To remove or strip?

Use the remover again. You can use it three times.

The stripper isn't really meant for stripping dye though. I'm not really sure why they call it stripper, but whatever!

I wouldn't bother to do anything else then if you want your hairdresser to bleach. But I'd actually suggest you bleach bath at home once a week max. You might not get the ginger out though. XXL dyes, and just any red dyes, stain pretty badly generally. You could get a deep purple pink over what you have now. And purples and pinks (as long as it's not pastels) are more forgiving to bases that aren't perfect.

I am thinking of going a vibrant colour so definitely not pastel purple! I know that the ginger will be difficult to shift. I should have been more clear, I'm only wanting my hairdresser to do the purple bit. I'm PPD allergic, it's made me wary of letting anyone else colour my hair with anything but "vegetable" dyes. So I'm going to get it as light as I can myself without doing anything stupid or damaging.

I'll give the Scott Cornwall decolor remover a go, thanks 🙂

If you want to use a veggie dye/true semi you can easily do that part at home, it is totally idiot proof. The hard part is getting the old dye out and lightening the base. Have a look at Beeunique (link at the top of the page) all the dyes sold here are PPD free and non-damaging. If you can get a light ginger you will be able to put a nice magenta shade over it, obviously the lighter your base the more vibrant the colour.

Oh good god yes, don't get the purple done at the hairdresser! Waste of time.

And money!

Just wanted to add that people with PPD allergy can cross react to Azo dyes which can be present in some semi-permanent dyes. Semi-permanent (direct) dyes are often called "vegetable" dyes but it is a misnomer created because many direct dyes are vegan (made without animal products). You are unlikely to find direct dyes made with true vegetable dyes. I suggest researching the product you intend to use and doing a patch test before committing to dyeing.

It's always worth doing a patch test for any dyes, especially if you've reacted to any before.

I'm already familiar with vegetable dyes etc. I've been playing around with hair colour and different brands for 11 years, I'm just trying to achieve the best base possible with the least damage.

I'm also fully aware about Azo dye reaction, you tend to be aware of these things when anaphylactic shock is likely to be the reaction if you mess it up. When I say PPD allergy I'm not talking a rash, I'm meaning full vulcan-esque head swelling! It's been 4 and a half years since my last reaction and I don't intend to repeat it.

My hairdresser is great with bright colours but I must admit the more I keep looking at the manic panic pinks I don't think I can wait till I see her! Fuschia shock and Cleo rose are calling my name.

I'm meaning full vulcan-esque head swelling!

That's generally what I assume when someone says they had a reaction 🙂 I've seen it happen!

It's your choice if you want to get it done by a hairdresser, I guess we just can't see the point as it's the easiest part of all this process. Of course, you'll get longer lasting results doing it yourself as you can leave the dye on for many hours.