From Red to Brunette: A Comprehensive Guide to Dyeing Red Hair Brown

So, you've been rocking that fierce red hair but are feeling ready to switch things up? Dyeing red hair brown can be tricky, since not every color will effectively neutralize red tones. It's not impossible, though! Whether your hair is naturally red or has been dyed that color, you can achieve a beautiful shade of brown from the convenience of your own home. This comprehensive guide will walk you through the process, covering everything from color theory to aftercare.

Understanding Color Theory for Hair Dyeing

Before we jump into specific shades, let's have a quick chat about color theory (we promise to keep it fun!). The color wheel is your friend when it comes to hair transformations.

• Analogous Colors: Colors that are besties (right next to each other on the wheel) will give you the smoothest transition. Sunset Orange is your perfect match for a seamless hair color evolution!
• Complementary Colors: Colors that are across from each other on the wheel (complementary colors) can be a bit tricky. They cancel each other out, which sounds cool but might leave you with an unexpected muddy shade. Purple, orange, and blue are ideal shades for covering red.

Pre-Dye Considerations

Before making any color change, remember that everyone's hair journey is unique. Your current shade, previous colors, and hair porosity will all affect how your new color transforms.

1. Assess Your Current Red Shade: Whether or not your hair is naturally red or dyed red, you still need to know what shade it is before you can make an informed decision about what color of brown you'll need to buy. Look online for different descriptions and examples to pinpoint your shade. If your hair is a red velvet, then you aren't going to have much success dyeing it a medium-brown; you'd be better off opting for a deep-brown.
2. Clarify and Condition: Start by using a clarifying shampoo to remove any product buildup and help fade your current color to a lighter base. Between clarifying sessions, make sure to give your hair plenty of love with deep conditioning treatments to keep your strands healthy and happy.
3. Consult a Professional: Consult with a licensed hair colorist. Madison Reed colorists will give you professional advice on what color you should choose to achieve your desired outcome.
4. Test the Color: If you’re unable to consult with a hair colorist, you may want to test the outcome yourself first. Apply a small amount of dye to a discrete area of your hair and take a look at the result. Then decide how you want to move forward before applying to the rest of your hair.

Choosing the Right Brown Shade

All shades of brown are good to put on red hair, though the particular hue should depend on two things:

• What color do you want to achieve?
• What shade of red do you have now?

Light-brown dye is an excellent choice for a light-red hair color, while darker shades complement dark brown hues. Depending on your particular color combination, your hair will likely range from auburn tints to a rich, deep mahogany brown shade. If you want to minimize the red tone altogether for a natural brunette hue (less auburn or mahogany), you will need to use a neutral or cool/ash brunette shade to counteract the red tones.

Read also: Matching Eyebrows to Black Hair

Consider your skin tone when making a color selection. If you have tan or more olive-toned skin, opt for an ashy or more muted brown. Choose a semi-permanent dye if you aren't ready to commit to being a brunette just yet, or pick a permanent dye for longer-lasting coverage. Avoid the “10-minute” boxes-since you're going to be covering red tones, you need to use an application that's going to set into your hair over a 15-30 minutes period. Also, buy 2 boxes of the dye, especially if you have thick hair or hair that is shoulder-length or longer-that way you won't run out in the middle of dyeing your hair!

Will Black Hair Dye Cover Red?

If you are looking to go darker and completely eliminate the red, then this is a good choice. It’s easier to make your red hair darker than lighter-plus black on red? Gorgeous. Remember that if you put a true black dye on top of red, your hair won’t become brunette. Instead, you will get a true black color that may fade to burgundy, both of which can look fabulous.

Using Arctic Fox Hair Color, mix 98% Ginger Flare with 2% Transylvania for a stunning dark natural warm brown hair color. This combination works beautifully since adding dark pigment to red hair is an effective color transition. Black hair dye like Transylvania will effectively cover red hair color, making it one of the most reliable options for concealing vibrant reds. Since black is the darkest shade, it contains maximum pigment to overpower existing color. However, be aware that depending on the intensity of your red, some warm undertones might still show through in certain lighting.

Lightening Red Hair: When Bleach is Necessary

If you want to make your hair lighter, you’ll need to bleach it first-red is a dominant color, so that may be your only option. You may need to use a highlight or bleach if you want to go lighter: Red hair is hard to cover and sometimes there’s no other solution than making it lighter first. Even if you are not a fan of highlighting or bleaching, it might be better than trying to cover your hair with several layers of dye over time.

Although the typical combination of red and blonde often leads to an orange hue, an exception exists-applying bleach (and toner) to light red hair. This particular blend produces a strawberry blonde, which bears a subtle reddish tinge and sets it apart from conventional blondes. It’s an intriguing choice if you're considering transitioning away from your red hair.

Read also: Sun-Kissed Golden Brown

1. Prepare the bleaching kit: If you're going to make your own mix at home, you will need: 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of hair conditioner, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of shampoo, 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of water, 8 tablespoons (120 mL) of developer, and 8 tablespoons (120 mL) of bleach.
2. Apply the Bleach: Pull the top half of your hair up and then separate the bottom half into 2 sections, using plastic clips or hair ties. Then use an applicator brush to evenly spread the bleach from the roots to the tips. Then separate the top half of your hair into 2 sections and repeat the process. How long you need to leave the bleach on your hair will depend on the level of volume developer you use. Make sure you use plastic hair clips and tools when you're using bleach.
3. Rinse and Wash: After the 10-20 minute bleach treatment, take a shower or wash your hair in the sink and follow your normal hair-washing routine.
4. Test a Strand: Test a strand of bleached hair before dyeing your entire head. Choose a small patch of hair from a hidden area, like the bottom layer in the back, and apply the dye. You can wait a few days if you want to between bleaching and dyeing, but chances are you aren't going to like the color of your bleached hair without the dye. It's likely the bleach will turn your hair a yellow, brassy, or orange color.

The Dyeing Process: Step-by-Step

Getting red brown hair is as easy as heading to the salon with one of these looks bookmarked to show your stylist as inspiration. Otherwise, you can grab an at-home hair dye kit and get the look on your own. If you go that route, all you need to do is follow the instructions included with your dye.

1. Prepare Your Hair and Workspace: Read all instructions carefully. Each manufacturer has different guidelines for how to apply the dye and how long it should be left on your hair. Plus, depending on the brand, there might be some helpful tips or warnings included in the instructions. You'll want to lay out a towel to set the dye and brush on top of while you're working to protect your counters, and you'll also want one to lay across your shoulders to protect your clothes and skin.
2. Section Your Hair: Start by parting your hair down the middle, creating two sections. Divide each section into two more equal sections so you have a total of four sections. Secure each with clips to keep them separate. This step ensures even application and makes the job way easier.
3. Mix the Dye: Combine the hair dye and developer according to the instructions on the dye package. This varies depending on the product you’re using, but often it’s a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio.
4. Apply the Dye: Apply the dye to all of your roots first and then to the rest of your hair. Starting with one section, use a hair dye brush or your (gloved) fingers to apply the dye from your roots to ends. Work in small subsections to ensure even coverage. Massage the dye into your hair to saturate it completely. Start with the top of your head and progress down your scalp, using the applicator to brush the dye into small 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch (0.64 to 1.27 cm) sections at a time.
5. Wait and Rinse: Check the instructions again to see how long your color needs to set in order to develop correctly. This is usually around 20 to 45 minutes. For a more intense color or stubborn gray coverage, you might need to wait a little longer but only as directed. The shower cap will protect your home from accidental brushes with your hair and lets you move around easily as you wait. If your scalp starts to painfully burn, you may be having a reaction to the dye. For extra heat activation, wrap your shower capped-head in a towel. If you have a hooded dryer, you can sit underneath it with your shower capped-head. Don't forget that you need to wear gloves during this process, too! Rinse your hair with warm water until it runs completely clear. Follow with a conditioner to nourish your hair and lock in the color.
6. Dry and Re-Dye (If Necessary): Either let your hair air dry, or use a blow dryer for faster results. If you need or want to, do a second round of dye to add another layer of brown to your hair. Even if you were to get your red hair colored at a salon, they might do a second dye or have you come back in a week for a touch up, so it's not unusual to have to do this.

Maintaining Your New Brown Hair

Anyone who has ever dyed their hair-either at home or in a salon-knows that caring for your mane is the key to maintaining your color. This is especially true for red brown hair color, or any hue that incorporates red, since red is known for fading.

1. Use a Hair Gloss: For shiny-looking, vibrant hair, add a hair gloss to your haircare routine. We love the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One-Step In-Shower Toning Gloss. This at-home toning treatment enhances color and tone, boosts shine, and deeply conditions hair in 15 minutes, leaving strands looking healthy with a hint of fresh color. For reddish brown strands, opt for Copper or try the Clear Gloss option.
2. Choose Color-Safe Products: As we mentioned, red hair can fade fast. This can be made worse if you use hair products that aren’t color safe. Swap your current lineup for the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo with Citric Acid and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner with Citric Acid. Regular shampoos and conditioners could cause your newly-dyed hair to fade more quickly. Frequent washing dries out your hair, and it also makes colors fade faster. Try to wash your hair at the most every other day.
3. Limit Heat Styling: It’s hard to say no to heat styling-and you don’t have to! For a does-it-all, easy-to-use option, we recommend the L’Oréal EverPure Sulfate-Free Blow Dry Primer for 48 HR Frizz Control. Because the bleach and dye damaged your hair, you can help keep it healthier by not using hot styling products as often.
4. Deep Condition Weekly: Apply a weekly deep conditioning mask to repair damage. You can buy hair masks at the store, or you can make some really simple yet effective ones at home. For example, you could mix 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of honey, 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of coconut oil, and one egg yolk and apply it to your hair for about 20 minutes for a deep conditioning mask.
5. Touch Up Roots: Touch up your roots when they start to show through. Maintain your beautiful new color by dyeing your roots every 4-8 weeks.

Embracing Red-Brown Hair

Autumn may only last a few short months, but cozy, “fall” hair colors-like a fiery red brown hair color-don’t need to be saved for one season. Reddish brown hair in particular can bring warmth and sophistication to your look year-round. This vibrant hue is equal parts earthy and rich, and it’s flattering across all skin tones. The best part is that with a high-quality red hair dye, you can get the look without stepping into a salon.

Red brown hair color is a shade of red hair that technically falls into the brunette family but still has gorgeous undertones of red via highlights or lowlights, all-over toner, or the balayage coloring technique. The red tones can range from a more fiery and vibrant hue, like bright copper or fire engine red, or it can lean more subtle (think hints of cherry or auburn). We love that red brown hair is so customizable, making it a hue that complements any skin tone. This is the option many turn to when they want a natural redhead look since auburn hair stands out without looking too stark or bright. For a dark auburn brown hair, reach for L’Oréal Preference Paris Lumiere Fade Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Chic Auburn Brown (pictured below). If you want to dabble only slightly in red and prefer to keep your hair more on the brunette side, a deep red brown hair color is the perfect pick. Drink up this hair color that looks as refreshing as your favorite soda pop. Its red tones have an almost purplish tint to them, making the dark hue anything but basic. One of the boldest reddish brown hair colors, copper is like auburn hair’s lighter, brighter little sister. See for yourself with L’Oréal Paris Feria Hair Color in Copper Crave (a brilliant copper) or L’Oréal Preference Paris Lumiere Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Medium Copper Brown (a subtler option). Considering red hair colors aren’t exactly known for being low-maintenance, you may be tempted to shy away from trying red brown hair even though it looks striking on you. Perhaps a red brown balayage can convince you to give it a spin. You can absolutely do your own balayage at home, too. The L’Oréal Preference Superior Preference Balayage At-Home Highlighting Kit in Medium to Dark Brown makes it super easy. If you need to go lighter, use the Light to Dark Blonde at-home balayage kit instead.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Not neutralizing red tones: Going from red to brown hair means understanding your hair's current pigments and how they'll interact with new color. Red hair has warm undertones that can affect brown dye results. You'll likely need a neutralizing or filler shade first to balance the red tones for even coverage.
• Rushing the process: The process may take multiple steps to get the desired look. Patience and care are crucial to maintain healthy, vibrant hair through the color change.
• Ignoring hair health: Red hair is pretty strong in pigment-this means that it can be difficult to remove from the hair. It may take a few coloring sessions to go back to a blonde or cool brunette and maintenance is key (glosses, color masks, color-protecting shampoo + conditioner, etc.) to counteract the red tone that may show through over time.

Read also: Dark Brown Hair with Purple

tags: #dyeing #red #hair #brown

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