We get asked a LOT about what is involved in going blonde.
Basically there are two ways in which we do this. There is the bleach & tone, which results in an overall bold blonde. The other way is highlights. Both have their pro’s and cons and there are a few things to consider before you choose which method.
Bleach & Tone.
Beach & Tone produces an all over blonde which is bolder and brighter with only one blonde showing.
Things to consider:
Depending on the colour of your hair right now, you probably wont be able to go as blonde as this in one go. If you have any dye in your hair or your hair is darker naturally then it will take a few visits before you are properly blonde. You will have to be prepared to go through the stages, depending on how dark or what colour your hair is. On darker colours or reds, your results will vary after the first visit from light brown to copper or darker blonde. The darker your hair the harder it is to lighten in one go.
You will also need to consider how healthy your hair is. Not just at the roots, but if your hair is long, the hair at the ends may be a couple of years old, so you will have to take into consideration what you did to your hair two years ago. We will go through a thorough consultation with you but if your hair is too fragile then this is not an option for you.
We may be able to do two or three applications of bleach in one visit. Bleach only lightens for a certain length of time before it conks out. We will test the strength of your hair after each application, once we’ve washed it off, to see if we can do another application without too much damaged to your hair. If your hair is in good condition and can be bleached two or even three times in one visit, you will get a lighter result after just one visit.
Highlights.
A full head of highlights result in a more natural blonde with ‘streaks’ of different blondes and even browns coming through the hair.
Things to consider:
This is a more gentle way of going blonde and usually produces a proper blonde highlight straight away rather than having to go through the brown and copper stages. However, it will also take around 3 or 4 full heads of highlights before you can call yourself a proper blonde. To start with there will be more of your original colour than the blonde. After your next visit there will be around 40% or your original and 60% blonde, each time after that you will become blonder and blonder until you are a proper blonde.
This can be done on hair that is a little more fragile if necessary but if your hair is too fragile then it is best not to apply bleach at all. If you have natural hair that has never been coloured then we can use what is called a high lift color, this lightens the hair and tones it to a blonde of your choice, straight away and is more gentle on the hair than using bleach. We can also put different colour blondes through the hair this way.
What is a toner:
Toner is basically a colour. We apply it to the hair if the end result of the bleaching isn’t quite the colour we want. We can tone out unwanted tones, like coppers and yellow’s to a certain extent. It is also used to make highlights another colour such as brown or red or even pink. This colour will wash out. This is a bonus as you can try different colours each time.
Be PATIENT!
Most of the time it does take a few visits to get to your perfect blonde. This is because we don’t want to damage your hair. If we lighten it too much in once go, it will be too damaged to make it look any good. It also wont hold onto any colours or toners you want to put into it and just look terrible no matter what you do. Box or supermarket colours are the hardest to lighten out, just because they are so packed with colour pigment it takes even the strongest bleach a while to get through. Most box colours will only lighten a shade or two on the first visit and even less if you have been box colouring for years. Its like paint on a house, think of all those layers it has to get through. The best option is to be patient as sometimes it will take a while to get the perfect blonde but it will pay off in the end. In our experience, taking short cuts just ends badly meaning more work to fix up and taking even longer to obtain your perfect shade.
Avoiding ‘Ginge’, Yellow and any other discolouration.
In the case of very dark hair, there is a stage of colours the hair has to lighten through. Red through to red orange to orange to orangey yellow to yellow (or dark blonde) to light yellow (which is light blonde) to platinum (if possible). Most of those middle stages can be considered ginger and will be by a lot of people. There are so many really pretty shades of copper that most people won’t mind this stage but there are a few who really hate it. We usually find its someone else who has influenced this hate of anything copper by calling them ‘ginge’ (there’s always one friend who thinks their funny!) but its a pretty popular colour lately so just go with it. As long as its not that fluro raw orange home-job orange then you should be fine. We avoid this by toning it to a nice copper or chocolate on darker hair. It isn’t until the hair is lightened to a darker blonde that we can tone out any copper completely.
Unfortunately there isn’t really a good way to avoid this copper stage if you are wanting to go lighter but one popular product is Fabuloso Pro by Evo. It is an intense take-home treatment that makes your hair feel amazing but is also packed with your colour that we mix especially for you. You leave it on for 3 minutes in the shower and it comes in shades such as red, copper, chestnut, beige and platinum. To mask most copper shades, we recommend Chestnut as the beige and platinum wont mask a darker copper colour, they are more to hide yellow tones. This product doesn’t stain the hair but tops up the existing colour so its PERFECT. These retail at $49.90 and will last you ages!
A lot of people naturally ‘throw yellow’ which means their hair naturally goes a little yellow over time, usually at the roots. Things like swimming and certain hair products can also turn your hair a little yellow, so Fabuloso blonde shades will be perfect to clean this out.
Be careful swimming. Chlorine and sea water can not only dry out hair terrible but also give it a lovely greeny tinge. Its best to wet your hair in shower water first so your hair wont soak up too much of the sea or pool water, coat it in an oil such as Davines Oi Oil and if swimming regularly, wear a cap too. We also have Evo Happy Campers to block out salt water, chlorine and is a sunscreen for your hair.
After Care.
The care you take of your hair at home is the most important part of the process. We can take you blonde and do our best to keep your hair in a good condition but for 90% of the time, your hair is in YOUR hands. If you are using the wrong or bad products at home and ill treating your hair, there is nothing we can do about this and you WILL end up with damaged and broken hair that is hard to handle.
You will need:
A good salon shampoo & conditioner which suits your hair type and has strengthening qualities. Supermarket brands are cheap for a reason…they contain a lot of water and soaps (which is why they are so liquid) which damages your hair or doesn’t clean it properly. Salon brands are only sold in salons and are highly concentrated. They will last you a LOT longer and are usually, gram for gram used, around the same price anyway. Evo Riutal
You will need a treatment, something that is going to deeply nourish your hair. Bleach dries the hair as it opens the hairs cuticle to get the colour out, letting out all the moisture with it. This is why your hair will feel dryer and usually more fluffy. And believe me, being a bleach blonde, the only way you can get rid of these is with a good treatment. Great treatments we have used include Evo Mane Prescription, Davines Pak and treatment oils such as Davines Oi Oil and Davines All in One Milk (which has softening agents and heat and UV protection too!) They last for ages so are a good buy.
A heat protector is a must for everyone but vital for blondes as the hair is more fragile. I use Davines All in One Milk which has lots of nutrients in to smooth my hair and nourish it and also a spray in heat protection when ironing or drying such as Davines Shield which is all natural and smells yummy.
You don’t need to buy all of these all at once!
I usually recommend to people on a budget to get the Shampoo & Conditioner first, then the treatment then the Oil & protections. The shampoo & conditioner is what you are going to use most and is the base of your hair which people use every day sometimes. You need to be using the right one straight away as even just one or two washes with a cheap one will dry your hair.
Blonde is high maintenance but definitely worth it.
Just ask Marilyn!
