What Is a Hair Color Remover?

Dear Color Crew is a recurring blog post where we answer hair-related questions–no matter how hairy they may be–from readers like you. Got a question? Email our team of professional colorists at ColorCrew@Madison-Reed.com.
 
Dear Color Crew,
I haven’t done anything different, but I feel like my hair color looks darker than it used to. I wish I could “start over.” Is there any way to remove hair color to start fresh?

Hair Color Remover

First things first. (Literally–but we’ll get to that later.) Yes, there is a way to “start over” by using a hair color remover, a product that removes artificial color.

If you’ve colored your hair long enough then you know–over time, your hair can look dull and get darker than you want. This is one of the most common hair color problems. Many people turn to drugstore hair color removers to correct overly dark hair, but using most hair color removers can result in something called reoxidation. Reoxidation usually happens when you use different types of color removers that don’t fully remove the entire color molecule, or don’t completely wash out. When you color over that, using an oxidative color, it reactivates those molecules and make them “over-process,” resulting in even darker color. Plus, many hair color removers contain bleach, ammonia, or peroxide which may damage hair...

Unlike other hair color removers, Prime for Perfection™ uses glyoxylic acid as the color-reducing agent. This means that Prime for Perfection works quickly and easily without putting the hair through a harsher chemical process, because it only targets the artificial dyes, not the underlying hair fiber, as with bleach. In this way, Prime for Perfection works as a primer for your hair, removing excess buildup that causes color to look dull or too dark. Better yet, it’s formulated without ammonia, bleach, peroxide, parabens, phthalates and gluten to create a smooth base so your hair can optimally receive new color.

It works like this...apply Prime for Perfection to dry hair, where it will then penetrate the hair cuticle. As it processes, it dissolves previous artificial color build-up without altering your natural hair color. Wait 20 minutes, then as you thoroughly wash your hair, the build-up of artificial color washes away.

Dry your hair, and you will notice your hair may be lighter with more golden tones. This is a normal part of the color removing process. Fully dry your hair before applying your new color.

We like to call Prime for Perfection the essential prep step before your color, and it’s gentle enough to use every time you color, although we recommend using it every 3-4 times, to keep your color looking healthy, vibrant and fabulous. After all, who doesn’t love a fresh start?