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From dark brown to light brown – how to get a brown colour from dark hair

Posted on by Inna Morozova

Many a brunette dreams of becoming a blonde. Unfortunately lightening brown hair is difficult and requires skill and a good hairdresser’s hand. At Haircut Express (walk-in colouring – price list) we know this very well, and we train so that we can make your dreams come true with the highest professionalism. At the same time, we want you to know something about what lightening brown hair involves. Why is making a blonde out of a brunette – or even a gentle move from dark brown to light brown – difficult, and what are the risks? Read on!

Why does lightening dark hair so often go wrong?

First of all, you need to know that the result depends largely on whether you are going from brown to blonde after previously dyeing your hair dark, or whether you have naturally dark hair. Secondly, you must be aware that you won’t get the full desired effect after one visit to the hairdresser. Perhaps after two appointments you will manage a nice transition from dark brown to light brown. But if you have been dyeing your hair a strong, dark colour for several years, getting a pretty light brown – say in a honey (or cool) shade – will mean coming back several times for further lightening. If a hairdresser hears your wish and decides it can all be done in one go because they have a good bleach for dark hair – run as fast as you can! It is almost certain that the only thing you will get is a different colour, but in a completely different shade from the one you expected (most likely carrot or orange). Especially if your naturally dark hair has a red undertone. In fact, all dark dyes contain a lot of red pigment. When the black is washed out of them, what remains is exactly that red, which means that when you try to get a light brown with blonde highlights, what you will get along the whole length is at best something like a ginger shade of dark brown, interspersed with even more coppery strands.

How to lighten dark brown hair

People encountering the subject for the first time look back years later on what they did as one of the biggest beauty blunders they ever made. Most often they do this: on a dark colour they apply a dye with a light-brown target shade. Or even a blonde dye. And it quickly turns out that after such “lightening of brown” the colour hasn’t budged. So they quickly find the answer: bleach is needed. They use it, and here too it turns out that after the first lightening the colour is still too dark. So they put blonde dye on top. This is an obvious mistake that only results in the ginger tone being slightly lighter, but it is certainly neither platinum nor the light brown with highlights you wanted. Don’t rush to dye your hair after lightening it. Especially not if your hair is high-porosity – you will quickly ruin it. All hair needs intensive regeneration after lightening, with particular attention to moisture.

Lightening dark hair – instructions

Let’s get to specifics. How do you lighten naturally dark or dyed hair by two shades, or how do you get blonde from dark hair? How do you get a cool brown? The instructions are below:

  1. Comb the hair through and divide it into 4 sections. Clip them up.
  2. Prepare the mixture: mix the bleaching powder with the developer.
  3. Take a brush and apply the mixture to one of the lower sections of hair.
  4. After waiting the time specified by the bleach manufacturer, wash the hair with shampoo.
  5. If you want lighter highlights on the lightened brown, wrap them separately in aluminium foil while applying the product.

Hair too dark after dyeing – how to lighten it? Home remedies

Finally, here are a few ways to fight for a slightly lighter shade of dark hair at home, without going to the hairdresser and without using drugstore products. It’s a good way to rescue yourself from an overly strong darkening of your hair. If you want to escape ebony black (which, in truth, suits very few of us), you can try this:

  • Wash your hair with apple cider vinegar – add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to 3/4 cup of water and rinse your hair with it after shampooing. Apple cider vinegar can gently lighten dark hair.
  • Try a honey and cinnamon mask – combine 2 tablespoons of honey with 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and apply to the hair. Leave for 1–2 hours, then rinse.
  • Use chamomile rinses – brew strong chamomile tea, cool it and rinse your hair with it. Chamomile has lightening properties.
  • Try lemon – mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of water and spray it on your hair. Then go out in the sun – lemon combined with sunlight can gently lighten hair.
  • Use honey and olive oil masks – combine 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and apply to damp hair. Leave for 30–60 minutes, then rinse.

FAQ

Can you go from dark brown to light brown in one visit?

With naturally dark hair sometimes yes – by 1–2 shades. With hair that has been dyed dark many times you usually need 2–3 visits a few weeks apart, otherwise instead of light brown you get an orange-red tone.

Why does hair turn red or orange after lightening brown?

Dark dyes and naturally dark hair contain a lot of red and orange pigment. Bleach removes the dark pigments first and the warm ones remain. They are neutralised with a toner or a dye with a cool (ash, blue) undertone.

How is lightening dyed hair different from lightening natural hair?

Dye doesn’t lift dye – hair previously coloured dark needs bleach or a colour remover first, and only then the target shade. Natural hair can often be lightened by 2–3 shades with a high-lift dye alone.

How do I look after my hair after lightening?

For 2–3 weeks after the treatment use moisturising and protein masks, avoid high temperatures when styling and postpone the next lightening by at least 4–6 weeks. High-porosity hair needs particular care.

How much does hair lightening cost at Haircut Express?

We do colouring and lightening with no appointment – just walk in, and you agree the scope and price of the lightening (complex colouring) with the hairdresser on the spot. Current colouring prices for every hair length are in the price list, and the nearest salon on the salon map.

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Inna Morozova