Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke unveils new hair inspired by her character

Emilia Clarke shot to fame for her role as the silvery blonde Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. The actress made no secret of the painstakingly long time it took to attach the hair extensions every day for filming to transform her from brunette to blonde.

Hairstylists on set have to braid her hair before fitting a bald cap and then fixing the wig in place. Perhaps next season they won't need the wig though as the actress unveiled her new platinum blonde locks on Instagram this afternoon. 

She's not the only celebrity to have gone platinum blonde this year. Kim Kardashian unveiled icy blonde hair at New York Fashion Week earlier this month. It's not the first time Kim has gone platinum, but this time round she opted for a chicer, silvery tone.

In fact, there's been quite a few from Olivia Wilde and Kate Mara to Katy Perry and Cara Delevingne. Model Karlie Kloss showcased her platinum blonde hair at Dior's Haute Couture show in Paris in July.

The hair colourist behind Karlie's transformation, Christina Cessna revealed on Instagram that it took just a couple of hours to achieve the icy blonde hue. And also mentioned Olaplex, an in-salon treatment that helps rehydrate and protect hair when you're dying it.  

According to hair stylist Adam Reed, it’s not just celebrities going platinum. “I have seen more and more of my clients going for really ‘light’ blondes this season, edging towards pure and platinum most of the time,” says Adam.

“The introduction of incredible colour conditioning additives has made platinum a not too distant dream for most people,” adds Reed, who uses L’Oreal Professionnel SmartBond treatment in his salons, Percy & Reed. “It allows me to lift the hair colour and create the perfect base to go platinum without leaving the hair feeling dry or brittle.”

For those who are keen to follow in the celebs footsteps, here's a handy guide to go platinum blonde...

How to go platinum

Platinum is a tricky colour to achieve and if you're serious about it, book in for a colour consultation and an expert will be able to talk you through the process and how long it will take. A DIY job with bleach and toner could go horribly wrong if you've never gone blonde before. 

Be prepared for it to take a few colour appointments for you to achieve that icy platinum finish, especially if you’ve dyed your hair previously. “Those with naturally medium brown to light blonde hair colour will find this an easy service to achieve in one hit,” says Lisa Castilla from Lockonego. “Those with naturally darker shades can achieve these but over a longer period of time.”

“I’d suggest keeping the bleach to lowest level possible and re-doing it a few times,” says celebrity hair colourist Josh Wood, who took Edie Campbell from black to blonde for the YSL Beaute campaign a couple of years ago. 

How to look after platinum blonde hair

“Keeping your hair in good condition is vital so I recommend using products that are specifically for bleached hair that will stop it from looking and feeling brittle,” says Wood. Both Pureology Perfect 4 Platinum Shampoo, £13.20, and Conditioner, £16.40, and Charles Worthington Colour Enhancer Violet Toning Shampoo, £5.99, and Conditioner, £5.99, are good ranges to invest in to avoid your platinum from dulling or looking brassy.

“Using a mask once a week will also preserve the shine and gloss to keep your colour looking premium,” says Wood, who has created a particularly impressive range of glossing masks, £10, for just that purpose. There are also a plethora of in-salon treatments that help nourish dry, post-bleached hair and revive your platinum. For instant and long-lasting results look to Olaplex, which is available nationwide and gives your hair a new lease of life (even if you don't go platinum, it's worth booking in for a treatment). 

Castilla also recommends minimising your use of heated appliances and having a regular trim to keep your platinum looking glossy and chic rather than unkempt.

Even if you take Wilde and Mara's approach and have darker roots, it's worth noting that you will still need to book a salon appointment to tone and dye your locks every six weeks, minimum. Without roots, it will be more like every three weeks, depending on how quickly your hair grows. 

And when you want to go back...? 

Unless you are blonde, going from platinum back to your natural hair colour can be just as long a process. You will need to keep dying over the blonde to avoid it from coming through or going brassy. The quickest solution is to cut it off and go short. 

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