Print Page | Close Window

How to get the Red Tones from Brown Hair

Printed From: HairBoutique.com
Category: Hair Talk
Forum Name: Hair Color
Forum Description: The tricks and tribulations of changing your hair color
URL: /forum_posts.php?TID=42483
Printed Date: Dec 26, 2024 at 9:44am


Topic: How to get the Red Tones from Brown Hair
Posted By: zippysuzee
Subject: How to get the Red Tones from Brown Hair
Date Posted: Apr 18, 2006 at 10:28am

Hi, I am trying to get my hair back to the Medium Ash Brown colour that is my true hair colour.  I had dyed it Auburn, which I liked very much but noone else liked it so I coloured it Medium Ash Brown.  I was told by Clairol customer service that the ash brown would remove red tones.

My haircolour now is not offensive or anything, it is medium reddish brown.  I hate Reddish or Golden Brown Hair it just doesn't suit me.  I want the regular mousy brown colour back.  Sound weird, but that does bring out my eyes and skintone better.  My eyes are hazel. 

Does anyone have a suggestion of how I can do this? 




Replies: 4
Posted By: zippysuzee
Date Posted: Apr 18, 2006 at 10:28am

Hi, I am trying to get my hair back to the Medium Ash Brown colour that is my true hair colour.  I had dyed it Auburn, which I liked very much but noone else liked it so I coloured it Medium Ash Brown.  I was told by Clairol customer service that the ash brown would remove red tones.

My haircolour now is not offensive or anything, it is medium reddish brown.  I hate Reddish or Golden Brown Hair it just doesn't suit me.  I want the regular mousy brown colour back.  Sound weird, but that does bring out my eyes and skintone better.  My eyes are hazel. 

Does anyone have a suggestion of how I can do this? 



Posted By: hannebash
Date Posted: Apr 18, 2006 at 11:18am
The problem that you will run into is that brown has alot of red in it, so that is always going to an issue. I dyed my hair dark ash brown, neutral, you name it and in sunlight, there is always a red hue to it. The only solution for me was to grow out the dye and go back to my natural dark brown color, which I notice does have some red undertones in sunlight. I think dying over the color you already have will not totally eliminate the red. You will likely just have layers of dye over time, and may end up darker than you want, but STILL with the red. I've seen black hair with red undertones. You can use the colorwheel to counter it as much as possible, but it probably wont go away completely. Check out the sticky on the top of this page it has good info on the colorwheel.


Posted By: zippysuzee
Date Posted: Apr 18, 2006 at 1:02pm
Hi and thanks for your reply....I just did it again and it is so so....I guess my only way is too highlight it with very pale blonde streaks.  I have grey at the roots still so the dye didn't cover them very well either.  I will get the highlights for colour treated hair.  There is no way I am ready for grey hair. 


Posted By: aubergine
Date Posted: Apr 20, 2006 at 8:13am
When I had dyed ash brown hair, like hannebash said, in the sunlight it had very noticable red undertones, and I didn't have any red previously on my hair (I'm very blonde).  I tried dying over again and again and my hair got so dark it was almost black.  Then I thought to myself "What the hell am I doing I kind of like red brown - it's a nice contrast to my blue eye and warms up my complexion"...so I stripped my hair colour and dyed it a natural brown which has enough red in it to make it look like a rich brown.  I always thought ash brown was boring on me anyway...just not enough colour in there...

Anyways, it's going to be tough to get red-less brown.  The underlying pigment in naturally brown hair is red.


Posted By: sarytyr
Date Posted: Apr 20, 2006 at 8:55am
I have to agree, you will probably not get rid of all the red/gold tones for medium brown.  Something that will help to counteract the red tones is adding a red/gold color corrector that they sell at Sally Beauty Supply the next time you color.  If I were you I would select a neutral brown and add the corrector.  Ash shades do not cover gray well; you need some warm tones to cover the gray, then the corrector will diminish the extra red/gold tones in the neutral/beige shades.sarytyr38827.3762731481



Print | Close Window