How to dye your hair blonde at home

Are you looking to light up a room with blonde hair?

If you want to brighten your look, going blonde might be the perfect option. From stand-out bleach blonde to more subtle darker shades, there are so many diverse looks that you can achieve with blonde hair. But with so many different shades to choose from, it can be tricky to know where to start.

Follow our guide, and you'll be able to pick out and achieve your perfect shade of blonde in no time.

Should I dye my hair blonde?

Before taking the plunge and going blonde, it's good to think through this transformation. Going blonde has many advantages but can also be one of the more intricate colours to maintain. We've gathered some of the main things you should consider before picking out the shade of your dreams.

1. It can be hard to get your hair the exact shade you want it

It's harder to predict precisely how different dyes will look when you choose to go lighter than your natural colour, so getting to the shade you want can take a lot of trial and error. Doing a strand test before fully committing to a particular colour is always a good idea.

2. You don't need to dye all your hair to get a bold new look

If you want to go blonde but are worried about how your hair's colour might turn out, why not try balayage, ombré, or dip dye styles first? That way, you can see how blonde looks on you without it being the only colour in your hair.

Balayage involves colour streaking down from near your roots, unlike ombré, which looks similar to the effect of growing out your roots. Dip dyeing is another excellent hair dyeing technique you could use to try out a new colour, as you only apply dye to the ends of your hair. This technique is a great way to keep your hair looking natural and beautiful without the harsh lines of grown-out roots meeting your dyed strands.

3. It requires more maintenance

If you have darker hair, stopping your roots from growing through too quickly can be difficult. Luckily, our Root Touch Up formula helps to maintain and transform hair that has already been lightened, meaning you don't need to do a full re-dye every time your roots start to appear.

4. It's totally worth the extra work

Yes, blonde hair can be a little more tricky to maintain at home than other colours, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it. If you've been dreaming of blonde hair (and who can blame you), we think you should go for it! Just keep in mind that hair colour can only lighten your hair 2 or 3 shades lighter. So if you are any darker than Medium Brown, you’ll need to use a lightener to get to blonde.

What shade of blonde should I dye my hair?

If you've thought through your choice and made the exciting decision to try out blonde hair, you now get the fun of choosing your dream shade. With so many shades of blonde, picking just one is always challenging. We've gathered some of the most popular choices to give you some inspiration:

1. Platinum blonde at home

Platinum blonde is a light, almost white shade. It's a light blonde that can require frequent touch-ups since your roots will seem to appear more quickly due to the contrast. But for the extra effort, you get to walk around with shining, striking platinum hair.

If you're going blonde from dark hair, reaching very light shades like this at home can require a little extra planning. It's still totally achievable, even if it takes a couple more strand tests!

2. Ash blonde at home

Ash blonde is a cool-toned shade - perfect for people with cool skin tones. It is a subtle shade with a silver or ashy undertone. Ash blonde is ideal for anyone who wants a natural-looking shade without the warmth of some blonde hair colours.

This shade is perfect for anyone with little to no grey in their hair, since you’ll need this tone to help neutralize your natural warm pigments that will come through. But remember, if you want to go more than 2 shades lighter, not even ash/cool shades will help. Refer to the before and after guide on the back of the box to see if your natural colour is there. If it’s not, you’ll need to use a lightener.

3. Golden blonde at home

Golden blonde is a warm shade of blonde hair with a golden or honey-coloured hue. It's perfect for people with warm skin tones and those who want a sun-kissed look. Golden blonde hair can vary from very light to dark in colour.

If you want to avoid the bleaching process at home and don't want to spend too long strand testing, it might be a great idea to try and aim for a darker honey golden blonde.

4. Reddish blonde at home

Reddish blonde is a unique shade of blonde hair with a reddish tint. It's great for individuals who want to add warmth to their blonde hair but don't want to go all the way to red. Reddish blonde hair can range from light to a darker coppery shade.

Dyeing your hair reddish blonde at home lets you take advantage of any red tones already in your hair. While dyeing other shades might involve avoiding red tones to stop your hair from going orange, this is a way to use them to your advantage.

5. Dark blonde at home

Dark blonde is a natural-looking shade of blonde hair mixed with blonde and brown tones. Perfect for those who want a low-maintenance blonde look that's still stylish and on-trend. Dark blonde hair varies in hue from natural, gold and ash/cool in colour and has a slightly muted, understated look.

Just like ash blonde hair, this can be an easy shade to achieve at home because it’s within 2 shade levels of medium and light brown.

If you still want to check out even more amazing blonde colour options, check out our Instagram.

How to dye your hair blonde at home

Do an allergy patch test

Before you start dyeing your hair, it's important to ensure you aren't allergic to your chosen dye.

To do an allergy patch test:

1. 1. Mix small, equal amounts of colour and activator into a non-metallic bowl with a plastic spoon.
2. 2. Apply a small amount of the mixture with a cotton ball or swab to the inside of your arm, near the bend of your elbow.
3. 3. Allow the mix to dry and do not wash off over the next 48 hours.
4. 4. If a rash, redness, swelling, burning or itching occurs, you may be having an allergic reaction. Stop using the product immediately.

Do a strand test

You can use strand tests to ensure you're delighted with your colour before committing to it. Feel free to repeat these steps until you're happy with the result.

To carry out a strand test:

1. 1. Take a strand of hair from the underside of your head (ideally from the roots).
2. 2. Cover it with the hair dye mixture remaining from your allergy test.
3. 3. Leave the colour on for the recommended time (you can find this in the instructions).
4. 4. Rinse it off and let the hair dry.

Use the right product for your current hair colour

How to dye medium or dark brown hair blonde at home

Going lighter than your natural hair colour with dye is typically tricky at home and can require bleaching to get the desired results. Clairol Blonde It Up uses advanced AminoLift hair technology to make your hair up to 5 shades lighter without bleach. It also helps you achieve conditioned, glossy-looking hair.

How to dye black hair blonde at home

For people with black hair, you can achieve a blonde but expect it to come with warm undertones.

Like with brown hair colours, it's not easy to quickly go from black to blonde at home without the bleaching process. This can be technical and lengthy to do at home. Clairol Born Blonde uses lightening power to get your hair up to 6 levels lighter, helping to brighten up even the darkest black hair.

How to dye red hair blonde at home

If you have red hair, it will be easier to try and obtain a blonde with more coppery undertones, like reddish blonde. As with the other colours, you can still achieve any shade of blonde, but it might take a lightener to get through stubborn natural red undertones. Definitely do the strand test. Take a look at our guide for what to do if your new blonde hair accidentally goes orange.

How to dye previously coloured hair

If you've already dyed your hair a colour other than blonde, it can be harder to bring in a new colour to your hair. We recommend that you talk to one of our experts by calling 1-800-CLAIROL.

If you've previously dyed your hair blonde and want to maintain it for as long as possible, our toning gloss, Colour Gloss Up, helps to keep your hair looking as vibrant as the first day you dyed it. It can also help with colour correction if you want to slightly alter your colour without having to repeat the colouring process on your current hair colour.

Follow the instructions

Each product suggested above will come with special instructions for using them. Make sure you follow these steps to achieve the desired result on the first attempt.

For a general guide on how to dye your hair for the first time, check out this guide on dyeing your hair for the first time to understand all the steps involved.

For even more help deciding on the right colour for your hair, take a look at our guide for choosing a hair colour to complement your skin tone. Or if you've decided you'd actually rather try out a different colour, check out our guides on going black or going red.