Platinum blonde shall I?

[flux500]

This is my first time posting but I really need some advice.

For a while now I've wanted to go platinum blonde as I'm very pale and my hair is already highlighted blonde.

The thing us, whenever I go to the salon, they always convince me to go and have highlights again! Argh! Has anyone else found this?

Anyway, my friends think it's because the highlight are more expensive than all over bleach and that's why they don't want to do it. Last time they said if I bought these products that were over £60 - and keep going on with the full head highlights for another few months - they might be able to do it. I just felt taken advantage of so moved hairdresser. My new hairdresser says platinum blonde will look great and I'm booked in for Monday.

The thing is, now I've got someone to do it, I'm dithering! Honestly!

What do you think of women in early 30s going platinum - will it look cheap.

Any advise gratefully received. :)

X

It can look great in some people, awful on others, and can damage your hair if you don't look after it properly. Can you post a pic?

If it's something you've wanted to do for ages I say go for it. You can always grow it out/dye back.

I took the leap from highlights to full head platinum blonde. I was aiming for Paula Yates kinda thing. I hated it! I think it was the colour and cut combination. I'm now looking for a new hairdresser to discuss my next move! I've not ruled out more bleach, but I think hair needs to be pretty short to carry it off!

Oh, and consider make-up as well. I found that I needed far better eyebrows and more make up to carry off the bleached hair!

Hi nicely, thank you for replying:) . I've attached a picture

Wonder pants yes my hair is quite long though I'm happy to loose length - I expect that and my eyebrows are pretty good, sometimes bolder sometimes filled blonde. I'm aiming for fearne cotton or julianne hough in safe haven .....

I think you should go for it - everyone should go platinum blonde at least once, even if it's just to prove you never should again! (In my case).

You can easily overdye it again, as I did the next day I used the Schwartzkopf XXL Platinum blonde. You will need a moisturising shampoo and conditioner and I would use oil conditioners as well to keep it in good condition.

I have medium brown hair, and for years had full head highlights every few months with half head highlights in between. Cost me a bloomin' fortune. I was under the impression that as my hair was brown, the home dye kits wouldn't work as they wouldn't lighten it enough, and that I would need to bleach first.

Then one day at a new salon (only went as normal one was booked for months at weekends) they just did an all-over blonde colour. No bleaching first. It worked beautifully, I get it done properly every 4-5 months at the salon and top it up with hair dye from supermarket every month. Costs a fraction of the highlights and looks amazing.

The only thing is that the roots need touching up more frequently than highlighted hair, as with the highlights there are more different colours as some of the original brown hair is still there, so the new roots don't show as much. With all over colour, the whole hair is the same colour, so the roots show more. Especially with platinum blonde. I still only need to do them once a month though, and it doesn't take long. Less time to visit the salon once ever 4-5 months and do my hair myself than it took to visit the salon monthly. It's so much cheaper too! And don't bother with expensive shampoos for blonde hair etc as with bleached hair, the colour is removed so colour-enhancing stuff is pointless - just use moisturising ones and oil treatments etc.

Thank you Kirsty very helpful post! I have looked at the xxl as a friend of mine uses that and offered to do mine for me. I think the first time will use salon but I'm defo up for some self maintainance!

It was also the length of time it took and had to arrange childcare and I feel like it's a waste if my precious weekend family time.

Can you post a picture of yours Kirsty? :)

Ummm.....no! Not the platinum, I am a darker blonde now. Platinum made me look like a corpse! (Not that I look much better now!)

Will try and upload a photo though, it is colour 9.3 light golden blonde. Roots need doing in the next week or so, last did home dye about 2.5 weeks ago. The condition is really good, despite all the permanent dyes!

Here it is. One of the roots and then the rest. I used the same home colour and brand as the hairdresser, so she does it all over at the salon and then I do the home hair dye with the same one, over the roots for the first 20 mins and then comb it through the rest for the last 10 mins.

Oh and I forgot, I did have a couple of orangey stripes put in about a year ago, which I think you can see in the 2nd photo above. I didn't just miss a big bit!

Thanks Kirsty your hair looks great and it still has tones within it :)

Have you ever experienced any major breakage?

Nope. Nothing at all really, much to my surprise! Some comes out in the hairbrush but not much and no more than years ago before I used to dye it at all.

I had a load cut off about a year ago as I fancied a change, it was all the way down my back (similar to yours from the photo I think). Even then it was in good condition.

The hairdresser did say it was very porous and takes colour really well, but even she seemed surprised by the good condition as I just use cheapy Treseme stuff and every now and again when I remember (ie 2 or 3 months) put some of that 2 minute mask moisture stuff on.

Hi Flux, your colouring is v similar to mine. To be honest, I didn't like being platinum as thought I looked like an albino, but my boyfriend at the time loved it so it must have looked ok.

I think you're beautiful and could pull it off, but I do really like your hair as it is.

Nicely firstly thank you, that's cheered me up! :)

And yes that's my worry - looking like my skin blends in with my hair but then I look at other pale skinned women with platinum and even though it does blend in, it looks kind of cool. Like it might shake my look up a bit!

I do like my hair now but I'm bored of it. A case of grass is always greener

Hell yes do it, I'm platinum blonde and 33 I used lee stafford silver shampoo and that keeps it nice and pale and non brassy.

Right thanks all. I'm going to go for it. Will post picture and you can tell me if I'm looking like the undead

flux you are gorgeous so I am sure you can carry it off but I do think you will regret it unless you are considering going short. Blonde hair looks best when it is shimmering and multi-tonal so block platinum will look very fake IMHO especially on long hair - you will need a full make-up at all times. I am not mentioning regrowth but it will be a a massive pain.
Have you considered having loads of highlights in Nordic blonde shades? If you have about 3 shades they could weave a few platinum ones in too - that would give you a Swedish blonde look like Elin Kling as opposed to a blocky colour Towie look.
You look quite golden blonde in your picture so opting for some cooler toned highlights would really lift your colour ( although I do think you look beautiful as it is)
Please think carefully before taking the plunge.

I would just get lots of very light highlights. Have done the all over platinum thing and it's mega high maintenance and wrecks your hair, and I found it quite ageing. I like a bit of a tan and I looked more Donnatella Versace than Marilyn :(

Jemima you are spot on - it is incredibly ageing and v Donatella.
Flux please reconsider and go for a cool Swedish blonde look instead,

You can get rid of brassiness with toner. Bleach all over the tone and use a toning shampoo. Cool blonde is lovely.

Hello girls thanks for posting, this is why mumsnet is so good :)

In the picture my hair does look quite golden but I'm reality it is already cooler in colour but just not as light as if want it. Elin klin is stunning though and in the pictures where here hair is whiteish is definitely a colour I'm not thinking about.
Also I've been reading up in techniques and it seems my initial salon weren't too way off in theirs ; if you keep
Highlighting on top of highlights you get very pale but in the multi tonal way. However, I'm still sure they're afraid of going that light so not sure if I would ever get there with them doing it.

The thing is I am very pale but do like to achieve some level of tanning in the summer - albeit fake tan! Maybe as you are all saying the tan with the platinum is not a good look.

Whereas cooler Scandinavian pale blonde can take a tan too....

Hoping for this and am planning on taking my hair shorter too like blunt shoulder length

Elin klin = am thinking about that colour (put not instead of now)

Good luck flux, I hope whatever you decide to opt for makes you feel a zillion dollars. Do post a picture...I am very nosy ;)

I have platinum and I love it! Had a crop for the last few years, growing it now and have a (short) bob, but I'm keeping it platinum.

Bear in mind it takes longer than you expect, as they need to bleach first and then tone. Also don't be shocked if you feel a bit brassy at some point- it's easy enough to remedy. I keep supplies of silver shampoo, and didn't like the toner the hairdresser used last time so I bought a £5.50 toning mousse from Boots. Worked great! I haven't had any breakage in 3-4 years of this colour, but I do have very thick hair so that may help things.

Another idea that looks great on platinum hair is different coloured tones. I LOVE the slightly peachy/pink/lilac tones, and hair looks great with a ombre kind of look or an all over light wash. Unfortunately they've banned it at my work

I've been platinum/pale blonde/dark blonde for ever

go go go platinum
everything is suddenly cooler