How to Dye Black or Dark Hair Blonde at Home

Warning- it is NOT easy to lift black hair to blonde at home.  Keep in mind that your hair will be damaged, so it’s best to do this over a few days so that you can condition your hair.

Step 1- Is your hair dyed black, or virgin black?  If it’s dyed black, try using a color remover.  You can try Color Oops, which will be less damaging, but runs a risk of not working, especially on dyed black hair.  Instead, try Colorfix, which is a lot like bleach, but will probably do the job in just one try.

Step 2- Deep condition and do a protein treatment if your hair feels “sticky” and stretchy.  You will also need a moisture treatment after this.  For a cheapie option, try Neutrogena Triple Moisture mask.

Step 3- What color is your hair now?  If it’s an orange or bright yellow color, then you’re in a good situation.  If it’s still red or brown, you’re going to need to do another color removal treatment, or bleach it, but you might want to do a few more conditioning treatments over a few more days before bleaching again or your hair could break off.

Step 4- If your hair is light orange to white, now it’s time to dye it.  If your hair is orange, try and go for an ASH blonde color, and if it’s yellow or white you can try a neutral color.  If you still want lighter hair, go for a high-lift blonde dye from the drugstore.  Garnier Nutrisse Chamomile, Revlon Colorsilk “ultra light” ash or neutral blonde, or the Excellence Creme extra-lift blonde colors will work.  If it’s white, and you want to go to blonde (darker), try a more gentle color, like a demi-permanent blonde color from Clairol Natural Instincts.  This will wash out in 28 washes, but it will be a lot less damaging to the hair.