- To fix orange hair with box dye, you’ll need to apply an ashy dye. That undertone is identified by number 1. Those hair dyes contain blue pigmentation that will neutralize orange.
- Ashy hair dyes give us the possibility to maintain your tone level by darkening or lightening your hair and eliminating the orange shades
- It all depends on your color level and the color you want to achieve. We’ll go into more detail about all the options later on.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: How many boxes of hair dye do I need to color my hair? One, two or three?
Yes, it’s as simple as that. But, at the same time, as complicated too.
It’s simple because all you have to do is visit the nearest perfume store and ask the salesperson for an ashy hair dye.
Also, it’s complicated because you need to understand some basic concepts of colorimetry to learn why you should use an ash hair dye and how to choose the right one.
Why is it important?
Because only then will you get the color you want for your hair.
Since your hair is orange, you should apply its opposite color. If you check the color wheel, you’ll see it’s blue. No, I’m not crazy.
I don’t mean that you have to dye your hair blue. If you did, you’d change your hair level.
What I’m talking about is choosing a hair dye that contains blue pigments, which is also identified as ashy.
All hair dyes numbered 1 are ashy. So, all you have to do is find your color level and apply the ashy hair dye.
Now, the moment you get to the store, you’ll find different alternatives to ash dyes.
So, to choose the right one, you need to consider your color level and what you want to do.
You have three options: lighten, darken, or maintain your color level.
First, let’s get down to the relevant topics.
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How to identify an ashy hair color to fix orange hair
Have you ever noticed that box dyes have coding numbers?
They’re used by colorists to state the base color of the hair.
In this case, as your hair is orange, you should look for your color level in the following hair color numbers:
- Light brown 5
- Dark blonde 6
- Blonde 7
- Light blonde 8[/your_list]
The undertone is the secondary number you see after the dot:
- Light ash brown 5.1
- Dark ash blonde 6.1
- Ash blonde 7.1
- Light blonde 8.1
In other words, to fix your orange hair, you must choose one of these four possibilities.
Your choice will depend on what color you want to go for.
You’ll have several possibilities according to the orange in your hair and the color you want to achieve.
Fixing dark orange or light brown hair 5 with box hair dye
In this case, you can apply a hair dye to maintain the level of the color, lighten, or give more dimension to your hair.
- You can apply your same color level such as light ash brown 5.1.
- You can apply a dark ash blonde 6.1 to lighten your look.
- Alternatively, you can apply ash blonde 7.1 or deep ash blonde 7.11 to neutralize the orange and achieve a perfect base for blondes. As they’re permanent hair dyes, they lift up to two levels without bleaching.
Fixing medium orange or dark blonde hair 6 with box dye
In this case, you can darken your hair, keep your color level, or lighten it.
- If you want to neutralize the orange, you can darken your hair by applying 1 dark ash brown.
- If you want to maintain your level, you can apply dark ash blonde 6.1.
- And if you want more lightness in your hair, you can opt for ash blonde 7.1 or light ash blonde 8.1.
Fixing light orange, blonde 7, or light blonde 8 with box dye
In this case, you have two options: keep lifting to get to a platinum blonde 10.1 or maintain your color level.
Which one do I recommend?
The second option, which is to maintain your color level. Otherwise, if you want to keep lifting levels to get to 10.1 platinum blonde, you’ll have to bleach your hair. If it isn’t healthy, it’ll be burned because bleaching is a very aggressive process.
Therefore, your best option is to apply ash blonde 7.1 or a light ash blonde 8.1. They add luminosity to the face, conceal skin imperfections, and conceal gray hair.
You can also darken your hair by applying ashy chestnut brown 5.1.
How to apply the box dye to cover orange hair
The box dye kit has everything you need: the developer, the hair dye, and the post-color treatment, which you should use when rinsing.
The box dye includes all instructions, but, still, I recommend that you don’t overdo the exposure times.
If the manufacturer recommends that you leave it on for 40 minutes, do it. It’ll be enough time for the ashy pigments to tone your hair orange.
Step 1: Preparing your hair
Before you begin, wear an old shirt that you don't mind staining.
Next, brush your dry, unwashed hair, and separate it into sections. Leave the bottom section loose to start applying the hair dye.
Step 2: Prepare the mixture
Put on your gloves and mix the hair dye with the developer in a one-to-one ratio.
Step 3: Applying the mixture
With the gloves on, start applying the mixture from the bottom and working your way up to the roots.
Continue applying the dye to each section. Make sure to cover each of your strands thoroughly.
This process can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes according to the speed and amount of hair you have to cover.
Step 4: Exposure time
Once the exposure time is over, which can be 40 minutes or the time indicated by the manufacturer, rinse your hair. Then, use the post-color treatment included in the box dye. This will add moisture and shine to your hair.
Step 5: Drying and styling
I recommend that you let your hair air dry. However, if you’re anxious and want to see the final result, use the blow-dryer on medium heat.
You’ll notice that your hair is ashy and without any orange residue.
Finally, remember to touch up the color after four to five weeks.
Conclusions
To fix orange hair with box dye, you should only choose an ashy hair dye, which is identified with 1.
You can darken, lighten, or maintain your color by neutralizing the orange considering your color level and the one you want to achieve.
