Sometimes when you apply color to your hair, you may not get the desired results. It could get so bad that you’d rather return to your natural hair color or original color if you had dyed it previously.

When that happens, most people go for hair color removers to help wash it away. The question is, does using hair color removers damage your hair?

If you’re considering removing your hair color using hair color removers, you need to understand whether the ingredients in these products damage your hair.

Can Hair Color Removers Damage Your Hair?

Yes, hair color removers can cause damage to your hair. Not because they make any structural changes to your hair, like hair dye, but because they can be harsh and drying. They are almost as damaging as hair bleach.

Their primary role is to remove hair dye through the process of oxidation, making the dye colorless. But it’s also recommended to use a clarifying shampoo before you start to help remove hair dye from the cuticle of the hair. Hair color remover doesn’t take away your natural hair color if it doesn’t contain bleach or hydrogen peroxide.

Avoid those that contain ammonia or bleach. If you can find a hair color remover that’s moisturizing, it can help counteract some of the drying effects. To avoid more damage than is necessary when using a hair color remover, read the box to make sure it will actually work with the kind of hair dye that’s in your hair. That way you won’t have to do the process over and over.

Effects of Hair Color Removers on Your Hair

Hair color removers correct, lighten or remove permanent hair dyes. They achieve this by either oxidizing or reducing the hair dye molecules. In the process, they break down the colored molecules into smaller, colorless molecules, which you can later wash off your hair.

Because hair color removers are reducing or oxidizing agents, they are reactive molecules. Therefore, they can also react with the hair proteins, causing damage to your hair.