Lighten Up

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25 Apr

So you’re a brunette looking to go blonde? Certainly not surprising. Modern stereotypes aside, blonde hair has a had a long history dating as far back as antiquity, of being the fairer and most feminine of hair colors, and is arguably the most highly valued due to the amount of money that goes into maintaining those golden to platinum tresses. But, if you’ve always sported a darker look, this may be a big and bold step to be taking, and is most definitely going to require some work, and a few things should be kept in mind during the transition.

Take Care…

Let’s just skip the lecture on how much damage you’re going to be inflicting on your hair, you’re bound to already know that. What you are going to need to do though, to prevent hair fall, is develop some kind of regimen to give as much support as you can. Regular and frequent deep conditioning treatments will most certainly be needed. It may be best do both professional as well ones at home.

What Level?

There are things to take into consideration when lightening your hair, that can affect the method of which you should do it, such as how dark is your natural hair and how blonde do you want to go? Going to a professional is far from cheap, but it’s SAFEST. Giving into the temptation of doing it yourself could be a huge mistake, especially if this is going to be a drastic color change. The initial process usually takes a few trips to the salon, and rarely is done in one shot. Although, if you’re only going a handful of shades lighter, you might be fully capable of performing the deed yourself. And if you’re ok with gradually lightening to golden hues, you can even use a combination of natural methods like honey, certain teas and even natural sun exposure, which will also have a more authentic appearance help avoid the highly synthetic look of platinum.

Prevention/Products Makes Perfect

There are a few investments that you’ll need to make to help maintain the color. Stocking up on shampoos and conditioners that support blonde colors and help with removing mineral deposits from your water will help make the color last. If you prefer the cooler toned shades, consult with a stylist as to what kind of toners you may need to avoid having your become brassy. If you are a water rat and spend hours in chlorinated pools, you’ll definitely want to look into products to prevent the dreaded green stain that chlorine is known to cause.

Back Off

You are going to need to change some of your hair styling routines, to avoid your hair turning into highly untouchable looking strands made of straw. Every expert will tell you that washing your hair daily is a bad idea and deprives your scalp and strands of the natural oils that are needed to stay healthy. And if you go blonde, you are going to need those oils more than ever, so you want to limit how often you apply suds to your hair to every few days, rather than daily. Also lay off heat and chemical processing as well. These are the necessary sacrifices you have to make for decent blonde color.