How to Get Rid of Yellow Hair After Bleaching: Easy DIY Fixes That Work

You’ve always wanted to try going blonde, and you’ve finally done it. The only thing is, rather than getting the right shade of blonde you want, your hair looks a bit yellow, or even orange. This is one of the common effects of bleaching dark hair.

Now, here’s the good news- it’s not the end of the world. There are many different solutions you can try in order to get rid of that brassy tone and actually enjoy your new hair color. To help you out, we’ve listed down below the most effective ways on how to get rid of yellow hair after bleaching, so you can find a solution that works for you.

Read also related articles: Best shampoo for bleached hair, partial vs full highlights, and coconut oil before coloring your hair.

Why does bleached hair turn yellow?

First things first. Why does bleached hair turn yellow in the first place? Well, if you have dark hair, your hair strands actually have lots of underlying pigments, with red and orange being the most dominant ones, that give your hair depth and dimension, and when you go blonde, these pigments need to bleached out.

The problem is that these warm tones are also the most difficult to wash out, and are what makes your blonde hair turn brassy and yellow, especially if your hair has a lot of mineral and chemical buildup, or if you’ve recently swam in the sea or in a chlorinated pool. And the worst part, they spread on your hair unevenly.

The best ways to fix yellow hair

The sad thing is that no matter how well you bleach your hair, these brassy tones are bound to come out sooner or later. Although, if you bleach your hair perfectly, these tones won’t be as noticeable, and may even come out more evenly, so there’s that.

Now, there are many ways you can fix this situation, from bleaching your hair again so it becomes a lighter color, to using a toner, dyeing your hair darker, using purple shampoo, and so on. We’ll explain each method in more detail below:

Lather on color correcting shampoo and conditioner

If the brassy tones don’t look that prominent and make your hair look like an absolute mess, one safe way you can try is to use shampoos and conditioners with color correcting properties, such as the Clairol Shimmer Lights Shampoo + Conditioner.

These shampoos and conditioners will deposit small amounts of purple pigments in your hair in order to counter the yellow and brass tones. They usually have just the right amount of dye in order to cancel out unwanted warm tones so your hair can look platinum rather than purple.

As such, these products are often referred to as silver shampoos and conditioners. Another one of our favorite brands is the Fanola No Yellow Shampoo, which also keeps your blonde hair looking fresh and sleek.

How to use it

Now, you do have to be careful on how often you use these products, since some are made for daily use while others are meant to be used only once a week. If you use them more than the recommended frequency, you just might end up with purplish hair.

When using purple shampoos, the general rule is to start by rinsing your hair with hot water in order to open up your hair cuticles, then apply the purple shampoo, lather it up all over your hair and scalp, and leave it on for about fifteen minutes, after which you can wash it off with cold water to help seal in the color.

Apply a conditioning mask

Another relatively easy and non damaging solution you can do to keep yellow hair at bay is to apply a conditioning mask that prevents further hair damage by reducing your hair’s porosity and replenishing its lost proteins.

This is because bleach, toners, and developers all actually burn your hair to a certain degree, not to mention damage your strands right up to the roots.

Depending on the kind of yellow your hair is starting to show, you can choose between the Manic Panic Purple Haze – Purple Hair Dye Color or the Manic Panic Electric Amethyst Hair Color Cream. The rule here is the darker or warmer the yellow undertones, the darker the purple you should use to counter it.

Use a toner/ gloss

Now, you can also use a toner or gloss to remove those unwanted colors and make your hair less porous, as well as add a glossy finish to your strands. It’s best used after bleaching in order to act as a topcoat and fix unwanted red and brass undertones.

You can choose between permanent and semi-permanent toners such as the Bold Uniq Purple Shampoo For Blonde Hair and the Purple Shampoo for Blonde Hair by GBG depending on how often you want to keep reapplying toner on your hair.

But, keep in mind that while permanent solutions may seem easier, they are also more damaging to your already weak and fragile hair. Another important thing is to choose the right toner color to cancel the unwanted colors on your hair.

For example, yellow tones need to be canceled with a purple toner like the #hellosilver Got Glam Purple Hair Mask Toner for Highlighted Hair, while red and brassy tones need more greens and blues, so you can try the Joice Color Balance Blue Shampoo, which cancels out yellow-orange undertones.

Recolor your hair

One common reason why colored hair appears like patches of blonde and orange is that you did not use enough dye or bleach when you were coloring your hair. And as such, you can simply reapply more color (in the same shade) to even things out.

This time, make sure to apply the dye/ bleach evenly, starting from the bottom layers of your hair and going to the top, and from the roots down to the tips. If you can, it’s best to have a friend help you out.

Get more than enough dye than you’ll need to make sure that you have plenty. Section your hair into thin divisions to make the dye easier to apply, and spread the dye thoroughly in order to ensure even coverage. Let it sit for the recommended time period, or a bit longer, before washing it off with shampoo and conditioner.

Try out lighteners

There’s also the option of using lighteners to lift the brassy undertones into a really pale yellow that looks like an almost nice blonde. Now, this one can get a little complicated, and it’s best to leave it to a trained professional, but here’s how the process goes:

The key is to use a high quality bleach and developer than are gentle on your hair and scalp and prevents breakage, all while being able to lift your hair color up to seven levels. A such, you’ll need salon grade products rather than store bought ones.

The mixture of developer and bleach varies depending on whether you’ll be applying them on your roots or on the length of the hair strands. Either way, they need to saturate the hair well and lift it to a level ten yellow before rinsing.

Dye it blonde

If your hair wasn’t that dark to begin with, you might be able to get away with just dyeing your hair blonde. That said, keep in mind that this will only work on those with light hair and with yellow undertones rather than deep orange tones.

The way to do this is to choose a shade of blonde that is within two shades of your current hair color so the end result looks more natural and the yellows can get covered better. Once you’ve chosen your hair dye, just apply it following the instructions on the product label.

One tip is that if you really want to eliminate those warm hues, go for cooler shades of blonde such as ash blonde.

…Or make it darker

This may sound like you’re giving up, but it’s really more like knowing what works best for your hair, which is one that looks nice and pleasing, complements your skin tone, is easy to maintain, and is not damaging to your hair.

If you do decide to dye your hair a darker color, the good thing is you can choose from just about any color out there, as long as it’s darker than the yellow and orange strands you want to get rid of. And, you can just go about it how you would normally apply hair color.

Overview

Desperately trying to find ways on how to get rid of yellow hair after bleaching? Worry no more. As you’ve seen from our guide above, there are many ways on how you can address this problem. So, just pick one that you feel will work best for you depending on your hair’s needs and your personal preferences.

And, make sure to take care of your hair so it stays strong, healthy, and shiny no matter what you do with it.