A top colourist’s choice advice if you want to go platinum blonde

If you haven’t toyed with the idea of going platinum blonde, we’d say that maybe you’re be lying. It’s been EVERYWHERE. On Hollywood red carpets, on Instagram, on Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner (albeit both in wig form); and as with all things shoved in our faces time and time again, we wonder, “Can I even pull off that hair colour?” 

And while that is certainly a valid question, that’s something we can discuss another time (there’s A LOT we’d need to get into, like picking the platinum blonde hair for your skin tone, or the difference between icy blonde and white blonde, how often you’d need to worry about touch-ups, or whether or not it’ll work on your fine hair, curly hair and so on). For now, we just wanted to give you a head’s up on the top two things you need to know and consider before you take the plunge and change your hair colour, with some choice advice from one of the world’s top hair colourists who has had plenty of experience with brunette-to-platinum hair transformations. 

Queensland-based hairdresser Wendy Gunn and global winner of L’Oréal Professionnel’s Style & Colour Trophy (she is the very first Australian to win the award, and she beat at least 30 other participants from around the world!), took home the gold for this little platinum slice of heaven.

Now, as you can see, that’s one sharp hair colour. But it wasn’t achieved easily, mainly because her model started off with a really dark hair colour. So, we grilled her on what it takes to go from dark to platinum and what advice she has for anyone thinking about doing it. Here’s what she said: 

#1 /  The colour transition needs to be gradual 

“Patience is key,” warns Gunn. 

Yep, platinum isn’t a one-appointment thing for brunettes, guys. 

“A colour like I’ve done with my model wasn’t done in a week. It is done layer upon layer, and it can take up to six visits at a salon. It really depends on the background of the hair and what’s been done before.” 

#2 / There’s some effort required to keep that colour looking fresh

If you decide to go ahead with your platinum makeover, get ready to put some effort into maintaining it.

“You have to be prepared to use the best products. [L’Oréal Professionnel] Smartbond is a product that I can’t live without [when colouring hair]. It just looks after the integrity of the hair. And you just need to use [the at-home conditioner] once a week instead of conditioner,” says Gunn.

While we also recommend keeping some purple shampoo and conditioner to keep brassiness at bay (the L’Oreal Professionnel Serie Expert Blondifier Cool Shampoo is a great blonde brightening option, and our Review Crew® is loving the new-budget-friendly L'Oréal Paris Elvive Colour Protect Anti-Brassiness range), Gunn reckons anyone who has any kind of lightened or blonde hair should be heading into their salon pretty regularly (even if you’ve got more of a low-maintenance style and don’t need regular root touch-ups). “Anyone who has hair that’s been lightened has to have a regular toner in a salon every four weeks – that will extend the life of their colour.”

So there you go. If you're looking to change your hair colour from brown to some platinum shade, don't expect Rome to be built in a day, and make sure you're prepared to invest the time and effort in maintaining the colour. 

Got lighter hair? Make sure you’re not making the common mistakes blondes tend to make.

Have you experienced the brunette to platinum transformation? Please share with us in the comments section below!

Main image credit: Getty
Inset image credit: Supplied