My hair is dark with purple bangs & highlights, and yea you have to get it bleached otherwise you would have to squint really hard to see any purple in it
. Suprisngly the damage to my hair was minimal. & I get it relaxed every six months to a year (my hair is extremely curly
). Luckily my hairdresser knows what shes doing. Its a long process but it worth it to get the results you desire. & upkeep isnt expensive. Just a few toners here & there. Hope that helps!