changing haircolour from black back to brown, anyone?

I have used Jo Baz Max Strength colour remover twice now to lift black out of my hair and it worked brilliantly! Hair feels a little squeaky/dry immediately afterwards but goes back to normal after conditioning. I even had an unexpected emergency that resulted in the product staying on my head for 2 hours instead of half an hour and it did no harm at all.

It lifted all the black out and left me with very light brown hair. Rinsing is seriously the most important step – you’re rinsing out all the colour molecules that the colour lifter “shrinks”, if you don’t rinse properly the colour stays in your hair and your hair will go dark again in a few days.

thank you for that, will do a lot more research and talk to some hairdressers too

The one that just removes dye is this: Scott Cornwall Decolour Remover. I haven’t used this one. Again, pic is from Priceline website. I remember when I was reading the directions to the Stripper (product above) they mentioned that it’s notoriously difficult to remove black, especially if someone’s been using black dyes long term. If you need 2 packs it’s going to get expensive.

This is what I used (Pic from Priceline website), but remember, this one removes your own pigment as well as dye. Brand is Scott Cornwall Decolour Hair Colour Stripper.

I used a colour stripper from Priceline & I thought it was fabulous! I did my own balayage, but I’ve been dying my hair brown (level 6, permanent) for years. I bought a stripper which removed the dye plus my own natural pigment. My hair was so much softer than when I bleached it. They had a colour remover too, this only removes dye.

Whatever you choose, for the next few months, don’t use permanent black dye, just semis. Try to just do your regrowth, don’t apply to the lengths.

I am not confident enough to do this at home (got a little wiser after it going black the first time!) so will most def get it done at salon. Just wondering what it does to hair and how long it would take. Going to stick with the black for maybe another 6 months, as I do like it but I am on the downhill slide of the 40’s so maybe I need to go a bit lighter so I don’t look witchy 😀

I agree with Rebel – if you have been colouring black for a while it’s better to opt for getting a professional hairdresser to return it to brown. I had this done about 10 years ago and it took 3 appointments over 6 months to achieve this shade change gradually.

If it’s just a home colour mistake and it’s the first time it’s gone black then gradually shifting your shade to a light one will work but it takes a while – but means you can avoid having to use colour strippers. My hair colour has gone from dark brown to light brown to auburn and back!

I coloured my hair black for many years. When I decided to change to a softer, brown. do not try the colour strippers available for home use. They are very damaging and may have a cheezel like colour.
A good salon will lighten your hair a couple of shades at a time. Well worth the cost.

Priceline sell several de-colourants. You need the one that just removes dye (not natural pigment or bleaches). They are about $30. Since you’ve been dying it for so long you might need to do it twice or try the extra strength. This is what I did with colour build up to almost black on my mid lengths. it’ll leave what ever colour is under the black which will probably be an orange brown because even most dark hair colours actually contain bleach. If you re-dye use the loreal casting gloss. It’s a semi (28 washes). Choose a colour lighter then you want and leave on for a short amount of time as your hair may be porous after dying for so many years. The decolourant shrinks the dye molecules so that when you scrub they actually wash out of you pr hair, scrubbing is the key or it doesn’t work. It’ll leave your hair in the same condition that it already is. I’m currently helping my sister do this to her hair but it’s super long, thick and dark so we’re doing it in stages.

Otherwise go to a professional (expect at to pay at least $150+++) but tell them you want to decolour not bleach your hair as you don’t want to cause more damage which bleach will do. Make sure you use some good treatments too.

I always find home colour looks really really dark when first applied – but you’ll find over the course of a few weeks the colour will fade a lot – and you’ll end up with a shade more like what you see on the box! Mind you if you go out in the sun you will actually find your hair is probably darkest brown – hair always looks darker indoors.

My suggestion is the next time you colour (don’t re-colour sooner than 3 weeks) switch down to light brown – process the roots for 20 minutes longer than the mid lengths and ends – so for the last say 10 mins only add colour through the rest of your hair. Your roots will be a little lighter than the rest of your hair but it is unlikely to be noticeable. If you do this a few times and stick strictly to the lighter shade – within say 9-10 weeks you will have brown hair again! – the secret to home hair colour on longer hair is only dye the roots when you are using the same shade – and do minimal processing of the mid-lengths and ends – as colour will build up in the ends very quickly and they will go black.

I had the same problem when using L’Oreal Oleo in Mahogany – I’ve ended up with a shade way too dark – but I will switch to an auburn next time and gradually pull the colour back to brown.

I only ever do my roots (if I am using the same colour as before) – I do the whole head if I am switching colours – as I said before being very careful to only process mid-lengths and roots for 10 minutes.