We asked readers to share their home-haircolor mishaps and were flooded with stories of dye jobs gone very wrong. Here, the three most common problems—and how to fix them.
Q: When I decided to become a redhead, I picked a color that looked fabulous on the box and followed the directions. But I ended up bright orange. Help!
Kim, Madison, Connecticut

A: We got more stories from readers suffering from Carrot Top hair than anything else. Fortunately,the problem isn't too hard to fix. Apply demipermanent color (which lasts longer than semi- but isn't as harsh as permanent) in a medium or dark golden blonde to wet hair (when hair is wet, the dye goes on more sheerly). This should soften the orange tones without completely covering up the red, says Jason Backe, master colorist at the Ted Gibson Salon in New York City. Next time: If you're a blonde, choose a red that looks two levels darker than the one you want to achieve; if you have dark hair, choose a red one shade lighter, advises Jennifer J, a celebrity colorist and co-owner of Juan Juan Salons in Beverly Hills.

Next: How to get back to your original color

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