Hello! My name is Catherine, and I am joining the journey to grow long hair! Currently, it's pretty short, in an grown-out boy-cut thing that I really don't like anymore. I have naturally blonde, fine, thick, straight hair, but I've been dying various colors for about a year now. I just decided that I want my long blonde hair back! It's stained red right now, and I was wondering what I can do to lessen that without having to cut it. Can I highlight it to break it up, or would that cause more damage? Are there certain things that can gently strip color out? I last used a semi-permanent color, but before that, I did use permanent colors. Because my hair is fair, it did really take the color. I am just concerned that it will start growing out with a reddish/blond strip in it, and I don't want that at all!

Hi, Lady of Gold and welcome to LongLocks.

I was where you are a couple of years ago!  I made the mistake of having my colorist strip out my color.  My hair really takes color also and I was coloring it red.  She had to do the stipping twice and then did a semi-perm color to blend it as it grew out.  The stipping left my hair like straw-it was horrible and no one told me it was so damaging!!!
You could try applying lots of oil to your hair to get the color out.  I don't know how much it will remove.

One option would be to let it get a bit longer and cut off the color.  Then start your growing journey from scratch.

Good Luck!

I am not aware of any product that will strip color withour damaging it.  Sakina's suggestion of oil is the best I can come up with as well.

Growing out processed hair is always a frustration.  The reality is - you will eventually have to cut it off - when you do that is up to you.  

Hello and welcome Catherine  8-)


Sakina and Bikerbraid both have great suggestions.  And I hate to say that Bikerbraid is probably right that you will probably have to just cut it off and start all over :'(

Good luck and I hope that you will one day reach your long hair goals :)

Jerry

Welcome to LongLocks LadyofGold! I am also growing out hair that isn't my natural color. I have a couple places where my hair was highlighted blonde, and even some spots where my hair pulled a reddish brown from another dye job. I just plan on cutting those ends off as soon as my hair gets longer. Which will be awhile seeing as I am only at 5"! ;)

Greetings and welcome, LadyOfGold.  :)

The other ladies have pretty much covered it. Oil is known to lift color a bit, but there is no safe, kind or gentle way to strip it. Sorry.

Fair, fine hair takes color like crazy and there's just no way to grow out a drastic color change gracefully. I was in that same boat several years ago and basically had to cut my waist length hair off and start over. Oh, and I ran around with two tone hair for about a year in the process. That was fun.  :P

Sorry that I don't have better news for you, but perhaps you've learned a lesson from all of this coloring? I certainly did!