How to Whiten Yellow Hair

Using Toner

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 platinum or white blonde.

Find purple toner in a drugstore or beauty supply store. 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.

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.

Use a color wheel to help you choose the right toner. 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.

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.

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.

Get a professional whitening treatment. 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.

Using Purple Shampoo

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 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

Wash your hair with purple shampoo. 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.

Repeat every two or three washes. 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.

Using Gentian Violet

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.

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.

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.

Dry your hair. Keep in mind that your towel may be stained purple.

Repeat weekly. Repeat the process once a week for continuous color.

Lightening Hair with Lemon

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.

Spend time in the sun (optional). Heat and sunlight will help the lemon juice lighten your hair.

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.