How To Take Your Dark Brown Hair To Platinum Blonde

Sometimes you just need to change up your hair color. If you’re bored with your dark brown strands, it’s natural to fantasize about switching it up for something dramatic like strawberry brunette or even blonde. But not just any shade of blonde — maybe your strands need a platinum blonde makeover. 

Going from super dark to super light hair is a dramatic change and requires a pretty robust process, so here’s everything you need to know about making the transition from dark brown to icy platinum blonde.

1. Decide If Platinum Blonde Is Right for You

Platinum blonde isn’t a subtle switch up if you have dark brown hair so it’s natural to wonder if you can pull this icy shade off. But, platinum isn’t as selective in who it suits as you would think — it’s almost a universally flattering shade. Since the color is so light and rare, it’s eye-catching on just about anyone. 

Editor’s tip: Try on platinum blonde hair at home with the L’Oréal Paris virtual hair color try-on tool. This tool allows you to try-on the brand’s hair color shades before taking the plunge in real life. 

2. Seek a Pro’s Help

Once you know that you’re ready to dive into platinum blonde-ness, the next important step is how you’re going to get there. Since going from dark brown to platinum blonde is very drastic, it’s best to seek out a professional colorist’s help and expertise.

Keep in mind that this process will require bleaching and possibly even more than one round to achieve your icy blonde locks. If you’ve colored or bleached your hair in the past, it’s really important to see a professional colorist to make sure your hair is healthy enough to go platinum and to protect the integrity of your strands throughout the process.

3. Determine Realistic Expectations

Whether or not you walk out of the salon with a color you love comes down to how reasonable and realistic you are with your expectations. For starters, it’s helpful to arrive at the salon with inspiration pictures of the exact blonde shade you’re hoping to achieve. While there isn’t a ton of variance in platinum shades, a picture can help to make sure you’re on the same page as your colorist. 

An expert will also be able to tell you if dyeing your mane will take one session or multiple. While you may want to leave your first visit with icy platinum locks, it may not be possible — especially if you’re starting with a dark brown base color. While platinum blonde is the end goal, you don’t want to fry your strands in an attempt to get there.The plus side to doing multiple rounds of bleaching is that you can get to platinum blonde with less damage. You can also see what other shades of blonde look like on you while you work your way to the lightest shade.

4. Consider the Upkeep 

Another important aspect to keep in mind is upkeep. If you like low-maintenance hair color, you should know there is nothing low maintenance about platinum blonde hair when your roots are naturally dark brown. As your hair grows, there’s going to be a harsh line of demarcation at the roots. Maintaining platinum blonde locks requires lots of time and money at the salon so this is really important to consider.

Editor’s tip: If you want the best of both worlds — platinum blonde locks with less maintenance — ask for a root smudge to break up the harsh regrowth line.

5. Learn How To Care for Your Platinum Locks

Once you’ve achieved your new hue, you’ll want to switch up your hair care routine, as blonde, color-treated hair has specific needs. Keep reading to see how you can revamp your hair care routine for your newly platinum locks.

Use Color-Treated Hair Products

Time to make room in your shower for a system of products that are formulated specifically for blonde, color-treated hair, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Color Care Bond Strengthening Shampoo and the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Bond Strengthening Conditioner. This system works to repair weak hair bonds and strengthen hair strands from the inside out — a must-have for bleached, damaged hair.

Keep Brassiness Away

Blonde hair can take on unwanted yellowish and orange hues, aka brass. Keep brass at bay with a purple shampoo and conditioner system. Reach for the L’Oreal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo and the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Conditioner when brassy strands begin to creep in. Then once a week, swap out the conditioner for the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Anti Brass Purple Mask Treatment. This purple mask is formulated to neutralize unwanted brassy tones while deeply nourishing your strands — two things platinum blonde hair can seriously benefit from. 

Embrace Routine Maintenance 

The most time-consuming aspect of having platinum blonde hair is the maintenance. If you’ve made the switch from dark brown to platinum, you’re going to deal with root regrowth somewhat frequently, so, book regular appointments with your colorist to touch up your roots.

It’s likely that your ends will feel dry and damaged so make sure to schedule regular trims,  especially if you’re dealing with breakage. There’s no shame in opting for an edgy pixie cut or shorter ‘do to match your newly platinum locks.

Protect Your New Strands

The best way to protect your newly platinum strands is to stop using heat, so opt for air drying and pair your platinum blonde locks with your natural hair texture. If you have waves or curly locks, embrace your texture with the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Super Curls Cream Leave-In. To use it, apply the cream to towel-dried hair and create a braid or scrunch your curls to style. 

If you can’t let go of the hot tools, make sure to use them sparingly and apply heat protectant, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum Leave-In or the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, Heat Protectant, to your hair before you use heat. 

Next: Blonde Hair with Dark Roots Is the Lived-In Color Of the Summer

Edited by: Reece Andavolgyi, Photo by: Matthew Kelly