I'll second the L'Oreal Hilift range. They're especially made for dark hair and won't drastically change the color. Even though the color on the box may look lighter than what you're going for (the models probably had medium to light brown hair to begin with) it won't have such a dramatic effect since your hair is pitch black.

I used a medium brown on my hair and then bought a lighter shade (within the Hilift colors) and added my own highlights. It gives it a much more natural look :)

It depends how light you want to go, most home girls make the mistake of choosing a shade that?s too light, just for the sake of being different and it doesn?t even suit them, plus the damage it causes.

I also have black hair and I think I use the same stuff shubsy is talking about its called Loreal Excellence HiColor, made for dark hair. I?ve experimented a bit, I like the soft brown shade, it makes my hair brownish/redish and even when my black roots grow out, its still not so different that you need to retouch them so often. If you use the blonde shades, black hair tends to turn orange-ish. So I don?t recommend lifting that much unless you go to a professional

u can go to sallys and get this stuff by loreal its called highlift ( im not sure about the spelling) and it comes in various shades. trust me that works on the darkest of hairs.

on the other hand if ur looking for highlights or something more drastic, id say go bleach, it'll always grow out

to lighten hair, you're going to have to use something oxidizing no matter what. you can avoid using ammonia and peroxide with the new color mousses and glazes. i have heard great reviews on John Frieda color glaze (dark brunette) which gives a really nice sheer tint to the hair.