What Cancels Out Blue Hair? | 5 Easy Fixes

So you decided to change things up a bit and dye your hair a bold, vibrant color. But… now you’ve decided it’s too much for you, or maybe it just doesn’t look like you thought it would. What do you do now?

What cancels out blue hair? No need to feel blue — luckily, you can use the color wheel to determine which color to use to cancel out your blue hair.

From there, you just need to decide how you want to remove the color, and you can get started. We’ve outlined several methods of canceling out blue hair without needing to return to the salon. So, save your money and read on to learn more!

What Is the Color Wheel?

The color wheel, also called a color circle, organizes colors based on their chromatic relationship to one another. All primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are spaced equidistant from one another on the wheel with secondary and tertiary colors in between.

How the Color Wheel Applies to Hair

Referencing the color wheel before dyeing your hair is important because it shows you which colors work together and which don’t. In this case, we’d use the color wheel to determine which color cancels out the blue.

According to the color wheel, orange cancels out blue. So you’ll need a blue shampoo, conditioner, or other product to lose the blue. Let’s jump into the methods.

5 Ways to Cancel Out Blue Hair

You have a few options to cancel out your blue hair, ranging from a gentle stripping to a full transformation. This list is sorted from the gentlest methods to the most extreme.

1. Color-Depositing Shampoo

This type of shampoo contains a small amount of hair dye in its formula that deposits color on top of the hair shaft. Typically, people use color-depositing shampoo to make their colored hair last as long as possible and boost its vibrancy.

But you can also use it to alter the shade or color of your hair. By choosing an orange color-depositing shampoo, you should be able to cancel out the blue in your hair.

Keep in mind that the color from the shampoo doesn’t fully saturate your hair, so it fades after a few washes if you don’t keep using it.

This method is a good option for those who want a non-bleach option to combat the blueness of their hair and don’t mind using color-depositing shampoo every wash.

1. Work the orange color-depositing shampoo through wet hair until it’s fully coated.
2. Let it sit for about ten minutes, and then rinse.
3. Follow up with your normal conditioner.
4. Repeat the washing process every time you shampoo your hair to achieve your desired results.

2. Color-Depositing Conditioner

Color-depositing conditioner works similarly to color-depositing shampoo, but is a tad gentler. Also similarly to the color-depositing shampoo, it will wash out if you don’t use it regularly.

You can use the orange color-depositing conditioner on its own, or after using an orange color-depositing shampoo for twice the effect.

1. Apply the conditioner after your normal (or orange) shampoo.
2. Let it sit for up to 20 minutes, and then rinse. The longer you leave it in your hair, the stronger the effect is.
3. Repeat this process for every wash day to continue seeing results.

3. Toner

If you find that the color-depositing shampoo and conditioner methods aren’t strong enough for you, hair toner is a great option to avoid fully dyeing your hair. To tone your hair, you’ll need a toner and a developer.

Be sure to use a non-metal bowl and tools as the metal can affect the chemical compositions of the mixture. For blue hair, you should select either orange or copper toner to cancel out the blue.

1. Mix 2 parts developer with 1 part toner in a non-metal mixing bowl.
2. Apply the mixture to your hair and let it sit for about ten minutes.
3. When the time is up, rinse your hair and wash and condition it as normal.

Important: ensure you set a timer when letting the toner sit on your hair, because if you leave it on too long, your hair may end up a hideous shade of orange.

4. Bleach Bath

A bleach bath can be used to completely strip the blue from your hair without adding anything to it. If you choose this method, use caution as bleach can be extremely damaging to your hair.

1. Choose a shampoo for your hair that is moisturizing. Avoid clarifying and sulfate-free shampoos.
2. Choose the correct strength hair developer. The more potent the developer, the more hydrogen peroxide it contains. Do not exceed a 10 or 20-strength developer.
3. Mix 2 parts developer with 1 part bleaching powder.
4. Combine that mixture with the shampoo in a non-metal bowl (use the same amount of shampoo as you would in the shower).
5. Wearing gloves, separate your hair into chunks with clips.
6. Starting at the bottom, cover each chunk of hair with the mixture.
7. Move to the top once everything else is done. Apply the mixture to your roots, trying your best to avoid the scalp.
8. Set a timer for about thirty minutes. Check your hair every five minutes to see the progress.
9. After the time is up, rinse your hair and use a moisturizing conditioner or hair mask to combat the dryness from the bleach bath.

5. Hair Dye

For a full transformation of your blue hair, you can dye it. The best colors to fully neutralize blue are copper or orange tones. A red may also do the trick.

1. Mix the dye with the developer equally in a non-metal bowl.
2. Use a brush to deposit the dye onto your hair until completely covered.
3. Let the dye sit on your hair for at least 30 minutes (do not exceed 40 minutes).
4. Once the time is up, rinse your hair. If applicable, use the after-treatment that came with the dye. If it didn’t, you can apply a conditioner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Making changes to your hair can be intimidating, especially as a DIY project. Not to worry — we’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about canceling out bluehair.

So, What Cancels Out Blue Hair?

If your blue ‘do has you down, you can choose any of the methods above to alter your hair color. Use caution with any method you choose, especially the ones involving dye and bleach.

Hopefully, this guide helps you feel confident in your ability to eradicate the blue color in your hair, but if not, there’s no harm in seeing a professional for help. Happy coloring!