Hair brassiness can be a frustrating problem, especially for those with dyed or lightened hair.
Characterized by unwanted warm tones, such as yellow, orange, or red, brassiness can interfere with your desired look, leaving your hair less vibrant than intended.
Fortunately, understanding its causes and how to correct it can help you achieve and maintain a balanced tone.
What Causes Hair Brassiness?
Brassiness occurs when underlying warm pigments in your hair become visible. This can happen for several reasons:
- Hair coloring process: During lightening or dyeing, hair goes through stages where warm tones naturally emerge. If the process isn’t thorough, residual warm pigments can remain, leading to brassiness over time.
- Sun exposure: Prolonged exposure to UV rays can break down the cool tones in your hair color, leaving warm undertones to shine through.
- Hard water: Minerals like iron and copper in hard water can deposit on your hair, amplifying warm hues.
- Product buildup: Using styling products or shampoos that aren’t color-safe can contribute to buildup, dulling your color and emphasizing brassiness.
- Fading color: As hair dye fades, the neutralizing pigments may disappear first, revealing the warmer base tones underneath.
How to fix and prevent brassiness
- Use a purple or blue shampoo
Purple shampoo is your first line of defense against brassiness in blonde or light brown hair. Purple is opposite yellow on the color wheel, neutralizing yellow tones. For darker hair with orange tones, opt for a blue shampoo. Use these products once or twice a week for best results. - Protect your hair from the sun
Shield your hair from UV rays by wearing a hat or using a leave-in conditioner with UV protection. This prevents color breakdown and brassiness caused by sun exposure. - Invest in a shower filter
Installing a water filter in your shower can reduce mineral buildup from hard water, keeping your hair color true for longer. - Opt for professional toners
A salon-applied toner can effectively neutralize brassiness. Toners are specially formulated to deposit cool pigments, correcting your hair’s tone. - Maintain with color-safe products
Use shampoos and conditioners formulated for color-treated hair to prevent fading and keep your shade balanced.
By understanding the causes and implementing these simple fixes, you can keep brassiness at bay and enjoy vibrant, well-toned hair every day.
