How to Remove Tissue Paper Hair Dye Quickly (Safely)

You didn’t think the tissue dye would last this long.

And you’ve tried washing it but it’s not coming off.

So, you’re panicking and you don’t know what to do.

In this post, I’ll cover a few ways you can remove most of the color safely without damaging your hair.

Please note that most of these methods are tried and tested by women who have used tissue paper dye either for their hair or their kids’ hair. I’ve found this information on forums and videos.

As you move further down the post, the methods do get harsher and should only be attempted if all the previous methods fail.

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1. Use a color-stripping product (this removes the tissue paper dye without bleach)

This method works for semi-permanent dyes as well as tissue dyes.

Now, you can use DDL, otherwise known as a Direct Dye Lifter.

This product contains no bleach or ammonia (it’s safe) and simply breaks the disulfide bonds in the hair color and it reduces the hair color just like a lightener.

You have to mix the DDL with water or a 20-volume developer (to see better results) and it will lighten the natural base color beautifully.

You don’t have to worry about your original hair color – it doesn’t affect melanin (our natural hair color pigment), only the direct dye or tissue dye.

I suggest the Extra Oops Color Remover (Extra Strength) to help you remove the tissue dye from your hair.

The only con of this product is that it has a nasty smell and it can be really unpleasant.

I highly suggest conditioning your hair after using the product just to ensure that your hair is soft and smooth.

If the tissue stain is too dark, then you may need to use this product 2 times keeping a break of 24 hours in between each use just to get all the color out.

2. Use coconut oil

This method will fade the color, not remove it entirely.

But if you want something natural or want to fade the tissue dye soon, then this is definitely something you can try, otherwise, skip this method.

First, apply coconut oil to your hair and leave it in for at least 2 hours.

This will give the coconut oil enough time to get absorbed into your hair and mix with the dye color molecules, loosening the color molecules.

Then soak your hair in clarifying shampoo and apply a plastic cap like this over it before warming it with a hairdryer for 5-10 minutes.

The shampoo will help open the cuticles and the coconut oil and color molecules will come out when you rinse with water, removing all the color and shampoo.

This method will definitely dry out your hair but if you don’t have funds to buy other products, then you can give this a shot.

It’s safe and you’re not using any ammonia or bleach.

3. Baking Soda + Shampoo

Baking Soda is a fantastic product that can also remove harsh smells from hair. But it can also fade the tissue dye from your hair fairly quickly.

Simply mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with a clarifying shampoo like this and apply it on your hair for 20 minutes before washing it off with hot water.

Hot water is what will remove the tissue dye the fastest.

I recommend the shampoo and conditioner combination because the conditioner leaves your hair baby soft.

Don’t use more than 2 tablespoons of baking soda because it is incredibly alkaline (it has a high pH) and will dry your hair.

The aim is to remove the tissue dye from your hair without drying it heavily.

4. Use anti-dandruff shampoo

If you are not in a rush and want to go about it slowly, then this is one of the best methods to remove the tissue dye from your hair.

Simply wash your hair with anti-dandruff shampoo every single day till the color lightens and becomes almost invisible.

This is one of the safest and easiest methods out there.

Within 7-10 days, you should be able to get all the tissue dye out of your hair.

5. Use Vitamin C and Baking Soda

This is a very harsh method and will dry out your hair so only use this method if none of the previous methods above are doing a good enough job.

In this method, you’re going to want to use a small bowl and add:

5 vitamin C tablets (crushed)
2 tablespoons of clarifying shampoo
1 tablespoon of baking soda

Mix well and apply it to your hair for 30-45 minutes.

Wash it off normally afterward.

While doing this, if you feel your scalp is burning or itching in any way, immediately wash it off. Vitamin C doesn’t agree with many people and can even cause burning and blisters on the scalp.

Vitamin C removes the color molecules but it also dries the hair and makes it vulnerable to breakage.

You will want to use caution while using this method.

I highly recommend this as your last resort if you don’t want to try anything else.

6. Dish soap + Clarifying Shampoo

I know a lot of methods I mentioned above include baking soda.

But let’s say you don’t have any.

Then you can use dish soap.

In a bowl, mix equal parts of dish soap and shampoo. It will become a little pasty.

Apply it to your hair and leave it for 15 minutes. Do not exceed 15 minutes because Dish Soap is quite harsh and dries out hair very extensively.

Rinse it out with cold water.

Dish soap (with its high pH level) helps open the cuticles and loosen the color molecules of the tissue dye so that the shampoo can wash them away.

It works like a detergent.

This method and the Vitamin C tablet method will dry your hair out a lot since they are lifting the hair cuticles so please use it with caution and make sure that you condition your hair well afterward using an extra moisturizing conditioner or Olaplex.

Conclusion

My preferred method is the Direct Dye lifter because it works fast with minimum damage.

If you notice that any of these methods are working really well for you or you found a new method that works even better, then please leave a comment below so you can help out other people who are in the same situation.

I can also update the post with tips.

Best of luck! I hope you are able to get all of the tissue dye out.

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