How many sessions does it take to lighten dark hair?
You may require between two to seven sessions to go from black to dark and light blonde. How long should I wait to bleach my hair again? You should keep a gap of at least four to six weeks between two bleaching sessions.
And just like in a professional salon, check on the hair for the level of lightness. The first check should be after 10 minutes, says Yates, and then again every 5 to 10 minutes until you hit 30 minutes. Yates adds, “If the results you want aren't there after 30 minutes, rinse it out and mix a fresh batch.
Our recommendation: Only bleach your hair as much as absolutely necessary. We don't recommend having your hair bleached more than once every 8 to 10 weeks; however, less frequent bleach treatments are even better.
Bleach usually needs to sit in the hair for 20 to 40 minutes before the stylist can rinse it out—and that's not counting the time it takes to apply it. If you know that you'll need to bleach your hair in addition to dyeing it, add an extra hour to your estimate for how long it will take to dye your hair at the salon.
- Stage 1: Black or Darkest Brown Color. ...
- Stage 2: Dark Brown Color. ...
- Stage 3: Light Brown Color. ...
- Stage 4: Dark Blonde Color. ...
- Stage 5: Medium Blonde Color. ...
- Stage 6: Light Blonde Color. ...
- Stage 7: Platinum or Icy Blonde/White Color. ...
- Tips to Choose the Right Color Shade for You.
Your timescale. “Give your colourist at least six months to a year if you want a big colour change,” Clarke says – confirming that dramatic changes can take time and patience. “Going from dark to blonde should be done with care and ideally over a few visits to maintain the condition of the hair,” she explains.
Realistically, anyone looking to dramatically lighten dark hair is going to need some kind of bleaching product. These applications lighten your hair by up to eight shades whether your natural hair color is medium blonde or light brown.
How many levels can hair color lift? Typically, you can lift your hair 2-3 levels with a standard hair color. High-lift colors can usually lift up to 5 levels lighter.
Hair stylists are constantly asked if a client can go from brown to blonde in one visit to the salon. Whilst it will vary from one person to the next, the answer is often no.
For example, going from dark brown to light blonde hair may require three to four sessions.
How long does it take for dark hair to lift?
The time it takes to bleach your hair depends on your existing hair color and texture. It could be one day to a month to lighten it to the color you wish to achieve. It can take anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes per session. 30 minutes (Ideally, try to split the process into multiple sessions.)
If your base color is brown and you want to become a light blond, the only solution is all-over bleach. It is the only technique that can lighten natural hair by up to 6 color tones or eliminate a previous color treatment before recoloring.

Realistically, anyone looking to dramatically lighten dark hair is going to need some kind of bleaching product. These applications lighten your hair by up to eight shades whether your natural hair color is medium blonde or light brown.