Women want a natural hair color with ample luminescence. However, the first attempts at lightening hair may end with disappointment. The often seen yellow tinge in blonde hair is particularly unwelcome. Learn how the yellow tinge comes about and how to get rid of it
Bleaching hair blonde often involves a drastic color change. The bleaching step requires utmost diligence and care. In case something goes wrong, here is some helpful advice:
You may hear somebody say, “I colored my hair blonde”. While we all know what is meant, the word coloring does not really fit the facts. To change the color of hair from dark to blonde does not really involve color but rather a color-removing agent, namely hydrogen peroxide.
Achieving the desired blonde hair requires the removal of the hair’s natural pigments whether it is done in a hair salon or at home. In the process, the hair color transitions from its natural color to colorless via several red and yellow stages. The last color before colorless is yellow.
A yellow tinge in bleached blonde hair may be due to an application error or due to an unsuitable product choice.
Yellow Tinge in Blonde Hair Due to an Application Error
The yellow tinge often shows up because the bleach is rinsed out too early. Many women will watch the color changing while the bleach does its work. When they see their hair color change from red to orange they panic and quickly rinse out the bleach. However, there is absolutely no reason for panic. Orange is just one of the intermediate colors during the multi-step change from dark to colorless. Keep a cool head and the bleach in your hair. In just a few minutes, your hair will change from orange to yellow and then to colorless.
How to Prevent the Yellow Tinge in Blonde Hair
Strictly adhere to the instructions for use, and in particular do not change the application time. Leave the bleach in your hair as long as needed but no longer as or shorter than needed and recommended in the instructions.
How to Remove the Yellow Tinge
Repeat the bleaching process with the same product to complete the application time. If you have rinsed out the bleach 10 minutes too early you should leave the application in your hair for 10 minutes in the repeat application.
Yellow Tinge in Blonde Hair Due to an Unsuitable Product Choice
If you see a yellow tinge even though you adhered to the application time, then the bleach was too weak for the starting color.
How to Prevent the Yellow Tinge in Blonde Hair
You find a starting color on the product package. Compare the starting color on the package with your natural hair color. If you are not sure about your choice you can always ask a friend for a second opinion.
How to Remove the Yellow Tinge
To achieve the beautiful blonde you wanted you should repeat the bleaching process. Use an even weaker bleaching product than before because most of the hair pigments were already removed.
In such a case, a cosmetic product like silver shampoo may be the right remedy. Silver shampoo contains blue-violet pigments, which compensate for the slight yellow tinge. (The blue-violet color is complementary to the yellow color.) The effect of the silver shampoo will only last for a short time because the blue-violet pigments only adhere to the outer hair shaft.
The results of using silver shampoo may vary. You may have to wash your hair with silver shampoo more than once. We recommend using the silver shampoo no more than every second shampoo.
After you removed the yellow tinge, treat your hair to some extra TLC for new luster and a healthy appearance. In his video, Schwarzkopf hair expert Armin Morbach shows how to make your blonde hair look radiant.