If you’re itching to ditch your espresso brown locks in favor of a lighter, brighter hue, we’ll be the first to advise you to head to the salon. While bleaching your strands at home may sound straightforward, dark hair tends to turn orange when lightened—and if you don’t know how to fix orange hair without using more bleach, you run the risk of seriously damaging your strands.
We’re guessing, though, that if you’re reading this, it’s already too late. That’s okay: There are things that you can do to neutralize brassiness and get your hair back to a more natural-looking shade. Ahead, we’ll explain why your hair turned orange (hint: blame the bleach) and give you a run-down on the best fixes for brassy orange hair, from toning shampoos to demi-permanent dyes and more.
Why Does Hair Turn Orange?
The main cause of dark hair turning orange is an improper bleaching job. In order to understand why, it’s important to have a basic understanding of how bleach works. When applied to the hair, bleach enters the hair shaft and helps break down melanin, the pigment responsible for giving your hair its color. Dark hair contains brown and black pigments, but it also contains red pigments, and these are typically the hardest for bleach to break down. If the bleach isn’t left on long enough to lift these pigments fully, you’ll be left with a brassy, orange-toned mane. (And no, leaving your bleach on for longer than recommended isn’t the solution—that’ll just end up damaging your strands). Lightening dark hair is a balancing act, which is why we always suggest leaving major color transformations involving bleach in the hands of a seasoned professional.
Bleaching isn’t the only thing that can cause your mane to take on an orange tint. Showering in hard water can deposit minerals onto your hair that intensify orange and reddish tones. Sun exposure can make orange tones appear more prominent, too. And if you’ve lightened your hair, anything that accelerates color fading—such as sun exposure or frequent heat styling—may cause your hue to take on a brassy tone more quickly than expected.
Good hair day by @cristianchiffi
How To Fix Orange Hair at the Salon
If you’ve lightened your hair and are wondering how to fix orange hair after bleaching it, your best bet is to visit a salon for a professional color correction. Leaving hair coloring to the pros is crucial to avoid further brassiness or damage, especially for those with naturally dark hair. Professional colorists can assess your hair's current tone and health and use targeted techniques to help you achieve your desired shade. Here are a few in-salon solutions to help correct orange hair after lightening.
Permanent hair dye
Coloring brassy hair is one of the simplest (and most long-lasting) ways to nix unwanted warm tones. If your lightened brunette hair looks more copper than blonde, your colorist might suggest going in with a cool-toned hair dye to help neutralize unwanted warmth. Shades like ash blonde and mushroom brown have blueish undertones, which can help cancel out the orange present in your strands to reveal a more neutral-toned hair color. Some hair dyes can also lighten the hair and help break down the reddish pigment in your strands.
Demi-permanent color or gloss
If your hair is lightened to the level you want but the shade isn't right, consider asking your stylist for a demi-permanent gloss, such as Redken Shades EQ or Matrix Tonal Control. These in-salon treatments deposit pigment onto the strands to help neutralize brassy tones. They can also help boost shine, deep condition the hair, and breathe life back into a faded hue. You can expect the results to last about a month, depending on your hair type, color, and condition. For more on demi-permanent color treatments, visit our article on demi-permanent hair color.
Re-bleaching
Going from brown to blonde sometimes requires more than one round of bleach. If orange tones persist after your first bleaching session, your stylist may recommend re-bleaching your hair to remove any lingering red pigment. Only a pro should do this, as re-bleaching requires careful timing and strand tests to avoid excessive damage. Your stylist will assess whether your hair can handle a second round of lightening and may use targeted treatments to help protect your hair’s integrity throughout the process.
Balayage or highlights
Balayage or highlights can add dimension without completely re-bleaching the entire head for a subtle way to blend orange tones. By strategically introducing cooler or lighter tones, your colorist can create a multi-dimensional look that reduces the appearance of brassiness. This approach can also add depth to your color and make regrowth less obvious.
How To Fix Orange Hair at Home
Depending on how brassy your hair is, you may be able to fix orange hair at home with a hair gloss or a toning shampoo. While these at-home treatments won’t lighten your hair or significantly change your color, they can help keep brassiness in check. That being said, choosing the right products is key, as not all toners are created equally.
What color cancels out orange hair?
Blue is the best color to cancel out unwanted orange tones in lightened brunette hair. If you’re brushed up on color theory, you can probably suss out why. If not, we’ll explain. Blue sits directly across from orange on the color wheel (making them complementary colors). When combined, blue and orange effectively cancel one another out. In practice, that means that using a blue shampoo or conditioner can help neutralize an orange tinge in lightened brown hair, bringing you back to a more neutral-toned hue.
Will purple shampoo fix orange hair?
While purple shampoo is designed to neutralize unwanted warmth in brassy blondes, it’s not the ideal solution for those with orange hair. The purple pigments help tamp down on yellow tones but don’t target the deeper reddish-orange tones that brunettes tend to get after bleaching their hair. For orange, blue shampoos and toning treatments will always be your best bet. For a more in-depth look at the differences between blue and purple shampoos, check out our article Blue vs. Purple Shampoo: Is There Really a Difference?
Good hair day by @al_alexander
What Toner Gets Rid of Orange Hair?
Using a blue-tinted toner is your best option for neutralizing orange tones after lightening your hair. Professional-grade toners, like Pureology’s Color Fanatic Top Coat + Tone Blue, are specifically formulated for pre-lightened brunettes and dark blondes. This blue top coat deposits cool tones that counteract warm hues, leaving hair shiny and brass-free for up to eight washes.
For a customizable routine, the Matrix Brass Off collection offers a four-step system to neutralize brassy tones on lightened brunette hair. Start by lathering up with the Brass Off Shampoo, a clarifying shampoo that deposits deep blue pigments to help neutralize unwanted warmth. Follow up with the Brass Off Conditioner for added moisture and cool toning.
For more targeted toning, try the Brass Off All-In-One Toning Leave-In Spray, a buildable option that neutralizes orange tones while prepping your hair for styling. Or, try the Brass Off Custom Neutralization Mask, which deeply conditions and contains concentrated blue-violet pigments to correct orange hair in as little as five minutes.
How To Prevent Orange Hair After Bleaching
Maintaining a cool, brass-free color after bleaching requires more than just toning—it’s about using the right color-safe products to keep your hair healthy and prevent those orange undertones from emerging. Here are some professional-grade products that can help protect your color and ward off brassiness between salon visits.
Good hair day by @lauramvila
Redken Acidic Color Gloss
To extend the life of your professional color, Redken’s Acidic Color Gloss line is a must-have. This pH-balanced system—which consists of a shampoo, a conditioner, an at-home glossing treatment, and a heat protectant—gently cleanses and conditions the hair while helping to seal the cuticle, locking in color and shine. Regular use can enhance the vibrancy of your color, reduce the risk of brassy tones, and give your mane glass-like shine.
Pureology Color Fanatic Multi-Tasking Leave-In Spray
Sun exposure is a common culprit for color fading, which can make hair appear brassy over time. This lightweight leave-in provides multi-layered protection with UV filters to guard against color changes caused by UV rays. Infused with Camelina and olive oils, this leave-in spray protects your hair and deeply nourishes it, helping to keep your strands soft and shiny. For those regularly out in the sun, this is a go-to product for maintaining that just-left-the-salon color.
L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox
If you live in an area with hard water, you may notice that it dulls your color and intensifies warm tones over time. The L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox collection is specially formulated to neutralize minerals in hard water that can cause brassiness and other haircare concerns. This anti-metal system features five products, including a pre-shampoo treatment and a sulfate-free shampoo, that help remove metals and minerals from the hair, allowing your color to stay vibrant for longer. There’s also a salon-exclusive pre-treatment you can ask your stylist to use next time you decide to go lighter. Trust us—it’s a game-changer.
Next Up: The 411 on Hair Glazes: How This Salon Service Can Amp Up Your Color
Header photo credits (left to right): @redkenpro, Hair.com, and @al_alexander
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