My hair is finally at the desired color: platinum blonde. It took a few dye jobs, a lot of toning and plenty of Kerastase Elixir Ultime and deep conditioning to get this far, and I’d like to share what I’ve learned about this much-coveted hair color I call my own.

Platinum Tips, Thus Far:

1. Buy a toning shampoo. Purple shampoo is a necessity if you’re going this light. Otherwise, your hair tends to get a little bit yellow, which is NOT pretty. All those girls I see with the yellow bleach-blonde hair, please go get a bottle of Clairol Shimmer Lights. I don’t shampoo that often (usually every eight days), so I always tone. Occasionally I will throw a Manic Panic Virgin Snow toning treatment into the mix for about a half hour. Don’t leave purple shampoo on for longer than about four minutes or your hair might turn blue.

Recommended products: Clairol Shimmer Lights shampoo and/or conditioner, available at Sally Beauty Supply; Pravana Pure Light shampoo for sulfate-free toning; Manic Panic Virgin Snow toner

2. Get trims. Bleaching is bad for your hair, obviously. I have been bleaching my roots every six weeks, but this time I redid my whole head. Certain layers were incredibly fried. So make sure to get trims often; I do mine every time I touch up my roots.

3. Deep condition. A lot. Fried hair needs love. At least twice a month, I deep-condition my hair, and by that I mean the whole shower cap/hot towel/shower steam deep condition for at least half an hour. An occasional salon treatment never hurts either. I’ve been trying lots of different masks and conditioners; this is what has worked for me.

Recommended products: It’s a 10 Miracle Hair Mask, Kiehl’s Olive Fruit Oil Deeply Repairative Hair Pak

4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize from day to day!  I have been coating my hair with Kerastase Elixir Ultime and Jonathan Overnight Oil treatment, then twisting it up into a coil and leaving it to soak for a day or two. 

5. Watch what you put in your hair. Certain products can deposit color and contribute to that dull yellowing. Plenty of hair companies make platinum-friendly hair styling aids, from Redken to Pureology. I try not to use hairspray if I can help it.

6. Platinum hair attracts attention. Don’t dye your hair this light if you’re not willing to deal with the attention it can attract. It carries with it an Old Hollywood, glamorous appeal, and people respond to that.

7. Keep it healthy from the inside, too. I’ve been taking both prenatal vitamins and Evening Primrose Oil supplements to help my distressed hair.

8. Work with your hair’s natural texture. At first, I was wearing my naturally wavy hair pin straight. As my hair gets lighter, I heat style less and less. Try your hardest not to heat-style too much, because that zaps your hair’s moisture content. 

As I said before, my platinum hair is a work in progress. Any tried and true tips for me?