Hi, advice required... :)

[curlylow]

Hi folks :)

I'm new here and was looking for some help and advice with dying my hair. (for the first time)

My hair is currently 'highlighted' across the T section. And is just past my bra strap in length, and curly :) My natural colour is mousey brown.

I have wanted to go platinum blonde for some time now... and just plucked up the courage and went about bought some dye..

I bought 2 packs of Schwarzkopf LIVE Color XXL in OOA Absolute Platinum - colour looks great.

After reading the info leaflet I have scared myself silly and now too scared to use the product!! It says on the leaflet "do not use on coloured hair" - does that exclude me?? Its so vague :(

Any help/encouragement/advice would greatley be received :):)

Oh, I will be doing a patch test first. :)

[wolf girl]

You are probably not going to like the responses you get around here.

I'll be the first to say it..... Don't bleach your hair. That is one of, if not the worst thing you can do to it. I don't mean to preach but we like healthy hair around here. Some people have had good expirements with honey and cinnamon to lighten gradually but it won't take you to a platinum blonde.

Sorry, I know that's not what you wanted to hear. :flowers:

[angelthadiva]

Uh, I'm a little darker than you and had bleached highlights across my crown area...I did that for about 2 years...I had platinum highlights, it was gorgeous, I loved it and got tons of compliments on it...HOWEVER; it ruined my hair!! It was stiff as straw when it was wet, it took so long to comb it out because it was ugh, disgusting...Thinking back (pre LHC) to all the snapping and popping sounds my poor hair made :cringe: I'm growing and slowly snipping off the damage...I just can't bring myself to do a chop...

Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-color...I color :D I just stick to a color that is closer to my own natual...Not many ppl can pull off a platinum blonde look, and I'm not sure if it's worth the damage your hair will have to go through. :flower:

Welcome to LHC btw!

Ps. I definitely wouldn't use what you have if it says not to use it on colored hair...It says that for a reason, and I 2nd the "try something natual".

[kate46]

Curlylow i'm guessing that you have few replies to your post because the expert here is the manufacturer of the hair dye! If you want to dye your hair platinum blonde ( which is fine if that is your choice) then may I suggest that you splash out a little more and go to a professional colourist, unless you really know what you are doing it's just too easy to damage your hair with a DIY job.

[Xandergrammy]

Your natural hair sounds so pretty. I wouldn't dye it if I were you (said by someone who has been growing out dyed hair for almost 2 years). Just my :twocents:

[missy60]

Im not sure how you will get to platinum blonde from brown without bleaching first. If its just hair dye and you apply it without bleaching you will end up with orange hair. Your hair will have to lift through several stages of orange to yellow to white to get to platinum. Most stlist dont even like to do an all over platinum blonde. Most require no longer then three week touch ups, it is high maintance. With all that being said I wouldnt even attempt this at home and I have been dying my hair for years.

[lora410]

ahhh bleach!!!!!:brainbleach::scared::couch: all I can say is don't do it!!!

[Anje]

Where's Katze when we need her? (ETA: I know, probably sleeping.) She can tell you a lot about bleaching from personal experience, and what you can expect. Unfortunately, dry and potentially orange hair is definitely going to be in that list.

You'll find, as wolf girl stated, that we like healthy hair around here, and as a result are generally averse to bleaching and heat styling. Why don't you hang out here, try some of the recipes, and give yourself a few weeks to think about going blond before you actually take the plunge?

[akurah]

If you want platinum blonde, you should go to a salon, ESPECIALLY since your starting color isn't regular blonde. Otherwise you risk having no hair after it's all said and done.

Going blonde or lighter is different than dye. Dye puts a different color on the hair, sometimes with lightening as part of the process, and sometimes not. Going lighter, however, is done by stripping pigment from the hair, and this is a very damaging process. Going to platinum blonde is vastly different than, say, dying your hair dark brown or black.

[Kirin]

I am a recovering bleach junkie and now henna user. I can give you some good insight into your recent problem.

If a proceedure or product upon reading the instructions is giving you heart palpitations, its probably doing that for a REASON. Its common sense and probably right to step away from the box!.

Now that said, I am not anti color, or anti bleach. Though the recommendation for a professional colorist is theoretically a good one, thats theoretical. If all you can afford is 80 bucks or less for the local beauty salon in the mall or 'round the corner do NOT do it. Don't. For that little money and your poor, your best off doing your own lift kit. (found at sally's for ultra blonding).

No matter which, i've had professional (from mouse black to platinum), box, pro, whatever, your hair is going to be MISERABLE afterwards. And, forever..... until it grows out.

My suggestion to you is, to try first a high lift brown kit. These are not bleach kits, but colors for brown hair, that can lift it about five shades without going orange. Mouse brown can get to a fantastic honey carmel color with a 25 minute application that would cause minimal damage.

If your heart is set set set on platinum, no matter how well meaning, no natural way is going to do that for you without causing the same amount of damage (imagine the length of time soaking in lemon and sunshine to get brown platnium!).

SAVE UP, or ask for it as a gift or present for your birthday or something, to go to a real colorist, with a lot of experience! Afterward, treat your hair like its fragile and delicate.... because it will be!

[chrissy-b]

I've tried to bleach my hair two times in my life. The first was over already dyed hair. My hair turned orange (even though I bleached it about 5 times) and I eventually had to just dye right over it again. The second time it turned a pale yellowish-green, which obviously, wasn't a good color either. And both times it destroyed my hair. Broken hairs, splits, and a completely unmanageable tangly mess.

I've also had blonde highlights, which I had done at a salon and they turned out looking great, but my hair still felt like straw. So, if you still want to go platinum after reading all these posts, I would advise going to a professional salon and have it done. They will be able to give you the color you want with minimal damage.

[Jeni]

OK I say this a chemical dye user- Don't do it unless (A) you are prepared for possible straw like hair, and (B) are prepared to either have 2 tone hair when it grows out or keep up with the color. My natural hair color is a dark/med dishwater blond, I lighten it to a med/light ash blond. I have dyed/bleached it to a "beach blond", or platinum blond before, it turned my hair to straw. To get my hair that light I had to beach/strip it, then dye over it. I had a great color (same color I had as a kid), but my hair hated me. To get your brown hair platinum blond I see no way around using a chemical stripper/bleach.

If you really want platinum blond hair, it's your hair, go for it. I highly recommend getting it done professionally though. And be prepared for some unhappy hair, and the possibility you will need to cut it.

Also platinum blond is not the easiest color to pull off, are you sure it will be a good look on you? If you have your heart set on going that light, I suggest (if you haven't already) go to a wig store and try on a platinum blond wig. Also, your eyebrows. Are they dark? Some people don't care if their eyebrows and hair are around same color, I'm not one of them. My eyebrows are a dark blond/light brown, next to my super light hair, they looked almost black, drove me nuts.

In the end it is your hair and you can do whatever you want to it. Think long and hard about this though. Maybe a lighter brown or dark blond would be better? It would still damage your hair, but not as much (IMO) as platinum blond. I know that now that I only lighten my hair to a med ash blond, my hair is fine, not many splits at all.

Good luck!
Jeni

[Florida Mom]

Hi! I'm new here too!

I used to bleach out my DARK brown almost black hair to the lightest platinum blonde. I did it for 6 years when my hair was about APL - BSL. My hair literally felt like straw. I ended up chopping it to chin length and putting a dark brown color over it. It has healed nicely now..... but that was 10 years ago!

The only time it was sort of in ok shape was when I had it professionally done: I had them first put an all-over light brown color. Then a few days later I had my hair frosted blonde all-over through the cap.

Since you have lighter hair then I do, how about considering an all-over frosting? Rather than all over lightening?

Either way, I only lighten it a few shades now, and am thinking about using henna the next time I do!

[Arual]

I don't think you should do it, for many reasons:
1- The bleach will ruin the texture of your hair, it will feel like straw
2- It may go green/orange if you go swimming
3- I don't think it's such a good idea, considering what the packets says, and you have highlights,
4- Most importantly, I'm sure your hair is a lovely colour as it is :)

[prosperina]

Go to a salon.

I've tried every blond box dye I could get my hands on and they all dyed my hair the same color of golden blond. Why? Because there's lots of red and gold in my hair. If I had wanted platinum I would have needed something else, something stronger. And stuff that strong is best not used at home, if you don't know what you're doing. And I am a natural blond. You might have an underlying color that is greenish, or ashy--something cool toned, then your home stuff might work...but maybe you don't. And even if you do, the chemical color isn't strong enough to get you as light as you want.

Also, have you ever noticed that most with platinum blond (unless it's that rare natural color) have really short hair?

[jadebob]

hi i have jus bought the same pack of OOA asbsolute platinum..i was really looking forward too dying my hair and on the outside of the box it had no reason too say i could'nt. but wen i read the instructions i realised it said do not use if hair has been prevoiously died and that put me off dying it as i have dyed my hair a blonde colour alot of times before.i am naturauly blonde but i love the platinum blonde colour and really wanted that colour but looks like i cant have that as i am scared too use the dye on my hair. and i dont want too go too a hair salon as they are expensive. i am annoyed that i went out and bought it and now i cant use it. i have done a skin test for the product and no reaction occured but i dont want too risk ruining my hair:(.so i know how you feel lol.

[Emme76]

Lol...I will give you the same respons....

Do NOT bleach your hair at home by yourself. Go to a salon and PLEASE get highlights....You can do many thin highlights in alot lighter color...and care for your hair while doing it. Do a lot of deep treatments and baby it.

That is my suggestion, if you have to go lighter...:)

/Emme