If you have natural red hair or you have dyed-red hair, then read this post because I will explain why your red hair is getting darker.
I’ll also talk about what you can do if you don’t want it to get darker or if you want to maintain your original red hair.
Let’s look into this.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may make a commission at no extra cost to you if you decide to click on a link and purchase something. Click here to read the full disclaimer.
Why is your red hair getting darker?
Every person is born with 2 types of melanin for hair (Eumelanin and Pheomelanin) which is responsible for hair color.
Pheomelanin is responsible for blonde or red hair, whereas Eumelanin is responsible for brown or black hair (dark hair).
If you are a natural redhead then you have more Pheomelanin (the hormone responsible for red/blonde hair) and as you grow up, your hormones change resulting in the production of more Eumelanin (the hormone responsible for darker hair) – this can cause your red hair to become browner or darker.
The total amount of melanin is unique to you and determined by your genes.
So is the ratio of Eumelanin and Pheomelanin. This is what is responsible for your natural hair color.
Unfortunately, this is something that we cannot control, because it’s hormone-related.
There are also studies that suggest hair can change color or darken during or after pregnancy as women have fluctuating hormones throughout childbirth.
Your hair might turn darker until it starts turning grey. This depends on your genes and how long your ancestors had their red hair before graying.
Does hair get darker with age?
Have you noticed that kids with light blonde hair usually have dirty blonde hair as they age or grow up?
Or perhaps you’ve noticed that your red hair is becoming brown?
This happens with age.
As I said earlier, as a person ages, they start to produce more Eumelanin which is responsible for dark hair and red or blonde hair becomes darker and gets more deeper tones we people age.
The hormones usually get triggered around adolescence, so you might not notice your hair turning dark brown until you hit puberty.
However, with time, your hair will stop producing melanin (based on many factors) and it will turn grey or silver.
3 Ways to lighten natural red hair without bleach
1. Use henna
If you are a natural redhead and you notice that your hair is turning brown, use henna.
It’s a dye from a plant (all-natural) that will help you get back those beautiful reddish-orange tones and your hair will look more red than brown.
It’s all-natural, so it’s not going to damage your hair.
2. Use natural lightening agents
Again, if you are a natural redhead or blonde and want to lighten your hair, there are other natural ways to lighten your hair.
Some lightening agents are:
- Chamomile tea
- Cinnamon
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
You can mix water with equal parts of any of the above lightening agents and wash your hair with it before sitting in the sun till your hair dries.
This will lighten your hair color naturally and you don’t have to use bleach to lighten your hair.
3. Baking soda and hydrogen peroxide (no bleach)
Here’s how you lighten natural red hair without bleach:
In a bowl, mix 1 cup of baking soda and 3 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide.
It will form a thick paste and fizz up a little. Apply it to all of your hair using a hair dye brush and make sure you avoid skin contact – use gloves and put vaseline on your scalp before dying your hair because it can irritate the skin.
Do NOT cover your hair – you need to keep an eye on it and check whether it’s light enough every 10 minutes after 30 minutes.
Leave the mixture in your hair for 45-60 minutes tops before rinsing it out with cold water.
Your hair should be 2 tones lighter at least using this method and it may even help you get some orange tones for your naturally red hair.
I hope this helps, here are a few more posts you may enjoy:
