How to Get Back to Your Natural Hair Color

Depending on your dye job, caring for and maintaining your color can require a lot of work. From having to stock up on a system of products formulated for color-treated hair to having to pop into the salon every few weeks for touch-ups, you may find you don’t exactly have that much down time anymore. But what if you’ve decided that you’d like to make the switch back to your natural hair color? Maybe you don’t want to have to put in the effort required to help maintain your shade or maybe you’re just bored with your current color. Either way, there are a few strategies you can keep in mind to help you make the switch back to your natural hair color. Read on to find your route back to your natural hair hue.

How to Help Get Yourself Back to Your Natural Hair Color

If you currently have colored hair and are looking to get back to your natural shade, consider the following tips.

1. Grow your hair out—in style. When you think about what it would take to make your way back to your natural hair color, growing your strands out might not be the obvious option. After all, depending on the shade you’ve been coloring hair, there may be a harsh line of demarcation between new growth and the colored portion of your hair. That being said, growing your hair out can be a useful strategy if you do it right. The trick to help make this tactic work for you: Wait until you have about two inches of visible roots, then ask your colorist for balayage highlights. Balayage is a hand-painted highlighting technique that’ll allow your natural hue at the roots to fade effortlessly into your colored ends. You can continue to completely grow out your locks without touching up these highlights, as this technique is supposed to be a low maintenance option. (Check out our guide to balayage highlights.)

2. Dye your hair your natural hue. This could just be the easiest fix when it comes to returning to your natural hair hue. If you’d like to rock your natural hair color again without waiting for your current hue to completely grow out, thinking about dyeing your mane your natural color. You’ll essentially be faking it ‘til you make it. As the color grows out, it’ll be replaced by growth that matches the color. It’s a good idea to seek out a pro colorist who can manage your expectations, depending on whether you’re going from a light to a dark shade or a dark to a light shade. For instance, depending on the change you’re making, you may need to have your hair lightened with bleach—and that could take multiple sessions. Make sure to bring a picture with you of your natural hair color so that your colorist can use that as a guide. As your hair grows in, it should seamlessly blend in with the rest of your hair.

3. Try a color-fading shampoo or hair color remover. The L’Oréal Paris Colorista Fading Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo that can help accelerate the fading of any of the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color shades. Meanwhile, the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Color Eraser can be used to remove the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color shades for blonde or bleached hair. Make sure to follow the instructions included with each product.

4. Opt for a shorter ‘do. If you find yourself impatient waiting for your dye job to grow out, consider taking a short haircut for a spin to help speed up the process. Think about it: The shorter your mane, the less growing out you’ll have to do. The good news is, there are plenty of stylish short haircuts to choose from, ranging from super-cropped pixies to chin-length bobs. Need more haircut inspiration? Here are our favorite short styles for summer 2017.