How To Transition From Brunette To Blonde
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Natural blondes are so lucky when it comes to switching up their hair colour but for us brunette babes it can be a little tricky. In order for us to change our look we need to get some bleach involved and with bleach comes way more risk of damage. We’ve all seen those fail videos of girls with their hair falling off after attempting a jet black to platinum transformation. Ouch. This is the stuff nightmares are made of but if you’re sensible, you can definitely avoid a disaster.
For those of you that want to make the switch, we’ve put together some quick tips that will help you to navigate it. Being as clued up as possible is the best way to avoid a disaster and it’s good to know what you’re in for as the process can be pretty long. Here are the deets...
Plan Ahead
Going blonde, especially if your natural hair is quite dark will be a process that you need to be prepared for. You want to make sure you’ve got time to go for regular appointments and that you can afford to keep up with the costs. A dramatic hair change is expensive, so if you’ve only budgeted for one appointment it’s not going to be enough.
Prepare To Wait
If your hair is in bad condition then you’ll need to hold off on your transformation until you’ve given it time to repair. If it’s really bad, then your colourist might suggest growing it out and getting regular trims for a few months first. Damaged hair won’t withstand the bleaching process, so unless you’re happy to lose loads of length it’s not worth it.
Think About The Maintenance
Ok, ok we hate to kill your vibe but if you’re low maintenance when it comes to your hair routine then going blonde won’t be the best idea. With bleach comes great responsibility and if you’re not going to step it up then you’ll be wasting all that effort. Your new blonde hair will need regular masks, less heat and a lot more maintenance when your roots start showing through. These are all things to consider before taking the plunge!
Be Honest
If you’ve coloured your hair before, at home or otherwise, you need to be completely honest about it with your hairstylist. Even if it was a while ago, having dye on the ends of your hair will affect how the colour processes and it could make it look stripy and uneven. Not only that but processed hair is more fragile and putting bleach over the top could cause your hair to break.
Don’t Start Until...
You don’t want to let a stylist near your hair until they’ve completed a patch and strand test. A patch test needs to be carried out 48 hours before any colour treatment to check for an allergic reaction. Alongside this, the strand test will check the integrity of your hair so that your stylist knows whether it’s healthy enough to process.
Go Slow
To maintain the integrity of your hair it’s best to slowly transition from brunette to blonde rather than fully bleaching your hair at the first appointment. A gradual transition is the safest option and we’d recommend going for highlights or balayage first and then slowly working towards the shade you want to achieve. You can go from brunette to blonde in a day if you want to and with the right stylist and healthy hair, this is definitely possible. We just think it’s worth taking it slow so that you can keep your locks in the best condition possible!
Avoid Shampoo
This might sound gross but you’ll thank us later! Sebum is your scalps natural moisturiser so it will help to protect it from the bleach and ease any irritation. Stripping your hair of moisture will only make it more prone to damage so we wouldn’t recommend shampooing it for at least 24 hours before your appointment.
Change Your Hair Products
Blonde hair has different needs to your natural brunette shade so you’re going to have to switch up your products after making the transition. We’d recommend going for a sulphate free shampoo that’s more gentle as your hair is likely to be drier than normal. Alternatively, you could switch to co-washing instead which is when you use a cleansing conditioner rather than a shampoo and conditioner separately. The R+Co Analog Cleansing Foam Conditioner is formulated to nourish colour-treated or under-hydrated hair so this would be a perfect shout. Deep conditioning hair masks are also a must to keep your strands as moisturised as possible. On top of this, you might need to incorporate a purple shampoo into your weekly routine which will help to beat any brassiness.
Loved this one? Click here for the difference between at-home and salon hair colour.
