What You Need To Know About Going Blonde

I find that so many of my blonding clients come to know a lot about the ins and outs of hair coloring and hair care. Toner, treatment, lift, warmth they come to understand it all in a very short time.  Here’s my list for all you aspiring blondies and what you need to know before you get those foils in your hair.
Warmth is inevitable.
When it comes to blondes, what almost every first timer says is “I just don’t want to be yellow-orange.” And newsflash my dear, no one does. But hair color isn’t as simple as a paint by numbers. If it was you wouldn’t be paying us the big bucks to do it.  To achieve blonde colorists need to “lift” the hair. Lightener (and color for that matter) expose what’s known as the “underlying pigment”, that is all hair color has varying degrees of red, orange, and yellow lying just under that pretty natural brown or black. So after we get the hair the perfect level of lightness, we need to account for that lovely banana shade. Which is where our next friend comes in.

Toner is the star of the show
 So now you’ve been sitting in the salon for an hour, or two, or three and it has come time to shampoo your hair.  Toning the hair will bring it the perfect shade of blonde (and ashy silver isn’t always it, trust me.) It also adds shine to the hair and will usually last 4 to 6 weeks.  Even if you aren’t touching up your blonde more than 2 or 3 times a year, you will want to add a tone to your haircuts or blowouts to keep everything on point. But good news is there is a way to help at home, which leads to your next topic.

Purple Shampoo & Conditioner are your new best friend.
THIS is a must have for blondes. A toning shampoo/conditioner duo is part of your new home hair care routine as a blonde. These will aid in extending toned results from the salon, all from the comfort of your own shower. Now, you need to be careful, because like all good things there is a catch! Color depositing shampoos, such as toning shampoos, are drying and usually shouldn’t be used more than once a week. You will need to have another Shampoo/Conditioner to use the rest of the time. (We like this one, or this one) However, there is an exception to the rule, find out what it is here.

Moisture & Protein Treatments have to be part of your routine.
Hair needs two main things to be healthy and beautiful. Those are moisture and Keratin protein. Lacking either can cause dullness, frizz, and irreparable damage to your hair.  Salon and at home treatments are a must for lightened hair. As hair ages, is exposed to the elements, and is colored or treated chemically it loses much needed protein and moisture. Getting concentrated and specific treatments is key. Consult with your stylist about what to buy and how often to use it, because too much of either can also cause undesired effects.

Consultations and choosing a stylist who specializes in the look you are going for is important not only for your desired style, but for the health and integrity of your hair.  It’s important that your stylist or colorist takes these steps, because there are no cutting corners when going blonde. Are you thinking about going lighter for the spring or summer? Do you have a question about something we talked about here? Comment below!