the strands. The reason is that the cool undertone cancels out the warm orange tone.
Fix Your Color Mistake
Even if your color experiment presented you with a saturated orangeade in your mane, there’s no need to be disappointed.
Use the guide above, examine the manufacturer’s instructions on the purchased box dye, complete the procedure, and embrace your new hair color. Don’t forget to take good care of your hair after the coloring session.
Now that you know what color covers orange hair, feel free to express your thoughts on the topic. Which shade of orange did you end with? Are you ready to make things right? Maybe you’ve already bought a new box dye? Tell us about it in the comments and share your flashy story with us.
