The Process of Colour Change
Image credit: Pinterest
So your have rich dark hair and you want to find out if blondes really do have more fun?
Here is what you need to know, going lighter can be a process! Everybody's hair is different, I have done many colour corrections in my salon and there is so many factors as to how long and what it will cost to go from dark hair to light.
I remember one day I was lightening someone's hair and she had beautiful thick healthy hair that was naturally dark and I lightened it to a golden blonde in one sitting. Another client exclaimed I thought you couldn't do that! But more often then not this is a rare occasion. Usually the hair has been dark for years maybe even hit with the straightener or curling wand most days, maybe you were red before you decided to go dark.
Here are some of factors play a part when lightening your hair:
1. Its natural state:
- The natural thickness, strength and depth of your hair.
2. How long you have been dark and what is underneath the dark colour.
- If you were previously blonde you have to be much more careful as your hair will damage easier however you are more likely to lighten faster. If you have red or copper tones underneath the dark it will be even harder to get past the copper tones to a blonde.
3. What you use at home and how you look after your hair.
-Do you do a weekly treatment?, Do use a product with thermal protection before heat styling? Or is there a silicone build up from using the wrong product for your hair?
4. What are you prepared to do?
- Do you want to spend a lot of time in the salon in one sitting (will still normally take more then one appointment), do you want to spread the time and cost over multiple appointments, are you prepared for the maintenance?
The best thing to do if you are considering a change is to get you hair as healthy as possible and book an appointment at the salon even just for a free consultation (yes we do that) where a stylist can give you a recommendation and quote.
Here is a few general options for you though:
Step: I generally recommend to start with a colour remover on your first appointment. This is a product that has no bleach that works by reversing the chemical bonds that form the artificial colour in your hair and allowing them to shampoo out - its amazing. It lightens your hair all over and doesn't damage it. However the tone you are left with is warm. We would never let you leave the salon with brassy hair but think warm brown, aztec gold, chestnut colour. This can be the first appointment with the next colour applied immediately after or in a week or a month, depending on how you feel about the result your budget and how long you want to spend in the salon in one sitting. How long do you want to be warm brown for in this process.
Step 2: This really comes down to your hair and the result you are after but now its time for some powder/cream lightener. We would either lighten all over, in a balayage technique or a full head of foils. Our Red Carpet or Full Head Balayage Package is good for this step as it is a full head of foils or Balayage with a colour root to tip in between, so every bit of hair is coloured. This is where we can start to give your colour dimension with different tones.
Step 3: Then as you can see with the images of Khloe Kardashion at the top, depending on how close you are to your goal is now whether you redo a balayage every six weeks to gradually go lighter or some foils every month but your budget and time will determine how fast you get to the end result you are after. That said the hair does need a break between colour services as much as you can double colour to get the process started I wouldn't recommend doing back to back lightening services more then once.
Before I finish up this blog post there is one more thing you need to know about when going lighter and that is the 'plexs. Plex's prevent hair damage, read on if you want to know how.
There are three types of bonds within the structure of the hair, one type are disulphide bonds and the other types are salt and hydrogen bonds. The salt and hydrogen bonds can be broken and reformed in a new shape with water (that's why your hair is weaker when wet), or heat styling. That's how your hair hold a curl till the next shampoo. When you lighten your hair with any form of bleach product you can break the disulphide bonds in the hair. Break too many and that blonde hair you were after will be in the drain and not on your head.
Plex's are new technology and in our salon we use structure complex by NAK. These are more then your typical moisture treatment. They work best to prevent hair damage by creating more bonds within the hair before you begin lightening to keep the hairs strength and prevent breakage.
This treatment cost's $55 in our salon and has 3 parts. Part 1 is mixed into the colour or lightening product that is being applied to your hair. Part 2 is applied at the basin after the colour is rinsed out. There 2 steps help form more bonds in the hair. Step 3 is a 150ml treatment that you take home (and is included in the price) and it is to help maintain the newly formed bonds in the hair so that it keep its strength.
I hope this has helped to explain some of the mystery of hair colouring and the process of going lighter.
If you would like any further information or to book an appointment call 43930030.