Light brown is a beautiful hair color, and the range of shades is quite diverse. There are cooler ones, such as a light grayish or pearlescent brown, and neutral and warm ones, such as gold and copper. For best results, choose a color that complements your skin tone. If you're switching from dark hair to light brown, you'll probably need to bleach it first. If you're going from blonde to light brown, you'll need to add shades of copper to your hair before proceeding with the light brown color.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Bleaching Dark Hair
Step 1. Lighten with bleach if you have black or chemically treated hair
If you're in one of these categories, there's no other way: you need to bleach your hair before proceeding. Purchase a 20 or 30 volume bleach kit at a beauty supply store and follow the directions on the package. The new hair color will not look good if you proceed without discoloring the current color.
- Use a 20 volume product if you have red, dark brown or medium hair.
- If you have almost black or black hair, use a volume 30.
- If you have dark brown, medium or red hair that has never been chemically treated, skip the bleaching step and proceed with painting, as your hair is already a shade relatively close to light brown.
Step 2. Mix the bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide
The bleach kit should contain both items, as well as an applicator and latex gloves. Put on gloves and old clothing before opening the package – the chemicals can burn the skin and stain clothing. Mix the bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide until well incorporated.
- You need to use the bleach immediately when the products are mixed.
- To protect your scalp from chemicals, avoid washing it for several days before bleaching your hair, as natural oils create a protective barrier.
Step 3. Divide hair into four quadrants
For uniform results, divide the head into four manageable sections. Part the hair in the middle from the top to the nape of the neck. Then separate these sections in half, parting the hair at ear level. Use hair clips to keep the quadrants apart.
Place a towel over your shoulders before applying the bleach to protect your skin
Step 4. Apply the bleaching product to the first quadrant
Start with the bottom sections before proceeding to the top ones. Remove the clip to loosen the hair and use the applicator to run the product from the bottom to the top. Do this as quickly as possible and apply as close as you can to the root.
- Be very careful when working with hydrogen peroxide as the product can burn your skin. Ask a friend for help if this is your first time.
- People associate aluminum foil with the bleaching process. The material is used to highlight hair or to exclude areas that you want to protect. You need to bleach all your hair in this process, so it's not necessary to use tinfoil.
Step 5. Thoroughly saturate all four quadrants with the mixture
Continue applying bleach as quickly as possible with great care on each section of hair, until all are completely covered with the solution. Whenever you finish a quadrant, snap it back.
Remember to use plastic fasteners as metal fasteners can react with hydrogen peroxide
Step 6. Allow the product to sit for the indicated time
Each product has a different time, and the darker the hair, the longer it will have to stay with the solution. Hydrogen peroxide can damage the strands, so leave the product on the hair for as little time as possible. The ideal is 30 to 45 minutes.
- Check the bleach's progression every five to ten minutes to avoid excessive discoloration.
- The 30-volume product will process faster than the 20-volume product.
- Never leave hydrogen peroxide on your hair for more than an hour.
Step 7. Rinse the solution with cold water when the color has already changed
Cold water prevents hydrogen peroxide from damaging the threads. Thoroughly rinse and shampoo twice to ensure complete product removal.
- It may take up to more than two washes if the hair is very thick.
- After bleaching, don't be scared -- the strands can be quite orange, but that's normal! Light brown will cover that color.
Method 2 of 3: Adding the Light Brown Dye
Step 1. Mix a light grayish brown tincture with 10 volume peroxide
Whether you have a warm or cool skin tone, choose a light grayish brown dye if you've just bleached your hair. The cool gray tones will balance the warm hue of orange hair that has just been bleached. To get a cool light brown in your hair, you'll need to leave the mixture longer than if you were trying to achieve a warm light brown.
Step 2. Apply the dye to damp hair
Separate the hair again into four sections and start running the solution into the first quadrant. Wear another pair of gloves to avoid staining your hands. Use the applicator that comes in the kit to “paint” the mixture from root to tip. Saturate the strands well and continue until all the hair is well covered.
Step 3. Allow color to develop in the hair
After applying the color, you'll be able to see the color develop – your hair will change from orange to golden brown, then to neutral, and finally to gray. There is no exact science to this step, so you will need to watch carefully and rinse when you have reached the ideal shade. If you're trying to get a warmer shade, you'll need to wash it sooner than if you wanted a cool shade. The longer the dye is left, the colder the tone.
Check the dye package for the maximum time. It is usually 30 minutes. Color stops developing after the maximum time has passed. Leaving on more than that won't do anything to your hair
Step 4. Rinse when you reach the desired shade
Keep watching in the mirror as the color develops. When you reach the desired shade, rinse the mixture from your hair. The right time depends on you and what you are trying to achieve.
Method 3 of 3: Changing from Blonde to Light Brown
Step 1. Identify the “level” of the shade of the blonde hair
As the base nuance for all shades of light brown is copper, changing from blonde to light brown is not as simple as just applying the dye. Depending on your shade of blonde, there may be little or no copper in your hair. When you put the light brown directly on it, it will get green, gray or purple results.
- Hair levels are judged on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is black and 10 is lighter blonde. As a reference point, level 5 is considered light brown.
- Level tables help you determine yours if you're not sure. Search the internet for “hair shade variations” to read up on the information you need.
Step 2. Add copper tint to level 6 to 8 hair
If the hair is in this range, it will be necessary to bleach it with a dark copper tint before proceeding with light brown. This will prepare the hair with the necessary nuance to achieve the shades of light brown, otherwise you will have green hair.
Buy the dye and follow the directions on the package
Step 3. Add copper tint with a golden tint to a level 8 to 10 blonde hair
If you're in this range, your hair doesn't have a lot of golden nuances. Putting a light brown directly on it will result in a light purple or a faint, dull shade of light brown. Use a reddish-brown or copper-colored tincture with a golden tint, which will deposit the necessary undertones to achieve the ideal shade of light brown.
Purchase the ink and follow the directions on the package to add the new shades
Step 4. Color your hair any shade of light brown you want
After adding the golden or copper colors to the blonde hair, you are ready to proceed with the light brown dye. Apply product to hair according to kit instructions. After color develops (time varies from product to product), rinse and shorten the new hair.