Quick Answer
Platinum blonde hair can sometimes make people look older if the color is not done correctly or maintained properly. The super light color can wash out skin tones, making fine lines and wrinkles more noticeable. However, when done right, platinum blonde can look youthful and vibrant. Proper application and tone matching is key, as well as using products to counteract brassiness and yellowing. Many celebrities in their 20s and 30s pull off platinum gorgeously. So while there’s a risk of aging with platinum strands, the color doesn’t automatically make you look older.
Does platinum blonde hair make you look older?
Platinum blonde hair has a reputation for aging people, but it doesn’t necessarily make you look older if it’s done correctly. Here are some factors that determine if platinum locks will take years off your look or add them on:
Skin tone
Platinum blonde looks best on neutral to cool skin tones. If you have a warm complexion, platinum hair can make you look washed out and emphasized fine lines, shadows, and wrinkles. The light color can draw attention to blemishes too. If you have a yellow skin undertone, the yellow in your skin will make platinum hair take on a brassy tone, resulting in a dull, aged look. The best candidates for platinum have fair skin with pink, red or neutral undertones.
Hair condition
Platinum blonde only works if your hair is healthy enough to withstand the chemical processing. The bleach strips hair of moisture, protein and pigment, leaving it compromised. Dry, brittle, damaged hair with split ends will look frizzy and unkempt in platinum, tending to age you. If your hair is fine or thin, platinum can take away volume and coverage, also aging your look. Get a trim and use conditioning treatments before going platinum.
Facial features
Those with strong facial features tend to wear platinum blonde especially well. Contrast between pale hair and dark eyebrows and eyes dims down wrinkles and lines. Small or soft facial features can disappear against platinum locks, which tends to look older. Strong brows and minimal fine lines will ensure platinum is youthful.
Unflattering tone
Choosing the wrong shade of platinum can definitely age you. For most people, an icy tone works best. Ashy and dirty-looking platinum has too much yellow in it, resulting in a dull, matronly look. On the other hand, some platinum tones turn out too white and washed out. Finding the right tone for you skin and complexion will ensure platinum appears youthful and vibrant.
Root maintenance
Growing out dark roots with platinum blonde hair will age you. The contrast emphasizes your scalp and makes hair look thinner. Fresh roots also pull down the vibrancy of platinum and make it look drab. Commit to frequent root touch-ups every 4 weeks to keep hair looking its youthful best in platinum. Many opt for balayage or babylights around the hairline and part to make grow-out less noticeable.
Fading and brassiness
When platinum fades, yellow tones start to appear, causing brassiness that instantly ages your look. Using purple shampoo helps counteract this. But allowing platinum to fade and go brassy without corrective toning will make hair look dull, lifeless, and much older. Watch for fading starting at week 2 and adjust tone with toning treatments. Proper maintenance is key.
Lack of dimension
Flat, one-dimensional platinum lacking in highlights and lowlights tends to look matronly and ages women. Adding layers and dimensional color helps platinum appear more youthful. Babylights, face-framing highlights, root smudging, and a gloss treatment can make platinum appear fuller and more vibrant.
Unflattering cut
Just like any hair color, an unflattering haircut can add years to your look with platinum hair. Outgrown layers and shapes that are unflattering for your face and features will make platinum seem aging. Keeping your cut sharp and updated prevents platinum from aging you. A modern cut with long face-framing layers flatters most.
How to make platinum blonde look younger
Want to try platinum without the aging effect? Here are tips for making this ultra-light shade look youthful and vibrant:
Prep your hair
Bleaching your hair to go platinum is extremely damaging, so prep your hair to withstand it. Use a deep conditioning hair mask weekly for a month beforehand. Cut off any split ends and avoid heat styling. Start taking a hair supplement like Viviscal to boost shine and strength.
Go with balayage
Get subtle, face-framing highlights around your part and hairline instead of doing your whole head platinum. This ’balayage’ technique leaves your root area dark, minimizing appearance of scalp and thinning hair. The contrast looks youthful.
Avoid brassiness
Pick an icy tone without yellow/gold notes to prevent brassiness. Use purple shampoo starting your first wash to neutralize yellowing. Have a toner on hand to correct any warmth or brassiness between salon visits. Toner refreshes the icy tone.
Use conditioning treatments
Platinum is prone to dryness so use weekly deep conditioning masks. Olaplex No. 3 at home improves integrity and condition. Limit shampooing and use cleansing conditioners instead to preserve moisture and shine.
Schedule root touch-ups
Growing out dark roots will make platinum age you, so keep on top of your root maintenance every 4 weeks. Get in for a gloss treatment in between to refresh your tone and shine. Consider lowlights or balayage around part/hairline to blend better.
Add dimensions
One solid color of platinum can be aging. Add highlights and lowlights to break up solid color. Babylights (subtle highlights) around your face adds dimension. Ask your colorist to ‘shadow root’ or blur your regrowth to make it blend seamlessly.
Avoid excess length
Extra long hair drags down facial features, which can enhance wrinkles with platinum’s wash-out effect. Keep ends above collarbone or add layers to remove weight. Soft, side-swept bangs flatter mature complexions and soften lines.
Shorter cut
Can’t commit to the root maintenance? A shorter platinum style like a pixie or bob is youthful, playful way to wear the shade. The cut brings out your eyes and cheekbones and avoids the problem of visible roots growing in.
Gloss treatments
Refresh platinum’s shine and seal the cuticle between salon visits with a hydrating gloss treatment. Try COLOR WOW’s Dream Coat Supernatural Spray for an anti-frizz gloss that restores vibrancy to faded platinum.
Thicker texture
Platinum shows every imperfection on fine, thin hair textures. Choose a volumizing shampoo and conditioner formulated for fine hair and avoid excess heat. Use thickening and volumizing sprays to prevent platinum looking flat or sparse.
Flattering makeup
Warm up platinum hair with peach, bronze and coral blushes and lip colors. Go for cascading curls vs severe pulls back styles. Fill in brows for a bolder frame emphasizing eyes and cheekbones over fine lines.
Celebrity platinum hair looks
Many celebrities in their 20s, 30s and 40s pull off platinum blonde while looking fresh and youthful. Here’s how they beat the aging effect of platinum locks:
Jennifer Lawrence
JLaw blonde is a gorgeous icy platinum with shadow roots to blend with her naturally darker color. The softly curled ends keep hair full and youthful-looking. Strong brows and red lips keep her lookcurrent.
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani has been rocking platinum blonde for decades but still looks young with her signature color. Her glossy icy shade flashes tones of silver that brightens her complexion. Dark arched brows balance her eyes.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams also sticks to a cool-toned platinum shade that looks clean and fresh, not brassy. A side-part and shoulder length cut keep volume up top so hair doesn’t fall flat. The color remains consistent from roots to ends.
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett began going platinum in her late 30s but it hasn’t aged her. Face-framing highlights create dimension while a mussed texture adds volume. Her icy shade never appears flat or one-dimensional.
Jane Fonda
Even in her 80s, Jane Fonda’s platinum is flawless. The ultra-pale shade matches seamlessly to her roots and her hair has incredible shine. Length at the collarbone is youthful and bouncy.
Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron wears platinum blonde impeccably. Her skin has neutral undertones perfect for platinum. Dimension at the crown and wispy bangs keep it from looking solid and one-note. The super icy tone brightens her complexion.
Gigi Hadid
Gigi Hadid’s dirty blondein youthful and chic. Root shadow creates dimension while buttery highlights frame her face. The shoulder length cut removes any drag while adding layers boosts volume and movement.
Khloe Kardashian
Long layers and lots of texture gives Khloe Kardashian’s platinum mane a fun, flirty look. She sticks to shades in the cool toned family instead of anything brassy. The collarbone length is ideal.
Emily Ratajkowski
EmRata’s platinum has tons of babylights for dimension. Extra volume at the crown and sides keeps this platinum look thick and shiny to balance her delicate features. She minimizes brassiness with a violet toner.
Conclusion
Platinum blonde hair doesn’t automatically make you look older with the right maintenance and styling techniques. Match the ultra pale shade to your skin tone, avoid brassiness with toning, minimize visible roots, and customize the cut to add dimensions. Use volumizing and conditioning products to prevent the drying effect of bleach. Added highlights, lowlights and glosses keep platinum hair looking healthy, shiny and youthfully vibrant. Take inspiration from celebrities rocking platinum locks in their 30s, 40s and beyond. With proper application and care, platinum blonde hair can look striking and ageless.
