How to Correct Black Box Hair Color Gone Wrong
- LEONARDO Expert Colorist
- Sep 27, 2017
- 1 min read
Updated: Apr 5

woman with striking black hair disappointed by box hair color results
Boxed hair dye, especially black dye, carries several risks that can impact your hair's health and appearance. Here are the main concerns:
1. **Difficulty in Removal**: Black box hair dye is notorious for being the hardest color to remove. Its pigments can cling tightly to hair fibers, requiring multiple appointments and aggressive treatments to lighten or change the color.
2. **Hair Damage**: The removal process often involves de-colorizers and can be highly damaging to your hair's structure and health. This can lead to dryness, brittleness, and breakage.
3. **Unpredictable Results**: Unlike professional formulations tailored to your hair type, boxed dye often leads to uneven application or undesirable tones due to its one-size-fits-all approach.
4. **Permanent Alterations**: Some pigments from black dye may never completely leave the hair fibers, leaving residual colors like green, gray, or blue undertones that persist even after professional correction.
5. **Limited Options for Change**: Achieving lighter hair, such as blonde, is nearly impossible after using black box dye due to the pigment molecules' stubbornness.
6. **Potential for Cutting Hair**: In extreme cases, the only way to eliminate boxed black dye may be to cut off the colored portions of the hair.