11 Things to Know when Bleaching Your Hair

If you have never gone blonde, do you wonder what the damage/maintenance is? If you are blonde, has your hairstylist ever explained how best to care for your color? Either way, here are 10 things to know when you decide to highlight your hair.

1) It can make your hair feel thicker and volumize more easily! Lightner/bleach expands the hair to decolorize it, so the hair more easily is volumized and feels thicker!

2) Decolorizing the hair breaks down the keratin and melanin to lighten it, it makes it more prone to being dry. When hair becomes too dry and brittle it breaks. Make sure to moisturize your blonde hair with a high quality leave in cream or oil after every wash to keep it as shiney and strong as possible.

3) Each process will vary in time. Fluctuations in room temperature and your own body temperature can cause it to process faster or slower. Build up of product or hard water can also affect processing time.

4) It is best to wash the hair thoroughly with a clarifying shampoo and lightly condition before your highlight appt. Clarifying purifies the hair of mineral and product build up from hard water and products so that there is less likely to be any chemical reactions with the bleach that could damage your hair.

5) If you are getting on scalp bleach, don't wash your hair right before your appointment, but wash it two or three days before so your natural scalp oils can help protect your skin from itching and burning.

6) It can change your curl pattern and increase frizz in wavy hair. As far as changing curl pattern- the less contrast you are going for, the less it will affect your curls. A drastic change like black hair

going platinum, you'll notice the curls may not have the spring they used to. You can use moisturizing products such as creams or oils to keep that at bay.

7) Icy tones don't last forever. Its really hard to get ash/icy/silver tones to last more than 2-4 washes. You can buy purple or black shampoo and conditioner to maintain the look at home.

8) If you don't like warm tones in blondes, going lighter is key. However blonde is very porous and it can absorb minerals from your shower if you don't have a shower head filter. Sometimes toner dulls light blondes, so opting for your stylist to use a purple shampoo instead of a toner can keep you brighter.

9) Darker Blonde is beautiful but will fade brassier. If you are looking for an "old money" or true balayage blonde- it will start with a darker yellow blonde that will need a toner to make it feel more "natural". Some people don't mind the warmth of the fade.

10) Not all blonde experts are equal: Some specialize in "global bleach" lightening the hair scalp to ends. Some blonde specialists specialize in more natural "lived in" looks that can be maintained every 3-6 months. Some blonde experts are great at highlighting to the root. Some do beautiful macro lights (large ribbons of highlights) while others specialize in microlights (very fine blended highlights). Some have the patience to create a perfectly diffused face-frame, while others prefer a more chunky one. Some blonde specialists are great with highlighting lighter hair but struggle to lighten brunette and dark hair past "orange". Look at your future blonde specialist's Instagram or portfolio of work to see who suits you best.

11) A more expensive stylist may wind up costing the same as your cheap stylist in the end if you don't have to go back as often. You can usually grow out a more trained blonde specialists work for longer than you can a cheaper hairstylists work. You have to decide what has the most value for you. Make sure you do your research to get the value you are looking for in a blonde expert. At Atlantis Salon our priority is your hair health, and creating as low of maintenance looks as we can for you and your lifestyle. Feel free to fill out our contact form for a hair color consultation to see if we are a good fit for you!