I'm sure this post will be incredibly uninteresting for the vast majority of my lovely readers but, having recently gone through the trauma that is bleaching hair, I genuinely feel for anybody else in the same position and thought I'd share some cheeky tips! When I was looking to go blonde, I found that the internet was of absolutely no help, and professionals weren't much better either, and so here's some handy hints that I would have killed to read six months ago.
Okay, so, let's start with the basics. Anybody with a little understanding of hair knows that bleaching your locks is one of the trickiest, most damaging and unpredictable things that you can do to your hair. One of the reasons for this is that, unlike darker colours, which add colour to the hair, bleach strips it away. This means that the more red pigment that is in your hair, the more difficult it is to get pure white tresses. It's bad enough on virgin hair, but on hair that has been dyed every colour under the sun, it is near impossible to bleach your hair and be happy with the results.
Bleaching your hair without fully being prepared for the consequences will almost always end in tears, and you may end up looking less like Miley Cyrus and more like Chucky!
Okay, so how do you avoid this?
Well, fortunately, it is possible.
My hair history is as follows: I'd dyed my hair brunette age 17. Each time I touched up my roots, I applied a full (permanent) head colour to the ends to keep them from fading. When I turned 20 and wanted to go lighter, I faced massive issues because of the huge colour build up in my hair.
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| October '12 |
I sought advice from three hairdressers. The first refused to even discuss the possibility, saying that there was no way I would be able to successfully end up with blonde hair. The second did a strand test, and then told me that my hair had disintegrated within a few minutes of the bleach being applied, and so they weren't prepared to do it. The third, a mobile hairdresser who I've been going to for the past year or so, advised me to try Schwarzkopf Live Colour XXL.
Now, it is imperative that anybody thinking of bleaching their hair at home reads the following carefully: please use this brand. Other brands with blonde models on the front often don't include bleach, and will only make your hair darker. Even if the dye itself is blonde. Strange I know, but to achieve much lighter locks, your hair must be stripped with bleach. Adding any other dye will only make your hair darker. Schwarzkopf does include bleach, but not as high a percentage as hairdressers use, so it isn't as risky to use at home.
Schwarzkopf comes in three shades of blonde: Ice Blonde, Max Blonde and Absolute Platinum. For people with darker hair, I would recommend the Absolute Platinum as it has the highest bleach content, but for those only looking to lighten by a couple of shades I'd suggest the Ice Blonde as it will do the least damage to your hair.
Okay so two days before Christmas (risky, I know) I applied two boxes of the Absolute Platinum to my head, and the results were as such:
Not exactly the results I was hoping for! On a serious note, though, it worked better than expected. I would have been naive to think that I could have gone blonde overnight. The next step I took was to seek professional help. A bubbly hairdresser promised me that for the lovely sum of £50, she could turn my tresses white within the hour. I was a little hesitant, as I'd paid about £6 for two boxes of Schwarzkopf (Superdrug and their wonderful offers), but I decided to put my trust in her because she had a nice smile.
I sat down and was given a 'bleach bath', which basically consisted of applying peroxide to my head and then washing it off straight away, and then a toner, which is essentially just a violet or silver shampoo designed to take out any brassy tones. However, after being subjected to these 'miracle' treatments, I left the salon looking exactly the same, except for a sad face and an emptier purse.
However, never one to give up on anything, I decided to continue on my quest to go blonde! From that day I have continued to use Schwarzkopf at home, doing a 'roots & refresh' whereby I colour the roots of my hair and then use any remaining product on the ends. Thankfully, it's an approach that's worked and now, six months later, I am most definitely a certified blonde.
So please do ignore anybody who says you must never bleach your hair at home, as it is just as safe, far more cost effective, and even better than having it done in a salon. Trust me!
Here is my progress (please excuse the crappy webcam quality):
So what else?
Of course, it isn't all about the amount of bleach that you put on your hair. Hair care products make a massive difference to the colour and condition of your hair. There is no way that my hair would be this light (or this long!) without using the following:
Shampoo
Pro:Voke Touch of Silver Brightening Shampoo
This stuff is priced at £3.09 (Superdrug) and comes in a small, unassuming little bottle. I actually bought it by accident as Superdrug didn't have my usual toner in stock, but I am so glad that I did! Within just two uses my hair was noticeably lighter, and actually looked grey when it was wet! You only need a tiny bit of this shampoo twice a week to see the effects, and it really is a gem. When on my annual holiday to Spain, my hair became discoloured due to the sun and sea, but just one application of this when I got back home made my hair a shiny white again! I cannot recommend this enough.
Conditioner
L'Oreal Hair Exp EverStrong Nourishing Intense Mask
£4.66 from Superdrug, this is a must have for anyone bleaching their hair! It is not enough to use a standard conditioner when you go blonde, and you really need to be using a deep conditioning mask weekly to keep your hair in good condition. It says on the tub to leave this on for around five minutes but I leave mine on for up to an hour, sometimes even sleeping in it to really give my hair a good condition.
After conditioning
Phil Smith Total Treat Argan Oil Hair Transforming Cream
Now, I am sorry to say I don't know where to find this stuff but it really is brilliant! The RRP on Smith's site is £10.99 but Cosmopolitan gave away a free 50 ml sample (above) earlier this year which I've been using for the past couple of months. You're supposed to apply it to wet hair before drying, and I can honestly say that the results are instant. As a bleach blonde with naturally thick, curly hair, my hair usually feels very dry to the touch, but with one application of this, it felt like a silk curtain! Lots of people commented that my hair looked shinier and healthier, and I did notice a lot less breakage on using this product. I'm never one to splash out on anything but I genuinely think that this is worth the money. Brilliant.
Leave-in conditioner
Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner
Reasonably priced at £4.49 for 250 ml, this conditioner smells gorgeous and is great for using daily. I don't like to wash my hair too often as it isn't healthy but this is something I can just spritz on in the morning with minimum hassle. It's great for the beach and it's also really good for getting knots out!
Do's and Don'ts
This stuff seems really basic but it's really important to know how to look after your hair when you're going blonde!
1. Never sleep with wet hair
Hair is at its weakest when wet and more prone to breakage. Sleeping in wet hair, even tied up, can cause damage to the hair, so always try to sleep with dry locks.
2. Never brush wet hair
Loads of people, including hairdressers, do this, but it's actually really bad for your hair! As I stated above, hair is at its weakest when wet, so stubbornly trying to tug out knots will stretch, and ultimately break the hair.
3. Don't wash too often
Girls seem obsessed with washing their hair every single day but, contrary to popular belief, this isn't actually good for your hair! Two of my hairdressers have told me that they only wash their hair once a week, and while I can't go that long, I can't say that I'm one of the 'wash every day' brigade. Washing hair too often can actually cause it to become more greasy, as well as causing dandruff and potential hair loss. I was my hair probably every fourth day and it never gets greasy.
4. Don't expose your hair to too much heat
I never, ever use a hair dryer for the simple reason that it's exposing your hair to so much unnecessary heat. I do use straighteners but I try not to use them every day and often favour the natural look if I'm not doing anything too special.
5. Always use heat protection sprays/serums
Sounds obvious but so many people put heated appliances on their hair without protecting it first. This seems so stupid to me! Would you take something out of the oven without wearing oven gloves? Of course not! Apply the same logic to your hair.
6. Avoid swimming pools like the plague
We've all heard the rumours of chlorine turning bleached hair green, but I found out the hard way one summer that this was true. I was around 15, and got a bit cocky one year when I decided to go in the swimming pool for hours, ignoring my mother's advice. Well, when my hair dried it had a distinct green tinge to it that was very noticeable. I can't even remember how I got rid of it. So, shower caps or no swimming I'm afraid.
That's just about all I can think of for now, but thanks for reading!
Hope you enjoyed
xoxo
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