As a self-proclaimed member of the Bottle Blondes Club, I know a thing or two about salon blonde hair (it’s in the name of my blog after all!)
Have you ever considered joining the ranks of a bottle blonde? Whether you’re considering highlights, balayage, or a full-service color job here are five things to know before going blonde!
5 Things to Know Before Going Blonde
1) It’s not cheap
If you’re looking for budget-friendly beauty, don’t go lighter. And by saying it won’t be cheap, we’re not just talking about time but money too. Being a bottle blonde means dedicating part of your income to your hair. From the first time you step into the salon, know that golden locks will cost you. And this isn’t just the initial color…
2) It needs routine touch-ups
Being blonde isn’t just a one and done at the salon. To maintain the color you’ll need to have regular appointments with your stylist to deal with grown-out roots, brassiness, and the like.
My darker hair beauties should also consider just how many salon appointments it will take to make your brunette tresses golden blonde. The answer is more than one. It can take up to three trips to the salon before your hair is the perfect shade of blonde. And that’s not including the follow-up touch-ups!
There is of course a range of blonde from easiest to maintain to the hardest. Balayage allows you to hide grown-out roots for longer periods of time while a full head of platinum hair needs constant care.
3) It requires at-home care
Not only do you have to go to the salon more often but there’s also homework when you’re a blonde.
Special products are needed to reduce brassiness (aka when your hair starts to turn yellow or orange) and the good products aren’t always found at your local drugstore. Suddenly your bottle of Head and Shoulders just won’t cut it and you are going to need some higher end products.
There are also more steps to haircare when you’re a blonde. It’s normal to have your regular shampoo and conditioner along with a toning (or purple) shampoo, toning conditioner, deep conditioner, leave-in conditioner, and possibly a couple of clarifying products as well. It’s enough to knock anyone’s shower rack to the ground!
Read about some of my current favorites here.
4) It causes damage
While there are products that help reduce the damage, the reality is that going lighter means causing some significant damage to your hair. It strips away at your hair causing dryness, frizz, even some hair loss. This is the reason why so many conditioning products are needed to keep blonde hair healthy in between sessions at the salon.
5) It really is more fun!
All those practical reasons aside, being blonde really is more fun! I’ve found that the bright nature of my hair somehow infuses itself into my personality helping me be more sunny of a person, even if it’s all just in my head 😉
This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated for recirculation
