When it comes to hair colors that make a statement, it's hard to think of a better shade than green. It's bright, unique, vibrant, and even looks great as it fades!
But what happens when you're ready for a change? How long does it take for green hair dye to fade? Can you fade green hair dye fast?
If you want to find out the answer, all you have to do is keep reading!
This article will walk you through the ins and outs of removing green pigments from your hair. We'll also share some of our favorite products for getting rid of unwanted colors, so make sure you scroll down to the end.
Fading Green Hair: How to Fade Green Hair
Most people try to prevent fading hair color, but sometimes, it just doesn't happen fast enough. The good news is that you have plenty of different options to fade your unwanted hues. We'll walk you through them below.
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Try a Baking Soda Scrub
You probably already have this color remover in your pantry. Baking soda is a highly effective cleanser that can strip unwanted dye (including blue or green dye) from your strands.
To make a baking soda mask, mix two tablespoons of baking soda into half a cup of warm water. Then, stir in 5 drops of your favorite essential oil. Apply the mask to your hair and massage it for three to four minutes.
Once you are sure that your hair is completely saturated, cover it with a shower or processing cap and wait for 10 to 15 minutes. After your time has passed, rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water.
Baking soda is highly abrasive, so apply a nourishing mask to your strands afterward. That will help replenish your hair's moisture and ensure the baking soda doesn't do too much damage.
Wash Your Hair With a Clarifying Shampoo
Everyone with colored hair knows how quickly shampoo can fade colored hair. And since clarifying shampoos are much stronger, they can eliminate your green hue in a fraction of the time!
They're also incredibly easy to use! Simply soak your hair with warm water and work a quarter-sized dollop of clarifying shampoo into your hair.
Massage it into your strands until it works up a rich lather, and put on a shower cap.
Wait for ten to twenty minutes before rinsing well with warm water. Keep rinsing your hair until the water runs clear.
Then, follow up with a hydrating conditioner. You can use a clarifying shampoo once or twice a week until your hair has reached your desired shade.
Cover It With Hair Dye
Plan on coloring your hair after you remove the green? Depending on what color you want, you can skip the color-removal process and jump right into dyeing your hair. Color removal techniques tend to be drying.
But by skipping straight into coloring your hair, you can avoid the potential damage. Just remember, unless you're using permanent hair dye, your new shade will have to be at the same level or darker than your starting color.
Apply a Ketchup Mask
Ketchup probably isn't the first thing you think of when looking for color correction solutions. But this kitchen staple might be just the thing you need to eliminate that green tint in your hair. Ketchup is made of vinegar and tomatoes, both of which are highly acidic.
The acids help neutralize oxidation, which might be behind your green locks. Additionally, the red pigments from the ketchup adhere to your hair and counteract the green ones.
To make a ketchup mask, squirt about half a cup of ketchup onto your hair.
Massage it in until all of your strands are covered. Then, cover your hair with a shower cap and let the ketchup process for up to half an hour.
After that, remove your cap and rinse your hair well with warm water.
Your hair may still smell like the condiment, so follow up with a thorough shampoo and condition. You can use a ketchup mask once or twice a week until you're happy with your color.
Use a Hair Color Remover
Whether you're not into DIY remedies or want to significantly fade your green color all at once, a hair color remover is your best bet. These products utilize chemicals that shrink the color molecules in your hair to make them easy to wash out.
You'll buy a color remover kit or powder and then follow the instructions on the packaging. One of the best hair color removers on the market is Color Oops.
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- Does Color Oops Damage Hair?
- Ion Color Remover
What Cancels Out Green Hair Color?
Canceling out hair color works on the principle of color theory. Color theory is a collection of rules that dictate how colors work with each other.
In order to illustrate these relationships, all of the colors are aligned around a wheel in the order that they relate to each other. Colors that are next to each other, like blue and purple, are complementary.
But, when colors are on opposite sides of the wheel, they are considered opposites.
When you mix two opposing colors, they'll cancel each other out and leave you with a more neutral shade. If you look at the color wheel, red is on the opposite side of green. That means red pigments can cancel out the green ones in your hair.
Why Did Your Hair Randomly Turn Green?
If you're here reading this article, there's a good chance that you have green hair. But while most people have to dye their locks to get unnatural colors, your hair can turn green on its own. Unintentionally green hair is surprisingly common, and here are some reasons why it can appear:
Your Hair Dye Had a Green Base
Green hair dye isn't the only shade of hair color that contains green pigments. Some other shades of hair dye include two sets of color.
They have primary tones, which are responsible for the overall color, and secondary tones, which help round out and add depth to the original shade. If you use a dye with green or blue secondary tones, your hair may turn green as your color fades.
You Go Swimming Regularly
Chlorinated water is well known for its ability to turn blonde and brown strands green. While most people blame chlorine, it isn't the only thing responsible for your color-changing locks in this case.
The other half of the issue is the element copper, which is naturally found in your hair.
When chlorine comes into contact with your hair, it oxidizes the copper molecules and turns them into a pale blue-green color. This is the same chemical process that turns old copper pennies green.
You've Been Washing Your Hair With Hard Water
Unfortunately, many Americans regularly wash their hair and skin with hard water. Hard water contains high amounts of minerals like calcium and magnesium. And when you wash your hair with these minerals, they coat your strands in a stubborn film.
While the minerals are colorless on their own, they start to oxidize after exposure to the air. And as a result, they can leave your hair with an unpleasant, greenish tint.
You Used Too Much Toner
Have you recently bleached and toned your hair? Depending on the type of toner you use, it might be to blame for your green hair. Ash toners have blue and green pigments to help balance the orange and red tones in brassy hair.
If you mix an ash toner incorrectly or leave it on your hair too long, your strands can absorb too many of the cool pigments. Then, the blue and green pigments combine with the yellow ones in your strands and leave them with a noticeable greenish tint.
Related Articles
- Why Is My Hair Turning Green When I Dye It
- Unnatural Hair Color for Pale Skin
- Unnatural Hair Color for Warm Skin Tone
So, there you have it! There are a variety of ways to get rid of green hair. Just keep in mind that artificial shades, like blue and green, are slightly more challenging to remove.
So if none of your color removal techniques seem to work, don't hesitate to reach out to your stylist. But if you do decide to try removing your color on your own, we hope that one of the methods we've gone over today is just what you need!
