Want to go blonde?
If you’ve been thinking about changing your hair colour and getting a natural blonde hair look, then read our short blog on what you should consider before you take the first step.
by Ella Levy, House of Lox Sydney, Senior Hair Stylist
What to consider before going blonde?
When we think about blonde hair, each individual has a different idea and look in mind, whether you’re looking for ash, beige, caramel, sun-kissed, strawberry-blonde and so on it can become a lengthy journey to achieve the end look you are after. On top of this, the cost can increase with the maintenance required for upkeep and/or with returning visits to continue lightening the hair to achieve the end outcome.
Its easy enough to look at edited photos of celebrity makeovers on Instagram and wish for their “overnight” platinum blonde locks.
However, done correctly it is more of a journey and a process, so I will be giving you some information and tips on what to know and expect before making the choice.
Check out some of our hair transformations.
Five points to consider before going blonde.
1.
Always trust your hairdresser.
You may sometimes sit there and think “do I really need this” but trust in your hairdresser that they know what hair needs, as well as how much treatment your hair can handle in one sitting.
Always make sure you book in for a consult beforehand, so we can assess the strength of your hair and come up with a solid game-plan to keep your hair healthy, strong and looking vibrant.
2.
Lightening hair is a process.
When we look at your hair the first thing we do is asses the natural underlying pigments. When we begin to lighten your hair it will expose these underlying pigments as we lift each shade. Some of these pigments can be lifted faster than others, and when there is a product build up such as old colour or box dye this process can take longer to remove.
With completely natural hair you will find a clean fast lift will occur. As we lift through each shade (1-10) we will tone whichever pigment is showing once the hair has lifted as high as it can in a session, otherwise you will start to see unwanted brassy tones occurring.
3.
Not only a long process, but a damaging one.
Our expert colourists will take great care of your locks to avoid damage and lift it in the best way possible, but even in expert hands lightening hair will always impart some dryness to the cuticle. This is where bond protectors such as Olaplex come to the fore, by replacing and protecting the broken bonds caused by the lightening process.
Olaplex does mildly slow down the lightening strength but it allows us to lift the shade of your hair safely and with far less damage. Our colourists will also ensure that you never have overlapping bleached sections (a common cause of snapped hair), and they will use different strengths with each visit as the hair starts to get lighter.
4.
After-Care.
We will also provide you with the right take-home products including use-at-home Olaplex treatments to continue to nourish and protect your hair.
With treated hair it is imperative that you use the correct shampoo / conditioner and treatment products. Supermarket shampoos can cause product build up on your hair that at best will slow or impede the lifting process, but at worst can create a nasty exothermic chemical reaction that heats the bleach up on your hair and causes considerable damage. For this reason it is vital that you are honest with your stylist and disclose exactly what products you are using up-front so that they can adjust their approach if necessary. Don’t wait until you have a head full of foils fizzing and dripping all over you due to a reaction with silicones in your supermarket shampoo!
You will also likely want to use a purple/blue shampoo regularly to maintain your tone at home and keep brassy shades at bay in between visits to the salon.
5.
Maintenance.
Before choosing to go blonde please consider the maintenance routine and if it works for you, as you will need to book in for regular regrowth and toner treatments – typically 8-10 weeks for most people depending on the rate of your hair growth.
One option to consider if you are after a lower maintenance blonde is to opt for a balayage style (darker roots blending into blonde ends). This can substantially extend the time you need between visits, with many of our clients going for up to six months between visits quite easily.