How to Get Red Hair to Blonde/Platinum

Bleaching Your Hair

Condition your hair regularly before you bleach it. The first step to changing from red to blonde hair is bleaching it, which can cause significant damage. The best way to protect your hair is to condition it in the weeks before you want to change your hair color. If you’ve never bleached your hair before, consider going to a salon instead. If you make a mistake during the bleaching process, it can create lasting damage.

Remove any dye in your hair if needed. If your red hair is the result of hair dye, you’ll need to remove the dye before you can get to blonde. You can purchase color removers from most beauty supply stores. Follow the directions for applying and rinsing out the dye in your hair. Depending on how long your hair is and how recently you’ve dyed it, you might need to use more than 1 cycle of the color remover to completely get the color out of your hair. Quite a bit of the remover comes in 1 box, so you might be able to get more than 1 cycle out of the box.

Choose a developer strength. Developer is a creamy substance that lifts that cuticle of your hair to allow the bleach to get into your hair shaft. It's best to talk to a professional about which developer is best for your hair, but a developer that is 30-volume or lower is best. A higher number can cause significant damage to your hair. If your hair is a light strawberry blonde, you can use a 10-volume developer. It will lighten your hair about 1 shade, which should be just enough to take you from red to blonde. The most commonly used developer is 20-volume developer. It will only lighten your hair to 1 or 2 levels from your current shade, so use this only if you have a dark strawberry blonde or light copper hair. A 30-volume developer is best if your hair is between light copper and dark red. It can lighten your hair more than 3 shades. However, if you hair is a very, very dark red, you might need to use a 30-volume developer in more than 1 round of bleaching. The strongest developer available is 40-volume developer, and can cause serious damage to your hair if it's not used properly. If you feel the need to use a 40-volume developer, it's probably best to ask a professional to apply it to your hair.

Mix together hair bleach and a developer. You can purchase hair bleach powder from most beauty supply stores. The bleach and developer containers will have instructions for how much of each you should mix together. Mix them together until they have a yogurt-like consistency.

Divide your hair into 4 sections. Part your hair straight down the middle from your forehead to the nape of your neck. Then, part your hair across from ear to ear. This will give you 4 distinct sections. The handle of a rat-tail comb works well for parting your hair. Use plastic clips to secure 3 of the sections, and leave the other section down to begin bleaching.

Put on rubber gloves and then brush on the bleach. Dip a tint or dye brush into the bleach mixture up to about 1 in (2.5 cm). Gently brush the bleach onto your hair at your part, getting as close to the roots as possible and continuing down to the ends. You can purchase gloves from a beauty supply store. You should also put a hair cape or towel around your shoulders to protect your clothing, and a towel down on the floor or sink near where you're doing your hair.

Continue sectioning your hair horizontally. Once you've applied bleach to your part, continue parting your hair at 0.5 to 1 in (1.3 to 2.5 cm) horizontal intervals. As you finish each section, flip the already bleached hair up and over your head. continuing to brush bleach onto each section below. Continue until the first section is done, then unclip the second section and bleach it. Repeat on the remaining 2 sections until all your hair is bleached. Make sure you brush bleach onto the top and underside of each section of hair you part.

Let the bleach sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Once you’ve applied bleach to your whole head, let it sit for between 30 and 45 minutes. Keep an eye on your hair – once it’s a very light yellow color, you’re good to go! If your hair is a dark red, you won’t get a light yellow on your first try. Leave the bleach on your hair for 45 minutes and then rinse it out. You should wait at least 3 weeks between each bleaching. Otherwise, your hair could become so damaged it falls out. If you don’t have the patience to wait for multiple rounds of bleaching at home, you should see a salon professional.

Rinse out the bleach. Once your hair has turned a bright yellow color, you’ll need to rinse the bleach out. Use lukewarm water and rinse your hair until it runs clear. Then lightly shampoo your hair, using about half of your normal amount of shampoo.

Applying Toner

Select your toner color to go platinum. Toner will turn your bleached hair platinum blonde and prevent it from becoming yellow or brassy. There are a lot of toner colors to choose from – anywhere from icy-white blonde to ash blonde – depending on what tone you want your platinum hair to be.

Mix your toner with a developer. For a toner, a 20-volume developer is best. The toner bottle will tell you exactly how much of each to mix together, but a 1 part toner to 2 parts developer ratio is generally best.

Apply the toner to your hair. Because toner comes in a range of shades blonde – from honey to platinum blonde – the directions for applying it will vary. Section your hair the same way you did for applying bleach, starting at your part and then creating horizontal sections. Leave the toner on for as long as the instructions direct you to, up to 30 minutes, depending on the color.

Rinse your hair thoroughly. Use lukewarm water and rinse your hair until the water runs clear. If you leave any toner in your hair, the color could continue to develop.

Use purple shampoo for a gentler toning option. Using toner to raise your blonde from brassy yellow to your color of choice can still damage your hair. If you want a gentler option, wash your hair with purple shampoo. Wash your hair with it and then leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes. That should take out any brassiness and leave platinum hair behind. Use the purple shampoo every other time you wash your hair – it will help maintain the platinum color!

Maintaining Your Blonde Hair

Apply a hair mask every few weeks. Bleaching your hair can really damage it, but a hair mask can help restore some of the moisture. You can purchase hair masks from most beauty supply stores, or you can use warmed up olive oil and massage it into your scalp and hair roots.

Don’t shampoo too frequently. Shampoo strips your hair of its natural moisture and oils, so avoid using it too often after you’ve bleached your hair. Shampoo every 2 to 3 days. If you really, really can’t wait to shampoo your hair, consider a spray-in dry shampoo to absorb some of your hair’s oils.

Use products specifically designed for color-treated hair. Many hair care companies offer a range of products for color-treated hair, including shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments. Swap out your regular hair care products for these types of products after you've bleached your hair. It will protect your hair and maintain your color. Some companies even offer products for bleached hair – if you can find an afford those types of products, they're best.

Avoid using heat tools. Bleaching your hair will dry it out, so applying even more heat can do a lot of damage. Try not to use straighteners, blow dryers, or curling irons on bleached hair. If you absolutely have to, use a heat protectant spray first. Try out some no-heat styles, like braids and buns, or create curls with rollers.

Re-tone every 2 to 8 weeks. Depending on the shade of blonde you want to maintain, you’ll need to re-tone your hair every 2 to 8 weeks. This will prevent your hair from reverting to a brassy blonde. When you hair starts to look brassy or yellow, it’s time to re-tone!

Avoid chlorinated water. Bleached hair can easily begin to turn green when exposed to chlorine. If you can, avoid chlorinated water like pools. If you can't avoid chlorinated water, use a protectant spray designed to prevent blonde hair from turning green. Or, coat your tresses with a leave-in conditioner before swimming so your hair doesn’t absorb the chlorine. You can find those products in most beauty supply stores. Alternatively, you could wear a swim cap to protect your hair.