How To Remove Green Tones From Brown Hair?

Did you dye your blonde hair with a brown hue, and you now notice unwanted green highlights? Well, you are likely to encounter green problems if you dye your light-colored hair brown without considering all the factors.

Unfortunately, unwanted green streaks on your hair can ruin your new gorgeous brunette locks and affect your self-esteem. The good news is that you can fix this green hair issue through various methods, all of which you’ll find below.

So, if you’re interested in removing those green tones from your brown hair, check out these easy tips.

Common Causes of Green Hair Problems

So, what causes green hair in dyed brown hair in the first place? There are two primary reasons your hair has greenish tones after dyeing it brown.

First, it might be because your previous hair color’s underlying pigment didn’t blend well with the dye you chose. This is especially true if your original hair color was blonde since these hues have yellow undertones.

So, if you apply a brown dye with cool undertones, it can result in your new brunette locks looking greenish. That’s why stylists often recommend applying a “filler” color first before dyeing your blonde hair brown to prevent these green tones.

In this case, you can use a copper-colored dye with orange undertones as a base to fill in the missing yellow and red pigments before applying brown dye.

Aside from that, another possible reason for your hair turning green is that your hair was too damaged or porous before you applied the color. Your hair turned green because it absorbed the pigments too quickly, resulting in the uneven distribution of color along your strands.

Unfortunately, getting rid of the green tones can be incredibly difficult and time-consuming if your hair is too damaged.

In this case, the best way to fix this issue is by trimming the damaged parts and avoiding damaging hair processes, such as using heat styling tools or applying chemicals to your hair.

How to Get Green Tones Out of Brown Hair

So, how do you get those pesky green tones out of your brunette hair? Here are some of the most effective methods to do so:

Method 1: Using a Red-Based Hair Dye

If you have green tones in some of the strands of your brown hair, a red-based hair dye can come in handy to fix the issue since it complements the darkness of your hair.

However, make sure that you opt for hair colors that are not ash or neutral to add warmth and neutralize the visible green tones.

Generally, red colors like bright copper or chestnut can help counteract the brown-green tones in your hair and give it a balanced color result.

Here is how to do this:

• In a bowl, mix equal parts of red-based hair dye and developer.
• Wear a pair of gloves and use a comb to divide your hair into smaller sections for easy application.
• With an applicator brush, apply the hair-dye mixture to parts of your hair with the green tones and allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. For this process, you might need help from a friend to help ensure that all the green parts are covered with the dye.
• Then, use the applicator to apply the rest of the mixture to the other remaining sections of your hair.
• Let it sit for about 10 minutes before rinsing with cool water until the water is clear. Then, shampoo your hair twice to remove the unnecessary dye and condition it. Allow the hair to dry and check if the green tones are entirely removed.

Note: You should opt for a red-based color, not a full red color, as this can turn your hair red rather than brown. Also, make sure that the hair color is well suited for your hair’s darkness level.

Method 2: Apply Some Ketchup

As surprising as this may sound, ketchup can actually help fix your hair color. Since ketchup is red, it can work effectively to neutralize the green color and restore your brown hair.

What’s more, ketchup or tomato sauce is also made from tomatoes and vinegar, which have high acidic content. Alternatively, you can use tomato juice or soup, but note that this can have a runnier consistency than ketchup.

While using ketchup or tomato sauce can be an unpleasant experience for some people, you can be guaranteed that the outcome will be positive.

For this method:

• Take a bottle of ketchup and generously apply it to your hair.
• Please take note of the areas with green tones and ensure that they are well covered with ketchup.
• After massaging the ketchup into your hair, use a shower cap or bag to cover it.
• Leave it for about 30 to 40 minutes to allow the ketchup to take effect. Basically, the longer it takes, the better the results.
• Afterward, rinse your hair until there is no more ketchup. Then apply regular shampoo and conditioner.
• Dry your hair and before checking the color.

Note: This method will be effective if you only have moderate green tones on your hair. Otherwise, it may not yield a positive outcome.

You can also use it on both wet and dry hair. However, if you want to apply ketchup to damp hair, it’s best to wring out excess water before massaging ketchup to your hair.

Method 3: Combine Baking Soda and Anti-Dandruff Shampoo 

If you are looking for a cheap and easy solution to remove unwanted green tones, consider baking soda and anti-dandruff shampoo. This type of shampoo has strong clarifying properties that can help to remove the green color without damaging the hair.

However, this method can make your hair dry, so it’s best to follow it up with some conditioner to restore the moisture in your strands. Moreover, it can also strip out the dye in your hair, so avoid using this mix too frequently to prevent the color from fading.

If you recently re-dyed your hair, it’s best to avoid using this mixture for at least one week after applying the new color.

What You’ll Need:

• One tablespoon baking soda
• One tablespoon anti-dandruff shampoo

Directions:

• Combine the baking soda and anti-dandruff shampoo in a bowl.
• Wash your hair with hot water before applying the baking soda and shampoo mixture.
• Let it sit for about 20 minutes before rinsing off with warm water.
• Apply conditioner and let it sit for around 10 to 30 minutes before rinsing it out with cold water.
• Dry your hair and check the results.

Method 4: Using a Baking Soda and Apple Cider Vinegar Solution

You can also mix baking soda with apple cider vinegar to remove green tones. Apple cider vinegar is a natural yet effective solution that can neutralize green highlights.

What You’ll Need:

• 2-3 tablespoons of baking soda
• ¼ cup of vinegar
• ½ cup of water

Directions:

• In a bowl, mix the vinegar and water. It is recommended to use a large bowl that can accommodate your hair with the green color, which in most cases may be the tips of your hair.
• Before you soak your hair in the vinegar mix, wash it first with hot water. Afterward, soak your hair for about 2 minutes in the mixture.
• Next, add baking soda to the mixture with your hair still soaked in the bowl.
• Let your hair soak for about 2 to 3 minutes and dry it with a towel.
• Use warm water to rinse your hair to remove all the vinegar.

For the best results, you can repeat the process several times, depending on the green hues in your hair. You also don’t have to worry about the vinegar smell, as it will disappear once your hair is dry.

Method 5:  Using Apple Cider Vinegar Only

Alternatively, you can also use apple cider vinegar to remove green tones. Apart from eliminating the green tones, apple vinegar can also promote oil balance in your hair for better nourishment.

What You’ll Need:

• ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup of water

Directions – Follow these steps to use apple cider vinegar without baking soda:

• Mix one part vinegar and one part water in a bowl.
• Apply this mixture to your hair and massage your scalp while emphasizing the green areas.
• Let it sit for a while, and then wash your hair with shampoo.
• Apply conditioner and let it sit for a few minutes, usually around 10 to 30 minutes.
• Rinse out the conditioner with cold water.
• Repeat this process as much as possible until you get the desired results.

Method 6: Combining Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide

When mixed with baking soda, hydrogen peroxide can work wonders to remove green tones from brown hair. This is because hydrogen peroxide works similarly to bleach, so it can help strip out the dye’s pigments from your strands.

However, the good news is that it’s less abrasive than bleach, so you don’t have to worry about damaging your hair too badly with this mixture.

With that said, to do this, you will need the following:

• Two teaspoons of baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide

Directions:

• Make a paste using baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
• Evenly apply the paste on your hair and leave it for about 30 minutes if your hair is light and 1 hour if the hair is dark.
• Afterward, rinse your hair with cold water.

You should note that hydrogen peroxide and baking soda can dry out your strands, so make sure you follow this process with some deep conditioning to restore the moisture in your hair.

Method 7: Using Hydrogen Peroxide by Itself

Alternatively, you can use hydrogen peroxide if you didn’t get positive results after using the vinegar and baking soda in method 4.

Here is how you can use hydrogen peroxide for this issue:

• Pour 4 to 5 teaspoons of hydrogen peroxide on your hand and apply to your damp hair.
• Use your fingers to apply to your hair strands, and take care not to apply on your scalp.
• Allow the hydrogen peroxide to sit in your hair for several minutes or until the green is out.
• Rinse your hair and check out the results.

Again, hydrogen peroxide works well if you want to remove the dye from your hair since it’s less damaging than bleach. However, it can still strip out the moisture from your hair, so make sure you condition it regularly to keep it moisturized.

Method 8: Using Professional Shampoos

Other than natural ways to remove green hues from your hair, you can also use professional shampoos.

The market is flooded with different commercial color-correcting shampoos that can help eliminate green tones from hair. This is especially helpful if natural products prove ineffective.

Some examples of these are chelating shampoos, clarifying shampoos, and color-infusing or color-enhancing red shampoos. You already know how clarifying shampoos work to neutralize green tones, so let’s discuss the others.

Chelating Shampoos

Chelating shampoos work similarly to clarifying shampoos, removing unwanted residues in your hair, including the pigments causing green tones in your hair. These work well for those who live in areas with hard water or frequently swim in pools and then the hair turns green.

However, these contain harsh cleaning agents, so make sure to use them only once a week at most to avoid drying out your hair too much.

Color-Infusing/Color-Enhancing Red Shampoos

As mentioned, red can neutralize green tones, so using red shampoos can help address your green hair problem. Red shampoos are infused with red pigments that can help keep your hair looking vibrant, shiny, and smooth.

Likewise, when you wash your hair with this, it will deposit the red pigments into your strands, neutralizing the green tones in your hair.

When shopping for shampoos to wash the green out of your hair, make sure that you read the label and look for ingredients like Vitamin E, aloe, and Edetic Acid (EDTA). These ingredients will remove the discoloration and strengthen and condition your hair.

See also: Will Purple Shampoo Fix Green Hair?

Method 9: Bleach Your Hair Again

One of the reasons your hair may turn green is if you didn’t bleach it enough.

To reverse this and get rid of the greenish color, you may as well consider bleaching to get rid of all the color.

However, this means that you might not be able to dye your hair brown for a while.

See also: 12 Different Ways To Remove Green Tones From Hair

Tips to Prevent Your Brown Hair From Turning Green 

As always, prevention is better than cure. With that said, here are some tips to help protect your hair from developing green hues.

• Take Precautions Before Going into the Pool

If you enjoy swimming or love washing your hair regularly, one of the ways you can prevent green hair is by wearing a swim cap. Most water sources like pools, showers, and spas contain elements that can react with colored hair, leading to green tones.

Aside from that, make sure your hair is wet before going into the pool. Doing so ensures that your hair is less likely to absorb the harmful chemicals in the water, such as chlorine.

You should also make sure that you apply conditioner to your hair before you go swimming, as this will make your hair absorb fewer chemicals. This is because the conditioner forms a protective barrier between your hair and harmful chemicals like chlorine.

Read more: How To Fix Green Hair From Pool?

• Use Clarifying Shampoos

If you are an enthusiast swimmer, it is recommended to invest in swimmer shampoos that contain strong surfactants to eliminate green chlorine from your hair’s strands.

Clarifying shampoos are designed to strip off buildup products from your hair, including green tones. However, because of the harsher nature of this shampoo, it is recommended to minimize its use up to three washes.

Aside from that, you also need to make sure that you use a nourishing conditioner after cleaning your hair with a clarifying shampoo.

• Avoid Unnecessary Processes on Your Hair

You are most likely to get green ends if you have porous and regularly expose your hair to constant coloring. Moreover, repeatedly straightening your hair can damage and make the ends more porous.

When your hair becomes more porous, it’s more likely to absorb color faster. Over-absorption of ashy brunette color typically leads to green ends. To prevent this issue, make sure that you stay clear from repeated coloring and straightening your hair as much as possible.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to fix this issue, and the best solution is to trim your hair’s damaged ends. Alternatively, you could apply a red-based color to neutralize the green tones.

Conclusion

Nothing is worse than getting green hues on your brown hair. However, this does not have to be the end of the world for you. If you are experiencing green hair problems, any of the methods mentioned above can prove helpful to get the green tones out of your blonde hair.

So, apply these methods and restore your hair to the correct color without breaking the bank. Aside from that, make sure that you keep taking preventative measures to prevent the green issue on your blonde hair in the future.

Don’t forget to invest in the right products, including clarifying shampoos to help maintain a long-lasting brown shade without the green tones.