How to Go Platinum Blonde: 7 Tips to Dyeing Your Hair Without Damaging It
This blog post documents my hair journey from my natural color of strawberry blonde to platinum blonde, silver gray and then rose gold. While I do like my natural shade of red, I definitely got bored after having the same hair color my entire life and I wanted to mix it up. There's a thrill you get when going platinum, like you've got a new spring in your step!
I will admit that I was very naive about this process before I got started and I learned a lot of lessons along the way. Hopefully you’re doing a bit research so that you’ll find yourself better prepared than I did.
Read on to see my top tips on how to dye your hair platinum blonde while minimizing the damage to your hair. I also go into detail about how to care for platinum hair and using platinum as a base for other trendy pastel colors.
* Note - I partnered with a salon professional to put this blog post together to ensure that I’m providing accurate information.
Dyeing Your Hair Blonde vs. Bleaching Your Hair Platinum
When we think of platinum blonde, the word 'bleach' immediately comes to mind. And that's understandable because bleaching or dyeing your hair lighter than its natural color is risky business. Before making a salon appointment, keep in mind that going platinum is, undoubtedly, a significant change from your natural hair (and it doesn’t always have a happy ending). Plus, it's a major commitment requiring considerable time and financial investment to get there.
If your natural hair grows in lighter shades of brown or red, then you may be able to add blonde colored dye to lighten it up. But to achieve the true bombshell platinum color (which is just a slight golden shade above white), you do need to use bleach to strip your hair of any color. And yes, this will inevitably cause some damage to your tresses.
The before picture outside Arrojo Soho salon with my natural hair color.
My Top 7 Tips & Things To Consider Before Going Platinum Blonde
If you want to take the plunge, here are seven considerations for going about it in a way that will cause the least amount of damage.
What kind of hair types and natural colors are best for going platinum?
First thing first, you need to determine what hair types and natural hair colors are best for this super blonde look. The best kind of hair for platinum bleach is healthy virgin hair — in other words, hair that has not been chemically treated in the past or has undergone damage.
Also, loose, wavy virgin hair is the best choice for going platinum. It's neither too coarse nor too fine. It also easily fans out, making it an excellent option for those who want to sport a shaggy hairstyle. Straight hair can also work great for platinum as long as it’s not too fine and thin. It basically needs to be able to withstand some breakage.
While anyone can choose to go platinum, remember that the darker your hair is, the harder it is to lighten. And the lighter your natural hair color, the easy it is to go platinum blonde. For example, light brown hair is easier to change to platinum than black hair.
Sitting in the chair and getting my hair done at Arrojo salon in NYC.
How to Find a High-Quality Salon that Specializes in Hair Bleaching and Platinum Shades
Platinum bleaching is a technically sophisticated procedure. A little mistake can end up ruining your entire hair (and look). As such, we recommend you get this hair color procedure at a salon instead of trying it at home. If done professionally, it can give you the desire transformation to evolve your personal style.
But keep in mind that not all salons are created equal. Since bleaching your hair is a challenging treatment, you must choose a high-quality and reputable salon. This starts with research! It’s a good idea to read user reviews of different salons on independent review sites, check their websites, and ask your friends and family for recommendations.
You may also want to search social media networks like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for salons in your area that specialize in hair bleaching. And once you shortlist the top three salons, it's time to call them and ask questions about the platinum bleaching procedure. When you're satisfied you've found a reliable salon, you can visit them in person or book an appointment for your hair treatment.
For myself, I decided to go big and book my platinum hair appointment at Arrojo Studio in SoHo, Manhattan. I had an upcoming trip to visit my bestie in New York City and figured I might as well get my hair done by the best in the business. Ali Eskridge did my hair and you can check out the photos taken at the salon on her Instagram account here. At this appointment my hair was bleached and then temporarily dyed silver gray. Once the silver washed out it was true platinum blonde.
Sitting in the chair and letting my hair mask soak in at Arrojo salon in NYC.
How much you should expect to pay for a quality salon to dye your hair platinum?
Bleaching your hair platinum is an investment in your personal style and I do not suggest you attempt to get this done at a bargain price. The exact price you'll pay depends on the salon's location, your natural hair's color and thickness, and your hair length. Since darker, longer, and thicker hair takes more time to change to platinum, the procedure will cost more than if your hair is lighter, shorter, and thinner.
Also, location plays a crucial role here. For example, if you're getting your hair bleached like me in New York City, you can expect to pay more for a single bleaching session than you would in a rural community. That's mainly because the cost of living and doing business in NYC is very expensive.
When you’re budgeting for this salon appointment, you should expect to pay at least $200 (not including the tip). I believe I paid around $500 for my appointment at Arrojo.
Bleached hair reveal at Arrojo salon in NYC.
What to Expect in the Salon the First Time you Bleach Your Hair
Going platinum is not easy and you cannot get the look in a quick salon session. A highly committed bleaching expert may keep you in the salon seat for nine hours straight to finish the platinum procedure, which is how it worked out for me. I came into the salon around 10am and left when it was dark outside. I recommend you either carve out an entire day for the process or do the procedure over several sessions and avoid having a crazy long day sitting in the salon chair.
And while I don't want to scare you, bleaching your hair can give your scalp a burning sensation. You should expect to feel discomfort like scalp stinging and burning sensations, depending on the concentration of the bleaching solution, which is typically strong when you're getting the treatment for the first time.
It's best to relax, take deep breaths, and listen to relaxing music while the solution works its magic. Each bleaching session can take anywhere between 40-60 minutes. The first time you get your hair bleached will take the most time (and create more discomfort). This is because the hairstylist will be using the strongest and most concentrated bleaching solution to get your hair as light as possible. The subsequent treatments are easier and less time-consuming.
Do You Need to Cut or Trim Your Hair After Bleaching?
It is possible that the ends of your hair turned out especially fried and crispy after the bleaching. There’s a good chance that you will need to trim off a couple inches to remove damaged tips. So you shouldn’t automatically expect that you’ll maintain the same length of hair. I would have some shorter hair styles in mind in case you need to cut off your dead hair ends.
Me with my silvery gray hair.
Home Hair Maintenance Routines - Products to Keep your Hair Moisturized & Healthy
It's no secret that bleaching is a harsh procedure that can negatively affect your hair. For example, it weakens the cuticles, leaving your hair dry, rough, and lifeless. Since I had never bleached my hair before this appointment, it was a slight shock to feel the texture of my hair change so much. My natural hair is very bouncy and wavy, filled with body and bounce. Initially after my hair was bleached it felt very dry and straw-like and I had a small internal moment of panic that I had ruined my hair.
But luckily there's ways to reinvigorate and revitalize your new platinum blond hair. You can keep your platinum locks healthy and gorgeous with the right home hair maintenance routines and products.
To begin with, avoid washing your hair more often in the first two or three weeks following the bleach treatment. At that point, the bleach has already stripped your hair of moisture, and shampooing can trigger further dryness, causing damage to your hair.
Second, do not use hot tools like a hair dryer and curling iron on your hair for several weeks after getting your hair bleached. These tools can remove moisture from your hair, which can make your hair coarse, dull, weak, and brittle.
Hydrating Your Bleached Hair
It’s also a good idea to deep condition your hair more often. Remember that your hair requires more hydration after bleaching, and regular conditioners aren't enough for it.
Deep conditioners help repair the cuticles and lock moisture inside the strands. This can make your hair look soft, silky, and shiny.
Add a hair mask to your beauty routine once a week after getting platinum bleach. It helps repair the cuticles and strands damaged by the bleaching solution.
We also recommend you add hair oil to the mix. Nourishing hair oil before and after shampooing will moisture and revitalize the damaged cuticles.
Protein treatments for bleached hair can help fortify and nourish your bleached tresses. It does take a few sessions to get the full benefits and positive effects. For this treatment, hydrolyzed protein is used to strengthen your cuticles and hair stands while improving the hair texture.
Plus, don't forget to apply a heat protectant spray to your hair before using hot tools. Bleaching has already weakened your hair, and you don't want it to face additional breakage from applied heat.
Me with my silvery gray hair.
Fixing & Preventing Your Blonde Hair from Getting Brassy
Toner & Gloss Salon Treatments
The term "brassy" refers to blond hair that has gone from the preferred shade of platinum to an unwanted yellow - orange - red shade. This happens when your hair is oversaturated with warm tones. This is especially common in dark hair that has been dyed or bleached blonde.
The dreaded brassy hair is another reason why you should plan on spending a bit more on a talented colorist who knows how to avoid this issue. If you are unhappy with the way your hair turned out, I would suggest doing some research and call another salon for an appointment to applying a gloss or toner to the hair which helps to neutralize any unwanted brassy or warm tones.
Purple Shampoo & Cold Water at Home
To prevent brassiness to creep up during the weeks you are in between salon appointments, at home you can use a purple shampoo. Purple is the opposite color of orange on the color spectrum and it can neutralize the orangey tones. Best practice is to alternate between purple shampoo and shampoo for color-treated hair every two weeks. When using the purple shampoo, make sure to leave it in for at least 5 minutes before rinsing.
It is also recommended that you wash your hair with lukewarm to cold water, or at least avoid hot water. Hot temperatures in shower water opens up the outer cuticles which allows color to fade faster. You may be thinking that cold showers sound pretty unpleasant, and yes they are. Going platinum is a true commitment!
Things to Avoid When Preventing Brassy Hair
Prolonged exposure to direct sun rays is not recommended because the UV rays can make your hair brassy. If you really want to enjoy summer days outdoors, you can either wear a cute hat or use a protective sun spray.
Moreover, chlorine from pools are a big no-no because the harsh chemicals will strip the color out of your hair. If you simply must swim in the pool, run cool water through your hair before you get in and then immediately rinse out the pool water afterwards. Make sure to follow-up with a color safe shampoo.
Me with my silvery gray hair.
How Often Do You Need to Touch Up Your Roots with Platinum Hair?
Your first salon appointment to dye your hair is the just tip of the iceberg. One of the biggest mistakes people make after going platinum is forgetting their roots. Be sure to visit your stylist once every six to eight weeks for a touch-up session because the roots' color will give the top of your head a dark and dingy look.
Me with my silvery gray hair.
Styling your Platinum Hair with Extensions
You went platinum blonde, but your hair is short, thin, or lacks volume. Let's assume you want to flaunt longer, fuller platinum hair. This is where clip-in hair extensions come in. Clip-in extensions are easy to install, remove, and reapply! They come as individual hair wefts with tiny silicone-coated clips at the base.
The best part? Clip-in human hair extensions look natural and blend seamlessly with your hair. And if the extensions are made from 100% Remy human hair, they will match your natural hair's flow, direction, and movement. Plus, you can style them in many different ways to settle for the style that looks best on you.
But the question is: how do you find hair extensions that match the shade of your platinum blonde hair? After all, color-matching and proper blending are the keys to making your hair extensions look as natural as possible.
The good news is that many high-quality extension brands offer clip-in wefts in a range of shades, including platinum blonde. For example, you may want to check out ZALA platinum blonde #60 clip-in hair extensions. It might just be the perfect option for your platinum bleached hair.
Me with my ash platinum blonde hair.
How to Grow Your Hair out or Dye it Back to Your Natural Color when You're Over Being Platinum Blonde
So, you went from black or brown hair to platinum; now you're missing your natural hair color and want it back. Or maybe your platinum bleaching didn't go through as you expected, and you regret your decision. Or a third possibility is that you want a break from all the high maintenance root touch-ups and salon appointments.
While going back to your natural shade is not easy, there are two methods you may want to try. These methods require patience, but the outcomes are worth it!
Your first option is to let your natural color grow out! This means you should stop coloring your hair. And as your hair grows out and your natural color grows from the roots of the strands towards the end, you can play around with different hairstyles that work best for you and conceal the change. Or you can use hair extensions to hide the difference between your natural hair color and the platinum bleach during this time.
Your second option is to dye your hair back to its natural color. Remember that except for growing your hair out, you cannot get your natural shade back unless you put it back there. That's because, unlike dyeing that simply changes your hair color, bleaching strips your hair of its natural color! Again, we recommend you head over to your stylist for this purpose because by trying it at home, you may damage your hair or ruin its look.
Me with my ash platinum blonde hair.
Using Platinum Blonde Hair as a Base for Pastel Color
Before you immediately jump back to your natural hair color after going platinum blonde, let me suggest that you have some fun with whimsical pastel colors. After all, now you have the perfect base blank canvas for some really fun colors. Read on to hear the stories behind my silver gray hair and rose gold pink hair.
Dyeing Your Hair Silver Gray
I originally went platinum blonde to be a base for silver gray hair. This was a growing trend in edgy hair and I was all about it. Celebrities like Ariana Grande, Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga paved the way for this hairstyle to become more mainstream.
I had the silver added at Arrojo Soho in NYC. I don’t know exactly what brand hair dye Ali used but the shade was very similar to IGK Hair’s Titanium permanent hair dye.
To maintain the color I used purple shampoo and cool water for hair washes. Truth be told, the silver color didn’t last longer than 3 weeks and my hair quickly faded into a platinum blonde (which was fine).
Me with my silvery gray hair.
Dyeing Your Hair Rose Gold Pink
Once my roots had started to grow out and I didn’t want to get them done at a salon anymore, I decided to dye my hair a rose gold shade of pink. It turned out really great because the dark roots on the top and platinum on the bottom gave my hair a pink ombre effect.
I scheduled an appointment at the Ulta salon in San Francisco. Once again it took a long time, I spent probably 4 hours at the salon. The first time I saw my newly dyed hair color it was too saturated in red which wasn’t the look I was going for. I asked the hair stylist to strip some of the color out to achieve the pastel color pink.
If you’re brave enough to dye your hair at home, IGK Hair’s French Rose is a very cute pastel pink or you can opt for Knight & Wilson’s Metallic Rose Gold permanent hair dye.
The pink rose gold hair lasted much longer than the silver and my hair grew out this color until I cut off all the ends. The pink color faded to a shade pretty close to my natural strawberry blonde red hair.
See photos from my Ulta salon appointment and rose gold pink hair below.
Me with my silvery gray hair.
Playing With Temporary Pastel Colors
If you’re unsure about making a big commitment to a colorful hair style, I suggest you get a kit of temporary hair dyes in a rainbow of colors. This way you can play around and see what you truly like best.
My platinum blonde hair starting to growing out at the roots.
Me outside of the Ulta salon getting ready to dye my hair rose gold pink.
Me outside of the Ulta salon getting ready to dye my hair rose gold pink.
In the chair at the Ulta salon getting ready to dye my hair rose gold pink.
Me with my freshly dyed rose gold pink hair.
Me with my freshly dyed rose gold pink hair.
Shop Platinum Blonde & Pastel Hair Essentials:
As I mentioned above, purple shampoos can help avoid those dreaded brassy orange tones in your blonde hair.
Using a color safe intense repair hair mask can put the life and bounce back into your hair after all the platinum blonde bleaching.
This Bumble & Bumble multi-tasking leave-in treatment tackles frizz, conditions and serves as a UV and heat protectant. On Sephora it has 130,000 heart likes so that should tell you that this product has a hair cult following.
