This Summer, in an attempt to get some strength and health back into my hair I dyed my hair dark. My thinking was that as I was going darker, it wouldn't damage my hair, but I accidentally got a permanent shade instead of a semi, meaning I was left with super dark brown hair. I loved the darker colour initially, but soon realised that the dark dye did in fact still contain peroxide so my hair was an even worse condition, which showed up even more with a darker tone.
The darker colour was fun to start with, it made my eyes 'pop' and was fun working with a new colour alongside my hairbands and clothing. The colour though was just far too dark for my skin tone, I wear a lot of black and felt too gothy, it just wasn't me. I'm a little anaemic still, so paler than ever and the colour has been really bringing me down. I missed my fun colours like the pink hair I had and just wanted it gone. I stumbled across Colour B4, which I instantly dismissed as I presumed it would just ruin my hair by lightening it.
I was intrigued though so hit up Google for some reviews and I was surprised to see that hair damage didn't seem to be an issue and it really does seem to work. The main worry though was the fact most people moaned about the smell and the fact their house reeked of rotten eggs after treatment!
I eventually gave into my curiosity and picked up a box whilst shopping. After reading the reviews, the instructions and giving myself time to deal with a disaster, I waited for a day I had nowhere to be and a good few hours to panic over whatever the results may be.
I'll skip to the results (as that's probably what you're here for!), I used one box which well covered all my hair and I could see it lightening very quickly. After the first box, I didn't do enough rinsing so it oxidised slightly and the dark came back mostly. I just did a second box and followed the instructions to the letter, this time the results are so much better and seem to be holding pretty well. It's not super blonde, but it is blonde and light enough to add a bright temporary colour if I decide to.
There's probably lots of questions you have which can be answered on the box/instructions, but for the more 'user friendly' questions, I thought I'd share how I got on.
Ease of use
This system is pretty straight forward, you mix two bottles to start with and cover your hair. This oxidises the hair follicles shrinking the colour parts ready to wash them away. You have to leave it on for an hour and keep it warm wrapped in plastic, so it's not a quick fix but well worth the wait. You then have to rinse for at least 5 minutes, or ten for longer hair than mine. This was the stage I rushed the first time and is SO important. The next step is another bottle which acts a bit like shampoo washing the colour parts out. This again is quite timely, leaving on five minutes at a time for both halves of the bottle. Finally, I used the frequent use one which is more gentle on the hair so it comes with a conditioner to use at the end. Again, a little waiting, leaving on for 3 minutes for each half of the bottle, followed by a damn good rinse. I then did a regular shampoo and conditioner, it doesn't say you can't do this and with the product smell, I needed to wash it away!
The smell
The best way to describe this is sulphur like. It smells like hair removal cream (worrying smell with a hair product!) but it's not particularly strong and as there's no stinging to the product or eye watering like with hair dye, it's completely bearable throughout. The smell does linger, so I'd suggest throwing any packaging out straight away and possibly bleaching the shower drain to help wash it away. It's not really that bad at all though and considering it would cost a small fortune to have colour removed in a salon, a little pong for an hour or two is nothing. I was surprised at how much of an issue people made the smell sound in other reviews, it's not pretty but it's not that bad either.
Did it damage my hair?
This is one of the frequently asked questions but I'm going to answer from someone that has very poor condition hair that's abused with heat, bleach, dye and products very regularly. This product did not damage my hair any more than it was already, nor did it improve the condition, it simply did what I needed it to by removing the colour. I haven't tried the other versions, but I can say that this frequent use version is gentle and still does the job.
Verdict
If you have stubborn colour that you aren't happy with, whether it's from a salon or a box dye this will remove it, BUT you do need to be really careful to follow the instructions correctly. This is such a clever product and not damaging hair is a HUGE relief and probably a concern of most potential buyers. The smell is not nice, but it's not bad enough to put me off using this again, it does go and washes out your hair easily. I am so pleased to have discovered this as I'll no doubt have many more hair disasters as a serial hair dye addict! This retails at around £10 for a box which will do shoulder length hair easily. Considering the change this makes I think it's a great price. Your hair colour will be lightened if done correctly, but with browns there is always a red element so it's likely you may come out a little ginger which is worth keeping in mind. You can dye with a semi permanent or wash out dye straight after though, so if the colour is not right for you it is possible to instantly change it without further damage to your hair.
Have you tried Colour B4?
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