How to Fix Purple Hair from Toner

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Purple toner is a life-saver when you need to get rid of those pesky yellow tones in your blonde hair, but using too much can cause another problem—purple hair! This is very common and, in most cases, it’s super easy to solve. It’s best to start with the least damaging color correction technique and work your way to the stronger techniques to prevent hair damage. If your hair is bright purple, though, skipping to stronger stuff like a commercial color remover or bleach wash is totally fine!

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Removing Purple from Over-Toned Hair

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  1. Shampoo your hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove minor staining. If the purple residue in your hair is pretty light, a clarifying shampoo may do the trick! Apply the clarifying shampoo to your hair just like regular shampoo, lather it up for a few seconds with your fingertips, and rinse it out. [1] Repeat this 2-3 times to make sure you get rid of the tint. [2]
    • Clarifying shampoo penetrates deeply to remove oil, residue, and buildup. It's a lot stronger than a regular shampoo, which is why it’s so effective.
    • Since clarifying shampoo strips everything out of your hair, it can make your hair dry. Follow it up with a deeply hydrating conditioner or do a deep-conditioning treatment to replace the lost moisture.
  2. Use dish soap and lemon juice if clarifying shampoo doesn’t work. Wet your hair and apply 2-3 pumps of Dawn dish soap to your scalp. Massage it in like shampoo, working from the roots to the ends, and rinse it out. [3] Then, squeeze the juice from half a lemon onto your scalp, squeeze the other half on the lengths of your hair, and gently massage it in with your fingers. Let the juice sit for 1 minute and then rinse your hair thoroughly with warm water. [4]
    • Stylists recommend Dawn because it’s known to be gentle.
    • This process is known as chelating and it strips everything out of your hair—products, buildup, toner, and so on. It’s even stronger than clarifying shampoo, so it’s important to follow with a hydrating hair mask to replenish the moisture. [5]
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  3. If clarifying shampoo and chelating don’t work, a commercial color remover product is the way to go. Buy a color remover kit and apply it to your hair according to the package’s instructions. Stop applying the mixture once your hair is saturated from root to tip. Keep in mind that color remover is pretty strong and does have mild bleaching agents in it, so it can be somewhat damaging to hair. [6]
    • Application is similar to boxed hair dye—mix the 2 chemical agents together, saturate your hair with the mixture, let it process for a specific amount of time, and rinse it out thoroughly. [7]
    • If you have short hair, you probably won't need to apply all of the product in the kit. If you have really long hair, you may need 2 kits to saturate your hair.
    • You can buy a color remover kit at drug stores and beauty supply stores.
    • If your hair is severely over-toned, you may want to skip clarifying shampoo and chelating and start with the color remover.
  4. Mix 10 volume developer with bleach powder in a large bowl. Pour some regular shampoo into your palm and add an equal amount of the bleach mixture to the shampoo. Massage the mixture into your hair and let it sit for 1-2 minutes before rinsing it out really thoroughly [8]
    • Bleach washes aren't precise, so don't worry about exact measurements. The more bleach mixture you mix into your shampoo, the stronger it will be. [9]
    • Bleach washing is the most extreme and damaging technique, so only resort to it in severe cases. On the upside, a bleach wash will definitely get that purple tint out of your hair!
    • Don’t leave the mixture on your hair for more than a couple of minutes since it’s really strong.
    EXPERT TIP

    Nick Arrojo

    Master Hair Stylist
    Nick Arrojo is a Master Hair Stylist and the Owner and Founder of Arrojo NYC, an independent hairdressing brand. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in cutting and styling hair using precision-based hairdressing and educating hair professionals through Arrojo Education. Nick has become a well-known icon in the hair industry with his internationally recognized razor-cutting technique, work with fashion designers, and seven years as TLC’s ‘What Not to Wear’ hairdressing host.
    Nick Arrojo
    Master Hair Stylist

    Toner mishaps can happen to anyone, even the most experienced colorists. The key is not to panic. With a few simple at-home techniques like a clarifying shampoo or dish soap mixture, you can lift out that overtone and restore your hair's true brilliance beneath.

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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Preventing Over-Toned Hair

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  1. Purple shampoos and conditioners come in a range of strengths, so be sure to read and follow the product instructions exactly. It can be tempting to dump a ton of purple shampoo and conditioner on your hair and let it sit for a while, but applying too much and letting it sit too long are the most common causes of over-toning. [10]
    • Always give your hair a good rinse after using purple shampoo and conditioner. Even if you follow the instructions exactly when it comes to application and timing, not rinsing thoroughly is another quick path to lilac-tinted hair. [11]
  2. Be sure to read the product instructions about frequency. In most cases, toning shampoos/conditioners should not replace your normal shampoo/conditioners because they’re too strong. Most toner products suggest application every other wash, once a week, or once every few weeks, depending on the strength of the product. [12]
  3. If you just had your blonde hair dyed and toned, you don’t need to start using purple shampoo/conditioner right away. Your original toner will naturally start to fade after 2-3 weeks. Once you see the yellow tones creeping into your hair, it’s time to start using your purple shampoo and conditioner. [13]
    • If you aren’t sure when to start using purple shampoo, mixing a little bit in with your regular shampoo is a good way to avoid overuse.
  4. The purple pigment in toners can only neutralize yellow tones in your hair. If you try to cancel out orange or red tones with purple shampoo, you may end up making the warm orange tones even warmer. [14]
    • If you have orange undertones in your hair, use blue shampoo/conditioner to color correct. Red undertones can be corrected with a green shampoo/conditioner.
    • If you have yellow and orange tones in your hair, look for a purple shampoo that has blue pigment added to it. [15]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Can I use clarifying shampoo on dry hair?
    Steven Waldman
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Steven Waldman is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Director of Technical Training at Hair Cuttery. Steven uses his creative insight and extensive experience to drive educational programming and motivates facilitators and learners to communicate effectively, create and execute strategies to maximize potential, and achieve success. He uses unexpected sources such as art genres, architecture, and cooking to inspire shape, color, and cuts.
    Steven Waldman
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Definitely! Clarifying shampoo doesn't need to be diluted with water to work properly. Just lather the shampoo into your dry hair, focusing especially on the spaces that may be a little too dark.
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  • Question
    What can I use if I don't have clarifying shampoo?
    Steven Waldman
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Steven Waldman is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Director of Technical Training at Hair Cuttery. Steven uses his creative insight and extensive experience to drive educational programming and motivates facilitators and learners to communicate effectively, create and execute strategies to maximize potential, and achieve success. He uses unexpected sources such as art genres, architecture, and cooking to inspire shape, color, and cuts.
    Steven Waldman
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Try mixing a few drops of dish soap into your normal shampoo. The dishwashing liquid has a higher pH, and should help you remove a little bit of the extra pigment. Be sure not to wash your hair with just dish soap, though!
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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      Things You’ll Need

      • Clarifying shampoo
      • Dawn dish soap
      • Lemon juice
      • Commercial color remover
      • Deep conditioner or hydrating hair mask
      • 10 volume developer
      • Bleach powder

      Tips

      • If you’ve over-toned but you don’t really mind the purple tint, consider keeping it! Sometimes it can be really pretty and it will fade naturally in a couple of weeks.
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      Warnings

      • Always follow the instructions when it comes to toners and bleach products to avoid damaging your hair.
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      References

      1. ↑ Steven Waldman. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 27 July 2021.
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1v1M7hKoy0&feature=youtu.be&t=152
      3. ↑ Steven Waldman. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 27 July 2021.
      4. ↑ https://www.rouge18.com/2018/07/03/dawn-lemon-hair-hack/
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1v1M7hKoy0&feature=youtu.be&t=208
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1v1M7hKoy0&feature=youtu.be&t=244
      7. ↑ https://softerhair.com/hair-color-removers-benefits-and-limitations/
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1v1M7hKoy0&feature=youtu.be&t=288
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVMiNR0wSH0&feature=youtu.be&t=237
      1. ↑ https://www.reviewthis.com/important-things-purple-shampoo/
      2. ↑ https://uk.fudgeprofessional.com/blog/education/how-to-use-purple-shampoo-correctly/
      3. ↑ https://www.reviewthis.com/important-things-purple-shampoo/
      4. ↑ https://uk.fudgeprofessional.com/blog/education/how-to-use-purple-shampoo-correctly/
      5. ↑ https://uk.fudgeprofessional.com/blog/education/how-to-use-purple-shampoo-correctly/
      6. ↑ https://www.johnfrieda.com/en-uk/blog/hair-products/purple-shampoo-101/

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