From Dark Brown to Blonde

• Hairstylist Bill Angst shares the most damaging ways to go from dark brown to blonde in this tutorial.
• She recommends leaving your roots natural and adding balayage highlights at the end.
• Want a consultation about your hair? Read more here.

Q: Hi Bill. I want to be light—maybe a light blonde. I’ve never been blonde before, and I don’t really know what shade of blonde will look good on my skin tone.

I have naturally straight hair that is currently dark brown.

My other challenge right now is scaling! I feel like my hair has been the same length for a while now. I hope you can help me! – It’s pouring

A: Tiera, thank you for sending your photos and your consultation request. You look very beautiful in these pictures, but your hair is not well lit, so I can’t see enough details in your natural color.

What is me i am to see that the beautiful hair around your hair looks lighter than your ends. If this hair is as fragile as it looks to me, I would never use bleach on those strands, next to the skin. Bleach will dissolve or damage them beyond belief.

I understand the thirst for change, but remember that when you see celebrities changing their color frequently, it’s not their hair—it’s usually wigs. I know there are many colorists who will make black hair blonde for you, but I advise against it. I have a rule that I will never do a full root to end transition on dark hair, especially fine or fine hair.

If lightening is done at all, it should be gradual, starting with the mid-shaft and finally. I recommend getting a strand test done by your colorist first. Do this with a piece of hair underneath, and see how light the color can get without melting your hair. Then, ask them to tone it down if needed. If the result is to your liking, keep adding more.

Here are some examples of what might work for you.

These best balayage photos with natural brown roots would be a good place to start:

No bleach on your delicate hair shaft—only on the mid shaft to the ends.

Here’s a shier version of the same idea:

Or the warm and bright highlights:

After the end is the color you like, and do not ignore the condition of your hair, then add more to the top as you see fit.

Here, most of the root is left natural except for the “coins” (threads that cover the face):

Caramel pieces with light blonde hand paint on the edges:

A word of warning: The slower you go, and the closer the light is to your head, the harder it will be to maintain height. You won’t be able to grow your hair long because it will be fragile and likely to break.

That said, these are some examples of how blonde you are strength able to push it, while keeping some darkness at the roots to keep it real. All of these looks will require color expertise, careful maintenance, and the following facts about hair health:

My suggestion is to go well enough on your own. Nourish your hair, grow it and enjoy your natural beauty. If you must change it, save any light until last and resist the urge to have blonde everywhere.

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