How to Get White Hair: Complete Guide to Bleaching and Toning

The ultimate guide to achieving stunning white hair: Learn professional techniques, product recommendations, and aftercare tips for maintaining healthy platinum locks.

White hair has emerged as one of the most striking and bold color transformations in modern hair fashion. From celebrities on red carpets to fashion influencers on social media, this icy platinum shade makes a dramatic statement that turns heads and captures attention. While achieving true white hair requires significant processing, with the right approach and proper care techniques, you can successfully transform your locks into a gorgeous, icy white masterpiece.

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Achieving white hair is a multi-step process that requires patience, proper preparation, and ongoing maintenance. Unlike typical hair coloring, creating true white hair involves completely stripping your natural hair color through bleaching, then neutralizing any remaining yellow or brassy tones with specialized toners and color-correcting products.

This comprehensive guide walks you through the entire process of transforming your hair to a stunning white shade—from preparing your hair before bleaching to maintaining your platinum look once you’ve achieved it. We’ll cover professional techniques, product recommendations, and essential aftercare that will help you minimize damage while maximizing the impact of your bold new look.

Whether you’re looking to create a dramatic fashion statement or simply want to try something completely different with your look, this step-by-step tutorial will help you achieve beautiful, eye-catching white hair safely and effectively.

Let’s look at how to use toner and bleach to achieve beautiful, striking white hair.

How To Get White Hair Without Chemicals

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The healthier your hair is before you bleach it, the better a chance you’ll have of no long-term damage. Your hair needs to be full of natural color and oils to be able to take the bleach without being destroyed completely.

This is why it’s good to consider the quality of your hair before you decide to bleach it. If you feel that your hair isn’t too healthy, you’ll need to work on getting it back up to speed in the couple of weeks prior to bleaching it.

This involves avoiding anything that may potentially damage it, like heat and chemicals. If you typically straighten or curl your hair, try to avoid doing so for a period.

You’ll also want to avoid blow-drying your hair when you wash it. Blow drying your hair may leave it dry and frizzy and in a less than ideal state for bleaching.

It can be hard to avoid using chemicals on your hair these days. Bleaching your hair works best if you’ve never had any other chemicals in it. If you’ve recently dyed your hair, you’ll need to wait at least two weeks to bleach it white to give it a chance to repair itself and be as healthy as possible.

What To Use In Your Hair To Prepare

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We’ve discussed how important the health of your hair is before bleaching it white. Now, let’s take a look at what products to use when learning how to get white hair.

Coconut oil is an excellent natural product to use in your hair before bleaching it white. We recommend covering your hair entirely in coconut oil at least three hours before bleaching.

To do this, scoop a generously sized blob out of the container and rub it in between your palms. This will warm the coconut oil up and make it easier to apply to your hair.

Massage the coconut oil into your hair and scalp. One thing we love about using coconut oil before bleaching is that you can leave it in – you don’t need to rinse it out before you begin.

If you manage to apply the coconut oil the day before you bleach, try leaving it in your hair overnight so that it soaks through completely.

Coconut oil is an effective hair moisturizer because it is made up of molecules that are small enough to get inside the hair shaft. As well as moisturizing your hair, it can also increase the glossiness and shine.

Choosing The Right Hair Products

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When looking at the right hair products to use before and after bleaching your hair white, it’s important to remember a couple of things.

First, you don’t want to buy any products that are going to dry your hair out. Secondly, you don’t want to buy anything that can add volume to your hair.

Let’s take a look at what to look out for and what to avoid when choosing products for your hair:

• What to Look For: as a general rule, look out for any hair products that have a low pH level. This will limit the extent to which they change the balance of natural oils in your hair. We also recommend looking out for products that have naturally occurring oils as an ingredient. These include avocado, argan, and olive oil. Sodium PCA and sodium lactate are also okay.
• What to Avoid: we recommend avoiding any hair products that are too strongly fragranced. Most of the time they will include artificial perfume, which again is only going to dry your hair out. Additionally, when looking at the list of ingredients, try to avoid any that have alcohols starting with ‘prop.’ The more natural a product is, the better it will be for your hair.

Choosing The Right Bleaching Products

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When it comes to selecting the right products for your hair when bleaching it white, you’re all set. Now, let’s discuss how to choose the right bleaching products.

Luckily, hair dye products are widely available – it’s just knowing which ones to go with. Typically, drugstore hair dyes are of lower quality, which is why we recommend visiting your nearest salon or beauty store for a higher quality hair dye product.

You can purchase bleach in either a powder packet or in a tub. If you’re planning on bleaching your hair more than once, you may want to buy a tub.

The next item on your list should be a cream developer. A cream developer reacts with the bleach, creating a paste that will strip your hair of any color. A cream developer comes in different volume measurements, beginning at ten and going all the way up to forty.

The higher the volume is on the cream developer, the lighter your hair will be. However, this also means that you’ll do more damage, too.

Lastly, you’ll need to purchase toner and red gold corrector. A toner will make sure your hair is white, not yellow and a red gold corrector will prevent a brassy look. While a red gold corrector isn’t essential, it certainly helps in this process.

How To Get White Hair – Before You Bleach It

Now that you’re equipped with your hair bleach products, let’s talk about what to do in preparation.

First, you’ll need to make sure you have a mixing bowl, a pair of disposable gloves, a towel and a brush to mix and apply the bleach. Some of these items you may already have at home.

One of the first things you need to do before you bleach your hair white is a strand and skin test. A strand test is when you apply a minute amount of the mixture onto a small strand of hair. This is to help you gauge how long it will take your hair to bleach.

You’ll also need to do a skin test. This is to make sure you aren’t allergic to anything in the bleach mixture. We recommend taking an earbud and marking a small area of skin behind your ear. Wait for 30 minutes before rinsing it off.

If after 48 hours your skin hasn’t reacted, then you are safe to use the mixture on your hair and head.

How To Get White Hair – After You Bleach It

After you’ve applied the bleach mixture to unwashed, dry hair, you’ll want to check it to make sure that it’s evenly distributed. Because the ends will lighten quicker than the roots, it’s a good idea to put more of the mixture on the top of your head where your hair is denser. Massage your hands around your hair, feeling for any dry spots that you may have missed. You can also use a mirror to see what the back of your head looks like.

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Once you’re confident, you’ve covered every spot, wrap your head in cling-film. After 15 minutes, do a color test on one strand of hair. Take it out of the cling-film and wet it with a small amount of water. Wipe the water and bleach mixture away from the strand and check the color.

If the strand is still dark, apply more bleach and let it sit for another ten minutes. We recommend checking your hair every ten minutes until it’s the color you would like.

Rinse the bleach out after 50 minutes. Apply the white toner and follow the same procedure, checking every ten minutes for the color. Once 50 minutes is up, rinse your hair out thoroughly with cold water.

This is a good point in the process to wash your hair. This will ensure that all the bleach and toner is thoroughly rinsed out.

How To Get White Hair At Home

Getting your hair dyed at a hair salon can be expensive.

If you don’t want to spend that much on your hair, why not try dying it at home?

There’s no reason why you can’t get beautiful, white hair by doing it yourself. Follow these instructions, and you’ll end up with learning how to get white hair by only spending a fraction of what it would typically cost.

Make sure to take care of your new white hair. Don’t wash it too often and brush it gently – there will be some damage from the bleach, even if it looks great.

Maintaining Your White Hair: Essential Aftercare Tips

Successfully achieving white hair is just the beginning of your platinum journey. Proper maintenance is crucial for keeping your white hair looking fresh, bright, and healthy. Here are some essential aftercare tips:

• Use purple shampoo and conditioner – These products contain violet pigments that neutralize yellow tones that develop over time. Use them 1-2 times weekly to maintain your icy white shade.
• Wash less frequently – Every time you wash your hair, you risk color fading. Aim to wash your white hair only 2-3 times per week maximum.
• Protect from environmental damage – Chlorine, sun exposure, and pollution can all cause white hair to develop unwanted yellow tones. Wear a swim cap in pools and use UV-protective hair products.
• Deep condition regularly – The bleaching process is drying, so replenish moisture with weekly deep conditioning treatments specifically formulated for color-treated hair.
• Minimize heat styling – Your hair is more vulnerable after bleaching, so reduce heat styling when possible. Always use a heat protectant when you do style with heat.
• Schedule regular toning sessions – Even with the best home care, white hair will need professional toning approximately every 4-6 weeks to maintain its icy appearance.
• Handle with care – Bleached hair is more prone to breakage. Use a wide-tooth comb instead of brushes, avoid tight hairstyles, and sleep on a silk pillowcase to reduce friction.

Remember that maintaining white hair is an ongoing commitment. With proper care and the right products, you can keep your platinum locks looking stunning for months to come.

Frequently Asked Questions About White Hair

How long does the process of getting white hair typically take?

The time required to achieve white hair depends entirely on your starting hair color and condition. For those with naturally light blonde hair, the process might be completed in one session lasting 2-3 hours. However, for those with darker hair colors (brown to black), achieving white hair will likely require multiple sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart to minimize damage. The entire process could take several months for very dark or previously colored hair. Patience is crucial, as rushing the process can result in severe damage and breakage.

Can I go from black to white hair in one session?

It is generally not possible to safely go from black to white hair in a single session. Attempting to do so would require such aggressive bleaching that it would likely cause severe breakage, melting of the hair, or even chemical burns on the scalp. Professional colorists recommend a gradual approach, lifting the hair color 2-3 levels per session with several weeks of intensive conditioning between treatments. This process may take 3-6 sessions over several months, depending on your hair’s condition and natural color.

How much does it cost to get white hair professionally?

Professional white hair coloring is one of the most expensive color services at salons. Prices typically range from $150-$300 for initial appointments and $75-$150 for maintenance sessions. These prices vary widely based on location, salon reputation, and your starting hair color/length. Additionally, you should budget for professional-grade maintenance products (purple shampoo, toners, and repair treatments) which can cost $50-$100 per month. While DIY approaches are less expensive initially, correcting home bleaching mistakes professionally can end up costing significantly more.

Will bleaching my hair white damage it permanently?

Bleaching to achieve white hair does cause structural changes to your hair that could be considered permanent damage. The process breaks down your hair’s natural proteins and strips away its protective lipid layer. While conditioning treatments can temporarily improve the look and feel of bleached hair, they cannot truly reverse the structural changes. New, unbleached hair growth will be healthy, but the bleached portions will remain somewhat compromised. This is why proper preparation before bleaching and diligent aftercare are so important to maintaining the health and appearance of white hair.

How often will I need to touch up my roots with white hair?

Root touch-ups for white hair are typically needed every 4-6 weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows and your natural hair color. The stark contrast between most natural hair colors and white hair makes regrowth more noticeable than with other color treatments. Many people with white hair schedule root touch-ups every 3-4 weeks to maintain a seamless look. If you’re bleaching at home, be extremely careful with root touch-ups to avoid overlapping the bleach onto already-processed hair, which can cause breakage at the overlap point.

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Richard L. Greene

Richard is fascinated by everything that has to do with styling techniques and how technology can play an important part in the industry’s development. He started out his career as a barber, and later found his passion for both men and women’s hairstyles. Richard now works as a writer for fashion magazines, blogs, and is actively taking steps toward launching his own online platform!