How to Get Rid of Brassy Hair – and Stop it Coming Back

Let’s talk about the colour shift everyone dreads. That moment when your once-perfect blonde highlights or brunette balayage start showing yellow, orange, or red tinges. Yep, we're talking about brassy hair. If you’ve got a salon visit on the horizon, no problem. Your Wella colourist can fix it in a flash. But what about when your next colour appointment is weeks away? These tips will help you out...

First Up, Why Does Brassy Hair Happen?

Your hair colour doesn't just turn brassy – it fades brassy. When yellow or orange tones start shining through, this is usually a sign that your shade is fading, allowing underlying warm pigments to show up. This happens for all of the same reasons hair colour typically loses its luster, including...

• Excess heat styling: Applying hot tools to hair frequently – and without protection – can cause the cuticle to become heat damaged and gradually lift. This allows colour molecules to escape, resulting in a faded, brassy look.
• UV exposure: Just like the sun can tan your skin, it also shifts your colour. So, when you're applying SPF, don't forget to smooth a little protection through your hair, too. (We've got plenty of recommendations below!)
• Too-frequent washing: When it comes to hair colour, every wash counts. The more you lather up, the quicker your shade fades. Over-use of clarifying shampoos can accelerate the brassiness further, which is why maintaining a consistent wash day schedule is key.
• Metals in water: You can't see them, but the water you wash with is loaded with metals. The most common is copper, which filters in from the pipes, pollutes the water, and impacts your hair. These metals can then distort your dream colour – cue brassiness – while also affecting its overall texture and condition.
• Chlorine: It's not just the sun that fades hair brassy through the summer months. If you're regularly hitting the pool, chlorine may also interact with colour molecules and shift your shade.

So, How Do I Fix Brassy Hair?

1. Head to Your Nearest Wella Salon

We can't not say this, because it is your best solution.

While there may be ways you can minimise the look of brassy hair at home, no DIY technique can match up to having a professional take care of your hair. So, if you can, head to your nearest Wella salon for a quick colour correction. A zero-damage SHINEFINITY Acidic Color Glaze could be the answer to those yellow and orange tinges.

This one-of-a-kind formula enhances hair with a translucent veil of colour, making it perfect for cooling down and correcting warmth without dramatically changing your shade. Plus, because it gives you zero damage and zero lift, there's nothing to lose, and only beautiful, glossy hair to gain. Plus, it’s super-speedy. In less than 20 minutes, it cools down brassiness, while giving you up to 250% shinier hair*.

CTA: FIND YOUR NEAREST SALON

2. Use a Purple or Blue Tinted Treatment

If you decide to fix brassiness at home, try a tinted shampoo or mask. Depending on the tones pulling through when the light hits your hair, you want a violet or ashy tint. Violet masks and purple shampoos are best for neutralizing yellow tones, common in blondes and brunettes with highlights, while a brown tint with a hint of chocolatey coolness will calm orange tones in darker brunette hair.

• If you have brassy blonde hair: use Color Fresh Mask in Lilac Frost. This colour-depositing treatment combines a cool-toned purple tint with caring ingredients to calm stressed, yellow-toned hair in 10 minutes. Simply smooth it through clean, damp hair, allow it to develop, and then rinse thoroughly. Don't want your blonde to lean too cool? Try cutting the time to five minutes for a subtler result.
• If you have brassy brown hair: use Color Fresh Mask in Chocolate Touch. This rich, refining shade veils over excess warmth, rebalancing a grown-out balayage or dull-looking lengths. Comb it through clean, damp hair, let it develop for the full 10 minutes, and then rinse to reveal your speedy refresh.

3. Follow a Colour-Safe Hair Care Regimen

Once you've used a purple shampoo or mask to neutralise brassy hair, you'll want to prevent those orange or yellow tones from coming back. That's where colour-safe hair care steps in. With formulas that prevent fading and maintain colour vibrancy, brassy tones are less likely to reappear – and your shade will look glossier for longer.

It's one of the reasons we created the ULTIMATE COLOR collection; a range that gently cleanses, reduces rinsing steps, and neutralises shade-distorting metals. That's three causes of brassy hair covered.

Start with ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo for a mild, sulfate-free wash that whisks metals away. Then, lightly towel-dry your hair, and follow up with the ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask to moisturise, protect and revitalise. Because you don't rinse it out, you're not putting your colour through as much water exposure. Plus, it comes with a built-in UV shield that helps to protect your shade from the sun. A true miracle multitasker.

4. Double Wash to Remove Product Build-Up

Hair that's overloaded with product, oil and impurities is more likely to appear brassy and dull. Sound familiar? It's no coincidence that strands look more yellow or orange when they're due a wash. So, if you think build-up could be contributing to that brassy look, double wash with your go-to shampoo – we love ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo – to remove unwanted oils.

5. Always Use Heat Protection

We've already covered how heat styling can exacerbate brassiness. But, don't panic – it doesn't mean you have to bid farewell to your flat iron forever. If you can't be parted from your hot tools, make sure you always use a heat protectant before styling. We love ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In, as it fends off a range of other aggressors, too, including hair breakage, frizz, friction and UV damage. Apply it to damp hair before blow-drying, or to dry hair before using a flat iron or curling iron. The lightweight texture sinks in fast, so you get nourishment and shielding without any heaviness.

6. Try *This* Hack to Protect Colour From Chlorine

You don't have to be a regular swimmer to see the effects of chlorine in your hair. Just one dip could be enough to shift your shade, leaving it brassy and straw-like. Covering your hair with a swim cap is the very best way to guarantee protection, but if it doesn't go with your vacation aesthetic, we get it. Try soaking strands with clean water from the shower, instead.

Why this works: Your hair is like a sponge – it can only soak up so much water before it reaches saturation. If you drench it with clean water, it won't have the space to absorb as much of the chlorinated water. While you're at it, make it a 'treatment bun' moment by misting wet lengths and ends with ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. This luxurious leave-in repairs hair damage in 90 seconds**, giving you 99% less breakage*** in the process.

With these tips in mind, you can banish brassiness and reduce the chances of it coming back. No more yellow or orange tones – your colour will stay fresher and brighter for longer.

* Versus untreated bleached hair.

** When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.

***When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test versus non-conditioning shampoo.