Let’s be honest, we have all had the impulsive need to completely change our hair colour at some point. Whether that be the bleached blonde look or going from your beautiful blonde locks to a sultry dark hue.

There comes a point where it feels like no matter how many treatments you use, how many vitamins you take or how long you go without shampooing, your hair still feels damaged, dry and brittle. This usually means it’s time to take a breather and go au naturale for a while. But how do you do that?

Keep reading for tips to help you get there faster!

Six Tips for Growing Out Your Natural Hair Colour

1. Get regular haircuts/trims:

Prioritise monthly visits to the hairdresser to trim away the dyed sections of your hair. Remember the longer your hair is, the longer it is going to take before you notice a difference in your hair colour. If you don’t like the idea of sporting short hairstyles, why not try a set of clip-in extensions while your hair grows?

2. Colour your hair one last time or try the ombre look:

If there is still a lot of your hair that is dyed, consider colouring it one last time to a shade that is closest to your natural regrowth colour. This will assist with a natural-looking transition from your natural hair colour to your dyed ends. In the meantime, you could give the ombre or balayage look a test run if you haven’t already. Having your roots coloured dark with lighter hues at the ends is an easy and hassle-free way to have the best of both worlds, it also saves you time and money on expensive colour touch-ups.

3. Blonde hair back to dark colour

If you have been sporting platinum blonde locks for an extended period of time, it is not usually a good idea to go straight back to darker colours, like brown or black. It may be a better idea to transition slowly by adding a few lowlights to your hair, introducing the lighter colour back into your hair in a natural way. While you may be sick of being platinum blonde, maybe you would enjoy a rich caramel blonde colour? Remember once your hair is dark again you will not be able to go back to platinum without causing some serious damage to your hair. Have a look at photos of your hair colour over the years and choose your favourite colour that is closest to your natural colour, before beginning the transition.

4. Dark hair back to lighter hues

Ah, herein lies the challenge!

If you have coloured your hair from a natural light colour to dark brown or black and have decide to return to your lighter shade, it may be a little more challenging. There will be no damage-free way to colour your hair lighter. You will need to bleach bath your hair and use a toner to match your natural colour. This is not something you can do on your own at home and you will need to visit the salon and an experienced hairdresser (and probably more than once!). If your natural colour is extremely light it will take some time to get back to it and you may have to settle for a lighter version rather than your natural blonde colour. Once you have reached the lighter shade, regular trims will be necessary to cut off ends damaged by bleaching. Obviously this would mean cutting off quite a bit of hair, which can be an emotional experience. But that’s what extensions are for!

You can always use a set of Frontrow’s reasonably priced clip-in extensions to achieve longer hairstyles while your own hair recovers and grows out.

5. Ensure that you are using good quality hair products

If you are moving from blonde back to your darker roots, you may notice that your colour fades really fast. If you don’t like these lighter highlights showing through your newly dark coloured hair, try using a colour depositing shampoo and conditioner. Aside from colour, it is vital that you are always making sure that your hair is in a healthy condition, which you can only do through using nourishing, good quality products. Try Frontrow’s affordable hair care kit containing a shampoo and conditioner, full of beneficial and nurturing ingredients, including: coconut and argan oil, shea butter, vitamin B5 and vegetable keratin.

6. Don’t fall for false advertising

There is unfortunately no miracle product that will get your hair back to its former colour instantly, unless your hair is naturally very dark and can be dyed a dark colour. Your hair may end up orange, green or yellow if you use a quick fix product bought at a local pharmacy, so be careful of false promises! 

If you have chosen to go for a shorter hairstyle while you grow out your natural colour, here are some tips to help you grow your hair out faster:

1. Don’t use too much shampoo or wash your hair too often

Shampoo tends to dry out the scalp when used excessively. If you can, avoid washing your hair every day. Invest in some dry shampoo to hide dirty hair temporarily, or even sprinkle baby powder on your roots and brush through thoroughly for the same effect. Overuse of shampoo can lead to slowed hair growth, so giving your scalp a bit of a rest will help improve the natural oils in your hair and assist it to grow naturally and slightly faster than if you washed it every day. This will shorten the time it takes to grow out those dyed ends.

2. Exercise

As with most things, exercise helps hair growth because it aids in blood circulation. Don’t make exercise something that gets in the way of everyday life, rather find something that you enjoy doing and fits in well with your schedule. There are many avenues to explore - find a way to move your body that makes you happy - whether it be walking, running, yoga, boxing.

The more blood flow, the healthier the hair growth!

3. Let your natural hair thrive

Whether your hair is naturally curly, wavy or dead straight - don’t use heat stylers on a daily basis.

Rather give your hair a break here and there and allow it to thrive in its natural beauty. Heat stylers can lead to hair breakage which will only slow down your goal of growing it out. Alternatively, you could use styling products that won’t cause any damage such as curlers, plaiting your hair before you sleep and other nifty tricks that give your hair a break but still allow you to style it.

4. Be patient

Like we said, there is no quick fix or miracle product, growing out your natural colour won’t happen overnight. Allow the process to happen in its own time but avoid stress as much as possible, as it has many negative impacts on our bodies including stunting hair growth. Practise rituals like meditation, journaling, exercise and mindfulness to lower stress levels.

Fun tip: A natural way to enhance growth that is trending at the moment, is to use rice water on your hair. Women in Asia have been using this method for centuries, drawing on the grain’s beneficial vitamins including: amino acids, B vitamins, vitamin E, various minerals and antioxidants. Using rice water as a treatment for your hair has many benefits, such as: detangling, increases shine, strengthens hair and increases hair growth!