Spring has sprung, which makes it the perfect time to chat about one of our favourite topics — Hair Colour Build Up. Once you know what it is and what to look for, you’ll start spotting it everywhere: the woman in front of you at the supermarket, your best friend who swears her Hair “just doesn’t shine anymore”, maybe even yourself. Think of this as your insider’s guide — by the end of this blog, you’ll be able to recognise Colour Build Up “in the wild” starting with your own strands. First step? Let’s figure out if you have it, and then we’ll hop on the Colour Build Up soapbox together.
What Is Colour Build Up?
Colour Build Up happens when your Hair has had a little too much of a good thing. Whether you love to experiment with new shades or stick to the same hue and keep topping it up, each application of permanent Hair Colour leaves behind a layer. Over time, these layers stack up — coating your strands, weighing them down, and changing the way your Hair looks and feels.
Unlike semi or demi-permanent Colours that eventually wash out, Permanent Hair Colour clings to the Hair shaft. Even when it fades, it doesn’t truly leave — it just lingers beneath the surface. The more you reapply, the more your Colour compounds, creating exactly what we call Colour Build Up.
Why Does Colour Build Up Matter?
Here’s the thing about Colour Build Up: once Permanent Hair Colour settles into your strands, it doesn’t just disappear — it sticks around until it’s removed or cut out. So every time you reapply Colour, you’re layering new pigment over the old. The result? Dull, flat tones that never quite look like the shade you’re expecting.
As those layers pile up, your Hair becomes overloaded — heavy, less healthy, and resistant to change. Which means not only is Colour Build Up bad news for your Hair’s condition, it also sabotages your future Colour results. Translation: the Shade you want will always struggle to shine through.
Signs You Could Have Colour Build Up
Wondering if Colour Build Up is lurking in your strands? Here are the tell-tale signs:
Appearance
Your Colour looks dull, darker, and flat — the shine and gloss that once drew compliments has all but vanished.
Texture
Build up pushes Hair to its limits, leaving it dry, coarse, and resistant to even the most luxurious treatments.
Weight
Your strands start to feel heavy and weighed down. Instead of movement and bounce, your Hair just hangs.
Uneven Colour
Fresh regrowth that looks bright and vibrant next to dull, lifeless ends is one of the biggest giveaways.
If you’re finding your natural regrowth turns out exactly as you want — light, bright, or perfectly toned — but the rest of your Hair stays dark, muted, or unchanged, Colour Build Up is the culprit.
And here’s the kicker: trying to “fix” it by applying a lighter shade won’t work. That only lightens your fresh regrowth even more, leaving the rest untouched. Going darker? Same story. Your roots change, but the lengths just stack up even more Colour, making the issue worse.
The Solution to Colour Build Up
So, you’ve discovered you’re dealing with Colour Build Up. What now? You’ve got three main options:
Cut It Out
A drastic chop will work — but let’s be real, not everyone’s ready to rock a pixie cut. That said, a good trim is always worth it. Cutting off old, damaged ends lightens the load and gives your Hair a fresh start before your next Colour. Keep reading, we have a better solution.
Bleach
Yes, bleach can lift years of Colour Build Up… but it comes with a price. We’re talking hundreds of dollars in salon visits or a risky at-home job that almost always ends in patchy, uneven Colour and seriously compromised Hair health. Bleach strips your strands, leaving them dry, brittle, and prone to breakage — damage that can take months (or years) to repair.
If you’re dealing with extra dark or stubborn Colour Build Up, you don’t have to reach for bleach first. There’s a safer, smarter way to get results without sacrificing the condition of your Hair.
Permanent Hair Colour Remover
Our salon-quality, bleach-free Colour Remover is the safest way to tackle Colour Build Up. In just 20 minutes, it works inside the Hair shaft to gently dissolve and wash away unwanted artificial pigments — leaving your Hair lighter, softer, and ready to breathe again.
If you’ve got years of Colour Build Up, we recommend a 2-pack or 4-pack to gradually remove multiple layers. Focus applications on the areas with the heaviest Colour Build Up (usually the mid-lengths and ends), and remember: Darker pigments often take longer to shift. The payoff? Hair that feels refreshed, conditioned, and ready for new Colour.
Pro Tip: Only apply Colour Remover to the sections that have artificial Colour. Leave your natural regrowth untouched.
Colour
Remover
When you’ve got years of Dark Build Up from Black or Red Shades, sometimes the best approach is a combination of all the above:
Trim the ends to cut out the oldest, darkest, most damaged Hair.
Multiple Colour Remover applications to gradually lift and even out the shade, especially through the mid-lengths and ends.
A gentle bleach bath (only if needed) on the most stubborn pigment to brighten things further.
By starting with Colour Remover, you’ll safely lift the bulk of the pigment first — protecting your Hair from harsh, repeated bleaching that causes damage and uneven results. Plus, it saves you money: fewer salon visits, fewer products, and less need for expensive repairs later.
Your Colour Build Up Prevention Plan
Prevention is simpler than you think. Pay attention to where you’re applying your Colour: stick to regrowth touch-ups for your roots, and if your ends need a little refresh, use the Colour Top Up Technique to avoid layering on too much pigment.
For those of us who live for Hair Colour, Colour Build Up is almost inevitable — but an occasional Colour Remover session can do wonders. It keeps your Hair healthy, your Colour crisp and bright, and helps maintain a balanced “ecosystem” in your strands. Think of it as a little spring clean for your Hair — easy, effective, and totally worth it.
