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These 40 Styles Prove White-Blonde Hair Is Totally Worth the Maintenance

 

Meet platinum blonde's cooler big sister.

Fair warning: By the time you finish browsing the gallery of white blonde hair ideas below, you might be picking up the phone to call your colorist. (Yep, the hue looks that good, on everyone from Kim Kardashian to Queen Bey.) But first, there are a few things you should know about the hue—which is basically a cooler, icier take on platinum hair.

In short, it's not easy (or cheap!) to pull off. But as you'll see in the gallery below, the high-maintenance hue can be worth every penny and hour spent in the salon chair. Read on to get top stylists' tips on white blonde hair, and browse photos to inspire your own white-blonde transformation.

Meet the Experts

• Jazz España is a colorist and extension specialist.
• Lorena M. Valdes is a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.

Classic White Blonde

White blonde hair rests at a base level of 10+. Your colorist will also need to combine this with a toner to correct any brassiness and keep hair cool-toned.

While it is possible to lighten dark hair without bleach, to get the white blonde shade that this color requires, your colorist will need to bleach your hair first to remove pigment from the hair. Then, they will add pigment to give you the desired shade and dimension.

Soft Side Part

Most white blonde hair is defined by its cool, icy tones, rather than the warm yellows found in platinum and other blonde shades. However, you can follow Rosé of Blackpink's lead and soften it up a bit by letting your roots show and going for a color that mixes both warm and cool tones.

Super-Straight With Length

Megan Thee Stallion's white blonde hair is amplified by her stick-straight texture and length, which create a modern take on the look. Use a flat-iron and a shine spray to mimic the style.

Textured Blunt Bob

Kourtney Kardashian's blunt bob gets the addition of texture here, so the look is less severe and more just-rolled-out-of-bed. Use a salt spray on air-dried hair to achieve a similar look.

Two-Toned Glamour

If you're looking to add some dimension to your icy look, go (or stay) dark on the underside like Soo Joo Park for a two-toned finish that feels totally unique. Enjoy how your white blonde hair looks a bit different every way you style it, from subtle waves that let the darker color peek through to an edgier updo that highlights the contrast.

Accessorized

If you have naturally blonde hair like Anya Taylor Joy and you’re feeling bored, going white blonde is a great way to get out of your comfort zone while staying true to your roots (no pun intended). Of course, anything lighter than your natural color will require maintenance and root touch-ups.

Contrasting Roots

Contrasting roots can help your look stay a bit more consistent if you find it harder to fit touch-up appointments into your schedule. Kim Kardashian's bright-white hue is finished off with smooth, blunt ends for a spectacular finished product. We approve. 

Locs

Teyana Taylor's long locs are accented by a platinum blonde hue and a half-up style. We love how tendrils are removed from the style and slightly curled, to frame her face.

Braids With an Undercut

Tati Gabrielle's braids are styled in finger waves for this red carpet event. But it's the undercut—which adds a stark contrast to the romantic updo—that holds our attention.

Sugar and Spice

Megan Fox's long, loose waves are all sugar and spice. Her white-blonde hue is warmed up with a sprinkle of dark tones achieved through balayage.

Silver Star

We love honey-blonde Beyoncé, but this white-blonde shade is impossible not to miss.

Buzzcut

Cynthia Erivo demonstrates the power of a buzz that veers glam thanks to her white-blonde hue. Here, a shaved side part adds further interest, and hair is kept as closely cropped as possible.

Close Crop

Depending on your natural hair color, there’s a good chance you’ll be lightening by more than two shades. The best way to achieve the look is via a double process. Of course, you should leave the coloring to the pros—but a chic, easy-to-style pixie à la Saweetie will make everyday styling a breeze. 

Tousled Perfection

We love the look of white blonde hair on a warmer skin tone, as seen here on Vanessa Hudgens. And if you’re worried about making your eyebrows match? Don’t be. According to brow stylist Joey Healy, you might need to lighten your brows a shade or two, but overall, it’s recommended to leave your brows natural (even dyeing your brows lighter is a visual adjustment that can take some getting used to).

Sleek and Straight

If you’re going for an allover icy blonde, you might as well show it off like Sasha Luss. Nothing complements a bold new hue more than a sleek, straight style. (Just make sure you have a great hair straightener in your toolkit.) 

Loose With a Headband

As Phoebe Bridgers demonstrates, white-blonde hair doesn't have to be styled to perfection. Here, the musician pairs air-dried platinum strands with a simple black headband.

Blended Curls

Nervous about taking the plunge into full-on white blonde? Ease into the trend by trying an ombré style that’s slightly darker and ashier at the top and pure, icy perfection on the ends. This blend looks stunning on Jasmine Sanders's naturally curly hair. As an added bonus, the shade variation works well for when your roots are showing in-between color appointments.

Angelic Waves

Blonde hair is part of Kate Hudson's signature look. The actress has played with multiple hues of the sunny shade, ranging from honey-blonde to balayage with ashy roots. Here, she rocks angelic white-blonde waves that demonstrate one of her lightest looks to date— though subtle pops of light brown stop the style from being too monochromatic.

Bright-White Waves

The idea of white blonde hair can sound severe, but you can soften it daily with a good beach wave technique like Dove Cameron. And remember—the process doesn’t stop when you leave the salon chair. Using the right shampoo and conditioner for your newly color-treated hair is key.

"Expensive Blonde"

Eiza González wowed us all when she swapped out her signature dark tresses for this "expensive blonde." But before you go running to your colorist to replicate her hair transformation, Valdes says there are a few things you should know: "If you’re naturally light brown or blonde you have a better chance of achieving this color—but not guaranteed. And medium to dark brown hair is a lot harder and may not be possible either." 

Dark Roots

You know you’re putting your hair through the wringer when you make a big color change—but that certainly doesn’t mean you should expect fried, damaged hair at the end. Even though white-blonde hair like Mary J. Blige's can take several sessions with a colorist to perfect (including bleaching and toning), it's possible for the result to be so soft that you'd never be able to tell.

Retro Vibes

No, you’re not the only one getting major Marilyn Monroe vibes here. Rita Ora's curled white-blonde bob will have you serving 1950s movie star realness. And doesn't it look so soft? While your colorist should be using treatments to protect your hair during your appointment, you should also be maintaining the health of your locks post-color with frequent deep conditioning masks.

Platinum Afro

Technically this shade leans more platinum than light blonde, but we're including it because, well, it's too good not to. If you've been on a natural hair journey for a while and are looking to switch things up while keeping your texture, do like Solange and play with color (or lack thereof).

Bob With Bangs

If you’re a hair-dye novice, it can be easier to start with a shorter style like Taylor Swift's tousled blondechella bob. It’s less maintenance, and we love the confident drama of changing your cut and style at the same time. Bangs that effortlessly swoop alongside your texture only add to the major moment.

Tousled and Textured

Karlie Kloss demonstrates how bouncy, tousled waves will bring out bright white highlights and any other rich hues underneath. Like what you see? Just make sure you can handle the upkeep this color demands. "Consider the maintenance care and if it seems like too much I wouldn’t recommend it. It is one of the most expensive and time-consuming services to maintain," Valdes tells us.

Mini Braids

White blonde hair looks just as stunning on natural textures, and pairs particularly well with protective styles like the mini box braids seen here on Zoë Kravitz. This is a great option if you want to minimize damage to your hair, as you can skip the dye and achieve a dramatic change using extensions.

Ashy Blonde

We totally understand if you’re a little intimidated to go full-on white blonde, which is why we love the idea of taking a dirty blonde shade to the next level with snowy, gray-toned highlights throughout. Throw it into an updo like Pom Klementieff for maximum sophistication.

Icy Beach Waves

Combining warmth with ice-cold highlights is the best of both worlds, just look at Lady Gaga as proof. And if you finish it off with soft, touchable waves, you’ll really feel like you’re at the beach—just make sure you have a good, non-stick beach spray for styling after you leave the salon. 

Momager Blonde

Kim, Kylie, Kris, Kendall, and Kourtney aren't the only Kardashians who have gone white blonde. Their mom is absolutely up on the trend. Kris gave the hue a spin alongside a sleek, blunt bob. It looks so good with her brown eyes.

Sleek Pixie

If you’ve experienced damage (or emotional scarring) from previous bad dye jobs, it may be time for a fresh start. (Working with existing color on dry, dead ends is a tall order for even the most experienced colorists.) Let Michelle Williams be your muse and move on from your old dye job by losing the length and growing out your natural color—then, hit the salon chair for your new white blonde ‘do. 

Voluminous Blowout

Yes, white blonde hair requires the right care and products, but your style doesn’t have to be complicated—especially if you have naturally relaxed hair texture. If you’re worried about the work involved with your new hue, it’s a good idea to choose an easy, effortless cut, such as Megan Thee Stallion's shoulder-length 'do, that’s low-maintenance enough for your lifestyle—so you can focus your hair budget and energy on preserving your color instead. 

Modern Mullet

On the hunt for a bold cut to enhance your white-blonde color? This modern mullet by celebrity stylist Anh Co Tran is it. Although those with fine tresses might be wary of heavily layered cuts, the shorter length and softer layering of this style will complement all hair types and textures.

Creamy Blonde

The devil is in the details, and it’s all about dimension when you go for white-blonde hair. Ask your colorist for balayage and lowlights if you love the idea of something slightly warmer and more eye-catching than all-over white. 

Blunt Bob

Oh, how we love an icy blonde bob moment. With soft, blunt ends and cool-toned color, you won’t be able to walk down the street without turning heads. (That’s a good thing.) 

Undone Braids

We know, we know, it’s a little unfair—there’s a lot of maintenance required for white-blonde hair. But if you’re not into the idea of regular salon visits or root touch-ups, opt for feed-in braids like Amandla Stenberg here. The contrast of dark roots and icy plaits with undone ends is intentional and effortlessly cool.

Bangs and Layers

A sweep of brow-grazing fringe and layers that frame the face add so much personality to this classic style on Billie Eilish. This is a pure, all-over white-blonde hue, so regular touch-ups will be mandatory.

Beribboned Braids

In the video for her song "Feather," pop princess Sabrina Carpenter took her beribboned, white-blonde braids for a spin in a roller-skating rink. Her stylist, Danielle Priano, previously told Byrdie that she used a fine-toothed comb to part the singer's hair "for a symmetrical look." She then created the pigtails, gathering Carpenter's hair on each side of her neck and securing each with a rubber band. Priano used a "traditional three-strand braid" style "right down to the ends," tying the tips with a smaller rubber band. Then, she wove ribbons into the white blonde braids, making music-video magic.

Babylights

For a more natural-looking final product, ask your colorist for icy babylights, which are delicate highlights achieved with a fine color technique. With a darker base shade, you’ll see warmth while still getting in on the white-blonde trend. Win-win.