If there’s one “beauty regime” that I spend the most time on, it’s my hair. I love my hair, and I love taking care of it. Two months ago I decided to go blonde (!!!!). It has been a HUGE change, but I love it more and more every day! My friend Mac at the Gary Manuel Aveda Institute in Seattle did it and I couldn’t have been happier with my experience. Seriously, if you’re in Seattle, go there. It’s affordable and they go above and beyond in making you feel welcome. Honestly, I was very surprised with how much I love being blonde. My dark hair was something I absolutely loved and felt confident with, but I wanted something new. Hair is such a great way to make a big change, and I figured I might as well take hair risks while I’m 20.
While it took six hours during my first session (so far I’ve had two), my hair still feels healthy and just as strong as before I bleached it. If your hair is dark and you’re considering going blonde, there are a lot of things you should consider beforehand:
What does your hair care routine currently look like? How much money are you willing to spend on bleaching/dyeing it, and on products? How much time are you okay spending on styling, brushing, and conditioning? Is this a long term hair color? How often are you heat styling your hair? Is your hair healthy enough to bleach it? Be honest with yourself when answering these questions.
My hair care routine has honestly changed very little since I first bleached it. I do my best to take care of my hair and make it look its best. This is my hair care routine:
- Brush hair before showering. This prevents my hair from getting really tangled as I wash it, making for an easier condition. Plus, brushing wet hair is so bad and causes more breakage!
- Alternate shampoos, and only shampoo 2-3 times a week. Everyone complains about their hair being greasy, so they wash it every day. Stop! When you wash your hair every day, you’re stripping it of its natural oils, so in return, your scalp is overcompensating and producing more oils to make up for the dryness. By alternating shampoos (so your hair and scalp don’t become dependant or immune to one brand/type) and washing only a couple times a week, you can eliminate how often your hair gets oily. It might be a struggle to switch to this schedule for the first couple of weeks, but trust me: it’s worth it.
- Condition, below ears only. Unless your hair stylist tells you otherwise, it’s pretty unnecessary to condition above your ears. I deep conditioned almost every time I washed my hair before bleaching it, and now that it’s blonde, I definitely deep condition after each wash. Coconut oil is great for many beauty routines, including deep conditioning. If you use coconut oil, make sure to apply it to dry hair, and shampoo it out before getting your hair wet!
- Avoid blow drying. I don’t think I’ve blow dried my hair in years (with the exception of when I was getting it bleached at Aveda). Blow drying, and other heat styling, can be damaging to your hair, especially if you do it daily. My natural hair is manageable without heat tools, but many people struggle with styling their natural hair without heat. Try using alternative styles like braids, or cut back on how often you’re heat styling.
- Use a good leave in conditioner. This will help keep your hair hydrated, soft, strong, and prevent tangles. Tons of leave in options have additional benefits, like keratin and heat protection.
- If necessary, use a comb to detangle. The nature of my hair has definitely changed since being blonde, so detangling it while it’s wet is impossible. Once it’s dried, it’s so easy to manage, but in the mean time, I use a wide tooth comb to detangle. If I have nowhere to be (like if I shower before bed), then I let it completely air dry before combing it!
Using a good conditioner is so important. Using a product that actually hydrates your hair and keeps it soft will truly make a difference in the feel, look, and health of your locks. My current (and probably all time) favorite is the It’s a 10 Miracle Hair Mask. This is what I have in my shower and have been using for awhile now! I follow that up with my first choice leave in conditioner from the same brand. I promise, this post isn’t sponsored. I just really swear by their products.
What does your hair care routine look like? Any suggestions on what products I should pick up next?!
Photo by Mike Diep.
constance browne 