Most brunettes have always wondered what they might look like as a blonde. For those who have tried this monumental task and come out with orange hair, you know that the process isn’t as simple as a one and done dye job. It takes time and professional assistance to do it safely and without damaging the hair.
How Long Does it Take to Change Hair Color from Dark Brown to Blonde?
- If your hair is virgin, meaning that it has never been dyed before, it will take one 3-5 hour session to strip the brown color and dye hair blonde.
- It will take up to 2 to 3 sessions for coarse, curly, or particularly dark brown hair. You should wait a minimum of 4 weeks in between sessions to avoid damage to the hair.
- If you want a platinum hue, it’ll take a final session to reach this color without causing brittleness and dryness safely.
Considerations Before Going Blonde From Brown
When changing your natural hair color, there are things to consider before taking the plunge. It is best to think about things like “how long will the process take?” and “will blonde go well with my skin tone?” Below are some things to take into consideration.
Skin Tone
Before choosing your shade of blonde, you should discuss it with your colorist. They have the experience to help you decide on a shade that goes well with your skin tone. While it may seem small, the wrong shade of blonde could wash you out.
You can bring photos of shades of blonde that you like. Your colorist will help pick the best match and tweak it to be perfect for you.
How Long It Will Take
Going from such a dark color to blonde should not happen in one session. Especially for hair with thicker cuticles like Asian hair, it will take multiple sessions to lighten your hair. If your stylist tells you one session is enough, you will likely come out of that session with broken, damaged hair.
Bleaching is done in multiple sessions because it allows your hair to regenerate the oils that the bleach strips away. It gives your hair time to heal and strengthen again before you apply more strong chemicals to it.
Your hair won’t have enough time to heal and gain its moisture back if you bleach it in only one session, which is how bleaching can severely damage your hair. It requires patience, but once you get to your result with strong and healthy hair, you will be thankful you let your hair rest in between sessions.
How Often To Touch Up
The standard rule for how often you should touch up your hair is 6-8 weeks. You can change this more to your needs. If you find your roots need to be touched up earlier than six weeks or later than eight weeks, talk to your stylist about changing how often you get touch-ups.
Red Flags
If your hair is damaged or you recently got a perm, you should not bleach it. The damage from a perm with the harsh effects of bleach can lead to breakage, and you could lose all your hair.
Similarly, if your hairstylist says you can bleach after a perm, that is a huge red flag. It is the same if they say they can turn your dark brown hair blonde in one session.
If the bleaching process hurts your head, tell your stylist immediately. Bleach can lead to chemical burns on your scalp. Communication is the most important thing when putting your hair through chemical treatments.
How To Prepare Your Hair
Bleach can be very damaging. And this is why going from dark to light hair requires multiple sessions. It gives your hair a break in between to help regenerate the oils. Your stylist may recommend not washing it for a few days before. Because of this, your hair will already have a layer of protective oils.
You should meet with your stylist before any bleaching sessions, and they can help determine how you should prep your hair. This may include repairing hair treatments and strand tests. Listen to your stylist’s instructions to best prepare your hair for bleaching.
If you have natural or textured hair, your stylist may recommend a more in-depth pre-treatment. Curly hair is prone to more dryness than straight hair, which makes it more fragile.
Transitioning hair from Dark Brown to Blonde
The process of lightening dark brown hair involves bleaching the hair in order to strip it of all color. It is only after the hair has been bleached that it can be processed to your desired hue of blonde. This is no easy task and involves adhering to several different tips in order to properly strip and dye hair so that it stays healthy.
1. Consult a Professional Stylist
When taking your hair from dark brown to blonde, it’s always best to consult a professional. You should never take your hair from dark brown to a light color on your own, unless you want to deal with the aforementioned orange hair catastrophe.
Before you dye your hair, schedule an in-person consultation. Transforming hair to blonde involves more than simply looking at tones. Hair porousness, thickness, virginity, and overall texture will play a huge role in how long the process will take for you and how it should be done.
2. Exercise Patience
The darker your hair, the more sessions it will take to transform your hair into your ideal blonde color. The darker your brunette, the longer you’ll have to wait. It may take 3 sessions or more to achieve locks that are healthy, so consider if you’re in it for the long haul before making the commitment.
3. Ask about a bonder
A good colorist will mix in essential nutrients to the dye to protect and strengthen the hair. Oftentimes they will add in a protein or moisture treatment or use a hair bonder to maintain the integrity of every hair strand. Ask them what products they typically mix in and which ones you can use on yourself post-coloring.
4. Trust your stylist
Even if you’re willing to sit in the chair for 12 hours at one time to process brown hair to blonde, it’s typically not worth it. You may get the blonde that you crave that day, but it’s not worth it if hair turns out brittle and damaged.
Plus, this will make the hair color only fade faster. If your stylist recommends that you take this process gradually, it’s in your best interest to listen.
Maintenance Tips Afterward
With bleached hair, you need to protect it from further damage. Do regular hair treatments afterward to help your hair get healthy again. Use a heat protector to protect your hair from heat, which can also damage it.
Go to your regular touch-up appointments to do your roots and listen to your stylist. They will tell you if you should add anything to your maintenance routine.
You may need to use a purple shampoo or conditioner. This counteracts any brassiness and acts as a toner.
As you can see, coloring dark brown hair to blonde is hardly a one-time thing. It will likely take 2 to 3 sessions to get your hair to the blonde that you desire without sacrificing the health of your hair.
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