How to Get Dye Out of Horse Hair

Horse hair is a popular material for hair extensions and wigs. Just as you may want to remove dye from your own natural hair, you also may want to remove dye from your horse hair extension or wig. Additionally, you may have dyed your horse's hair, and wish to remove the dye from your pet's mane or tail. Though it doesn't matter if you're removing dye from your hair extension or from your horse's hair, the process is slightly different for temporary, semi-permanent or permanent hair dye.

Things You'll Need

  • At home color reversal kit
  • Dandruff shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Wide toothed comb or curry comb
  • Hot water
  • Warm olive oil (1/2 cup for each foot of hair)
  • At home hair dye kit (for bleached horse hair)
  • Peroxide product
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Instructions

    • 1

      Re-dye the horse hair if the hair was bleached to a color too light for your preferences. There is no way to remove the color from bleached hair. If you choose to re-dye the horse hair, ensure you follow the product instructions exactly.

    • 2

      Apply the at-home color reversal kit. Most kits include one application that you rinse out after use. Some kits will simply strip the applied color, returning the hair to its natural color. Others do not. Follow the instructions that come with your kit exactly.

    • 3

      Shampoo the horse hair with the dandruff shampoo and hot water if the at-home color reversal kit does not work. You want to do this as soon as possible, before the hair color sets. The hot water will open the strands of hair so removing the hair color is easier. Additionally, dandruff shampoos tend to strip added hair color from hair.

    • 4

      Apply conditioner to the horse hair. The hair dye strips oils from hair, and you have further impacted the hair by stripping the color from it. To maintain the healthiest hair possible, it is essential to keep the horse hair well conditioned.

    • 5

      Comb the conditioner through the horse hair with the wide tooth comb if you are conditioning a horse hair extension or wig. Use the curry comb if you are conditioning a horse's mane or tail. Allow the conditioner to stay in the horse hair for five minutes, and then thoroughly rinse the horse hair with water.

    • 6

      Drench the horse hair with the warm olive oil, as if the olive oil were conditioner. Let the olive oil sit in the hair for at least two hours. The olive oil will continue to strip the unwanted hair color from the horse hair, and add additional moisture to the hair. Thoroughly rinse the olive oil from the hair with hot water.

    • 7

      Repeat the shampoo and conditioning process. Shampoo the horse hair with the dandruff shampoo. Rinse the horse hair with hot water, and re-shampoo the horse hair with the dandruff shampoo. Condition the horse hair, following the instructions on the conditioner bottle.

    • 8

      Dip the horse hair in a mix of 50 percent water and 50 percent peroxide hair product to simply strip the horse hair of much of its color. Only do this if you are lightening a hair extension, wig or horse hair decoration. Leave the horse hair in the solution for about 12 hours or overnight to lighten the hair color. Rinse the horse hair in warm water until the water runs clear.