# Is there a limit to how blonde you can go?



## BritneyDawn (Nov 10, 2009)

I was wondering if anyone knows,is there a limit to just how blonde you can get your hair to go? I have dark/dark medium brown hair and i want to go blonde.I know its very damaging and i know all about the upkeep as my mom is a fake blonde lol I also know that its best to go blonde gradually when its such a drastic change as dark brown to blonde.I heard its best to gradually go blonde over weeks not just hours,so i think that's exactly what i want to do to minimize the damage.But the one thing that im fearing is that i wont be able to go blonde enough.Like is there a limit to how blonde you can get dark hair to go? For example if you have dark hair are some people unable to get to the lighter baby blonde shades and are sort of stuck in the dirty blonde shade or god forbid the brassy orange shade?? I know i tried blonde highlights twice in my life and both times it had an orange tinge.But i personally think the colorist has no idea what she was doing.But I'm really hoping to go baby blonde.So is it possible for a brunette to go baby blonde?? Just to let you know again my hair is a deep brown but not black at all!  THANKS!


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## tana2210 (Nov 10, 2009)

hi im naturally dark brunette but dyed it blac then decided i wanted to go blonde. it took prolly 8 sessions but i did get to what i call playboy bunny blonde lol
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 it did have taht brassyness after the first session but by teh 3rd was completly gone and it didnt cause as much damage as i thought was a lil dry but not drastically so i just used treatments very week and was fine. Ive also now gone backt to a caramel blonde over 5 sessions so its easy to change back aswell
hope this helps


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## LMD84 (Nov 10, 2009)

well my natural hair colour is a medium brown and i have had highlights for the past 4 years and now my hair is very blonde as you can see from my pic 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 each time i had highlights they got blonder until i got them how i wanted. i've actually had brighter blonde hair than what's in my pic about a year ago but wanted to tone it down a little by adidng a nice caramel colour to it.

i'd say it took a year to get it as blonde as i wanted and i get highlights every 10-12 weeks. i do have to use deep conditioning treatments on my hair each week and once i month i even coat it in olive oil and leave it in over night for a super treatment!


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## BEA2LS (Nov 10, 2009)

my hair is naturally med brown, kind of dark but my hair took blonde very well, without bleach.. i find the bleach is what makes it damaged.. i color my hair at home and it is very light.


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## Skin*Deep (Nov 10, 2009)

I dyed my hair a dark auburn last summer, then took it to a "paris hilton" blonde. I get bored with my hair easily. I bleached, colored, and toned it in one day with no damage. i think the trick is assessing your hair's health properly in the beginning and using the right products, if you're worried about damage, then have a pro do it for you......


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## ashk36 (Nov 11, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *LMD84* 

 
_well my natural hair colour is a medium brown and i have had highlights for the past 4 years and now my hair is very blonde as you can see from my pic 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 each time i had highlights they got blonder until i got them how i wanted. i've actually had brighter blonde hair than what's in my pic about a year ago but wanted to tone it down a little by adidng a nice caramel colour to it.

i'd say it took a year to get it as blonde as i wanted and i get highlights every 10-12 weeks. i do have to use deep conditioning treatments on my hair each week and once i month i even coat it in olive oil and leave it in over night for a super treatment! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
quick question: when you get up the next morning to wash the olive oil out of your hair, what do you use? a clarifying shampoo? i would assume you lather up without water first? and do you wrap your head in plastic wrap or something? hah just curious, i've done a jojoba oil treatment, but never overnight. i think i could definitely benefit from using olive oil, just don't want to make a mess of myself or my sheets! also, what particular weekly deep conditioning treatment do you use? i'm going blonder this weekend and i know nothing about good haircare products. just taking notes as i go!


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## Girl about town (Nov 11, 2009)

Im medium brown hair and my hair is almost platinum, it took me years to get it this way and in any fit state. i reckon it would probably take a few months to get it lightened up without damage and to get it to the right colour.

I use intensive treatements every wash, and use Tigi oatmeal and honey shampoo and conditioner as my hair totally soaks it up.


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## LMD84 (Nov 11, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ashk36* 

 
_quick question: when you get up the next morning to wash the olive oil out of your hair, what do you use? a clarifying shampoo? i would assume you lather up without water first? and do you wrap your head in plastic wrap or something? hah just curious, i've done a jojoba oil treatment, but never overnight. i think i could definitely benefit from using olive oil, just don't want to make a mess of myself or my sheets! also, what particular weekly deep conditioning treatment do you use? i'm going blonder this weekend and i know nothing about good haircare products. just taking notes as i go!_

 
well i wahs it out the next morning and i use my normal shampoo which is martix sleek look, but i do have to do it 2 - 3 times to get all the oil out. and before i shampoo i rinse it with warm water first. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




and to protect the sheets and such i use a plastic bag or shower cap! if i use a plastic bag i tie my hair in a bun and tie the bag over it. and then on my scalp i use a shower cap because i don't use much oil on the roots.

as far as a weekly treatment i use the matrix sleek look hair mask (can you tell i love the sleek look range?!) and leave it in for about 15 minutes. then i still use the normal conditioner after that.  also i use v05 hot oil treatments every few weeks too, in order to keep my hair in best condition as possible.

my hairdresser tells me that considering my hair lengh and the fact how long i've dyed it for, it's in very good condition


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## BritneyDawn (Nov 13, 2009)

Thanks you everyone for responding! I was worried the only responses i would get would be the, "don't do it! You will so regret it!" response lol I do love my hair color.I love being a brunette but i also enjoy being a girl and being able to have fun and play with my hair color.

But my personal reason for wanting to go blonde besides the fact that ive always been tempted, is recently these white,not grey,hairs have been popping up! Ive tried coloring my hair and but they are resistant to everything.And since i have dark brown hair the white hairs are so obvious.And I tried going through my entire head and plucking out each white hair and wow that was a huge mistake.One single white hair popped up right in front ,i was looking like alfalfa lol 

Its really embarrassing because im only 27 and i don't want to show my white hair just yet.For some reason in my family we don't go grey we go white hot! My grandmother had a full head of this long,full white hot colored hair.If it wasn't for the wrinkles from her age you would have just assumed she had went to a salon and paid alot of money to get this white colored hair.Gorgeous white blonde hair.

I always new i would eventually go white but i was thinking i would be at least in my forties or fifties,but my twenties! Can you hear my pain? lol Anyway so ive been thinking screw it ,ill just go blonde now.Nothing im doing is hiding it,my hairs to dark to hide stark white hairs popping up.So blonde it is.And im so so happy to hear that us brunettes can go blonde without frying our hair to a crisp.

So im going blonde,and im scared! I dont want to go that white hot shade of blonde color my grandmother had.I was googling all different styles and its really hard to decide.How did you decide which blonde worked for your skintone and eye color?


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## ashk36 (Nov 13, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *BritneyDawn* 

 
_Thanks you everyone for responding! I was worried the only responses i would get would be the, "don't do it! You will so regret it!" response lol I do love my hair color.I love being a brunette but i also enjoy being a girl and being able to have fun and play with my hair color.

But my personal reason for wanting to go blonde besides the fact that ive always been tempted, is recently these white,not grey,hairs have been popping up! Ive tried coloring my hair and but they are resistant to everything.And since i have dark brown hair the white hairs are so obvious.And I tried going through my entire head and plucking out each white hair and wow that was a huge mistake.One single white hair popped up right in front ,i was looking like alfalfa lol 

Its really embarrassing because im only 27 and i don't want to show my white hair just yet.For some reason in my family we don't go grey we go white hot! My grandmother had a full head of this long,full white hot colored hair.If it wasn't for the wrinkles from her age you would have just assumed she had went to a salon and paid alot of money to get this white colored hair.Gorgeous white blonde hair.

I always new i would eventually go white but i was thinking i would be at least in my forties or fifties,but my twenties! Can you hear my pain? lol Anyway so ive been thinking screw it ,ill just go blonde now.Nothing im doing is hiding it,my hairs to dark to hide stark white hairs popping up.So blonde it is.And im so so happy to hear that us brunettes can go blonde without frying our hair to a crisp.

So im going blonde,and im scared! I dont want to go that white hot shade of blonde color my grandmother had.I was googling all different styles and its really hard to decide.How did you decide which blonde worked for your skintone and eye color?_

 
Why don't you go for highlights all over? Then the white hairs will blend in. Actually, the white strands sound kinda cute! I'm pretty sure the same thing will be happening to me pretty soon. I'm 25, but my dad has a full head of white hair. His started in his teens! Just wonder when it's gonna happen to me...


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## BritneyDawn (Nov 13, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ashk36* 

 
_Why don't you go for highlights all over? Then the white hairs will blend in. Actually, the white strands sound kinda cute! I'm pretty sure the same thing will be happening to me pretty soon. I'm 25, but my dad has a full head of white hair. His started in his teens! Just wonder when it's gonna happen to me..._

 


The drastic color difference between your base and your highlights look can look cool but it really isnt my style.And im afriad my base white alot of white highlights will just make me look salt & pepper grey,really not the look im going for lol And the white strands may sound cute but on me they are definitely not cute lol I have like 3 white stands in the front and maybe 4 in the back ,one or two and maybe more ive not noticed yet on the sides and hiding underneath. So its kind of minimal but enough to annoy me haha I imagine there just getting ready to kick off! But wow your dad started in his teens thats crazy.But ya know i think men can get away with a few grey/white hairs easier then women can.If you see a man with a few grey or white hairs its no big deal but if you see a women letting a few greys or whites show everyone is like OMG OMG or wow she really doesnt take care of herself.I think its a double standard but what can you do.Anyway hopefully it wont happen to you for a very long time though lol


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## ashk36 (Nov 14, 2009)

Not only can men pull off the salt and pepper look, they can pull off wrinkles. They actually look good on a man. Not fair.

And since we're on the subject of going blonde, I had my hair done this morning. I had totally effed up my hair a few months ago. A friend gave me some blond highlights (pulled through a cap) and after that, I decided I wanted to go all blonde. So my dumb ass went and bought one of those at home bleaching kits. I ended up with leopard spots, paid some chick $50+ to "fix it" but it still looked like hell, and was frizzy at that. So today I decided I wanted to keep the color that it is (a sort of honey blonde, not very bright) and to my surprise she used no bleach...and my hair looks great! It's a very natural blonde shade, and it's not frizzle fried like it would have been had we bleached it. It may be an old lady salon next door, but they still know what's up!!


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## BritneyDawn (Nov 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *ashk36* 

 
_Not only can men pull off the salt and pepper look, they can pull off wrinkles. They actually look good on a man. Not fair.

And since we're on the subject of going blonde, I had my hair done this morning. I had totally effed up my hair a few months ago. A friend gave me some blond highlights (pulled through a cap) and after that, I decided I wanted to go all blonde. So my dumb ass went and bought one of those at home bleaching kits. I ended up with leopard spots, paid some chick $50+ to "fix it" but it still looked like hell, and was frizzy at that. So today I decided I wanted to keep the color that it is (a sort of honey blonde, not very bright) and to my surprise she used no bleach...and my hair looks great! It's a very natural blonde shade, and it's not frizzle fried like it would have been had we bleached it. It may be an old lady salon next door, but they still know what's up!!_

 

I know right? Alot of men get sexier with age and women are made to feel like were slowing rotting! So unfair lol But actually i have a funny story.I did the at home bleach kit when i was 13 years old and i had the leopard spots too! And a big black circle at the back of my head where it seemed i missed completely.But my horror story was not only was my hair leopard style it was also half orange a quarter banana yellow and a quarter my natural hair color wear id missed completely and i swear i had a little green in there too ha ha.But i had spent all my 13 yr old income on the at home hair bleaching kit! I had to live with my new fabulous look for a couple weeks.Thank god it was Christmas Break from school because i hid in my house until it got dyed back brunette.So all that money just to end up my original color anyway lmao But lesson definitely learned! And ya know those salons where older women go some of those women really know there stuff! lol

Hey i was wonder for all who went blonde.The first time how did your friends and family react? Did they welcome it or did you get any insults? Or alot of the ohhh you went blonde with that look on their face then the you looked so pretty before but this is ok too.Which is a polite way of saying i think it looks ugly.


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## Cinci (Nov 14, 2009)

I would go to the salon, and talk to a stylist.  Ask around in your city to see which stylist does blonde really well (My stylist is amazing - nobody does blonde as well as he does it, and he's got a reputation for it!)  Once you figure out a few ppl who you think would be good, go in and talk to them, and ask what they think.   If they can see your hair in person, feel the texture, and find out a bit about your hair's "history", they will have a better idea of what can and can't be done.  They will be able to show you a swatch book where you can pick out the color you would like to be, and they will be able to tell you whether or not its possible, what they feel the best method of obtaining that color would be, and how they think your hair wil be afterwards..   Hope this helps!


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## LMD84 (Nov 15, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *BritneyDawn* 

 
_ 
Hey i was wonder for all who went blonde.The first time how did your friends and family react? Did they welcome it or did you get any insults? Or alot of the ohhh you went blonde with that look on their face then the you looked so pretty before but this is ok too.Which is a polite way of saying i think it looks ugly._

 
well when i had super bright hair my granny told me i looked 'common' which i took with a pinch of salt! i told her i'd only look common if it was greasey and pulled back in a facelift style high poney tail with 5'' long roots! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  she soon shut up!

my hubby loved it and told me i had buffy hair the first time i had it done. which i took as the ultimate compliment because i love sarah michelle gellar!


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## Jessica0984 (Nov 20, 2009)

The very first time I went blonde I was 12 years old. My friends hated it and my dad wasn't to keen on it either. My natural haircolor is a light/medium brown and when it is lightened it pulls red, so it took alot of time and dedication to be blonde, it also took alot of money. I would say I was blonde for nine years before I decided to play with other colors that wouldn't be as costly. I was every color blonde in those nine years you could think of. I wouldn't say there is a limit on how blonde you can go but if your hair has alot of red in it just realize it always comes back and it can turn brassy quick.


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## stephlovesmac (Nov 24, 2009)

I know I'm probably a little late with replying to this thread. Like many of you I am naturally a light-medium brunette. Even though my hair isn't that light it lifts to a white blonde shade. My girlfriend is a stylist and she always says that I'm lucky because it doesn't take that many sessions to go lighter.

That being said, I think if you are going to go lighter you should consult a professional. I once had a woman use 40 volume bleach on my hair, I had so much breakage and my scalp was burned. I was told after they use that on people with really dark hair, not my lightish brown hair. They use 20 volume bleach on my hair to make it go white. I think if you are going to dye your hair blonde, its best to talk to a professional first. That way you avoid the whole burned scalp, breaking hair situation.


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## dirtball (Nov 27, 2009)

there is no limit to how blonde your hair will go, but there IS a limit to how blonde your hair will go before it literally all snaps off like a rubber band stretched too far....or breaks off in little pieces all over your shirt everytime you brush/comb it.  if you have any color in your hair, they will have to use bleach which does cause damage, but not necessarily a lot when done correctly and watched by a professional. my hair is naturally dark brown and bleached to a very light champagne blonde like in my photo (platinum was too light, my hair felt like straw. i also had to wash it with bottled distilled water to keep it blonde. ANY mineral deposits from my shower would discolor my hair and turn it yellowish).  if you have virgin hair, they can use color to lift your hair to a blonde color, but color has limits to how light it can get you. bleach doesnt. go to a salon for a free consultation and possibly a strand test so the stylist can accurately tell you what your hair is capable of while still feeling how you want it to feel. professionals wont let you leave with orange hair, they can use a semi permenant toner to get rid of the orange/yellow which dark hair naturally has underneath all that brown. all bleached blondes use a toner, the raw bleached color is never pretty and toner can make it more or less gold. i can answer more specific questions if you want. im a stylist in boston, ma.


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