My sister is the brains behind this "operation". She's a licensed stylist and has been doing my hair for years. It used to be in a fancy salon, but now it is in her washroom with our 4 little ones running around! Needless to say, it can be done anywhere. But i'd definitely recommend leaving your hair in the hands of a professional and not a DIY home kit. (one of the few times you will hear me advise against DIY!)
Contrary to what some people think, you can achieve platinum blonde from any hair color. But depending on your base color, it may be a fast or a very slow process. The key is working with un-dyed hair. I have been platinum for over 10 years, so all I need to do each month is root touch up and a "freshen up". Here's my process:
We apply it to the root, making sure only to apply it on the new growth, not overlapping onto the previously bleached hair. For my hair, we let it process about 35 minutes, but processing times will vary depending on your hair texture & color. After it's done processing, shampoo.
Important! TONER! This is what eliminates the yellow and helps achieve that white ashy hue.
We let that process about 5 minutes (again, processing time may vary) or until the hair starts turning a violet-y tone. We always pull through the toner the last minute of processing to freshen up the rest of the hair as well. We rinse out the toner and just condition.
Lastly, blow dry!– use a serum before you blow dry to protect it from heat (like Sudzz Fx 'Zenyth')
– don't wash everyday
– use a violet/silver shampoo once a week (like Matrix 'So Silver') I LOVE THIS STUFF!
– use shine spray on your finished look (like Bed Head 'Head Rush')
I hope this helped some of you platinum hopefuls out there! Happy healthy bleaching! xo. Kelli
69 Comments
That time when I tried to dye my hair blonde and home and it started smoking. Yeah. Your hair is stunning, by the way.
Your hair is beautiful! I wish I could pull off that color.
I’ve been thinking about getting platinum hair for quite som time now, so thanks for the tip!
Thank god for my sister-in-law is a hair-dresser 🙂
Kelli, I love that you used the word “washroom”! I get teased all the time for saying that – apparently it’s a totally Canadian phrase and my US friends give me heck for it. 🙂 (I’m Canadian, living in Pasadena.)
Love love LOVE your hair, btw! If I HAD hair (and 3/4 of my head wasn’t shaved!) I would love to try platinum.
love love love the color of her hair. being a natural blonde myself, this makes me want to go blonder!
-Amy
http://theblankpagesblog.blogspot.com/
I definitely just sent this out to my friend! Great post!
WOW! It looks so good with red lips! Wish I could pull this off, but I think I’d have to be tanned.. I Live in holland so not a lot of sun for me 🙁
Wow, that is so beautiful! Hard look to pull off, and you do it wonderfully!
xoxo
Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
Great advice. Licensed stylist for 10 years. Chem tech. This is the exact process AND products I use to achieve platinum on my clientele. Please, ladies — don’t do this at home by yourself!!
But what if you want to go platinum for the first time and your existing hair has already been colored? You said it was important to start with un-dyed hair, so does that mean the only good option is chopping down to a pixie and starting fresh?
I loved this post. Your hair is beautiful and really well taken cared of!!!
My hair is naturally dark but i dye it blonde. My dream is to dye it platinum but I’m afraid it won’t take the blow (i have curly and really dry hair, even though i give it a good hydration). Anyways, I feel very inspired!
Your hair is beautiful! I still want to dye mine blonde sometime. But that would mean bleaching it, and as I’m really dark right now.. It would look totally different.
This hair color suits you so well !!
New post up: http://www.thestilettoholic.com/
Nice color, I had that color before some years.. But after more years it damage the hair and is really unhealthy. For that reason I change it. Have a nice day,
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
Hey your blog Is really beautiful! ❤
I Love your desing!! Did you study graphic desing pr smth?
Xo
The platinum looks great on you 🙂
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
Gorgeous. Wish I could go blonde, but my skin tone is totally not fit for that! Also, that dotted shirt is to dieee for.
Love this hair color on so many people but it looks horrible on me 🙁 xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.blogspot.com
Your hair color looks fantastic! And yeah, I always like to leave hair coloring to the pros.
http://heidiswanderings.blogspot.com/
I had platinum hair for about 5 years and always wanted to go lighter and whiter! It’s kind of addicting! Recent I went back to brown to give me hair more life.
xo
Diana
http://unusuallylovely.com
Thanks so much for this post! I will be bleaching my hair soon and wasn’t sure if I’d be able to maintain it, but now I have some tricks under my belt! 🙂
Love it! Im currently rocking a( on the way to platinum/white) afro, and it is a total pain in the ass trying to find toner in my city.
As a fellow platinum lady, thanks for the tips! I never would have thought to use a silver shampoo, but will now!
I’ve never dyed my hair in my life but I always say that at one point in my life I want to try a platinum marilyn monroe blond. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the courage though, I’ve got pretty dark chestnut brown hair and I fear it would just damage the heck out of my hair.
hey! i am blonde (pretty blonde) but toying with the idea of taking ‘there’ so to speak. thanks for the tips on a good approach but what i am loving here is the sequin polka dot blouse in the last photo. its fantastic! show stopper.
amanda
http://thingstoholdandstir.blogspot.com/
so helpful! your hair is amazing! (:
wow your hair looks amazing! love it <3
Beautiful hair!! My grays are getting so bad, it’s embarrassing. This might be the next option for me! 🙂 Keep rockin’ it!
Mandi –
I’m not a pro but from what my sister says, the best route is to let it grow out. That way you will avoid damaging it in the bleaching process. Or you can have your stylist strip all the existing color…which is hard to do without damage and pretty pricey. I guess the key is patience…the hardest part, right!?
Gorgeous! It looks amazing on you! Wish I had the guts!
Champagne Lifestyle on a Beer Budget
Wow sooo pretty – platinum is probably a bit too pale for me since I am practically albino but when I go blonde for summer I always try to abide by those tips – blue shampoo is amazing.
xo Emily @ http://www.hungrydelights.com
I would love to try that color but I’m afraid I can’t pull it off! You look amazing though, really. Great tips and maybe they might become handy in the future 😉 xo
Cool. I love white hair!
CELIAROSE
So helpful!!! Thank you xxx
Thanks for sharing! Love your hair.
Great top, Kelli! Where does one find such a neat polkadotted sparkly item? Love it! <3
I absolutely love it!
Oooh your hair is gorgeous!
Great tutorial, easy to follow. Sadly I could never pull off this colour! Closest I came was wearing a wig this colour for a party, that shocked a few people!
Thanks Kelli!
Zoe xxx
You have no idea how timely this is!! I have been looking to go platinum blonde and was just asking friends how they do it!
Thanks so much for the write up!
Such a fun colour for hair! Always thought it looked very supernatural, like a mermaid or something mystical! 🙂
J.CREW Sierra
Great post! Do you have any tips on where to find the Matrix So Silver line? I used to use that all the time, but I can never find it anymore.
Thanks!
How dark are your natural roots? I am platinum, but my process is harsher than yours (I’m a licensed stylist as well) I use Paul Mitchell bleach with 30 vol developer, and tone with Chi 12I w/ 40 vol developer (as per the instructions). How are you able to achieve the same with weaker developer?
Your hair looks so pretty! It really suits you. <3
I used to be platinum blonde, and I wish I had these tips now! It was lovely for about 2 years, and then my hair couldn’t hack it anymore and starting breaking. 🙁 I am now rocking the ombre look – which is a lot easier (and cheaper) to maintain. Your hair looks lovely 🙂
– Kate from Peaches & Pennies
http://www.peachesandpennies.com
Kelli’s hair is pretty much the best thing ever. *swoon*…now if I would actually get enough courage to do it to my hair…(:
This post could not have come at a better time! I’ve been platinum for 5 years now and I have been thinking of changing my routine up because, while my hair isn’t seriously damaged(its actually quite healthy considering), I think the products I am using are too harsh. I shall try these ones instead and see how they go!
Thanks again!
lovely!
Valentina
I used to have white blonde hair and I absolutely loved it. Unfortunately I didn’t look after it as well as I should have and would often dye my roots at home. Eventually my hair started snapping off and became really really thin. I’ve since dyed it various colours but I never feel as confident as when it was blonde. Hopefully if I follow your tips I might be able to bleach it again and maintain it this time! Thanks!
Gorgeous! thanks for the tips 🙂
Barnicles
I have platinum blonde hair also (not naturally of course..) I was lucky enough to have scored a few free colouring sessions for a soon to be qualified colourist at Trevor Sorbie hair salon! Both times she used this amazing toner and treatment that has left my hair with an almost grey tint to it! (which I love) and also has it feeling incredibly soft and surprisingly un-damaged! (which I love!) I shall most definitely be referring to this post however when I will no doubt take on DIY dying again in the future – can’t afford salon prices these days, jeeze!
Ooh! But a great toner I love to use is a L’Oreal Professional Serie Expert Silver Shampoo! It is the bluest shampoo you ever did see, but it works a treat and really helps to banish any yellow tones! You can find it in most hair dressers for about £9.00! (I think)
Blonde’s really do know how to have more fun don’t they! 😛
Looks great! I found that even though I went professional to get it done and used all the right shampoos etc, the original bleaching process still wrecked my hair. It got fried! If my hair could be just as healthy as it is at it’s natural colour (I since shaved it back and regrew) then I would definitely be a dye-hard (pun intended =)
Love the platinum so so much. It’s such a beautiful color. I would do it in a second if my hair wasn’t dyed dark brown and I didn’t think it’d look bad on my skin haha. It’s gorgeous on you. Completely in love.
your hair is so pretty!!! i don’t dye mine anymore but that last picture reminds me what its like to have your hair ‘done’, it always looks so good right after a color!!!
Amazing! So gorgeous! Thanks for sharing <3
~Sacha
Gorgeous photos. This is about the most beautiful beauty tutorial I’ve ever seen. Props to the photographer.
Hey Natasha….my natural hair color is a dirty blonde. I have been dying it for so many years I’m not sure if it’s darkened over time. It may have. But I think having lighter hair to start, may be the reason I am able to get it so light with a lower level developer.
I love this look on you, I can’t believe how smooth and beautiful the hair looks even after coloring so often! Amazing post!
I just called my stylist to update my ‘do with your tips! I hate when my blonde looks brassy!
OMg her blouse and sweater in the last photo!!
great color! I’ve always wanted to go super blond, but my natural hair color is almost black and my roots would be killer.
Sar=)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/owleyevintage
Hey! Loved your post! I too have platinum hair, and it’s tips like these that keep platinum hair going! I also wrote up a blog post on tips for healthy platinum hair, I would love for you to check it out. Thanks ladies!
http://www.rebeccaglam.com/2012/12/03/how-do-you-get-your-hair-like-that/
Love your look! What’s your natural color? And same question like above, what if your hair is dyed already???
This is so great! LOVE that colour. Is there a deep conditioner you would recommend?
Wow good for you. It seems like too much work for me to ever be able to maintain. The highlights that I’ve been getting every 2-3 months already drive me nuts.
I love the platinum style! I noticed it first with Kelly Osborne on an episode of Fashion Police!I was always afraid to damage my hair by trying it myself. Thanks for the advice.
good tips
Beautiful hair! I just went platinum this year but kept a dark rook. I want to go full head platinum but I am nervous that my root color will be much warmer and I’ll need several treatments to get it to match the rest of my head! I have about 2″ of dark brown root right now…. any tips?