Going from black to (dark) blonde at home - can it be done?

[QueenOfTheWhiteWalkers]

And if so, how?

Currently have dyed black hair, supposed to be dark brown but looks black. Most of my roots are grey now and it's really noticeable when I have even a little bit of regrowth. So thinking of going lighter to a darkish blonde, light brown colour. Would probably suit my skin and eyebrows better too as I'm really fair and have blonde eyebrows.

I've been dying my hair for over 25 years, perm after perm in the 90's and a bout of pregnancy Alopecia 10 years ago when having my youngest and my hair has never really recovered. I have noticeable bald patches (even more noticeable with dark hair) so have to always wear my hair up. And the hair I do have left is really weak and brittle (currently have bits at the front that look like I'm growing out a fringe, yet I don't have one, hair just keeps snapping off).

I'm worried my bloomin hair will fall out if I bleach it, although the hair dyes I currently use probably have bleach in them anyway and I use them twice a month!

How do you do it? Use hair colour stripper, then put blonde colour on?

[Missgraeme]

I uses the strip back stuff after having dark hair for years. Had forgotten how blonde I was and just touch up my roots now!! I did have to do 2 sessions of the kit a day apart to get all the dark out but we pleased with the results!

[GingerLDN]

I definitely would not attempt it yourself, especially not attempting to get it lighters it's your hair in its current condition. I've seen hair snap right off at the roots through bleach damage (not just a little bit either.) Go to a professional and let them advise you.

[XiCi]

Yes definitely don't do it yourself. I dyed mine black for years and it took a long time to get it to my own chestnut brown colour without wrecking it.

[Ohb0llocks]

Please don't attempt this yourself and waste time and money, you will end up in a salon getting it corrected, leave it to the professionals.

[ImSoVeryTired]

Please please don't try it at home. I know it's more expensive but it's really something that needs doing in a salon. If your hair is not in great condition and you have it v dark, it may be a case of going lighter slowly. You will probably find it goes quite red to start with as the colour is stripped. Also it may need colour stripper them bleaching. If the condition is very bad you might have to settle for slightly darker colour than you originally wanted and slowly go lighter over time. It sounds like it's the way forward for you but go chat to someone in a good local salon.

[ZBWRDSM]

That's a major job. For a change like that for the love of god go to a good hairdresser/colourist. Please.

You can do it yourself there after but really dyed "black" to blonde yourself? Are you crazy?

See you back here in a couple of weeks when you have some weird striped ginger -blonde mess for hair.

[sooperdooper]

No, don't try this yourself! Go to a hairdressers and get them to strip it, otherwise your hair might fall out, or go orange :(

[QueenOfTheWhiteWalkers]

Thanks for the advice, well stay away from the colour stripper.

I really can't afford to get it done professionally, at all.

What about slowly dying my roots lighter over time? So next time I do my roots go a light brown, then slowly going into a dark blonde? It'd probably take ages but might be better for my hair.

So something like Kaley Cuoco's in this picture, mine will just be a lot less glamorous.

[Imisscheese]

My daughter tried to do this. It went a yellowy orange colour. It cost me a fortune to sort out. I wouldn't do it. Maybe try being a model at a hairdressers? It would be a lot cheaper.

[ZBWRDSM]

I really can't afford to get it done professionally, at all.

Sorry but this is rubbish and you know it.

If you are thinking about doing it yourself, you can afford the dye. If you can afford the dye, then you can save that dye money up for a few months and then go to the hair dresser. If it gets really bad in the interim if you can't afford to go, wear a headscarf, cap etc or used root colour powder. It will be worth the sacrifice in the long run. Once the body is done professionally you will be able to manage your roots yourself.

If you are really dedicated you can cut back in other areas too whatever that means to you. Anyone can pare back in something even if it's hard work and means waiting a bit.

[IJustLostTheGame]

Can you use temporary colours until the roots are long enough to tint blonde?

[IJustLostTheGame]

It costs me £3.50 to dye my hair at home every 6 weeks. It costs £80 for a good dye job at the hairdressers. By the time I'd saved that up I'd look like a right hag and no amount of root powder would hide it.

[wobblywonderwoman]

Could you get it done in a hairdressing training college? Massively reduced rates.

[SendARavenToRiverRun]

So..I'm speaking from experience. It won't go blonde by doing it yourself. The colour strippers always leave a red tint ( again in my experience!). Red stains the hair shaft and is almost impossible to remove.
I ended up with a 4 hour hairdressers app to get out of the all the dye I'd put it and bleach it it back to my natural blonde. Crazy! I live up north and paid £50 including a tip for it doing plus a good cut to get rid of the ends as well ( I also bought the lovely hairdresser her lunch lol as she wouldn't take anymore money from me!).
Start with some deep conditioning treatments and maybe think about having a bit of the length cut off ( as they'll be the driest and most broken bits).
Any local colleges with hairdressers or ads in windows looking for models?
Good luck

[ChippyDucks]

I did it myself, a few years ago now, after having it done professionally a few years before that then going dark again
Right, the colour stripper won't wreck your hair. It stinks, but is very gentle. Then if you can stay at home for a day or so, leave it au naturale then strip it again the next day, followed by a mid blonde semi permanent. Be aware that your hair will suck any colour in and make it appear darker than you expect, so go at 2 shades lighter with the semi perm than you wish to be.
Then, after a couple of weeks, buy a permanent colour and put it in.
Honestly, it is a doddle. When I had it done professionally I had a short bob and it cost me over £250. When I did it myself, it was a few months before my wedding and I was a light ash blonde by the time I got married.

[QueenOfTheWhiteWalkers]

ZBWRDSM it costs £3 for a home hair dye in Home Bargains, so if I usually colour it twice a month at £7 per month. It'd take me nearly 2 and a half years to save up £200 to get it done professionally. In that time my whole head of hair would be completely grey anyway.

ChippyDucks you've got me thinking about trying it at home again now. Might possibly try it next week.

[ChippyDucks]

If its very dark, give it a go. The very worst that could happen is that you end up going with a mid brown colour to cover the stripped hair, but even that is easy to highlight over/ gradually dye lighter.
Make no mistake, it will look horrific when it's stripped but it's so easy to do. The only tricky bit is making sure you pick the correct semi permanent colour to put on.
If your hair has ever been dyed blonde or bleached it will be the most horrific patchy yellow orange colour straight after being stripped, but as long as you choose a cool mid blonde to go over it you'll be absolutely fine.

[sooperdooper]

The very worst that could happen is that you end up going......

Patchy, orange and with chunks of your hair snapping off

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

Fortune favours the brave in this scenerio. I've done it and it worked but the key- as many others have said- is go slow. Use a colour stripper. Spend a couple of days indoors if you can with Aussie Miracle Moist on your hair and your head wrapped in cling film. Then use a dark blonde and repeat the AMM step and then repeat with another box of the same colour if required. I went from a bright, dark red to Garnier Honey Blonde using this method. It's a really nice colour and I've had a lot of compliments, even from my husband who's a man of few words hair wise. I did a few months ago now and have kept up the roots easily enough and do my Aussie/cling film trick every week.

Here's a photo that shows the colour well. Excuse the "style" had just been swimming.

[GingerLDN]

The brave ones are also the ones whose hair snaps off. There's a chance it may go alright but unless you'd be happy to get a pixie crop if it goes wrong then go to a salon. It could go horribly wrong.

[FellOutOfBed2wice]

Ginger that's true, and I wasn't fussed about having it cut if it went to hell. Not a method to try if you want to keep 20 inches of hard grown hair.

[MiaowJario]

Olaplex.

[ChippyDucks]

Fair enough Ginger, I know my hair and that it stands up well to all treatments. If your hair breaks really easily or is easily damaged then you need to know your limits.

[GingerLDN]

My hair stands up well also. It doesn't seem like the OPs hair is in good condition. I'm a qualified hairdresser and have seen a fair few disasters. Each to their own I'm just trying to help.