Fading Hair Color Without Damage: 3 Ways To Do It At Home

Fading hair color
Photo: Instagram/@jeanph_hair

Dyeing your hair is easy. However, getting that desired shade that you have seen on some superstar and desperately want to copy might be a bit harder than you think. Some women are even fading hair color to get an older look. Why are they doing so? Because their shade got too vivid. On the other hand, many women fade their color because they get sick of the shade and simply want to get back to their natural hair color.

Now, intensity might not be something you often think about. But when dyeing your hair, you need to keep in mind that shade can be different from what you have expected of what the packaging showed up. Maybe you were going for a natural redhead and end up looking like a red chili pepper. Now it is time to google – how to fade red hair.

You need to know – this happens to everyone, whether you were dyeing your hair at home or in a salon. There are ways that can help you fade your color dye without actually damaging your hair. Most importantly, you can try these methods at home.

3 Proven Methods For Fading Hair Color That Won’t Damage Your Hair

Photo: Aidil Bahaman from Pexels

There is one important thing to keep in mind when fading your shade. You need to pick methods that won’t damage your hair. On the contrary, you can end up with dry hair ends and faded shade that you don’t even like! These are some of the best proven methods that do minimal or no damage at all.

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1.    Vitamin C Method

According to many women who have tried Vitamin C, it is one of the best methods for hair dye fade. The acids in vitamin C oxidize the dye, therefore molecules from the dye loosen.

If you don’t have Vitamin C powder, you can make it by crashing a dozen pills. Lock them in a plastic Ziplock and use a rolling pin. After you got them grounded up or decided how much powder you will use, you can mix it in a few ways.

Mix the vitamin C powder with an anti-dandruff shampoo or simply make a mixture that you can use as a shampoo. Rub the strands of your hair between fingers and make sure everything is covered. Leave Vitamin C on your head for at least half an hour.

This method will not damage your hair, but you will notice that the color has obviously faded. Vitamin C can remove both semi-permanent and demi-permanent hair dyes. If you apply this method a few days after dyeing your hair, it will show the best results.

2.    Using Baking Soda + Shampoo

This is yet another DIY approach but a very effective one. You need to mix baking soda with shampoo (equal parts) that you usually use for your hair. Leave this mixture on the hair for about five minutes before rinsing it with lukewarm water.

If you want, you can mix baking soda with lemon juice as well. Make a mixture of equal parts of lemon juice and soda and leave it on your hair for a maximum of 5 minutes. Lemon is not the friendliest to our hair when it stays too long on it.

3.    Dish Soap For Removing Color Intensity

Dish soap works best for semi-permanent hair dyes. However, it can be a bit damaging, so make sure to condition your hair properly after washing.

Photo: Sherise VD on Unsplash

Dish soap is made to break up oil, and it is supposed to do the same with your hair. That is how it removes too intense hair color.

The sooner you apply dish soap after dyeing, the better. Prepare to wash your hair a minimum of 20 times over the first 24 hours before the color fades. Logically, after so many washes, your hair will become like a broomstick. To prevent that, use a conditioner.


Everyone’s hair is different, so if you don’t get desired results, don’t panic. Every color shade can be faded with one method or another.

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