Part of the colour changes and corrections guides. Start with Hair colour correction: what it involves, what it costs and how long it takes, or see colour and colour correction in the salon.
Why it takes more than 1 visit
Colourists describe hair depth on a scale from level 1 (black) to level 10 (lightest blonde). Lightener moves hair up that scale by removing pigment, and as it goes it exposes the warmth underneath in order: red at levels 4 to 5, orange at 6 to 7, gold at 8, yellow at 9, pale yellow at 10. A cool blonde needs level 9 or 10. Dark brown hair starts at level 3 or 4.
Lifting 6 levels in 1 sitting is possible on paper and rough on hair in practice: the cuticle is open for hours, the bonds inside the hair break faster than they can be rebuilt, and the result is hair that's blonde and brittle. Spreading the lift across 2 to 3 visits, with a treatment between, gets to the same place with the hair intact.
Previously coloured hair takes longer again, because artificial pigment lifts more slowly and unevenly than natural pigment. The box dye guide covers that case.
The plan, visit by visit
Visit 1. The first lift takes the hair up 3 to 4 levels, to a warm gold-orange, and a warm toner turns it into caramel or honey. This is a wearable colour in its own right, and for many clients it's the destination: a caramel balayage on dark hair is exactly this stage, finished well. A Kérastase Premiere treatment ($70) goes on at the end.
Visit 2, 4 to 8 weeks later. The second lift takes the hair to gold or yellow, and a neutral toner turns it into a soft, natural blonde or a bronde. Treatment again.
Visit 3, if needed. The final lift brightens to pale yellow and the cool toner lands the ash, beige or platinum you asked for, with a root shadow so it grows out softly. Some hair reaches this at visit 2; the strand test at the consultation predicts which.
What each stage looks like
Stage 1 is a warm, rich caramel that photographs beautifully on dark hair. Stage 2 is a soft golden or neutral blonde with dimension. Stage 3 is the bright or cool result. Each stage is planned to be a colour you'd happily leave the salon with, rather than a means to an end, which is what makes a 3-month plan comfortable to live through.
Keeping the hair strong
Between visits: sulphate-free shampoo, a weekly mask, a heat protectant before any hot tool, and as little heat as your routine allows. In the salon: a bond-building treatment at every stage. The bond repair guide explains what Premiere and take-home bond builders do inside the hair and why they matter more in a lightening plan than at any other time.
Solid blonde or lived-in blonde
A solid, all-over blonde needs every strand lifted to the destination, which is the full 2 to 3 visits. A lived-in blonde on dark hair, with balayage through the lengths and the root left natural or shadowed, reaches a beautiful result a visit sooner, because the root never needs to be lifted and the dimension is the point. It also grows out without a line, which on a dark base is the difference between a colour you maintain every 4 weeks and one you maintain every 10.
Timeline and cost
2 to 3 visits over 2 to 4 months, each 3 to 5 hours, quoted per visit at the free consultation. A 20% deposit secures each appointment, and Afterpay is available in salon. The colour correction page has the menu, and the colour correction guide covers what the consultation assesses.
Aftercare once you're blonde
Toner at week 6 to 8, a Malibu C ($40) before it if you're on tank or bore water, and the blonde care routine at home. Blonde from a dark base warms faster than blonde on light hair, so the brassy hair guide is worth reading before the first summer.