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 hair care products formulated for color-treated hair to having to pop into the salon every few weeks for root touch-ups, you may find you don’t exactly have that much downtime 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 you’re simply 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 GET 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 options to transition back to your natural ‘do.

Option #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 your hair, there may be a harsh line of demarcation between your 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.

In order to make this tactic work for you, you’ll want to 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 roots to fade seamlessly into your colored ends. You can continue to completely grow out your locks without touching up these highlights, as this technique is an extremely low maintenance option.

Editor’s note: Want to learn more about balayage highlights? Check out our article, Balayage 101: Everything You Need to Know About This Highlighting Technique.

Option #2: Dye your hair your natural hue

This is the easiest and quickest 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 color to grow out, think about dyeing your mane back to 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 your dye job.

It’s a good idea to seek out a pro colorist who can manage your expectations, depending on whether you’re going from light to dark or dark to light. 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 of your natural hair color so that your colorist can use that as a guide.

Option #3: Try a hair color remover

In some cases, hair color can actually be removed instead of coloring overtop it. If you have naturally blonde or bleached hair and colored your strands with a shade (or shades) of the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Semi-Permanent Hair Color, the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Color Remover can be used to remove the remaining color. Just be sure to follow the instructions included with the product!

Option #4: Opt for a shorter ‘do

If you find yourself feeling 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 hairstyles to choose from, ranging from super-cropped pixies to chin-length bobs. Need more haircut inspiration? Check out our article, Short Hairstyles That Will Inspire You to Cut Your Hair This Winter.

Now that you’ve decided to embrace your natural hair color, why not rock your hair’s natural texture too? Read our article, How to Embrace Your Natural Hair Texture, to find out how.