How to Go Blonde the RIGHT Way

If you have dark hair, you don’t have to feel intimidated about trying a sun-kissed color; there is a way to go light that won’t destory your strands and leave you with a miscolored mess on your head. Just follow these tips. Your Hair Color Experts!

DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME
First things first: Leave the drastic color changes to the professionals. “It takes a lot of training to do it right,” says Javier. “You could lose a good amount of hair and ruin your hair completely.” Plus, at-home dyes don’t have the strength of ones available at salons, anyway. “You have to be a professional to use hard-core lightening products. And take note: If you already color your hair on a regular bases, We doesn’t recommend going blonde since you’ll just be piling on the damage (previously colored hair will need to be stripped out with bleach or a similar lightener first).

LIGHTEN YOUR HAIR IN STAGES
If you want a lighter look, it’s best to lift the color in increments, says Javier, who notes that this could take up to four sessions, depending on the hue you’re going for and the damage that that could cause to your strands. If your hair is in very healthy condition, Javier says you can get away with getting your desired blonde shade in one appointment. In that case, expect to be in the salon for seven to eight hours.
MAKE SURE YOU’VE MOISTURIZED BEFORE LEAVING THE SALON
We suggest a variation of masks and treatments before the guest leaves the salon. First, she uses a new bonding agent called B3 after the hair has been bleached to fill in any damaging holes in the hair strand. We follow this with a gloss (which adds shine) and a hair mask that she leaves on for 30 minutes to an hour. “I want to make sure the hair is soft and hydrated before you leave the salon.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AT HOME
“The first week, you have to acknowledge that you just stripped the hair of all its natural pigment, so hydrating the hair is the most important thing.” We suggests a leave in conditioner Indulge by Integrity on a regular bases.
PREPARE TO GET FRIENDLY WITH YOUR STYLIST
You’re about to see a lot of each other since a bold blonde hue requires a lot of in-salon upkeep. “Become good friends with your stylist, we see some guest every two weeks for a gloss, every four to five weeks for retouches, and sometimes even more often for a repairing hair mask in between appointments.