How to Get Red Hair to Blonde/Platinum

Last Updated: November 22, 2022 References

Getting from red hair to blonde or platinum can take some work, but with patience you can do it at home. If you’ve never made such a drastic change on your own, consider visiting a salon. A stylist can tell you what it will take to change your hair and schedule your appointments. If you want to take your hair from red to blonde at home, you’ll need to strip out any dye still in your hair and then bleach it. Once it’s bleached – which might take several rounds of bleaching – use a toner to elevate your hair from brassy to blonde!

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Bleaching Your Hair

1
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.^{[1]
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Brianna Bowling
Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 25 February 2022.} The best way to protect your hair is to condition it in the weeks before you want to change your hair color.^{[2]
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- 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.
2
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.^{[3]
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Brianna Bowling
Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 25 February 2022.} 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.
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3
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.^{[4]
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- 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.^{[5]
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  Brianna Bowling
  Hair Stylist
  Expert Interview. 25 February 2022.} 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.
4
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.^{[6]
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5
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.
6
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.^{[7]
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- 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.
7
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.^{[8]
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- 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.
8
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!^{[9]
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- 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.
9
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.^{[10]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Applying Toner

1
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.
2
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.
3
Apply the toner to your hair.^{[11]
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Brianna Bowling
Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 25 February 2022.} 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.^{[12]
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Rinse your hair thoroughly.^{[13]
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Brianna Bowling
Hair Stylist
Expert Interview. 25 February 2022.} 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.^{[14]
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5
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.^{[15]
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- Use the purple shampoo every other time you wash your hair – it will help maintain the platinum color!

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Maintaining Your Blonde Hair

1
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.^{[16]
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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.^{[17]
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- 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.
3
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.^{[18]
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- Some companies even offer products for bleached hair – if you can find an afford those types of products, they're best.
4
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.^{[19]
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- Try out some no-heat styles, like braids and buns, or create curls with rollers.
5
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!^{[20]
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6
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.^{[21]
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- Alternatively, you could wear a swim cap to protect your hair.

Expert Q&A

Question

I dyed my hair a deep purple about 6 months ago. It has pretty much faded to a red tint but I want to dye it dark blonde. Will I have a problem doing this?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Yes, you will have a problem achieving dark blonde if you attempt to put the color on your already colored hair, because color doesn't lift color. You will need to use a color remover/bleach kit to get rid of the purple/red color that is currently on your hair. After that color has been lifted, your hair should be light enough to proceed with the dark blonde toner.
Question

How can I get light, medium, and dark blonde hair?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

It would be a process to dye your hair 3 different shades. First, determine the level of your natural hair color. If you are between a level 6-7, you can keep your hair as the dark blonde shade, and then purchase 2 dyes that are a lighter and medium shade of blonde.
Question

Could I skip the stripping part if my hair is reddish?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You only need to strip your hair if you've dyed your hair red previously. If you're a natural red head, you don't need to strip it first.