How To Fix A Botched Dye Job At Home Without Screwing It Up

Most women (if not all), have at least one hair colour-related sob story to tell. And the universal salt in the wound is that it often takes place right before one of the biggest milestones in your life.

RELATED: The great big guide to highlights

Whether it’s a botched DIY dye job, a not-so-subtle streak of highlights or an unfortunately bad balayage experience, before you lose all hope and reach for the scissors consider this: Most colour catastrophes are fixable over time.

RELATED: Where to go from balayage?

To help you cope with whatever colour crisis you’re currently working through, we’ve got the intel on how to fix these hairy mishaps.

#1 SEEK ADVICE

If your colour job left your locks with more brass than a Michael Bublé album, your first instinct might be to book in a quick fix. But, for the sake of your hair, consult an expert before doing anything. Since tones, formulas and techniques can be so varied, a professional assessment about when and how your hair can be processed again is crucial, as they’ll be able to determine what is best for maintaining the health of your hair. 

#2 START SHAMPOOING

There are a number of products you can use in the shower to help kick-start the correction process. If you feel like your blonde ended up a little too dark, use a clarifying shampoo to help remove unwanted tones.

bh recommends: Hask Purifying Shampoo - Charcoal with Citrus Oil, Palmer's Natural Fusions Micellar Rosewater Cleanser Clarifying Shampoo and Maui Moisture Detoxifying + Volcanic Ash Shampoo

And if you’re colour is looking a little too golden, give it a rinse with purple shampoo to counteract it for a creamier finish.

bh recommends: Provoke: Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo, TIGI BedHead Dumb Blonde Violet Toning and Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo

RELATED: The best blonde hair colour for your skin tone 

#3 MASK IT!

Alternatively, if you’ve ended up with locks that are too light, try sleeping in a deep conditioning, colour treatment mask 2-3 nights in a row. Through over-conditioning, this will help fade the unwanted colour.

bh recommends: Kerastase Bain Chroma Captive, Wella SP Reverse Regenerating Hair Mask and Andalou Exotic Marula Oil Silky Smooth Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

#4 BALANCE BRASSINESS

One of the easier colouring mistakes to correct, a too-brassy dye job calls for toner. Brassiness can be a result of a darker base not being processed enough, so applying toner helps get the job done. If you can’t wait for your next trip to the salon to nix those brassy tones, a purple or blue-tinted shampoo which contains correcting and neutralising pigments is a temporary solution.

bh recommends: De Lorenzo Novafusion,  JUSTICE Professional Perfect Violet Shampoo and KMS COLORVITALITY Blonde Shampoo

#5 SOLVE STRIPEY HIGHLIGHTS

If skunk-like highlights weren’t exactly what you had in mind, solve the issue by blending the highlights with a toner to match your natural colour and lessen the contrast. Alternatively, book an appointment at the salon for more highlights. Use a shade slightly darker or lighter to fill in the spaces

bh recommends: Goldwell Dualsenses Blondes & Highlights Anti-Brassiness Shampoo, Fudge Clean Blonde Shampoo, John Frieda Sheer Blonde® Colour Renew Tone-Correcting Shampoo

#6 LIGHTEN UP

Even if you start with the best of intentions, and follow the directions on a box to a T, sometimes hair colour mishaps just happen - and even to the most skilled DIY colourist. If you find yourself reconsidering your newfound Morticia Addams-inspired strands, a colour softener or colour remover is an immediate way to fade out those unwanted darker tones.

bh recommends: Scott Cornwall Decolour Stripper and Colourless Max Effect

#7 BAD BALAYAGE

Despite it being one of the most coveted hair colour trends, many people still have the wrong idea on what balayage actually is and as a result, sport dark roots and light ends. In fact, the term means “to sweep”, and is always done freehand by a colourist. Don’t risk the ‘top deck’, dip-dyed look by attempting this at home - go see a professional who will give your hair effortless, naturally sun-kissed colour instead.

Image credit: @sophiemonk

Have you got a hair colour horror story?  How did you fix it?