7 Common DIY Hair Color Mistakes 一 and How to Fix Them

When it comes to coloring your hair at home, a few common mishaps can  easily occur, including brassy hair, uneven color, or stained skin from hair dye. The outcome of your DIY hair color can vary due to a few factors, such as the color you’re starting off with or your hair’s condition. 

The good news is that you can do things to correct your mistakes and get your hair color back on track. Check out color correction advice below to learn how to fix common hair color mistakes for shiny and healthy color-treated hair. 

1. You Dyed Your Hair Too Dark

You might be wondering how you can naturally lighten hair that was dyed too dark — which is one of the most common DIY hair color mishaps. Although it can be difficult to lighten strands once they’re dark, all hope is not lost. Once you’ve noticed the color is too dark, you can make the dye fade faster by washing it as soon as possible with a clarifying shampoo — focusing on the deepest parts if the color is uneven. 

This will act as the opposite of a color-protecting shampoo — instead of keeping your color vibrant for longer, a clarifying shampoo, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls No Build-Up Curls Micellar Shampoo, can help remove product buildup on your strands, including too much color. 

After a few washes, you should begin to see the color fade. Follow up with a hair mask, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Total Repair 5 Power Restore Multi Use Treatment, to help repair your hair from excessive shampooing and to add moisture back to keep it healthy. 

2. Your Hair Has Turned Orange

One of the scariest hair color mishaps is looking in the mirror and seeing orange-tinted hair — that is, if orange wasn’t the intended color. This is typically a result of hair bleach not lifting enough of your natural color, or oxidation, where external factors such as pollution or minerals in your water alter your hair color. 

Thankfully, there are ways to cover orange hair and color-correct orange-like tones — it’s all about the right color correction. You’ll want to use a purple hair care system on your strands right away. 

Try the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo and pair it with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Conditioner. This system is formulated with purple and violet pigments to help orange and yellow tones. We also recommend trying a purple hair mask, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Anti Brass Purple Mask Treatment, which works to neutralize stubborn brass. 

3. Your Roots Don’t Match the Rest of Your Hair 

This can happen when your roots simply don’t take to the color formula as well as the rest of your strands, or perhaps you didn’t fully coat the roots with the dye. We recommend consulting with a professional colorist who will be able to help match the colors on your roots and your ends for a permanent fix. They have the expertise to be able to do this without over-processing your hair and causing damage. 

However for a quick fix, grab the L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Spray. This root cover-up can work wonders for temporarily blending your roots into the color of your lengths and ends until you can get to the salon. If you dyed your hair an unconventional hair color, try the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray. It comes in eleven vivid shades to match your new color. 

4. You Got Hair Dye On Your Skin

No matter how careful you are, a bit of hair dye can land on the skin near your neck or ears, causing staining. If you’ve got time to spare you can just wait things out — over time the color will fade and you can use a gentle soap to help remove it a little faster. 

If you want to avoid having to remove hair dye from your skin, make sure to prep beforehand by covering up your skin and applying petroleum jelly to prevent the dye from clinging to more than your hair. 

5. You Have Dye Stains In Your Bathroom

If your bathroom looks like a crime scene after a DIY hair color session, you’ll want to remove the hair dye stains from your tub or sink as soon as you can. Scrubbing the affected areas with products such as baking soda, vinegar, and bleach will go a long way. In most cases you’ll want to create a solution to lift the color and scrub with a toothbrush or sponge.

6. Your Color Isn’t As Saturated As You Want It to Be 

There are several reasons that your new hair color can come out less vibrant than you desired. Perhaps you didn’t leave on the hair dye long enough, or maybe your strands are just too dried out to absorb the dye sufficiently. 

Rather than trying to dye it again right away (which can result in hair damage), try using the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss. This hair gloss will help enhance your hair color and tone while deeply conditioning your hair. 

You can also enhance the luster and softness of your hair with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Signature Masque, Color Care Hair Mask. It works to restore shine, which helps the hair appear more vibrant and reflective. 

7. You Missed a Spot

If you see a missed patch at the back of your hair after you’ve finished coloring, don’t worry, you can fix it. Try using the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray in your new shade for a quick fix. 

For a more permanent solution, try applying the hair dye to the exact area you missed before. Make sure to position a mirror in the right spot so you can see it clearly. Or, turn to a professional hair colorist who will be able to seamlessly fill in any gaps in your hair color without overlap.

Next: How to DIY an Espresso-Inspired Hair Color

Edited by: Shannon Stubbs, Photo Credit: Chaunte Vaughn