Well, a lot of things. Even if you’re a seasoned colorist, chances are that if you’ve executed a hair color experiment, you’ve experienced a hair color fail. But don’t worry—it’s going to be OK. Once you’ve come to terms with it (post-screaming), it’s time to remedy the mistake. We teamed up with Jeremy Tardo, celebrity hairstylist and Clairol Color Partner, to round up every possible at-home hair color misstep. Whether it’s a quick fix or something to disguise the mess until your next salon appointment, here are our top tips to help your hair get back to tip-top shape. To prevent this from happening next time, apply hair color on your ends before getting to your roots. If you’re just doing a root touch-up, apply color to the new growth first, says Tardo. “This prevents over-pigmenting the rest of the hair which has already been colored. You want to get the uncolored roots to match the rest of the colored hair. Then, you can add color to the ends for the last few minutes as a refresher.” Color removers can help too. Color Oops Hair Color Remover ($15; ulta.com) can be used immediately following any hair color application to gently remove unwanted pigment and restore hair to its previous color process. It works by shrinking and neutralizing the hair dye molecules, allowing you to simply wash them away. For a more temporary fix, try a colored dry shampoo, like Batiste Tinted Dry Shampoo ($12; ulta.com).
