Remove Hair Dye
It should be noted that it tends to be difficult to remove hair dye, irrespective of type. So, if you are planning to dye your hair, and you think you might want to remove the color, you must be very careful what sort of hair dye you decide to use. While temporary hair dye will usually wash out straight away, permanent hair dye will not wash out at all. Semi-permanent hair dye doesn't wash out immediately, but it will fade with time and washing.
Even if you don't think you're going to want to remove hair dye from your hair anytime soon, before you choose which dye to use, make sure you assess the implications. For instance if you find that you don’t like the color you have chosen, or you don't achieve the color you wanted, you'll either have to try and remove the dye, or use another color on top. If you choose the latter route, be extra careful, because the original dye will be certain to have a visual impact on the new color you choose – unless you just want your hair to be a bit darker, but within the same color spectrum. Switching from one totally different color to another (for instance pink to blue) could have disastrous consequences.
While temporary hair color, by its very nature, should wash out, some temporary hair dyes last a little longer, gradually disappearing with every wash. If the dye you use doesn't wash out right away you can try rewashing three or four times within the first 24 hours. Use a clarifying shampoo that has been designed to deep-clean the hair and remove any type of residue that has been left in the hair shaft by sprays, gels, mousse, and temporary hair dye.
If this doesn't work, and you’re desperate to get rid of any trace of the so-called "temporary" color immediately, then you can try using lemon juice and cider vinegar to eradicate it. There are various home remedies, including this one that also calls for olive oil.
What you do is to heat a cup of olive oil on your stove, in a saucepan, and when it is warm (not hot), use a paintbrush to brush it onto your hair. When your hair is nice and oily, massage the oil into your hair and scalp and then put on a shower cap – the sort they provide in most hotels. After about half an hour, rinse your hair in reasonably hot water (don't burn yourself), and then wash it using a clarifying shampoo.
Add the juice of a fresh lemon to a cup of apple cider vinegar, mix, and then rinse your hair in the mixture. Before you wash it off, put a clean shower cap on your head for about 30 minutes. Then rinse and conditioner your hair, or use a hot oil treatment if you prefer.
You can try the same procedure to remove semi-permanent hair dye, but the results won't be as quick. Usually a semi-permanent product is made to last for as many as 24 to 28 washes – though this will be specified on the packaging. So even if you were to wash your hair three or four times, it would take more than week to complete the process and both you and your hair will be really tired! Nevertheless, the vinegar-lemon juice trick should help, and you could repeat this once a week until the color fades.
If you choose to dye your hair using a "permanent" product, be warned in advance that the only way you will remove the dye will be by allowing your hair to grow out (or by bleaching your hair). The length of time this takes will depend on the length of your hair. If you have long hair and you are desperate to get rid of the color, your only option might be to have a radical hair cut!