As professional hair colourists, we thrive on the challenge of transforming our clients’ hair into the vibrant, bold colours they want! However, one of the more daunting tasks in our field is dealing with green and blue dyes.
These bold shades, while rich and completely stunning, are notoriously difficult to remove or change. However, this guide will provide you with the insights and techniques you need to effectively neutralise and dye out green and blue tones, ensuring your clients leave your chair with their next colour transformation or are on the journey to that goal!
Understanding the Science
Before diving into techniques, it’s crucial to understand why green and blue dyes are so persistent. These colours are typically formulated with smaller pigment molecules, which penetrate the hair shaft deeply. Additionally, green and blue dyes often have a cooler base, which can be resistant to warm-toned dyes. This deep penetration and cool base make the removal process more challenging compared to warmer colours.
Assessing the Starting Point
1. Hair Health
Examine your client’s hair health. Porous, damaged hair will absorb and hold onto colour differently than healthy hair. Use a strand test to assess how the hair reacts to colour removal products, including our Back to Base which works well with both blues and greens.
2. Original Dye Type
Identify the type of dye used: was it semi-permanent, demi-permanent, or permanent? This will influence the method and products you choose for removal.
3. Desired Outcome
Discuss the desired outcome with your client. Are they looking to return to their natural colour, go lighter, or change to a different vivid hue? This will help tailor your approach and you can discuss the journey and time frame needed to get there.
The Process: A Case Study by Chelsea Thompson, Owner of Slunks Salon
“My client had been having full head of foils and a mix of blues and greens for around 3 years. We often used the brighter shades such as sapphire, pine and capri. As we had been topping these tones up for so long they hardly faded. When it came to the time my client wanted a change (to a pale peach/pink), she had specific criteria of what she wanted: to stay with foiling, she didn’t want to go darker or natural and she didn’t want to lose any length.
I knew that the best way to help her achieve her goal of a light peachy pink would be to start the process of growing out the blue/ green and have some fun with purple tones and eventually pink tones along the way.
For our first session I carried out a full head of foils and then used cyclamen this created a beautiful melt of a more pink tone where the natural hair was lifted and more purple where there was still blue and green tones.
We continued this process for around 12-18 months adding more and more pink into the look. Pink is a very easy tone to remove from the hair and fades to a clean blonde. We now just have a tiny amount of the old blue left in the ends of the hair but we have very nearly got our peachy pink all over. We managed to remove the blue without compromising on any of my clients requests.
She knew before we started dyeing with blue and green that when the time came to dye that out, it was going to be a journey. Blues and greens are stubborn and stick in the hair so before we apply these colours to a client we always discuss the long terms and the removal plan.
It could take anywhere from 12-24 months depending on how fast the hair grows and how often/ how much the client is willing to cut their hair.
When my client here was ready to start the transition and explained that she didn’t want to go natural or dark I explained the only other options were to just leave it grow out or to do the purple and pink route. She loves all vivid colours so was excited for the second option.”
Techniques for Removing Green and Blue Dye
1. Colour Removers
Professional colour removers are your first line of defence. These products are specifically designed to break down and remove artificial pigments without causing excessive damage. Crazy Color Back to Base is a colour remover which can help take hair back to its original blonde base in just 30 minutes or less.
2. Bleach Baths
For stubborn colours, a bleach bath can help lift the remaining dye without the harshness of full-strength bleach. Crazy Color High Lift Violet Lightening Powder 9+ is a powerful, dust-free bleach delivering up to 9+ levels of lift. This ultraviolet formula helps remove unwanted yellow tones for the cleanest results, whilst conditioning and supporting the hair with added bond protect anti-breakage complex, with Safflower Seed Oil and Glycine Amino Acid.
Steps:
- Mix one part Crazy Color High Lift Violet Lightener, one part Bond Restore Shampo, and one part Cream Developer 20 Volume.
- Apply to damp hair and massage gently.
- Monitor closely, rinsing as soon as the desired lift is achieved.
3. Use Crazy Color Semi-Permanent as Toners
Sometimes, green and blue hues can be neutralised rather than removed. Using the colour wheel, you can counteract these tones:
- On green hair, use a red or pink toner. Red is opposite green on the colour wheel, so it neutralizes green tones effectively.
- Our Brand Ambassadors always recommend Marshmallow and Ice Mauve which work wonders to neutralise other shades and fade out easily with no additional staining.
- On blue hair, use an orange or copper toner. Orange neutralizes blue hues due to their position on the colour wheel.
Application Techniques
1. Precision Application
When dealing with residual colour, precision is key. Use fine sectioning and apply products carefully to ensure even coverage and avoid over-processing.
2. Strand Testing
Always perform strand tests before full application. This helps predict how the hair will respond to the removal or neutralisation process and allows you to adjust your approach if necessary.
3. Custom Formulation
Consider custom-blending our Crazy Color Semi-Permanent Shades to perfectly match the neutralising needs of your client’s hair. This bespoke approach can get much better results compared to off-the-shelf products.
The Process: A Case Study by Oli Tracey, Slunks Salon vivid team
“This transformation took in total 6 months, during which we saw a Bubblegum phase, a Silvery phase and finally our Baby Blonde end goal. Thankfully my client was so understanding of the process and took all the right steps at home to help the process along.
Our first session in the chair at the start of the journey took about 4.5 hours. This was a full head highlight to bring up what had grown out so far, end cleanse with Crazy Color Back to Base and Semi Permanents to neutralise as much as possible what was left over. The middle image is after the first session, during which we used Crazy Color Back to Base and we toned the hair using Crazy Color Semi-Permanent shades Marshmallow and Platinum. I sent my client home with Marshmallow to keep neutralising out the colour at home in between sessions every time she washed her hair.
Our second appointment (12 weeks later) was purely a toner session, and our final session was the full highlighting appointment, when we dyed out the last of those bluey hues. For the final look we used the new Crazy Color Rapid Toner Platinum Punk with a dot of Candy Pink. This is because pink is the opposite side of the colour wheel to green/blue so the tone of Marshmallow at home kept neutralising that blue tone and the last session using Candy Pink with Platinum Punk gave us the final kick to cancel out the final remainder of the blue hues.
Aftercare Advice for Clients
Once the green or blue dye has been neutralized or removed, advise your clients on proper aftercare to maintain their new colour:
- Use Sulphate-Free Shampoo: These help to preserve the colour and prevent premature fading.
- Regular Conditioning Treatments: Encourage hydration and strength, especially after chemical treatments. Our Bond Recovery Treatment is a great option for maintaining hair health.
- Avoid Chlorine: Chlorinated water can reintroduce green tones, especially in blonde hair.
Dyeing out green and blue hair can be a challenge, but with the right knowledge and techniques, it’s entirely achievable. As professional hair colourists, our goal is to turn every colour challenge into an opportunity for stunning results, right?! By understanding the science, assessing each case individually, and applying tried and tested techniques, you can ensure your clients leave your salon with the perfect colour results!