How to Go Back to Your Natural Hair Colour

We've all been there: A professional or at-home hair colour application goes awry (you forgot to set the timer, facepalm!) or simply isn't as flattering as you anticipated. Or maybe you've had bleach-blond hair for ages and your stressed-out mane needs a break. Whatever the case, it's possible to return to your gorgeous natural hair—often from the comfort of your own bathroom.

Here's everything you need to know if you've ever wondered "How can I get my natural hair colour back?"—whether you're fixing a major colour mishap or simply returning to your natural shade after months or years of consistent hair-dye use.

First, ask yourself if you want to return to your natural hair because you miss it and want (or need) a colour break or because you're dissatisfied with your current hair dye job. If it's the latter, there are solutions to fix your hair colour.

Whether you're trying to return to natural blond hair, natural brown or natural black hair, you're most likely to succeed if you give your mane time to grow out a couple of inches. That way, you'll be able to use your natural colour as a reference point when attempting to choose a hair dye to create a seamless match between your natural roots and your ends.

While your hair is growing out, use L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up to blend your roots so the regrowth is less obvious.

If your natural hair is darker than your current hair colour (say natural brown hair versus a light blond dye job), it will be relatively easy to colour your lengths to match your roots.

Before you colour your hair, make sure you do a strand test on your lengths in an area that's not visible (say the back of your neck) to ensure that you've picked a good colour match.

Is dyeing your hair again simply not an option? Then your only choice is to let the roots grow out for a couple of months or years (not ideal, even if you can hide your roots for a while with L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up) or go for a big chop. It may just be your chance to try a very trendy pixie cut.

Hate your new hair but don't have the necessary time to grow out your roots? Back to natural hair colour you go—STAT! When going back to natural hair colour after bleaching, choose a box of dye that you feel most closely represents your natural shade (since you can't see it without visible roots) and go to town. L'Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Universal Nudes hair color stands out for its three-step care routine, designed to provide extra care for your hair along with the color.

Remember that your hair will be extra-porous from the bleach and will guzzle the dye, so do a strand test first to see how long you should let it sit. If your natural shade is quite a bit darker than your bleached mane, you may want to start with a less shocking transformation and choose light brown hair colour before returning to your natural hair. This slow transition is the best way to go back to natural hair colour. Don't be surprised if a bit of blond peeks through after your first few washes as it may take a few dye applications spaced several weeks apart to return to your natural dark locks.

When your dyed hair is significantly darker than your natural hair, your best bet is a trip to the colourist for a full lift. If you're returning to the same salon that messed up your colour in the first place, be honest about your concerns and they should be willing to fix your hair at no extra charge.

Getting back to your natural color isn’t always a one-step process. Depending on where you’re starting from, the best approach might be to correct an unwanted highlight, let your roots grow out so you can choose the right shade, gradually darken the lengths, or, in some cases, consult a colorist.