How to Go from Black Hair to Light Blonde

Do you want to change your look up a bit? Your hair is a big part of your appearance, and it's one of the perfect places to go to change your look. This wikiHow will show you how you can get to a light ash-blonde from black/dark hair.

Steps

  1. Image titled Black to Ash_Light Blonde Cheap and Easy Step 1
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    Go to your local beauty supply store and buy as much bleach as you need. More will be needed depending on how dark and long your hair is.[1] It might be best to consult a hairdresser/hair professional to see how much bleach you will need.
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    Next, you will need to buy developer. Pick up a 20V (for toner and bleach, if you want to do it slowly) and/or 30V (for bleach). Bleach your hair twice with 20V followed by a deep condition. Bleach it again and follow it with another deep condition. This should help limit the damage to your hair. 30V will do more damage to your hair, so you may need to take more precautions to protect it.
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    Pick up some toners. Use a violet-based toner to remove yellow/brassy tones from your hair.
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    Buy deep conditioners. You don't have to spend lots of money on these - lots of the cheaper brands work just as well. Find one that is beneficial to dry/damaged/coloured hair. You might want to get a few and repeat the treatment in the weeks following you bleaching your hair in order to restore moisture.
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    Mixing the bleach: It is important to make sure you measure it correctly. Follow the instructions included in the particular brand of bleach you have bought, as it may vary. It may be best to apply the bleach in sections on your hair, especially if it is thicker. Ensure you have covered all the hair you want to bleach and leave on for the recommended time. Never exceed this developing time, as it can really damage your hair.
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    Deep Condition your hair for the amount of time the package says. If you are bleaching it multiple times make sure you condition after every bleach. Conditioning often works best if you keep a cap over your hair whilst it is soaking. If you don't have a deep-conditioning product, you can use normal conditioner and leave it to soak in your hair for as long as you feel is necessary.
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    If your hair is mainly an orange colour, you may wish to bleach it again. Use a 20V bleach and not 30V, as this may put too much strain on your hair.[2]
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    Once you have your hair down to a yellowish colour, you can use the toner. It will enhance or neutralize the current colour.[3] Follow the ratio on the bottle. Leave the toner in for the recommended time with a cap on your hair. Keep checking on your hair under the cap to ensure it hasn't turned silver! (Unless you want it to be silver!)
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    Make sure you rinse your hair thoroughly. Condition your hair afterwards to restore moisture and get rid of any tangles.
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    If your hair isn't the color you wanted, or isn't as light as you wanted, you could use another toner. Be careful how much product you are putting into your hair, as it will be weakened from the bleaching process.
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    You can use silver shampoo to maintain your colour and remove any remainders of brassy tones.
  12. Image titled Black to Ash_Light Blonde Cheap and Easy Step 12
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    Try to limit washing your hair. Washing hair removes natural oils. Bleach removes oils from the hair, which is why conditioning treatments are important to restore moisture that has been stripped from the hair.
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    You can use hair oils such as Argan oil or Moroccan oil, which can be bought at most beauty/hair supply stores.
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    Brush your hair with a wide-toothed comb when wet to minimise breakage.

Community Q&A

  • Question
    Should I use 20 or 30 volume developer?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    It's better to use a lower volume developer with lightener a few times with breaks in between each session. This is much better for your hair than trying to lift everything out in 1 or 2 sessions with a higher developer.
  • Question
    What color does your hair turn when you bleach it?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Everyone's hair lifts through warm stages: red to orange to yellow. In order to get a light blonde color, you'll need to lift to the palest yellow stage (without it being white).
  • Question
    How long does it take to go from black hair to blonde?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    I would highly recommend achieving this in stages over several months in order to maintain the health of your hair. It’s not going to do you any good to reach a blonde level quickly if all of your hair breaks off in the process.
  • Question
    Can you go from black hair to blonde a day?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Technically, you can, but that's dangerous. Lift your hair once, apply a toner to cancel out as many of the red/orange tones that you can. Then, give your hair a few weeks break and go back and do the process again until you achieve the color you desire.
  • Question
    Can you go from black to blonde without bleach?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    In order to go from darker to lighter, in any circumstance, it’s best to use a lightener (bleach, for example). This will give you the most amount of lifting to the lighter color that you’re aiming for.
  • Question
    How many sessions does it take to go from black to blonde?
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Sarah Kosakowski is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Alba Salon and Spa based in Cincinnati, Ohio. With a decade of experience, she specializes in bridal and formal hair, blondes, fine hair, and men’s cuts. Sarah received her training at The Aveda Frederic’s Institute and is proud to be a Kevin Murphy Session stylist amongst other accomplishments.
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Sarah Kosakowski
    Professional Hair Stylist
    Expert Answer
    Depending on how dark your current hair color is to how light you want it to be, it will take a minimum of 3-4 rounds of lightener in order to get close to your goal. It is most important that you use a lower volume developer with your lightener (I would recommend 20 volume) each time in order to maintain the structure of your hair.

Warnings

  • Over-processing can ruin your hair. Always follow the product directions
    Thanks!
  • Certain bleaches are more harsh than others and will therefore damage your hair more
    Thanks!
  • Bleaching can damage your hair. It is recommended that you speak to a hair professional before attempting this process. They will probably suggest that you have it done professionally to minimise damage to your hair. You should seek advice before carrying out this process, especially if you have a history of dying/bleaching your hair, as it will already be more vulnerable
    Thanks!

Things You'll Need

  • Bleach
  • 20/30V developer
  • Toner
  • Gloves
  • Plastic cap
  • Purple/silver shampoo
  • Deep conditioners
  • Tint bowl/brush
  • Coveralls/old clothes

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References

  1. ↑ Sarah Kosakowski. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Sarah Kosakowski. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Sarah Kosakowski. Professional Hair Stylist. Expert Interview. 3 September 2021.

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 17,359 times.
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Co-authors: 16
Updated: October 8, 2021
Views: 17,359
Categories: Dyeing Hair Blond