How to Whiten Yellow Hair

Bleaching your own hair is cheap and fun, but it rarely ends up platinum blonde. If you have yellow, orange, or brassy tones after bleaching, cover them up with these whitening treatments.

EditSteps

EditUsing Toner

1. Use a toner after bleaching. Dark hair often ends up with orange or yellow tones after bleaching. The right toner will cancel out these brassy tones and makes your hair closer to white or platinum blonde.
   
2. Find purple toner in a drugstore. Just about any pharmacy should carry toner, and you might even find it in the hair product aisle of a supermarket. Pick a purple or violet toner to remove yellow tones.
   
3. Mix it with red gold corrector (optional). If you also have undesired reddish tones in your hair, buy red gold corrector from a salon or online. Mix this with the toner according to label instructions.
   
   • Green or blue toner will cancel out reddish or orange tones without the need for a corrector, but will leave your hair yellow, not white.
4. Mix with a creme developer. Choose a developer with 30 volume or less. High volume developers may make bleached hair weak or even cause it to fall out.
   
5. Apply according to label instructions. Check the toner label to find out how long you need to leave it on your hair. Leaving it in too long can make your hair purple, so don't overdo it.
   
   • Alternatively, a very easy option is to simply book an appointment with a hairdresser for a toner to be put in. It takes less than half an hour, and can be as cheap as about $20.

EditUsing Purple Shampoo

1. Select a purple shampoo for regular upkeep. A purple color-correcting shampoo will counteract the yellow tones and make your hair appear brighter and blonder. This is not as strong as toner, since it is intended for regular use. Here are a few examples of purple or violet shampoos:
   
   • Tressa Watercolors Violet Washe Shampoo
   • John Frieda Sheer Blonde Color Renew Tone-Correcting
   • Clairol Shimmer Lights
   • Pravana Pure Light Brightening Shampoo for Blonde, Silver, or Highlighted Hair
   • Any shampoo with "D&C Violet" or "Extract Violet" in the ingredients list
2. Wash your hair with purple shampoo. Apply the purple shampoo instead of normal shampoo, then rinse out and follow it with conditioner.
   
3. Repeat every two or three washes. Too much purple shampoo will leave your hair with a light purple reflection. Apply every two or three washes, or even less often once the brassy tones have gone.
   

EditUsing Gentian Violet

1. Buy gentian violet at a pharmacy. Find a tiny bottle of this dark purple liquid, at low concentrations (preferably 2%). It will usually be in the same aisle as bandages and antiseptics.
   
2. Mix two drops in a basin of cold water. Don't add any more, or you may end up with purple hair! The water should be a violet color, not dark purple.
   
   • Careful — gentian violet will stain anything it touches. You may want to try this outside instead of in your sink.
3. Dip all of your hair in the basin. Leave your hair underwater for 30–60 seconds. This should lighten your hair color and reduce yellow or brassy tones.
   
4. Dry your hair. Keep in mind that your towel may be stained purple.
   
5. Repeat weekly. Repeat the process once a week for continuous color.
   

EditLightening Hair with Lemon

1. Treat your hair with lemon juice. Squeeze out some lemon juice and rub it against the yellow areas of your hair. You can also apply it along with your shampoo for a more mild effect.
   
2. Spend time in the sun (optional). Heat and sunlight will help the lemon juice lighten your hair.^[1]
   
3. Condition your hair. Leaving lemon juice in your hair too long can cause damage from the acid. Conditioning your hair or using alkali products will help prevent this.
   

EditTips

• You can also mix one drop of Gentian Violet with your bottle of conditioner or shampoo for maximum whitening. Don't put more than one drop in a 500ml bottle. Mix it in a bowl and then put back in the bottle, making sure that all of the shampoo or conditioner is one color.
• You can add light brown dye over bleached yellow hair to give it a natural blonde look.
• Leaving bleach in longer can help prevent yellow or brassy tones, which are left over when the bleach picks up the darker pigments. Use a lower volume developer so you can leave the bleach in longer without damage. Lower volume developers are also recommended near the crown, since the body heat here can speed up bleaching A strand test can help you figure out how to achieve the desired color.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Have Amazing Hair
• Style Your Hair
• Tease Your Hair
• Curl Hair

EditSources and Citations

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