You dyed your hair red.
It looks great.
But now you’re really craving pink hair.
And you don’t want to bleach your hair to avoid damage.
In this post, I’ll teach you how to dye your red hair pink.
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Can you dye red hair pink?
Yes.
If you’ve used red semi-permanent dye (otherwise known as direct dye) on your hair, you can dye it pink.
But you have to lighten the red pigment first before dying it pink otherwise it won’t take and your red will look more magenta or raspberry.
Lighten the red dye before coloring it pink
Now, since you’ve decided not to use bleach, here are a few methods to lift the red dye as much as possible without using bleach.
1. Remove the red dye using a color-stripping product
If you have used a red direct dye, then you can use a color stripping product like DDL aka a Direct Dye Lifter.
It shrinks the color molecules so that they can easily be washed away and you will find that your hair color is lightened. This does not use bleach or ammonia so it’s safe and won’t damage your hair.
I suggest the Extra Oops Color Remover to help you remove the red dye from your hair.
It has aloe vera extracts and soy proteins to provide conditioning for your hair and doesn’t dry the hair. It comes with gloves and the directions are very easy to follow.
You just have to mix the formula, apply it on your hair generously covering all your hair strands for 20 minutes, and then rinse it off for another 20 minutes.
The only con is that it does have an unpleasant smell but it does the job of removing the red dye quite well.
It will not remove your original hair color – it only affects dyed hair.
2. Use coconut oil
This method will fade the color, not remove it entirely.
But if you want something natural, then this is definitely something you can try.
First, apply coconut oil to your hair and leave it in for at least 2 hours. The coconut oil will get absorbed into your hair and mix with the color molecules, loosening the color molecules.
Then soak your hair in shampoo and apply a plastic cap like this over it before warming it with a hairdryer.
The shampoo will help open the cuticles and the coconut oil and color molecules will come out when you rinse with the 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 red color dye from your hair.
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.
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 red dye out of your hair without drying it heavily.
4. Use Vitamin C and Baking Soda
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 – nothing more.
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 from the dye 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.
It will fade the red color to pink.
5. Wait it out
Red hair will naturally fade if you just continue to maintain it – it will take about 4-5 weeks but it should become very light red or faded pink after a while.
The methods I’ve mentioned above will speed up the process – but if you don’t mind waiting and sporting red hair for a while, you can naturally wait it out.
Just keep washing your hair with sulfate shampoo if you want to fade it faster – this will help the red dye bleed out faster and fade quickly.
Dye your hair pink
Now that you’ve let your red dye fade, you can color over it with candy or bubblegum pink.
I highly recommend either of these two hair dyes – both will give you fantastic pink hair:
Make sure your hair is bone dry when applying the color. If possible, blow dry your hair before applying the color so that your hair is very porous and color absorption becomes easy.
Leave the pink hair dye in for 45 minutes (or as instructed) in your hair before rinsing it off.
And voila!
You’ve just dyed your red hair pink!
Enjoy.
