Most of the girls have probably faced this problem: after applying the coloring mixture onto the locks, we suddenly notice that the color transforms into something far from what we expected. And finally, what we see is an orange chevelure!
This can be rather frustrating but don’t panic. Even if you are a bit tight on budget and can’t afford to go to the salon to fix what happened, we know how to fix orange hair with box dye and what color covers orange hair.
Why Does My Hair Turn Orange When I Dye It?
When we look in a mirror, what do we see? Speaking of the color of our chevelures, we will see a certain color, of course, if we still haven’t changed it artificially.
Red people will say they are red, and blondes will confidently state that their locks are blonde, right? But in fact, things are a bit more complicated.
Our strands don’t actually have only one shade as we used to think all the time! In fact, may colors are combined to create that final shade that we see when looking at our reflection.
This is the major reason why, when we decide to transform our mane from darker shades to something lighter, our hair gets turned orange after dyeing, for instance, blonde. To be precise, this is how the chemicals work, but also, it is caused by the abundance of red pigment underneath the native dark shade.
Apparently, what we will get after discoloring the strands out, will be that red pigment exposed. And if we don’t lighten the tresses enough to reach the desired blonde hue, they can effortlessly become orange!
For quite many people, orange is not that bad, but what if you wanted another shade badly? Fortunately, fixing this misfortune is not so complicated as it could be, and the “repairing” procedure can easily be performed even by yourself with the help of the ordinary box dye.
How to Make Use Of The Box Dye to Fix Orange Hair
So, the basics are pretty simple. Once you have noticed that the locks turned orange after applying the coloring pigment to them, take a deep breath, get your wallet, and go to the nearest supermarket or anywhere the box dye can be purchased.
Yes, you got it right: the simplest way to fix that orange hue is to repaint it! Since (as it was mentioned above) that brassiness emerges if we don’t apply enough pigment when coloring our locks, the obvious solution would be to add more color.
Now, please, adhere to what we are telling you:
- When buying a new dye, select the product that has ashy undertones
- Go for the same color level as the desired shade you want to get
- Don’t be too tightfisted! Buy several boxes of the dye, especially if your tresses are long. The rule of thumb is two boxes for the over-shoulder length mane, and more if the chevelure is waist-long or longer.
Otherwise, you will have to interrupt the coloring procedure right in the middle to run to the drug store to get another box
The procedure itself is exactly the same as for coloring the locks. If you already did it once or more, there is no need to worry about it. If you are a newbie in all this, well, stick to the instruction then.
- We would recommend dividing the mane into many sections to make it simpler to apply the pigment. Besides, the smaller each section is the easier it will be to cover it with the product thoroughly, otherwise, the result will be patchy tresses.
- Follow the instruction attached to the dye precisely. It means: hold the pigment applied onto the tresses only for the required amount of time, no more, no less. The result of improper timing can be either improperly colored or overdyed strands.
- Do not rinse the tresses too early since it can wash the pigment out not letting it settle, and your locks will look faded.
- Keeping the dye applied for too long is also not welcomed. When doing this, we take a risk of damaging the locks or at least receiving the wrong color. Again.
- And of course, remember to rinse the pigment off using shampoo until it is all deleted. As a finishing touch, treat the freshly-colored tresses with the conditioner to help them recover.
If you do everything right, the result will be satisfying both for you and your mane.
Best Box Dye to Fix Orange Hair
Since the procedure of re-painting the locks is more or less clear, let’s proceed to another issue ladies often stumble upon when dealing with the sudden brassiness.
What box color to choose to fix that problem?
That can indeed be a challenge since not everyone knows how to navigate through all those shades and tones.
To make it easier for you to make a decision, check out the list of the best three products that receive positive feedback from the users and already proved themselves to be trustworthy and of good quality.
- Clairol Natural Instincts
This dye belongs to the brand that is widely known for producing lots of other hair-connected stuff at very affordable prices.
Natural Instincts in particular is so much appreciated because it is fading-resistant and has no ammonia. Being demi-permanent, it will give you those shiny and smooth locks that don’t even look like dyed!
- Revlon Color Silk
With the perfect covering ability, this pigment makes the tresses look vivid and naturally colored, besides, it will easily last for one month without the need for repeated application.
- L’Oreal Brass Banisher
As it comes from the name, this one is created to fighting that unwanted orangeness. However, it will also give the strands hat glossy and shiny look all the girls want so much!
All these products have a wide range of shades, so it will be very easy to pick up the color that will fit you best of all.
Clairol Toner For Orange Hair. Will That Work?
Many girls wonder whether it is only another dye that can solve the orange problem. Well, in fact, it is not! Toning your mane is one of the possible substitutions. To pick up the proper toner type, pay attention to the current shade of orange.
| Unwanted tone | What to neutralize with |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Violet |
| Orange | Blue |
| Red | Green |
If you are looking for an alternative option for fixing the unexpected damage, we can offer several means that will definitely come in handy:
In-salon toning
This is probably the optimal way of fixing what went wrong, especially if you ended up with the bright orange tresses. A professional colorist will pick the proper bleaching product and toner to mix together so that this blend could work specifically on the tone of orange that is on your head.
Quite many ladies note that Clairol products work effectively, but of course, this is not the only brand that can help.
Hair gloss
A proper option in case the tresses are not very bad. Again, if the chevelure turned bright orange, don’t even try to go for this method for it will not work. On the darker strands, it will not be effective, too. However, to deal with the unwanted brassy warmth, this is quite a good solution.
Blue shampoo
For brunettes and other more or less dark-haired persons who need to get rid of the sudden brassiness, a blue shampoo is an optimal choice. Its blue pigments will cancel the red and orange tones if you apply it several times a week.
Purple shampoo
Go for this one of the locks’ shade is closer to the yellowish or orange side of the spectrum. Make use of it once a week and don’t hold it on the tresses for too long, three minutes must be enough. Treat the tresses with the conditioner afterward, and repeat the procedure until the orange hue is gone.
What Color Covers Orange Hair?
When it comes to fixing the sudden and so unwelcome brassiness on our locks, most people get confused since the crucial question appears: what color will be correct to fix the orange hair?
Since we are not professional colorists (well, not most of us), being aware of such nuances always turns into a challenge. If we pick the hue wrong, we will get something even worse than simply the orange mane. So how not to screw everything up?
The solution is simple and lies on the surface:
it all comes down to the color theory.
To replace that unwanted orange hair with the dye box, we need to know what colors cancel out that orange hue to be able to neutralize the brassiness.
Are you already sure that it is going to be super complicated?
Relax, it is simpler than it seems! The trick is to go for a blonde dye, but not just any blonde.
We will need the shade with the ashy undertones for dying it over orange hair. These ashy and cool tones will cover and cancel the warm orange tones and bring the tresses back to normal.
Don’t want to get so fair-haired? OK, then cover the orange mess with the darker tone, and remember that the new shade must be darker than the brassy tone you have now.
If My Hair Is Orange, Can I Dye It Blonde?
Since orangeness appears mostly when we try to become blonde, a reasonable question may occur: will dyeing orange hair blonde help?
In fact, yes, orange locks can be chemically faded to yellow and then turned into a blonde with the pigment. Since in this situation, the brassy hue appears because we either rinsed the tresses too soon or we didn’t light them enough from the beginning, re-applying the pigment sounds reasonable.
To complete the mission, wait for six or seven days to give the locks some rest, and then proceed to the reconstruction.
- Apply more bleaching agent and let it stay on the tresses for the appropriate amount of time. Counting on the current shade, it may take nearly half an hour, but not longer.
- The second the strands turned lemon-yellow, it is time to tone them out with the pigment. Pearl, ash, or natural shades will work the best.
Since the repeatedly bleached tresses are porous, coloring must be applied carefully, that is why the best ash-blonde hair dye to cover the orange hue will be either a pearl or an ashy shade. Stick to the one that is one level lighter than the color you want to receive in the end.
How to Fix Orange Hair to Brown?
Dying orange hair brown is another option when it is time to fix the orange tresses. It is simpler than getting blondy, so this method is chosen somewhat more often. Only consider that the pigment that will be applied must be darker than the current orange hue, otherwise, it will not cover the mess.
To dye orange hair brown, no special skills are needed. Simply follow the instructions, and remember to hold the dye for the proper amount of time to get the wanted result.
Preventing The Brassiness. Suggestions And Rules
Orange hue can appear not only because of the improper appliance of the pigment. Even the perfectly lighted tresses can after a while achieve that unwanted orange tone that we all so eager to avoid.
But why does it happen?
Of course, brassiness can be the natural result of the dye fading, but several factors exist that affect the mane and can lead to it getting orange.
- Mineral buildups from hard water can cause lighter strands to get brassy. If that is the case, go for a clarifying or chelating shampoo to strip the buildup.
- Too frequent washing with the use of heavy products
- Exposure of the mane to the excess sunlight
- Frequent contact with chlorine and/or salt
For fixing this, we can only take the basic measures:
- Install the water filter in our shower
- Wash the mane less frequently
- Use blue/purple shampoo
- Reduce the use of hot styling tools
We told you how to fix the orange hair with the dye box and what shades would be the most suitable for dying over orange hair, so now you are armed and prepared to face any unexpected results of coloring.
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