Few hair disasters are worse than a dye job gone bad. Even celebrities can fall victim to hair color mishaps. Glamour magazine cites Christina Aguilera’s black and white skunk streaks, Rachel McAdam’s bubblegum pink highlights and Scarlett Johansson’s glowing, peachy-orange color as among the biggest celebrity dye job disasters. If you’re coping with a hair color mishap, take heart. There are several ways to fix your hair color. And in the meantime, you can always invest in a cute hat to cover it up, if you must.
Step 1
Combat orange streaks by applying a demi-permanent hair color in a warm golden shade to your wet hair, recommends Jason Backe, master colorist at the Ted Gibson Salon in New York City, in Oprah’s magazine, “O.” Applying it to your hair while its wet will create a nearly sheer, golden wash that will balance red tones to make them less orange.
Step 2
Hide streaky highlights by applying a neutral — look for the words “ash” or “natural” on the label — demi-permanent color close to your hair’s natural color. Your highlights will still show up, but they’ll be subtle instead of streaky.
Step 3
Return to your natural hair color by using a demi-permanent hair color in a warm, golden shade that’s close to your natural color. Follow with a second demi-permanent color that’s as close to your natural color as possible.
Step 4
See a stylist if you need to repair a super-dark dye job or major bleach job. Trying to solve the problem yourself can just make it worse, according to Cosmopolitan magazine’s beauty department. Color repair jobs can be more expensive than regular color treatments, so plan accordingly.
