How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Detailed Step by Step Guide [Video]

The color of your hair can determine how confident you appear and for most people, the bolder the color, the more confident they become.

Red is one of the boldest colors, and as a hair color, it can solely be responsible for a ton of confidence. However, this is only when the red color is wanted or deliberately painted into the hair.

Therefore, it is very common to find people trying to eliminate or neutralize red tones in the hair. This guide teaches how to neutralize red tone in hair and provides general answers to questions about hair problems, hair tones, and hair toners.

How to Neutralize Red Tones in Hair

How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide
How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide

Several things can cause unwanted red tones in hair: carrying your natural hair for too long, exposing your hair to excess sunlight and pollution too often, using cheap hair products, regularly bathing in chlorinated pool water, as well as previous dye works.

These things can have oxidative effects on the hair and cause unwanted streaks of red tones on the hair.

Luckily, there are different ways to neutralize red tones in hair or get rid of it completely. Four of the most common ways are explained below:

Using Green Toning Shampoo

Step 1: Dampen the hair

Start by partitioning the hair into 4 segments to make the job easier.  Then make the hair as possible. You may do this by pouring water on it and running your hand over it a few times.

The goal is to soak the hair enough for the product to penetrate and work effectively.

Step 2: Apply the shampoo.

Once your hair is wet enough, pour some of the green toning shampoos into one palm of your hand and rub it on each of the hair partitions you made.

Continue to massage until the cuticles are completely covered in shampoo, then allow sitting for 5 – 10 minutes or as the manufacturer recommends.

Step 3: Wash the hair

Once the recommended time has elapsed, go ahead and wash off the product from your hair. Then rinse properly until all the shampoo has been removed.

Do not allow the shampoo to linger longer than recommended to avoid any unwanted effects.

Step 4: Check to confirm

Soon as the washing and rinsing are over, stand before a mirror and inspect the hair. Confirm that the red tones have been completely neutralized.

You may need to reapply the green toning shampoo if you notice that not all the red tones have been removed.

Do this by repeating the steps described above. Then check with the mirror again to confirm.

Step 5: Finish up with a conditioner

When you are satisfied with the neutralization, rinse the hair thoroughly, then apply your choice conditioner. You can also style the hair if you want.

Using Ash Shades

Step 1: Prepare the hair

Start by taking some preventive measures such as rubbing Vaseline along the hairline, around the forehead, ears, and the nape of your neck. This will stop the ash dye from staining those areas.

Then wear an old t-shirt to prevent damaging the shirt you are wearing. The final precaution is to wear gloves to prevent your hands and fingers from getting messy with the dye.

Step 2: Wash the hair

If you intend for the color change to be temporal, you will need to wash the hair with any available shampoo. However, you can skip the shampoo if you intend for the ash dye to be more permanent.

Step 3: Partition the hair

Separate the hair into 4 or 6 partitions. Doing this will help make it easier for the dye to penetrate the hair follicles thoroughly.

Then read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions to mix the product for best results.

Step 4: Apply the dye.

Once you have mixed the dye as instructed, apply the mixture to each segment you had created. Try to apply the product from the tips to the root ensuring that the hair is thoroughly covered in dye.

Then cover the hair with a cap (a shower cap or a color processing cap should do the trick) and allow the dye to sit for a time. Check the instructions to be sure how long to allow the dye before washing.

Step 5: Wash and rinse the hair.

Wash the hair with water and mild soap to completely remove the dye, then rinse thoroughly with enough water.

Depending on the instructions on the package, you may be able to wash with shampoo or not. Some products may also allow conditioning.

Lastly, finish off with any styling of your choice.

Using a Darker Hair Dye

Using a darker hair color dye that is ammonia-free works just like the ash dye described above. Not only will this method neutralize the red tones, but it will also protect your hair during the treatment.

You can follow the process above to apply this dye but always confirm with the package instructions for any specific details.

Using Color Remover

This is one of the easiest techniques used in getting rid of red tones and works exactly like hair bleach. It is also just as effective but less harsh than hair bleach.

Color removers can also be correctly called color correctors as they can efficiently penetrate the hair strands and break down the red color molecules found on them. So that upon using it, the red tones will completely disappear.

However, it is advisable to use this as a last resort method of neutralizing red tones and used only when all else has failed.

Remember to follow the instructions provided on the package and apply the necessary precautionary steps such as applying Vaseline, using an old t-shirt, and wearing gloves.

What Cancel Red Tones In Hair

How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide
How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide

Red tones can occur on any hair for many reasons, some of which are beyond your control. If you notice red tones on your hair, the first step is not to run to the salon to purchase any available tone neutralizer.

It is more pertinent to understand what color cancels out red tones. Knowing this will help you understand what product to buy to get the job done in one quick sweep.

While other colors such as blue and purple can cancel red or its shades, green is often the first color of choice to neutralize red tones.

This is mostly because green is directly opposite to red on the hair color wheel. Hence, most people use green toning shampoos and other green products to get rid of those pesky red tones.

How Do You Make Homemade Hair Toner?

How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide
How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide

Some people buy the products they use and apply as toning to their hair, while others create theirs. Creating your hair toner is great because the ingredients required are usually easy to find around the house, and a DIY toner will save you some money.

Hair toners can be made from several household items, and the process is simple. Some of the items you can use to create your toner include baking soda, apple cider vinegar, hollyhock, and lemon.

Baking Soda Shampoo

Regular baking soda can be combined with your favorite shampoo to create an effective hair toner that doesn’t only neutralize warm colors in hair but has activity against build-ups of minerals and other products.

However, because most of these claims have not been scientifically proven and because baking soda is acidic with a high pH, it can increase the chances of experiencing hair breakage and cuticle damage, you will need to be careful how often you use this mixture.

Step 1: Gather 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 2 drops of blue and purple food color and sulphate-free shampoo.

Step 2: Pour all the above items into a jug and add few drops of water to create a mixture.

Step 3: Prepare your hair by rinsing with water before applying the shampoo mixture. Pour the mixture into the hair, massage it properly, and allow sitting for 5 – 10 minutes before rinsing.

Step 4: After washing off the shampoo, wash the hair with a conditioner next to solidify the toning

Step 5: Use this toner once a week and no more for best results

Apple Cider Vinegar

You can also create a hair toner with apple cider vinegar (ACV). This rinse works great since ACV is mildly acidic, and warm hair colors are generally highly acidic. Using this toner can help to lower the pH, thereby removing the warm tones.

Step 1: Pour 4 drops of ACV into a jug and add a few drops of water to mix

Step 2: Rinse the hair, then pour the mixture on the wet hair. Then massage until the hair is fully soaked in it. Then allow standing for 10 – 15 minutes.

Step 3: After the waiting time, wash the hair with slightly warm water, then rinse until all the mixture has been removed.

ACV can cause the hair to feel dry, so try to use this homemade toner only 3 times or less a month.

Hollyhock Hair Toner

Hollyhock herb can be mixed with ACV and water to create an effective hair toner. This mixture is also very effective against red tones in the hair.

Step 1: Pour 2 teaspoons of ACV, 2 teaspoons of hollyhock herb, and a cup of water into a small pot.

Step 2: Boil the above mixture until it becomes thick. Drop and allow cooling.

Step 3: Prepare the hair, then apply the thick mixture once it is cool enough.

Step 4: Allow the toner on the hair for about 10 minutes before washing with slightly warm water. You may also use a sulphate-free shampoo here if you have one at home.

Using this toner as often as once a week is enough to neutralize any red or orange hues on your hair.

Lemon Bleach

Using lemon juice mixed with honey is a great way to create the perfect hair bleach. The lemon has bleaching properties while the honey contains emollient properties, and together they can help get rid of unwanted hair tones.

Step 1: Add a quarter of freshly squeezed lemon juice and about ¾ cup of water in a spray bottle. Next, add 2 teaspoons of honey and shake the bottle properly.

Step 2: Spray the mixture on the hair without letting it reach the scalp. Then allow sitting for 2 hours, spending at least 30 minutes of these under the sun.

Step 3: After 2 hours, wash the spray out of the hair with a sulphate-free shampoo. Next, wash with a conditioner before styling the hair as you like.

It is advisable to use this mixture at most 3 times a week for best results.

Can Toner Damage Your Hair?

How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide
How to neutralize Red Tones in Hair – A Step by Step Guide

Toners help to change hair tones and remove brassiness.  They are used alongside dyes because toners cannot ordinarily change hair colors on their own.

Yet, they help make the hair look more natural. So that whether you are trying to remove red tones or maintain a particular color you have chosen for your hair.

Consequently, toners do not have a long-lasting effect on your hair and can’t damage your hair except they contain ammonia. A toner is considered dangerous to your hair’s health if it is ammonia-based as ammonia is harsh and can break down cuticles and color pigments.

Conclusion

If you wake up to red tones on the tip of your hair strands, do not be quick to panic, as this can happen to just anyone and for several reasons.

Also, don’t be too quick to run to the stylists to solve this minor hair problem. The steps and procedures above will not only help you neutralize red tones in hair but will also help you make your toner with the things you have at home.

 

 

How to Fix Matted Hair: A Step by Step Video Guide

How to Fix Matted Hair : There are lists of things that can leave you with a very confusing appearance, and matted hair happens to be on top of that list.

Matted hair is a situation that occurs when some of the loose hairs twist around other hair strands repeatedly. Very often, the body shed some hair as part of a natural cycle, but sometimes (especially times when your hair is not smooth and straight), these loose hair do not fall off entirely.

Instead, they hang on to other hair strands, get intertwined with those strands and form knots. More falling strands continue to wrap around different strands in damaged or textured hair.

The result is usually this severe tangling that becomes too difficult or painful to unravel. You can think of hair mats as intensified everyday tangles and knots that are impossible to remove with just a comb or brush alone.

Matted hair can occur for several reasons, including terrible detangling techniques used over time, refraining from trimming hair ends for an extended period, and refusing to protect the hair at night as you sleep.

Also, those with textures such as coils and curls or with drier hairs may be more predisposed to hair mats.

When it occurs, most people quickly grab a pair of scissors, cut the hair short, run to the professional hairstylist for chemical-bound solutions, or demand a short hairstyle.

Some of the above solutions are expensive, while others can cause you to lose a large chunk of precious hair.

Alternatively, you can learn how to fix matted hair by yourself and in the comfort of your house. This is what we intend to teach in this short post and answers to some general questions about matted hair.

How to Fix Matted Hair

Equipped with some patience, information, and the right tools, anybody can easily detangle matted hair. Following the steps described below, you too should be able to fix matted hair without spending anything at the salon and with a bit damage to your hair as possible.

Step 1: Comb the dry hair

It might sound tempting to try to untangle the hair right after you take a shower. But detangling wet hair can quickly turn into a bad idea, as we will explain shortly.

Instead, comb the hair while it is dry but not too dry. Use a wide-toothed comb if you have one of those. Combing it while it is not all dry will make it less painful and difficult.

Step 2: Start at the ends.

The combing needs to start from the hair ends. Comb a few times near the ends and then raise the comb a little higher and repeat the strokes a few times.

Continue to repeat this until you reach the root of the hair. The longer or thicker the hair, the more severe the mats will be. And the more severe the mats, the longer the time you might spend detangling them.

Step 3: Raise the hair

Slightly raise a handful of the hair about the thickness of a marker and then twist it halfway before combing the portion under your hand. Then move your grip higher and continue to comb beneath the grab.

Raising it this way prevents pain, and combing it only a portion at a time makes it easier to remove the mats.

Step 4: Apply some conditioner.

If you are having trouble removing mats after step 3 above, try to apply a drop of conditioner or oil on the tough knot and massage it in. this helps to lubricate the intricate strands causing them to lose quickly.

Step 5: Thin out more rigid mats

The above steps may still prove futile with some mats. In that case, you will need to thin them out using scissors. Hold the strands of hair housing the knot higher up, open a pair of scissors and insert the edge of one side of the scissors into the knotted area, then tug gently until the strands loosen apart.

Some knots, especially those formed over several weeks or months of hair neglect, may still refuse to come apart after this. In this case, cutting the mats out would be intelligent as detangling may take too long with no results.

Step 6: Comb with a fine-toothed comb.

Once the mats have all been eased out, you need to run a fine-toothed comb several times over the hair to straighten all the tangles out.

Step 7: Wash the hair

Now that the mats are removed and straightened out, you will need to rinse the hair. You may also consider parting your hair into several portions and rinsing them one at a time if you have tightly curled hair.

Otherwise, you can stand under the shower and rinse the hair just before you bathe.

Why Is My Hair So Matted?

Generally, several known factors can cause your hair to form severe tangles and mats. While the reasons can be separated into chemically-induced and natural causes, they are mostly under your control.

Some of the reasons your hair could be so matted include over-processing the hair, avoiding combing the hair for a long time, failure to trim or cut split ends, and letting the hair hang loosely while you sleep.

Failure to Protect Your Hair While You Sleep

Many people believe that they should only protect their hair whenever they make a new style and try to preserve the new hairstyle until it looks older.

But this is not so. Your hair needs to be protected while you sleep, especially when you are yet to braid it.

 You can try to make your curls into a pineapple at night or braid it just before bed if you have a twist out/braid out.

Also, cover the hair with a satin scarf or bonnet before you lay down. And lastly, choose a satin pillowcase instead of a cotton one as the latter is known for removing every bit of moisture from your hair as you rub against it, causing the hair to mat.

Not Combing the Hair Often or Not Detangling Properly

Combing the hair every day might seem like too much work, but it is necessary if you don’t want the hair to get tangled up.

Also, not detangling correctly can often cause the hair to mat and allow more minor knots to develop into severe hair mats.

Hence you must comb often and detangle as you go, using the detangling steps described above.

Over Processing/ Over Styling the Hair

Processing your hair with various styles is good as it gives you an attractive look and gives you a break from worrying about what to do with the hair for some weeks. It also helps you retain your hair length for that period.

However, over-processing the hair and carrying it that way for too long often result in mats. To prevent this from happening, only install protective styles on wet hair and only leave the style on for 4 – 6 weeks.

Lastly, when getting rid of the style, follow up immediately with a session of careful washing and detangling.

The following reasons may also cause some hairs to be more prone to forming hair mats than others:

  • When the hair is always too dry
  • When the hair is naturally curly
  • When the hair becomes longer than shoulder length
  • When the hair is damaged by heat, sun, or chemicals such as bleach
  • When the hair breaks off easily
  • When you vigorously scratch or comb the hair
  • When the hair is constantly exposed to hot styling tools
  • When you use hair products that contain alcohol too often

What Home Remedy Gets Rid of Knots?

Having matted hair is nobody’s favorite moment – it leaves you with damaged hair, and that is beside the pain and grief that comes with trying to comb and detangle the hair.

It can also cause money to detangle mats if you wish to take them to the stylists. It is almost impossible that the people at the salon will help you get rid of mats for free.

Therefore, it will make so much sense if remedies are lying around in your house that you can quickly and efficiently use to remove knots, and luckily there are a ton of them.

A few great home remedies that can help you get rid of knots include apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, peanut butter, mayonnaise, baby oil, and many other everyday items.

Apple Cider Vinegar

This household item has helped many get rid of even the worst knots. Apple cider vinegar can act as a natural conditioner, making knot removal effortless and painless.

To use, mix half a teaspoon of this item in 2 cups of water, then rinse your hair with the solution. Try to focus more on the areas with the knots. Lastly, use slightly warm water to rinse the entire hair.

Coconut Oil

This simple ingredient can be quite effective and is readily available. If you have some at home, then your hair woes won’t last longer than they should.

To use, pass some coconut oil to warm it slightly, then pour some into one palm and, with the other hand, smear the oil all over the knot.

Once you are satisfied with the smearing, go ahead and use a wide-toothed comb to comb the area, starting from near the ends and going higher gradually. You will feel the knot loosen easily without causing you any discomfort.

Peanut Butter

If you are like most people who love to consume peanut butter, then chances are you will have some lying around even right now.

If you don’t already know this, people have found peanut butter to be a perfect softening gent and have been using it on hair locks for ages.

To use on hair mats, take a little scoop of this item and apply directly on the knots, then allow sitting for a few minutes before rinsing with slightly warm water.

Allow the hair to dry correctly, and then use a wide-toothed comb to comb gently, starting from the ends and making your way up.

Mayonnaise

This is another very common household consumable. It is also very effective in helping you detangle knots.

Start by smearing some mayonnaise over the areas with knots, then allow sitting for a few minutes. After that, brush the hair using a wide-toothed comb. The result is usually an easy detangling that causes neither pain to you or damage to your hair.

Baby Oil

Baby oils can also come in handy in fixing many hair related issues, including mats. They can make detangling matted hair easy and prevent breakage at the same time.

Find out where all the mats are located, then apply some baby oil directly to the knots. Allow standing for a minute, then brush gently using a wide-toothed comb.

Conclusion

Hair mats are painful to detangle and cause severe damage to your hair, yet they are so common that everyone experiences them now and then.

The cause could be something you did or failed to do, but that never stops it from becoming problematic and causing you valuable time, money, and some hair.

Therefore, learning how to fix matted hair effectively, efficiently, and with minimal damage is an essential life hack.