Ready To Go Blonde?!
Going from Brown to Blonde is not an easy technique, a whole lot of customers anticipate it can absolutely be achieved in a single session. Some believe putting a color all over the hair, but that’s not the case. It takes a variety of ability, persistence, confidence, experience, and a colorist who knows their stuff. But it also takes a client who is cool, calm and collected thru the numerous tiers of going blonde.
Let’s talk about wheather you are the proper candidate for becoming a blonde, the way to get you there, and the ways to hold it looking desirable afterwards.
Ready? OKAY!
Let’s talk about Damage: Going blonde will most likely damage your hair. If you have box color, or any kind of color at all on your hair when going blonde, your stylist WILL need to apply bleach. Sadly, color does not lift color out of hair. That is why it is crucial to steadily lighten your hair whilst going from one intense color (Black) to the another(Blonde). If your hair is already damaged, you need to ask yourself if its in your best interest to go lighter.
If your stylist tells you it’s not in your best interest to go lighter, PLEASE believe them. You may find a few stylists available that will lighten your hair, however, it will cause damage or worst case, break off. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t go light, but if your hair is healthy and the lightening technique is achieved effectively and slowly, you may safely go lighter with your hair over time.Even then, there will most likely be some type of minimal damage to your hair.
Time – Going from dark to blonde takes several sessions, and typically several hours at a time. Plan to be in the salon every 4-6 weeks to begin with, and plan to spend numerous hours inside the salon with each visit. A stylist should not attempt to take your hair from a very darkish color, to light in one session, it’s not possible. If you‘re planning on going light, make certain you tell your stylist beforehand so that they can schedule enough time for you. In case you‘re a new client, go in for a session first.
Patience – It takes time to get to the desired blonde of your preference. Be patient with your Stylist while going lighter and take into account that you may need to live with a color that is “in between” what you’re hoping to achieve for a few weeks. Dark hair is naturally going to lift to warmer tones (Orange, Yellow), especially if it has old box color on it. So you are most likely not going to be an “ash” blonde until you are closer to the lightest blonde color. However, it should still be a decent shade in the process, even if it has a little bit of warmth to it.
Money – Being blonde is NOT cheap, it is a higher maintenance lifestyle. It is not suited for someone who likes to come into the salon every 8-12 weeks or longer. If your going from brunette to blonde, you will need several appointments for full highlights about every 4-6 weeks, until your desired color is achieved. Once you’re at your desired color, you will need to come in for touch ups every 5-10 weeks.
This also depends on the contrast in your natural color vs. your blonde. Once you’re at this point, you can get by with just doing a partial highlights. You may get a full every few times, which is less expensive for your wallet. You will also need to invest in good products to keep your blonde looking good, and healthy!
Now it’s time for going Blonde!
Go to a Pro – Trying to go blonde on your own is a big NO for numerous reasons. It’s going to cause breakage, and most of the time exhibits undesirable brassy tones. Always visit a professional who knows the way to safely take your hair lighter without damage. As well as preventing those unwanted brassy tones! Coloring your hair at home will most likely go wrong. So seeing your stylist will most definitely save you money and time to go to a professional.(Color Corrections aren’t cheap) Don’t be afraid to set up a consultation at your salon.
Being honest is KEY – Your stylist will ask you questions about your hair records. we are not doing this for giggles, we need to understand exactly what was done to your hair formerly, as far back as you can remember (at the least 5 years). We need to know how frequently you’ve placed color throughout your hair, or how many times you have gone dark to light and then back again. This may determine how easy or tough it is going to be to get you light and also tells your stylist which products to apply on your hair.
Prepare for your visit – It is never too early to begin the usage of professional products for your hair to get it in the best feasible condition. Weeks prior to your hair appointment, begin using a good protein based Shampoo and Conditioner. Deep condition the crap out of it, & continue to do this for as long as you live. Or at least, while your a blonde. The day of your visit, come with clean, dry hair so your stylist can see your natural color, without problems. sometimes when hair isn’t washed, it makes the natural color look darker due to oils, and build up in your hair.
During your 1st Visit – Depending on your hair history, your stylist will most likely begin your first appointment by doing full highlights. They may artistically choose what to lighten. Since you will still have some of your previous color left in-between what is being highlighted, they should not leave an excessive amount of contrast, or take too “chunky” of sections in order to preserve the color looking stunning and natural until your next lightening session.
In case your hair is extremely dark or has years of box color on it, your stylist may want to “strip” the color bydoing a color eliminating technique. After that they can proceed to do highlights. Talk to your stylist about which option would be excellent for you. It is super important to make certain your stylist knows ahead of time that you‘re wanting this type of change. If you are scheduled for a partial highlight and come in asking for a huge change like this, your stylist will only be able to do what he/she has scheduled time for.
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Your 2nd & 3rd Visit – Over your next few visits your stylist will strategically highlight the darker pieces out of your hair each time. Each time you should get lighter and lighter until you’re at your favored level.
As soon as your desired color is achieved, its time to schedule highlight touch ups. You may play with lowlights, or different colours of blonde nevertheless. Your stylist has been putting lightener (bleach) from scalp to ends with every visit prior (hence the concern of damage). Now it is time to give your hair a break, and only focus on the“outgrowth” for a while! sometimes i have clients who’re “Blondeorexic”.
Blondeorexic is a condition in which someone thinks they are able to only improve their hairstyle by means of bleaching/lightening their hair. It also has to deal with the concept of being blonde and thin to be stunning, hence the “Rexia” part. However, going lighter and lighter and lighter to the point of no return isn’t always good for your hair!
At Home Care
Invest in GREAT Products – This will be the pure foundation for maintaining your blonde hair looking fantastic. Nobody desires moss like hair. I would highly suggest shopping for professional Shampoo & Conditioner, as well as a Deep Conditioner once a week. This is probably the most crucial part of being blonde. you need to keep your hair healthy for the duration of and after the process.
Use The Purple Shampoo – The use of a purple shampoo is a must. Use it once a week to cut out yellow tones, and help keep your blonde bright and beautiful! Purple is the direct opposite of yellow on the color wheel, “therefore” canceling out yellow tones in hair. Redken has one called “Color Extend Blondage Color Depositing Shampoo & Conditioner, as well as Anti-Brass masks”
Shampoo Less – Try making your color last longer by shampooing less! Use a dry shampoo to help you blow dry less, preventing heat damage. I LOVE “Pillow Proof Blow Dry Two Day Extender Dry Shampoo”
Use Caution with Heat – Being blonde is all about the products, good shampoo, good conditioner, and good leave in products! Since blonde hair is more fragile than brunette hair, you want to use caution when applying heat. Always use a heat protector and make sure your not over doing it with the heat tools! My favorite heat protector is “Iron Shape 11: Thermal Holding Spray” which is lightweight, and protects your hair up to 450 degrees to protect your hair, add shine, and reduce your frizz.