So, you're ready to go back to a natural colour... here are some tips and advice to help you!
If your current colour is still quite bright (not faded out several weeks), you'll want to either fade out your colour or use a colour remover first. This is a process - it's not typically something that can be achieved in one day.
It may take several days of following the recommendations for fading colour or several applications of colour removers like ColourB4 or Decolour Remover to achieve the result necessary to cover your unnatural colour with a natural shade. Please be patient! It's worth the result.
Here are two links on the forum for
Tips on Fading Hair Colour:
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?topic=1704.0Tips on using Colour Remover:
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?topic=3462.0If you're in the US, alternatives to the above mentioned colour removers are:
Kenra Colour Correction System (a professional, license required product found at CosmoProf and SalonCentric)
Ion Color Brilliance Color Corrector (found at Sally Beauty Supply)
Color Oops (found at Walgreens)
Tips on rinsing all of the Colour Remover out to prevent re-oxidation of colour:
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?topic=6197.0Once you've followed the steps to remove as much colour as possible through the above methods, your hair may feel quite dry. There are excellent hydrating conditioners and reconstructors on the market. Two we routinely recommend and many members of the forum use and love are
Joico K-pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor and
Joico Intense Hydrator. Both can be found by searching online (Google, eBay) and through salons in the US that sell professional hair care products. There are also reviews of these products that can be found in the Company & Product Review section of the forum:
http://www.hairdyeforum.com/index.php?topic=1320.0Now that you've removed as much of your current colour as possible, you're ready to choose your shade of natural colour hair dye.
Adore manufactures a line of semi-permanent hair colours that work much the same way as the bright/unnatural colour semi-permanent dyes. They are great if you're not sure you want to stay a natural colour for a long period of time and need a change without damaging your hair. You can view a good selection of them on the Beeunique website here:
http://www.beeunique.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=151&zenid=df0b9e3de13bfac2687427990d8489d5In the US, you can use Google to search and find online retailers that also offer Adore dyes.
Note that the darker shades are going to cover any remaining colour residue better than lighter shades, as these are semi-permanent dyes that will not affect your base colour (they do not use a developer, so they do not lift the cuticle, they do not lighten your base colour and they do not deposit the dye into the hair shaft like a permanent colour will).
If you're wanting to go permanently darker, there are some things to be certain of before you proceed!1) Has it been a minimum of four (4) weeks since you last bleached, bleach bathed or coloured your hair with a dye that uses a developer/peroxide?
2) Is your hair is in a condition that is healthy enough to be processed again?
3) Do you understand that removing permanent hair colour is a difficult and lengthy process that can not be achieved in one day, in one weekend, or even in one week. In most cases, removing permanent hair dye for a lighter base (depending on the colour result you wish to obtain) can take MONTHS... and may not be possible to completely and totally remove at all? Make absolutely certain you want to permanently go dark - as it's fairly
permanent!
4) If you're absolutely sure - choose a shade that best suits your desire. It will take a reddish brown or mahogany to cover red or darker pink bases.
5) Choosing a shade that is close to your own natural colour, perhaps just a touch darker, will help you transition and grow out the remaining processed hair without very noticeable root regrowth.