Platinum blonde is quickly becoming one of the season's hottest trends, with stars including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lawrence and Lucy Hale all recently experimenting with the look. It can be a tricky style to master, and for those of us without A-list beauty teams on hand to help, there are ten things you need to know before you take the plunge…
Scroll below for the full list of tips
Platinum blonde hair is a major trend amongst the A-list
1. Go to the salon
This is not a look you want to be trying to create at home – the amount of bleaching and toning could seriously damage your tresses, and the professionals know how to spot this damage and minimise it. There are also a lot of steps involved in the process, making it very easy for a home dye job to go very wrong!
2. Get a consultation
Before you take the plunge, talk to your hairstylist to find out if platinum blonde will work for your skin tone, and whether you need silver undertones or ice hues, so you can avoid looking washed out. Remember once you've made the change, you may need to adapt your make-up shades too, as certain colours will look better.
3. Be prepared to spend time and money
Depending on how dark your hair is, it could take multiple appointments to get your hair to your desired colour – and each appointment can take up to several hours or even half a day, so don't make plans afterwards as the timings can vary. The first time you go platinum blonde, be prepared for it to be a costly change – but it will be worth it!
Dyeing your hair platinum blonde will take time and money
4. Avoid dyeing your hair
If you've dyed your hair in the past, the colour is going to need to be stripped off – so if you know you're planning to go platinum blonde, try and grow out your dyed locks as much as possible to make the process easier.
5. Damage to your hair is inevitable
Bleach will damage your hair, and your tresses can end up dry – even with the safest of hair dyes. Be prepared to potentially have some of your tresses chopped as a shorter length can protect your hair in the long term. However, you can also limit damage when it comes to your aftercare hair routine following the appointment.
6. Be ready for the upkeep
In terms of your daily beauty routine, you may find it takes longer as you have to condition and tame your new hair, using a range of products to keep damage and dryness at bay. In terms of overall care, if you don't want your roots showing (and they will be obvious when they do), you may have to head back to the salon every 4-6 weeks for touch-ups.
Head to the salon to make the change and minimise damage to your hair
7. Invest in the right products
Purple shampoo will be your best friend – it will stop the toner from turning your platinum shade into yellow or brassy hues. Because the bleach will have damaged your hair, invest in some great hydrating hair masks and deep conditioners to help get your hair as healthy as ever.
8. Be 100 per cent sure
This is a very bold look, so if you're uncertain about trying it, you may want to talk to your hairstylist first. Once it's dyed, it's difficult to hide – not to mention you won't be able to dye over it for a while as your hair will need to recover from the process.
9. Avoid washing your hair for 48 hours before the appointment
Try and leave it unwashed as long as possible as this will make it easier for the colour to take, and could save you some time in the salon chair. Once the process is finished, you might also want to avoid washing for the following 48 hours, to give the colour a stronger chance to tone properly – not to mention it will stop your locks from drying out.
10. Your hair's texture will change
Dyeing your locks platinum blonde won't cause just a change in colour. The bleaching and toning might also change the texture of your locks, so make sure you change your hair products and routine to suit your tresses.