Want to go blonde; is there any good way to do it?

[blabyda]

This is my first time posting but i'm a long time lurker :D

i'll give a brief hair-history;

I used to have really blonde hair as a child, and like many of those born blonde, i started highlighting my hair when i was about 13. That started a long process of my dying my hair various colours and having every colour fade to the same orange hue, whilst having really damaged hair. So about 2 years ago I decided to stop dying my hair, and at the same time I grew it pretty long, and managed to reach waist length. I decided that I wanted a change though, so I got a long bob, which I absolutely love. I had horrible issues with big matted knots at the nape of my neck several times a day, and cutting it solved it entirely. Thanks to my lurking here I also managed to improve the condition of my hair, and it went from being really damaged to what I would consider very healthy.

Here's what my hair was like a few months ago;
http://i60.tinypic.com/rhswef.jpg

it's kind of hard to see where the regrowth line is, but it's now at about my chin. But I plan on getting my hair cut back in to a long bob so pretty much all of the dyed ends will be gone, leaving my with an entire head of virgin hair.

The thing is I really liked being blonde, and as much as I love the how healthy and soft my virgin hair is, I can't wrap my head around being a brunette. I've just always been blonde, and whilst I dyed my hair i could at least kid myself that my natural hair was still blonde (I was sorely disappointed when summer came around and my natural hair stayed mousy brown). But I just find my own hair colour so boring; i'm really pale and have brown eyes so it's just so plain looking.

So is there a best way, (if there's any good way at all) to go blonde? This will definitely be done by a hairdresser as i've had too many bad box dye experience to risk ruining 2 years of regrowth :p Although an all over bleach would give the dramatic change i'm looking for, highlights seem like the most natural looking and the healthiest method. But I don't really know where to go from there, whether I would go a warm or cool shade, foils or balayage, half head or full head etc. Foils would give the colour up to the root but has a harsh regrowth line (something this poor student winces at) but balayage although more natural looking, just looks like ombre in every picture i've seen.

I'm just generally seeking some advice; i've been out of the dye game too long :cool:

[DreamSheep]

As a person from Spain, I would probably classify your hair as blonde (and wish my hair lightened to your colour) *_*
That said, I'm subbing to this thread as I'm kind of interested in lightening my hair slightly if possible to do so without resorting to dye.

I think I've seen people speak about honey washes lightening hair, as it has a slight proportion of peroxide that mildly bleaches the hair.
I've also read something a long the lines of Cassia strenghthening hair and bringing out blonde tones in hair.
Either way, I'm interested in hearing more, so I'm going to lurk here :)

[slynr]

No advice on how to go blonde and keep your hair healthy. Hopefully others
will have some tips. I always ended up with extremely damaged hair.

I just want to say your natural hair color is stunning!! Absolutely beautiful. I love it. Not boring..mousey or plain in the least. You have a gorgeous head of healthy hair.

[ErinLeigh]

After years of highlighting and bleaching I have come to learn that no matter how much I prefer the look if highlights...the best way for me to be blond is to color all of my hair just once and then do monthly root touch ups. I cannot find a stylist who can master highlighting the root only so I always end up with damage from multiprocessing. Do I do this? Not currently but it worked best for health..I just hate the stark root line.

I think if you like the look of blond, perhaps consider only highlighting the face framing area and leave the rest brunette. This way you can keep the hair mostly virgin and just add some interest around the face.

As far as type? Balayage looks most natural in my opinion and it is easier not to get the already processed hair hit to many times but many stylists are not good at it :( For shade? I would think warm tones to match your golden brown natural color.

Good luck with it. I wish I was more upbeat but I am constantly dealing with stylist issues no matter what I pay, request or use. I too hate natural color for my skin type so its been 25 years of this cycle. For what it is worth your natural brunette color is fantastic.

Oh..saturate hair in coconut oil the night before you bleach and leave it in hair. Have stylist bleach over it. It makes a world of difference on how much damage you get.

[MsPharaohMoan]

ErinLeigh has lots of good tips (from lots of poor experiences, I imagine). I would recommend the face framing highlights. Also, I find your current colour freaking beautiful - looks like an ombre. Dare I suggest you consider keeping it instead of chopping? Or microtrimming the bleached parts away? I suggest this for purely selfish reasons - I just really want to see pics of your multicoloured buns :eyebrows: (did I really just say that?)

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Gosh, I love your hair just as it is, are you sure you want to get rid of those ends?

When I went blonde, I did a once-all-over colour (I do it myself with a box dye), and from then on always just do roots only, and always on dirty/oiled hair to give more protection against damage.

My hair was also blonde as a youngster and began darkening at about age 10. I have been dyeing it since I got my first grey hairs at age 21.

[Firefox7275]

I was blonde for years, currently blonde underneath my pink. Natural colour is dark mouse. Hair is soft, shiny in the right light, no splits or velcro ends at bra strap length.

I don't follow why you want to cut off your blonde hair just to dye the virgin hair blonde? Is thatr just because you like the cut better than longer hair? I would not say highlights are gentler, sure you only hit some of the hair but with repeat treatments some hair remains virgin, some gets processed multiple times and it is often the canopy hair that gets the most sun damage as well. I also don't think you necessarily need persulphate bleach, I can get to blonde with a peroxide only product.

In terms of reducing damage somewhat you could try lifting over a heavy coconut oiling and/ or after a hydrolysed wheat or soy protein treatment. Aftercare the same plus ceramides, 18-MEA, panthenol (see my thread on 'Conventional Products' board).

[RapunzelKat]

Welcome! :D

Are you planning to stay with a bob, or grow out again? If you're wanting to stick to short hair, I wouldn't worry too much about bleaching. You've gotten some good advice above to help minimize damage, and when maintaining a shorter cut you're always trimming off the most damaged ends.

I agree your natural color is lovely. :flower: (I'd call it "blonnette" :D There's a whole thread on that darker blond color if you're interested.) It took me quite a while, but I'm really coming around to my natural color. It's similar to yours, actually.

[Larki]

The roots look like a medium/dark brown to me, not blondette. I love it; it goes wonderfully with your skin tone!

[meteor]

Oh my God! Your hair color and texture is so similar to mine it's uncanny! :D

I know exactly what you mean about the contrast with pale skin and the history of being naturally blonde as I kid... It's tough not to highlight... and highlighting feels like a necessary addiction.

If I had to give any advice, I'd say: don't cut off your ends - your highlighted ends are helping you hold on to the blonde part of the multi-colored effect! I'm growing out my highlights myself, but I'm keeping and babying the ends because the contrast is actually quite nice and allows for a gentle transition to natural brunette without being one-color and without giving you too much shock of suddenly becoming a monochrome "brunette".

Also, try honey lightening (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=148): it might lighten hair a bit... But what it did for me was it lightened the blonde highlights more for a more golden overall look. Unfortunately, it seems like it's important to keep doing those messy honey lightening sessions to preserve that effect.

Also, you can grow out your hair longer for a blonder, lighter overall look - ends on long hair always look lighter than roots, and on hair color like that, one can develop natural highlights just thanks to melanin fading from exposure to the sun. Be careful not to overdo it, because UV rays are damaging (they cause some protein loss and dryness).

You might want to experiment with chamomile or catnip rinses for a yellow-golden tint or try cassia, but don't expect any radical effect. Check out this article by Nightshade on using herbs as natural dyes: http://archive.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51646

Unfortunately, there is no lasting way of going blonde without damage. If you do feel the need, get some face-framing balayage highlights, as they look natural, are easier to maintain and/or grow out ombre-style.
And if you do resort to bleach, please soak your hair in coconut oil before you get your highlights, as it somewhat protects the hair and reduces protein loss from bleach/peroxide: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10495

Good luck! :flower: Welcome to the LHC! :D And happy growing! :D

[Ingrid]

Your hair at the roots looks like a nice and rich warm brown... it looks lovely!! And anyway, what's wrong with being a "brunette" as opposed to a "blonde"? Why is it necessary to label your identity according to the colour of your hair? Many people's hair changes colour and texture throughout their life depending on their development and hormonal changes, but it doesn't mean that they are no longer "themselves".

In any case, it's not possible to go to a higher hair level without any damage. Any type of hair "lightening" is lightening due to the hair being damaged. Obviously healthier hair may be able to tolerate damage better than already fragile hair. You can also use things like coconut oil to protect your hair during the lightening process. But, chemically treated hair (and this also applies to honey lightening) weathers much quicker than untreated hair, so the damage really starts to show when the hair is longer. If you're planning on keeping your hair at bob-length though, you can probably minimise the damage, as others have already suggested in this thread.

Please note that the above is not meant as a criticism, but merely trying to encourage you to appreciate your natural hair colour, the way it is now! :flower:

[Nesoi]

I'm another one who doesn't really understand why you want to grow out virgin only to dye it again...when you've already got a stunning and beautifully natural-looking ombré going on! Do you have damage you want to cut out or something?

Personally I'd be tempted to encourage you to try sticking with your natural colour and learning to love it! I had a very similar hair journey to you and while it took me a while to appreciate my own colour (I'm a light ashy brown, I don't have the lovely golden tone you do) it's very liberating to not have to worry about dye.

If you wanted more of a golden tone you could try cassia, honey, very diluted lemon rinses (I don't get lightening from these, but some people do). But of course it's your hair and you must do with it what pleases you! Good luck with whatever you decide :)

[Rosetta]

I'm another one who doesn't really understand why you want to grow out virgin only to dye it again...
Yes, this was my first thought too... What's the point of cutting out damage (a you said) to go virgin, if you don't plan to keep it virgin? ;) (FWIW I think "virgin hair" is overrated anyway, but there you go.)

[Rhoward]

I think your crazy and like your hair the way it is but if you are determined to do this and it will be on all virgin hair then depending on how light you want to be, you should be able to do it with tint (colour) and not use bleach, you can do foils with tint, they look lovely. Go for a consultation at a few different salons, they are usually free. If you feel uncomfortable don't let them do your hair.
look at a colour chart with the colourist at the salon and be very clear about what colour you want. Maybe go for a colour in the level 8 range, which is defiantly blonde but not too light so your roots won't be that bad and tint is a lot better for your hair than bleach. And be clear about the tone you want as well, beige, warm, cool etc
Good luck

http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7pfXw8-40jY/T5EZJb6zvHI/AAAAAAAAENM/fKFdb8KpYrM/level%2525208%252520blond%252520876_thumb%25255B1% 25255D.jpg?imgmax=800

[Wosie]

Personally I'd be tempted to encourage you to try sticking with your natural colour and learning to love it! I had a very similar hair journey to you and while it took me a while to appreciate my own colour (I'm a light ashy brown, I don't have the lovely golden tone you do) it's very liberating to not have to worry about dye.

Your hair looks golden brown to me, judging from your avatar. :hmm: Are the ends dyed, or is the camera changing your hair's colour a little?

[Nesoi]

Your hair looks golden brown to me, judging from your avatar. :hmm: Are the ends dyed, or is the camera changing your hair's colour a little?

My hair is all virgin, but that picture was taken in full natural light! I take all my pics there because the light from the window and the blue of the tiles make my hair look a prettier colour ;) But when I'm under artificial light or shade it is ashy to the max. I don't mind either way, really :) Also, my underlayers are much ashier than the top layer, for some reason. Sun exposure, I guess, although I live in England so Lord knows I don't get much of that! I actually like how many different tones and shades I get in my natural colour, which is something I had to learn to appreciate.

[MsBubbles]

Sun exposure, I guess, although I live in England so Lord knows I don't get much of that.

Slight threadjack. I had to laugh at this because I just went back to England to visit family (July & August) and was happy to see that my dark ash blonde/light ash brown natural hair color does still bleach to blonde in the sun! I live in Atlanta, GA, so of course we have no lack of scorching, hot, sunny days here. But it's TOO hot here between June & October so I just mostly stay indoors either at work, or home. And if I'm exercising outside, I'm wearing a helmet. People don't walk to do their shopping here in the suburbs, so I get around via car. When in England, I was out walking around so much of the time that I actually got sunburned too. It had not occurred to me that I'd burn at 75 deg F outside. Here, if it's 75 deg F outside, it's either Spring or Fall, and I generally don't burn then. *End boring threadjack*

I agree with someone's previous suggestion of lightening just a few locks around your face, if you think your face looks better with it! This is the compromise I have come to, after five years or so growing out a couple of decades worth of highlights over highlights (and yes, I have not yet met a stylist either who didn't just slop them on top of already bleached parts). I have come to love the natural nuances in my natural color, including some surprising golden hues I didn't realize were there, but boy does my face need brightening up in the front! I use an at-home box bleach set. I just had to make sure that with my fine hair, I did plenty of strand tests before hand.

[Nesoi]

To be fair MSBubbles we are just coming out of an insane heatwave that seemed to last forever! I had two friends come and visit from the States and they were most discombobulated to find it actually hot and sunny in England ;) Plus we have no air conditioning anywhere so it's unbearable.

[MsBubbles]

Oh, I wasn't ridiculing you in any way. I was explaining that here in "Hotlanta" I don't go outside in the sun much, so my hair never sun-bleaches. In England being outdoors in the summer is so wonderful when it's sunny. So my hair lightened up.

Last Saturday here it was 93 actual degrees F, with a heat index of 103! So your heatwave felt heavenly to me (except for when I was in a car with no AC!).

I forgot to add earlier...I personally can't have hip length hair that is also bleached, but perhaps if you have medium strands, your hair can take more bleaching and achieve such lengths.

[spidermom]

Another fan of your hair as it currently appears. Lovely color, not mousy at all.

[Johannah]

I love your hair color as well! Definitely not boring! It takes a while to get used to your natural color - I can tell you because I've highlighted my hair for years. But just give it some time. You can always bleach it, but you cannot reverse the damage. Better safe than sorry.

But if you decide to do it anyway, there were two things that really helped to keep my hair as healthy as possible when I bleached it: heavy oiling overnight (especially coconut oil) and protein, protein, protein. I even left my protein treatment overnight (Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise).