Dark brown hair color can be beautiful, but sometimes you may wish to neutralize or cover it with a lighter shade. There are a few ways to neutralize dark brown hair pigment so you can achieve a lighter hair color more easily. Understanding color theory and how hair pigments interact is the first step to successfully and safely lightening dark brown hair.
What causes hair to be dark brown?
The pigments eumelanin and pheomelanin are responsible for hair color. Eumelanin produces darker colors like black and brown, while pheomelanin produces lighter reddish tones. The ratio of these two pigments determines your natural hair color. People with dark brown hair have more eumelanin than pheomelanin in their hair strands.
How can you neutralize dark brown hair?
To neutralize dark brown hair, you need to use hair color that contains pigments opposite to brown on the color wheel. Green-blue pigments will cancel out and neutralize the warm, orange-red undertones in dark brown hair. This allows you to achieve a more ashy or neutral medium brown shade as a base before lightening further.
Here are some ways to neutralize dark brown hair pigment:
Ash Brown Hair Dye
Using an ash brown semi-permanent or permanent hair color is the simplest way to neutralize brassiness in dark brown hair. Ash brown contains blue-green pigments that cancel out warm, red-orange tones in your original hair color. This will provide a cooler, ashy brown base to make further lightening easier.
Toner
Applying a toner is ideal for neutralizing unwanted warm pigments after you’ve already lightened dark brown hair. Toners deposit semi-permanent color that cancels out brassy tones. Using a green-based toner will help neutralize red-orange undertones in light brown hair after lifting your original dark color.
Color-Depositing Conditioner
Color-depositing hair masks and conditioners are an easy at-home method to neutralize warm pigments in darkened hair. Opt for a conditioner with blue or green pigments which will help cancel out the red-orange hues. This can be done before a salon visit too.
What Color Neutralizes Dark Brown Hair Best?
The best hair colors for neutralizing dark brown hair are ash shades and tones containing green or blue pigments. Here are some good options:
| Hair Color | Pigments |
| Ash brown | Blue and green |
| Silver | Blue |
| Green | Green |
| Blue | Blue |
Ash brown is the most natural-looking way to neutralize dark brown hair. More vivid tones like silver, green, and blue will create more dramatic color-neutralizing effects. Always opt for semi-permanent dyes or toners when using these pigments so the color doesn’t overpower your hair.
Can You Dye Hair Immediately After Neutralizing Dark Brown?
It’s best to wait 2-3 days after neutralizing before applying bleach or permanent lightener. The neutralizing color needs time to fully set in your hair for maximum toning. Applying lightener too soon can lead to uneven results.
What Level is Dark Brown Hair?
On the color level system used by stylists, natural dark brown hair is usually a level 3 or 4. Here’s a chart showing the color levels and descriptions:
| Level | Color |
| 1 | Black |
| 2 | Darkest brown |
| 3 | Dark brown |
| 4 | Medium brown |
| 5 | Light brown |
| 6 | Dark blonde |
| 7 | Medium blonde |
| 8 | Light blonde |
| 9 | Very light blonde |
| 10 | Lightest blonde |
Knowing your starting level helps determine how much you need to lighten to reach your desired shade. For dark brown hair, you’ll need to lighten at least 3-4 levels to see a noticeable difference.
What Color Should You Dye Dark Brown Hair To Go Blonde?
The best approach for dark brunettes wanting to go blonde is to gradually lighten over multiple sessions. Rushing the process risks hair damage. Here are the recommended steps:
- Neutralize warmth with ash brown, toner, or blue conditioner
- Lighten to medium brown with permanent color
- Lighten to light brown with bleach
- Lighten to pale yellow blonde with bleach
- Tone to neutralize any remaining brassiness
- Apply blonde permanent or semi-permanent dye
Moving up the color levels slowly helps minimize damage to your hair’s integrity. Proper toning in between lightening is key to avoiding orange or brassy results. With patience and the right techniques, dark brown hair can become beautiful blonde hair.
What Color Cancels Out Dark Brown Hair?
Here’s a quick summary of what colors cancel out and neutralize dark brown hair:
– Ash and platinum tones counteract red-orange warmth
– Green pigments cancel out red hues
– Blue pigments cancel out orange tones
– Violet/purple pigments counteract yellow undertones
– Taupe colors add ashiness to neutralize redness
So in general, cool-toned ashy shades and primary colors like green, blue, and violet will neutralize undesirable warm pigments in dark brown hair. Applying these as a toner or semi-permanent dye is safest before lightening.
Does Blue Shampoo Work on Dark Brown Hair?
Blue shampoo, also called purple shampoo, can help tone down brassiness in dark hair. However, the effects are subtle since shampoo doesn’t deposit a lot of pigment. For best results, look for a blue or brunette color-depositing conditioner or mask and use once a week. This will gradual neutralize more warmth over time.
You can also use blue shampoo after lightening dark brown hair to counteract yellow tones. Rinse out after just 1-2 minutes max to avoid over-toning. Using a shampoo with both blue and purple pigments works great on light brown hair.
What Color is Dark Brown Hair?
Dark brown hair contains mainly eumelanin and has only small amounts of pheomelanin. This results in a rich, warm shade ranging from milk chocolate to dark espresso brown. Here are the technical details on natural dark brown hair color:
| Hue | Red-orange |
| Level | 3-4 |
| Tone | Warm, golden |
| Highlight Tones | Caramel, auburn |
| Undertone | Yellow-orange |
The warm hue with golden orange undertones can make dark brown hair brassier when lightened. But using the right neutralizing techniques keeps highlights looking natural.
What are the Best Ashes for Dark Brown Hair?
Here are the best ash shades to neutralize dark brown hair:
– Ash brown – Adds coolness while still blending with your natural color
– Ash beige blonde – Counteracts brassiness when lightening to medium blonde shades
– Ash platinum – Neutralizes yellow more intensely for pale blonde hair
– Silver or gray – Eliminates all warm pigments for an icy effect
Focus on ash tones with blue, violet, or green pigments added to neutralize the warm red and orange hues in darker brunette hair. Avoid golden ash colors, as these will have the opposite effect.
Should You Wash Hair Before Neutralizing Dark Brown?
Yes, you should wash your hair within 24 hours before applying a neutralizing hair color. Make sure to use a clarifying shampoo. This will remove any dirt, oil or product buildup that can block the hair cuticles from absorbing toning pigments maximally. Starting with clean hair allows the neutralizing color to deposit evenly for best results.
Conclusion
Neutralizing unwanted warm tones in dark brown hair prevents brassiness and orange hues after lightening. By incorporating the opposite colors on the color wheel, ash, blue, green and violet pigments cancel out red and orange undertones in brunette hair. Using toners, color-depositing conditioners, or ash brown permanent dye minimizes damage from lightening while allowing you to reach light blonde shades. With some color theory knowledge and the right techniques, you can lightly lift dark brown hair beautifully.
