How To Get Green Dye Out Of Hair – Easy Guide

Want to know how to get green dye out of hair? It’s actually pretty easy and our easy step-by-step guide will show you just how.

How To Remove Green Hair Dye

The trouble with green hair dye

There is no doubt that green hair dye makes a statement. It is a bold color and you’re guaranteed to turn heads wherever you go.

However, dyeing your hair green doesn’t always come without its problems.

Before making the decision to go green, consider these statements first:

  • Do you want to go permanently green? If not, use semi-permanent dye
  • Will your job allow you to have green hair?
  • Do you have dark hair? If so, you may need to bleach it first
  • Remember your roots – are you prepared to dye your hair often?
  • Green hair won’t wash out immediately so consider how long you want to stay green

Also Read: How To Get Rid of Hair Dye Smell (7 Ways)

How to get Green Hair Dye out of hair

The methods below are guaranteed to help remove green hair dye from your locks. Although you will most likely see the best results on semi-permanent green hair dye, don’t worry, these methods work for permanent hair dye as well.

Pick the method most suitable for you or for even better results, combine them!

1. Use a clarifying Shampoo (Best For Semi-permanent Dye)

Clarifying shampoo can be an effective way of removing and fading green hair.

They contain strong cleansers and work great to remove build-up and oil. These cleansers therefore also do a good job of getting green out of hair as the shampoo enters the hair shaft and helps to strip the dyed color from your hair.

Top tip: Use a clarifying shampoo that is not recommended for colored hair.

You can also add baking soda to the shampoo as this acts as a natural bleaching agent and so can help strip the color faster.

If you have used permanent green hair dye, it may take a few washes before you’ll see results, but the shampoo will definitely help to fade the green color.

You will need:

  • Clarifying shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Baking soda
  • Plastic hair clip
  • Plastic shower cap
  • Towel
  • Bowl

Instructions

  1. Mix the clarifying shampoo in the bowl with the baking soda.
  2. Wet your hair thoroughly using hot water to open the hair follicles and cuticles which makes them more receptive to being stripped of color.
  3. Pour the shampoo mixture into your hand then rub it through the hair getting a good lather.
  4. Next, clip your hair up. Place an old towel around your neck and shoulders as the shampoo and dye will run.
  5. Place a plastic shower cap on your head, making sure it is fitted securely. If you don’t have one, use a plastic bag and secure it with a clip.
  6. Now use a hair dryer to heat the hair. Keep moving the heat blast around and don’t let it stay on one spot too long. The heat will give the shampoo a little nudge to help the color stripping process.
  7. Leave it to work for 15-20 minutes.
  8. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Then apply conditioner and rinse using cool water. Finish with a blast of very cold water to close the cuticles. This will help your hair hold onto the moisture and nutrients it needs from the conditioner.

As well as the suggestion above, a fuss-free way to hurry along the fading of your green hair dye is to wash your hair daily with anti-dandruff shampoo.

This contains more sulfates than other shampoos which is why it helps the process along.

Also Read: How To Use Purple Hair Dye On Black Hair Without Bleach

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an acid that enables it to get into the dye molecules and remove them. It’s easy to come by and the result is pretty great. Just be aware that acids can be pretty harsh on your hair so don’t overdo it.

You will need:

  • 10 vitamin C tablets
  • Hair clips
  • Spoon
  • Shower cap
  • Bowl
  • Shampoo
  • Dish soap

Instructions:

  1. Crush the vitamin C tablets and place them in the bowl. Add a generous dollop of shampoo and mix well until there are no lumps. At this point, you may want to add a little dish soap to further boost the lifting power.
  2. Use warm water to wet the hair then apply the shampoo mixture. Lather it up, ensuring you have covered it from root to tip.
  3. Clip your hair up and cover it in the plastic shower cap. Put the towel around your shoulders to absorb any drips.
  4. Leave the mixture to work in your hair for approximately 45 minutes.
  5. Then rinse your hair thoroughly and add conditioner.

You can repeat the process if the color isn’t as faded as you’d like.

3. bath salts

Most bath salts contain sulfate, and sulfate is a cleanser found in many shampoos. Sulfate contains particles that break down substances such as product build-up, oil, and of course, hair dye.

Get yourself some bath salts and follow these instructions:

  1. Run a bath and add some bath salts
  2. Give your hair a long soak in the tub for about 15 minutes
  3. Shampoo and condition your hair afterward
  4. Repeat the process again in a few days if you want to fade it further.

4. Dish soap

Dish soap is made to remove oil and dirt and so has a very potent cleaning formula. It is therefore also an effective way to get rid of green hair.

Here’s what to do:

  1. Mix 5 drops of dish soap with a quarter size amount of shampoo.
  2. Wet the hair and lather it up using the shampoo mixture.
  3. Leave it to work for ten minutes then wash out. Condition after.

5. get some sun

Green hair dye can fade slightly when exposed to sunlight. Make sure you take precautions for your skin and don’t expose your hair for too long. Combine this with going swimming in chlorinated water and the fading process will be enhanced.

Also Read: How To Get Silly Putty Out Of Hair (3 Easy Ways)

getting rid of green hair: aftercare

After you have followed the above steps to remove green hair dye, you need to focus on restoring lost moisture and taking care of your locks.

Follow these steps to gain back the health of your hair:

Use Intense Conditioner

You need something more heavy-handed than a regular conditioner. An intense conditioner can go some way to replenish and nurture your damaged overwrought hair.

Weekly Deep Conditioning

Once a week, help to restore your hair’s health by giving it an overnight conditioning treatment. This could be a formulated product, or you could try coconut oil.

Cut Your Hair

You might need to bite the bullet and get the chop- it may be the only solution for those dead ends.

Avoid Heat Styling

Avoid for a few weeks after the color stripping process to give your hair time to strengthen and rejuvenate.

So, although green hair dye can prove tricky to remove, with a little time and patience, there are quite a few options out there to try. Just remember to give your hair some well-deserved love afterwards.

Can I Use Bleach To Remove Green Hair Dye?

Do I Need Bleach To Remove Green Hair Dye

Bleaching hair that has been dyed green is an option, but it depends on what you want the outcome to be.

If you want to dye your hair a very light color or to go back to blonde, you will need to bleach your hair. Use a volume 20 developer in this process.

Follow our step-by-step instructions below for this method of green hair dye removal.

You will need:

  • Volume 20 developer
  • Bleach powder
  • Coconut oil
  • Gloves
  • Dye brush

Instructions

  1. Separate your hair into 4 sections and pin each section back
  2. Mix the developer with bleach powder in a plastic container
  3. Add 10 drops of coconut oil to the mixture for protection
  4. Put on your gloves and use the dye brush to apply the mixture evenly through the sections of your hair.
  5. Leave the mixture to work for about 10-20 minutes, checking on it regularly at 5-minute intervals.
  6. Using cool water, rinse your hair thoroughly ensuring there is no residual mixture left in your hair.

Note: Make sure you’re using an unopened bottle of developer and that it hasn’t expired.

Also Read: How To Remove Hair Dye With Developer?

The differences between permanent and Semi-Permanent green hair dye

Permanent Green Hair Dye

Permanent green hair dye is one of the most notoriously challenging dyes to get out of your hair.

Like purple and blue, green hair dye has a large number of pigments that cause a lot of cuticle staining which is what makes it so difficult to remove.

Cuticle staining means that the outside of the hair shaft has become stained permanently with a color.

At this point, color remover won’t work, and bleach for hair will only succeed in lifting the shade underneath, not the staining.

The shade of green also needs to be factored in: getting rid of a dark green hair dye is much trickier than getting rid of a pastel green hair dye.

Semi Permanent Hair Dye

When using a semi-permanent hair dye, small color molecules work their way into each hair cuticle and get into the edge of the hair’s cortex.

There is no ammonia in this one either, however, there is some peroxide in the formula.

Often used to boosted shine and revive the color, semi-permanent dye allows tone to be added and covers grays.

Usually, it lasts about 28 washes and fades gradually.

So, How Do You Get Green Dye Out of Hair?

I hope this article has shown you exactly how to get green dye out of hair.

The best way forward is to use a clarifying shampoo, household items such as vitamin C and baking soda, and perhaps a day out in the sun.

Above all, patience is the key. Green hair dye can be difficult to get out of hair but not if you do it the right way. 

Frequently asked questions

What Color Hair Dye Cancels Out Green?

Colors such as warm red-orange tones will cancel out green dye in your hair. This is because these colors sit opposite green on the color wheel. The best colors to try are orange, brown, purple, and blue.

Will Purple Shampoo Cancel Out Green?

No purple shampoo will not cancel out green. For this, you would need a red toner. This is because warm colors such as red, brown, and orange sit opposite green on the color wheel and will help neutralize the shade.

Does Vinegar Get Rid Of Green Hair?

Vinegar may help to fade semi-permanent green hair dye, but it won’t remove the color completely. On the other hand, vinegar is safe to use so you can do multiple applications over several weeks to get rid of the green dye.

Is Green Hair Hard To Maintain?

It can be difficult to maintain a vibrant green hair color as green hair dye fades quickly. If you keep your hair in a healthy condition then you can redye your hair every few weeks.

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