Is My Hair Too Damaged to Go Platinum? An Honest Answer From a Toronto Platinum Specialist

short answer: you're probably a better candidate than you think. most clients who ask me this can go platinum, and a lot of them can do it in one visit.

I'm Em, and I run Bleach Temple, a blonding salon at Bloor & Dufferin in Toronto's west end. true platinum (level 10, white blonde) is what I do all day, so this is the question I hear the most. a lot of the time it's from someone who's already been told no.

How I Tell If Your Hair Can Handle Platinum

first, the honest part. bleach is an alkaline chemical, and it's damaging. your hair is never going to feel better after more bleach than it did walking in. bleach is bleach.

so my rule is simple; I look at the hair I'd actually be putting bleach on. if that hair is already past what I'd call an acceptable amount of breakage, bleach doesn't go anywhere near it.

but here's the good news! the damage usually isn't where the bleach needs to go. if your ends are fried but your roots are fresh & healthy growth, I'm only lightening the roots. the damaged lengths never see bleach again.

Why I Don't Do Strand Tests

hair is different all over your head. one little test strand can tell you something that isn't true for the rest of it, so it gives a false sense of security, and it costs you time & money for not much information. I'd rather look at your whole head and your colour history and make the call from there.

A Real Example

a client came to me after a rough experience at another salon. she'd been solid blonde for years, her hair got really damaged with breakage from around cheekbone-length down, and she'd grown out a couple inches of roots. she booked expecting to need too switch to highlights, because she assumed solid blonde wasn't possible for her anymore.

I asked her my favourite consultation question: if you could snap your fingers and have any hair, no budget, no being realistic, what would it be?

“I want to stay solid white, but I know I can’t anymore.”

and then I had the TRUE JOY of telling her that’s where she was wrong! she had about two inches of healthy new growth at the top, then about two inches of fairly healthy white blonde, and below that, the really damaged part. a root touch up only lightens the new growth, so those damaged lengths never got bleached again. we blended them with extensions she was already planning on, and she left that same day solid blonde.

she spent less time in my chair than she expected, and less money too, since it was a root touch up and no full colour change.

I ask the snap-your-fingers question because, well - you don't do hair. you don't know what's possible, and you might have been told the wrong thing. so tell me what you actually want, and let me do the math on what's realistic. a lot of the time it's better news than you expected.

The One Exception

if your hair was bleached and then dyed dark over top, that's the one case where platinum usually can't happen in one visit. under the dark dye, your hair is still bleached, so it needs a slower plan.

Who This Is For

you're in Toronto (or happy to travel) and you want true platinum or white blonde

you're worried your hair is too damaged, or someone already told you no

you'd rather hear an honest "here's what's realistic" than be sold something

new clients start with one of my new client Rituals, the Blonde Initiation or the Blonde Creation, starting at $478.

FAQ

Can damaged hair be bleached platinum?

it depends where the damage is. if the breakage is on your ends and only your roots need lightening, yes, because the damaged hair never gets bleached again. if the hair that needs bleach is already breaking, I won't put bleach on it.

Do you do strand tests before going platinum?

no. hair varies so much across your head that one strand can give a false sense of security. I look at your whole head and your colour history instead.

Will my hair feel healthier after going platinum?

honestly, no. bleach is damaging. the goal is to only lighten hair that can handle it and keep everything else off limits.

Where is Bleach Temple?

at Bloor & Dufferin in Toronto's west end. it's a blonding salon specializing in platinum and extensions.

if this sounds like you, start with my new client form. tell me your snap-your-fingers hair and your colour history, and I'll tell you what's realistic 🖤