How to Whiten Yellow Hair

Easy, at-home methods to achieve platinum blonde hair

Co-authored by Karen Leight

Last Updated: May 4, 2023 Approved

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 a toner or color corrector. You can also offset yellow tones with a purple shampoo or a little gentian violet. You can also brighten your hair naturally with lemon juice.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using Toner

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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 platinum or white blonde.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Karen Leight
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.}
Just about any pharmacy should carry toner, and you might even find it in the hair product aisle of a supermarket. You can also find purple toner at your local beauty supply store. Pick a purple or violet toner to remove yellow tones. If you have orange tones, select a blue toner.

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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 toner will cancel out reddish tones, and blue toner will cancel out orange tones. However, without a corrector, but these toners will leave your hair yellow, not white.
If you’re not sure what color of toner or corrector to choose, look at a color wheel. Find the color that matches your hair best, and look at the color directly opposite from it on the color wheel to find the complementary shade. Your toner or corrector should match the color that complements the tones in your hair.
Choose a developer with 30 volume or less. High volume developers may make bleached hair weak or even cause it to fall out.
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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. Pricing will vary depending on the salon, but a toner treatment can be as cheap as about $20.
If you have the time and money, you can get the best hair-whitening results by going to a salon. This is the best way to minimize the risk of damage to your hair and get a true, brass-free platinum blond, white, or silver look.^{[2]
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Karen Leight
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.}

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using Purple Shampoo

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1
Select a purple shampoo for regular upkeep.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Karen Leight
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.} 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
- Matrix Total Results Brass Off shampoo
- Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde shampoo
- Joico Color Balance shampoo
- Any shampoo with "D&C Violet" or "Extract Violet" in the ingredients list
Follow the directions on your shampoo bottle. Apply the purple shampoo instead of normal shampoo, then rinse out and follow it with conditioner. Most purple shampoos need to be left in for 3-5 minutes for best results.
Too much purple shampoo will leave your hair with a light purple tint. Apply every two or three washes, or even less often once the brassy tones have gone.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Gentian Violet

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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.
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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.
Leave your hair underwater for 30–60 seconds. This should lighten your hair color and reduce yellow or brassy tones.
Keep in mind that your towel may be stained purple.
Repeat the process once a week for continuous color.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Lightening Hair with Lemon

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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.
Heat and sunlight will help the lemon juice lighten your hair.^{[4]
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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.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I even my hair color out after bleaching?

Karen Leight
Professional Hair Stylist
Karen Leight is a Professional Hair Stylist and the Owner of Karen Renee Hair, a private salon suite inside the Salon Republic Hollywood in Los Angeles, California. With over 12 years of experience, Karen is a licensed cosmetologist specializing in hair color, balayage technique, and women’s and men’s precision haircuts.

Karen Leight

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

I suggest using a purple shampoo to remove the brassiness. If that doesn't work, talk to your stylist about toning your hair.

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How much water do I need to mix with gentian violet?

Ashley Adams
Professional Hair Stylist
Ashley Adams is a Licensed Cosmetologist and Hair Stylist in Illinois. She completed her Cosmetology education at John Amico School of Hair Design in 2016.

Ashley Adams

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

You may need several cups of water depending on the size of the basin that you're mixing the water and gentian violet in. It needs to be enough water to fully saturate your hair.

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How many drops of violet would I need to put in my conditioner? Does it stain your fingers?

Community Answer

It stains everything, but once it's mixed with the conditioner, it can be washed off rather easily. (Still, I highly recommend using latex gloves and some kind of hair dye applicator such as a brush). I usually use three drops per quarter cup of conditioner, but I usually end up with slightly purple hair (which I like) so you might want to add less. But either way, the purple color can be washed out and you do NOT need to bleach your hair again.

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Tips

It's not always possible to achieve a platinum blonde, especially if you have naturally dark hair. Talk to your stylist about what's possible with your hair color.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Karen Leight
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 13 November 2020.}

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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 500 milliliters (16.9 fl oz) 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 also add the drop of gentian violet directly to the bottle and shake thoroughly to ensure a good mix.

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You can add light brown dye over bleached yellow hair to give it a natural blonde look.

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