When we opt for lighter, sun-kissed strands, or even just a notch below our natural tone, bleach is often the answer to lifting out hair color. As an oxidizing agent, bleach has the capability of opening up the hair cuticle and dissolving the hairs melanin or natural color. Its also the primary culprit for those pesky unwanted orange tones that show up in the hair, if not right away, after a few rinses. Though bleach is often to blame, there are plenty of other factors that may be contributing to unwanted orange tones in your hair color such as water quality, sun exposure, and products used. To learn more about why these unwanted tones appear, we tapped two of Los Angeles most sought-after celebrity colorists, Tracey Cunningham and Cassondra Kaeding.
Red and orange pigments are the most dominant undertones in dark hair. So if you don’t bleach enough of those pigments out, you end up with an unflattering brassy orange. So if you don’t bleach enough of those pigments out, you end up with an unflattering brassy orange.
What’s The Issue With Orange Hair?
When melanin is stripped from your hair, the underlying pigments are revealed. In darker colors, that often results in an orange, brass-like color.
When it comes to getting our hair color done, getting unwanted orange tones can be surprisingly natural. “In the coloring process, once hair is soaked with oxidizing agents, it will ultimately dilute the melanin in your hair,” explains Cunningham. “All hair contains melanin, and melanin is responsible for the lightness or darkness of your natural hair color.” So when we lighten our naturally dark hair color, “the underlying pigments in darker colors are one of the reasons that hair can turn that orange brassy color during or after a coloring session.”
To put it simply, “Brunettes have underlying pigments of red and or orange in their hair,” Kaeding explains. “When the hair oxidizes, those are the tones that want to come through.”
If youre a brunette who has ever tried lightening your hair color, you likely know the struggle of that brassy tone were trying to avoid here. “Ive also noticed that when color isn’t lifted enough to get past that naturally occurring orange stage, you may end up with over-processed hair,” says Kaeding. “This makes it hard for the hair to hold onto color and results in dull, damaged hair with a brassy tone.”
- Tracey Cunningham is a sought-after celebrity colorist and co-owner of Meche Salon in Los Angeles. She is a Redken Brand Ambassador and the author of True Color: The Essential Hair Color Handbook.
- Cassondra Kaeding is a Redken Brand Ambassador and hair colorist at 454 North in Los Angeles. Her clients include Hailey Bieber, Olivia Munn, Sophie Turner, and many others.
If your unwanted orange tones arent the result of a recent color job or lightening process, there are many other reasons why your color can turn orange, Kaeding says. She names heat styling, water quality, sun exposure, and hair products as factors that we may normally turn a blind eye to. Keep reading for expert-approved advice on how to successfully eliminate unwanted orange tones from your hair color.
Itâs a tale as old as time – sometimes, bleaching your hair at home goes wrong, and you end up with frazzled, orange hair thatâs a million miles away from the look you were going for. However, all is not lost – hereâs how to fix orange hair and tone brassy hair at home when bleaching doesnât work out.
Why has my hair turned orange?
If you tried to lighten your hair but the end result was a brassy orange colour, thereâs a good chance youâre a brunette. Darker hair is made up of several underlying pigments which give your brown, dark brown or black hair depth and dimension, and red and orange are the most dominant undertones. So if your at-home bleaching didnât remove enough of these red and orange pigments, the end result is orange hair. If you were a blonde to start with and youâve ended up with orange hair after bleaching, it could be due to a build-up of chemicals or minerals in your hair. Brassiness can also happen if youâve been in the sea or a chlorinated pool frequently.
How to fix orange hair
The key to fixing orange hair is usually to neutralise the orange with its opposite colour â blue. Here are some tried and trusted tips weâve curated to banish your orange strands at home.
Use a purple or blue shampoo
Pick your toning shampoo based on the original colour of your hair before you applied the bleach.
- Purple shampoo tones blonde hair
- Blue shampoo tones brunette hair
Blue and purple shampoos neutralise unwanted brassy tones to reveal a cooler blonde or light brown shade. Examine the colour of your hair currently, and find the colour that is exactly opposite it using a colour wheel. Try imagining a straight line from your current colour through the centre of the wheel to the other side of the wheel to figure out which toner to use. If your bleached hair looks more yellow than orange, youâll need a purple toning shampoo to neutralise the yellow. If your hairâs turned orange, youâll need a blue toning shampoo to tone the brassiness and get rid of the orange.
How to prevent orange hair
- Avoid direct exposure to UV rays after youâve bleached your hair, and make sure you cover your hair when youâre in the sun. Direct sunlight can bring out different tones and colours in your hair, and your hair can be especially vulnerable to this process after bleaching. If you canât stay out of the sun, use a hat or a headscarf to protect your strands
- Wash your hair with filtered water. Hard water contains more minerals, which can lead to brassy tones in your hair becoming more visible. Removing these minerals also helps preserve your hairâs natural oils
- Donât get your hair wet when youâre swimming. Chlorine and salt water contain chemicals which may oxidize your hair and turn an unbecoming tawny shade
Use a hair glaze or glossing colour
When used consistently over a period of weeks, hair glazes or glosses can help get rid of brassy tones and prevent them from appearing. Glosses and glazes are a gentler option than dyeing your hair, and they can make your hair look shinier and smoother, as well as gently correcting your brassy colour. Choose your glaze colour based on your original colour â blondes should choose ashy, beige-rich colours, while brunettes can go for deeper shades of chocolate brunette.
Dye your hair darker
The other option is to dye your hair darker to hide orange and yellow tones. Select a brunette hair dye thatâs either close to your natural colour, or dark enough to cover the orange. Blondes can go for our dark golden blonde and lightest cool almond brown hair dyes – brunettes looking to go a darker shade of brown can try our dark natural brown and dark chocolate brown foam hair colours.
Lighten your orange hair at the salon
The other option is to head to your local salon and ask your stylist if theyâre able to correct the colour. However, this isnât an immediate quick fix â to avoid significant damage to your hair post-bleaching, youâll need to wait at least a week or two to restore your hairâs natural moisture balance. Your stylistâs colour-correction methods may vary, but itâs likely theyâll reapply bleach to lighten your hair to fully remove the orange, then tone your hair with an ash or light beige colour to neutralise brassiness. Your stylist may also offer you a deep-conditioning treatment after theyâve finished colouring your hair to add moisture and nutrients back into your lengths. Itâs up to you whether you accept or not, but itâs a good way to give your newly-dyed hair the best start.
Use an apple cider vinegar toning rinse
This homespun method is a long-term way of gently fixing orange hair. Add a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into one litre of lukewarm water, then add a couple of drops of liquid food colouring – use blue for orange hair, and purple for more yellow. Mix everything together and apply after washing and conditioning your hair by pouring the mixture gently over your head. Rinse thoroughly afterwards. You can repeat this process every two weeks to help tone down the brassiness in your hair.
HOW TO FIX ORANGE HAIR – 3 WAYS
FAQ
Why did my highlights turn out orange?
How do you get rid of brassy Balayage?
Why does my hair turn orange after coloring?
Why does my hair look orange if I dye it?
Key chemical processes are at play when you dye your hair. These can lead to hair color woes, including the dreaded orange tint that may occur when you color your hair a lighter or blonde shade. If you’re seeing some unanticipated orange tones after dyeing your hair, keep reading for some steps you can take to correct your color.
Why does my hair look Orange & brassy?
Your hair may start to appear slightly orange or brassy. This color transition is somewhat of an expected process. Hair dye contains three pigment colors: blue, red, and yellow. The blue molecules tend to fade away faster, which leaves red and yellow. What do these two colors make? Orange.
What causes orange hair?
We’ve listed some of the most common causes for orange hair below. One of the simplest reasons for your hair having turned orange is due to the presence of a fading hair dye, typically one that was initially a dark red or rich auburn color.
Why does my hair turn orange after bleaching?
This is much more common with hair that is super dark to start with, as it takes a lot more to lighten this hair color and fully remove every pigment from the strands; orange is the most stubborn color to remove, which is why your hair turns orange after the first bleaching session on your journey to turn dark hair blonde.