How to Go from Black to Blonde in One Night

Co-authored by Arthur Sebastian and Amber Crain

Last Updated: February 16, 2023

Going from black to blonde within 24 hours sounds like an impossible feat, especially if you're doing it yourself at home. On the contrary, this is completely possible to pull off! By following particular procedures closely, you can go from having a black to a blonde mane in 24 hours without the aid of a professional salon.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Stripping Dye From Color-Treated Hair

1
Slather a deep conditioning product on your freshly washed hair.^{[1]
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Research source} Towel dry your hair and then drench it in the conditioner. The best product to use is cholesterol, which is sold in jars and can be easily found in most beauty supply stores. If you can't get that, use the strongest deep conditioner you can find.
- Run a wide-toothed comb through your mane to untangle it and distribute the conditioner well.
- This step is only necessary if your hair is currently dyed black. If black is your natural hair color, you can go straight to the bleaching process.
2
Leave the conditioner in your hair and blow dry one section at a time. After you finish each section, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before blow drying the next section. By concentrating on one section at a time, you are allowing those hair follicles to open and soak up the deep conditioner.
- Letting the section of hair cool immediately after blow drying will seal the moisture into your hair.^{[2]
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- Once you've dried all of your hair, allow it to completely cool before you moving on to the stripping process.
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3
Open the stripping product and mix the 2 solutions together. After you open the box, you'll find 2 small packets. Put on a pair of plastic gloves and mix the content of the 2 packets together. Be prepared to apply the mixture immediately after mixing it for full potency.
- The ingredients in these packets are non-toxic, so if you accidentally get a little on your skin, it won't harm you.
- If you are allergic or sensitive to sulfur, you should not use hair dye remover. Sulfur is one of the ingredients.^{[3]
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4
Apply the mixture to your hair and leave it on for 20 minutes. Immediately after mixing, apply and massage the product into your hair until it is thoroughly covered. After 20 minutes, shampoo your hair. As you shampoo, you will see the previous hair color rinsing out of your hair. ^{[4]
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5
Shampoo at least twice to completely remove the product. After shampooing, condition your hair well and then blow dry it. At this point, your hair is probably an unbecoming shade of orange, but don't worry! It's just temporary.
- If possible, give your hair a short break from the chemical processing and bleach it the next morning (waiting 3 days is ideal).
- However, if you don't want to wait, you can begin immediately.^{[5]
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- Keep in mind that your hair as a higher chance of additional damage if you do this.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Bleaching Your Hair

1
Mix your bleach powder with 30-volume developer. The ratio of bleach powder to developer is usually 1:1, but check your product's instructions for any variance or specifics. Dump 1 scoop of bleach powder into a mixing bowl. Measure out 1 scoop of developer and add it to the bowl. Mix well.
- Start with this amount of mixture. You can mix more as you go along, if needed.
- If possible, use salon-grade bleaching powder for best results.
- Bleach is a dangerous substance, so wear plastic gloves for this entire process. Purchased bleach products usually provide them for you.
2
Divide and clip your hair up into 4 sections. Working in sections will make the process much easier. Middle-part your hair at the crown from forehead to neck to get your first 2 sections, then clip them up. Part the remaining lower portion of your hair from ear to ear and clip those up, too.^{[6]
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- You should have a friend or family member helping you with the rest of the bleaching process.^{[7]
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- You'll end up with better results and the process will be far less stressful and taxing if you have some help.
3
Apply bleach to your hair one small section at a time. Starting at one of the clipped-up sections at the top of your head, take down small, thin layers of your hair, one at a time, and apply the bleach.^{[8]
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Research source} Be sure to brush the bleach onto both sides of your hair.
- Continue this process for the rest of that section, starting at the top and working your way down, until the entire section is covered in bleach.
- Move on to the next sections and follow the same procedure until your hair is completely and thoroughly covered in bleach.
- Potential damage to your scalp and hair follicles is possible during bleaching. If you have a very sensitive scalp and/or you don't mind having visible roots, consider excluding them from the bleaching process.^{[9]
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4
Leave the bleach on your hair for 40-45 minutes. Do not leave it on longer than 1 hour. Then rinse until the water runs clear and wash your hair with purple shampoo. If you're using a bleaching kit, purple shampoo is probably included. If not, you can get it at any beauty supply store.
- Rinse the shampoo out thoroughly.
- Blow your hair dry and then consider taking a little break before moving on.
- At this stage your hair should be a light yellow or orange color.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Toning Your Hair with a Semi-Permanent Blonde Dye

1
Choose a toner in a cool blonde shade to neutralize any warmth. If your hair is light yellow after bleaching, you'll need a light ash, silver or pearl shade of toner. Pearl blonde toner is usually the preferred choice, but choose the shade that is 1 shade lighter than your current hair color.^{[10]
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Research source} The cool tones will counteract the warmth and prevent brassiness.^{[11]
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- If you have short and/or very fine hair, you'll only need 1 box of toner.
- For those with thick, long hair, you'll need to get 2 boxes.
- If possible, use a high quality salon brand of toner for best results.
2
Choose a toner that is dark ash blonde if your hair is light orange. After bleaching once, it's possible that it won't be as light as you want (unless you were going for a darker blonde look). This is especially true if you began with black hair. In this case, you'll need to bleach it again. However, bleaching again on the same day would be too damaging on your hair, so you'll need to wait a week.
- The dark ash blonde toner will counteract the orange and yellow tones and give you a dark blonde mane that will be tolerable and presentable until you bleach it again.^{[12]
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- If you have any orange after bleaching, you must use the dark ash toner to neutralize the orange.
- Never choose a “matte ash” shade, which could result in a greenish tint.^{[13]
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3
Mix your toner with 10-volume developer and apply it to your hair. You will apply the toner in the same way you did the bleach, so divide your hair into 4 sections and clip them up. Repeat the same application process, starting at the crown of one section and working your way down.
- Repeat the same process when applying the toner to the remaining 3 sections.
- Apply the toner as quickly as you can for best results.
4
Leave the toner on for 20-30 minutes before rinsing it out. Check your toner packaging for specifics, but 20-30 minutes is pretty standard. You may not even need to leave it on for that long – check your hair every 5-7 minutes to see if it has reached the tone shade that you want. If so, go ahead and rinse it out.
- Rinse until the water runs clear and immediately apply a strong, high quality conditioner to your hair.
- The toner probably included some conditioner for this purpose in the box.
- Rinse the conditioner out after 2-5 minutes. Blow dry and style your brand new blonde mane!

Expert Q&A

Question

Do you have to section hair for bleaching?

Arthur Sebastian
Professional Hair Stylist
Arthur Sebastian is the Owner of Arthur Sebastian Hair Salon in San Francisco, California. Arthur has worked as a hair stylist for over 20 years and received his Cosmetology License in 1998. He believes that the true work of a successful hair stylist comes from passion and a love for hairdressing.

Arthur Sebastian

Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Answer

Yes, it's best to section it. Bleaching small sections ensures that the color is the same all over and helps minimize the risk of your hair turning orange.
Question

What is so bad about orange hair?

Community Answer

Nothing at all, but if someone is trying to go blond, they may not be satisfied with an orange color.
Question

If I dye my hair on a Tuesday will it be safe to dye again on Saturday or Sunday?

Community Answer

You will damage your hair if you dye it more than once within a few weeks. It'll be dry and brittle. If you want to drastically change the color of your hair, you're better off going to a salon.