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View Full Version : I desperately want to be blonde...



cutiepie11
May 7th, 2012, 07:10 AM
Sooo i'm naturally medium brown but my hair is a bit darker at the moment and i desperately want to go blonde, soooooo bad. Ugh I really don't want to damage my hair but I really want a change and i don't want to go any colour but blonde.. do you think i should just get it done? i'd like it like this colour http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xhXK2X2fFy4/TaEAC9NvXwI/AAAAAAAABI0/CparGbNTPTA/s1600/best-jennifer-aniston1.jpg OR like ashley benson http://www.dailymakeover.com/appImages/galleryImages/women_celebrity_hairstyles/Ashley_Benson+Dec_17_2011.jpg do you think i should just go for it??? xx

Chetanlaiho
May 7th, 2012, 07:25 AM
It's up to you what you find more important, healthy (presumably long) hair or less healthy blonde hair :shrug: There are ways of lightening your hair without bleach but with your starting colour I don't think they'll take you that light.

holothuroidea
May 7th, 2012, 07:26 AM
It depends on what your goals are. If you have a dream of long hair (say below armpit-length with a decent hemline), then you probably shouldn't dye it. There are some hair types that can withstand lightening and still grow very long, but F/M hair generally doesn't hold up that well.

If you want shoulder length to APL hair like the ladies in the photos, then go for it. :)

There are some less-damaging alternatives to conventional dye if you want to lighten your hair just a little. We have had a lot of members here have good results with honey lightening treatments. Some people experienced damage from those, too, so there is risk involved and you probably wont be able to get that medium golden blonde from medium brown.

HTH

swearnsue
May 7th, 2012, 07:30 AM
I think if you really want blonde hair you should go ahead and get it done. Be sure to moisturize and treat it gently when you brush and comb and enjoy your blonde hair.

LadyCelestina
May 7th, 2012, 07:32 AM
I say go for it! It's your hair and it should make YOU feel good!



But as others have said - be prepared that not all hair can handle bleach well,so you might have to sacrifice some lenght.

amanda_the_tall
May 7th, 2012, 07:36 AM
i've heard soaking your hair in coconut oil the day before helps protect your hair a little. pretty sure it was ktani, and she has lots and lots of examples. i'm actually doing a strand test with coconut oil right now. (although i'm not going blonde. this dye does have hydrogen peroxide in it though) i'll let you know how it goes! :)

Carissamarie08
May 7th, 2012, 08:04 AM
If that's what you really want then do it!

MonaMayfair
May 7th, 2012, 08:07 AM
I totally think you should go for it (and the coconut oil to protect is a good idea, it's supposed to really help minimize damage)
I can't see any point in having long hair if you're not happy with the color.

Jennifer Aniston has naturally medium brown hair so I don't see why you couldn't get that color on yours.

Ashley Benson's hair (which is dyed lighter than the color it looks in the picture you posted) is heavily highlighted. Her roots are dark blonde and they look fine against the lighter blonde. I love her hair myself.

I would think highlights might be less damaging and a bit easier to maintain than all over color, but a warmer, more caramel color like J Anistons might look better with your brown hair. If that's blonde enough for you.

If you do an all over dye, the roots will be a pain. even if your natural color's not that dark it will LOOK dark against the blonde.
I speak from experience the other way round, dying my hair darker - the roots are awful and show within a week.

Rocket22
May 7th, 2012, 08:09 AM
I struggled with this too for a long time and I wanted to like my natural color so much, but just couldn't (and apparently nobody else liked me natural either) so I went back to blonde. I did use the coconut oil soak and that helped a lot (pics in album) I'm still a little sad that I did do some damage but I like my blonde hair more :) I'll still do all the good things to help protect my hair and continue to grow it and try and make it as healthy as I can being a blonde.

I think we have to do what makes us happy with our hair. whatever that may be :)

fayeelizibeth
May 7th, 2012, 08:33 AM
I am very happy to read the support you're getting for this!

I really like having part of my hair (the under-part) pink, the brighter the better. Problem is, even though my hair is a dark blonde, the underneath of it is darker (because it rarely sees the sun, I suppose). So to get it pink, I have to bleach it a bit. That being said, I only have to do that maybe 2-3 times a year, and I'm very nice to it the rest of the time :)

It's true, you have to be happy with your hair otherwise what's the point of it? For some, the goal is totally virgin hair, but for others that may not work, for whatever reason. In the end, it's your hair, do what makes you happy :p

barely.there
May 7th, 2012, 08:43 AM
check out the member "annamoonfairy" http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/member.php?u=46082

she regularly bleaches her hair and its very thick and long.

UpNorth
May 7th, 2012, 08:59 AM
If you want to do it I think you should. I mean long hair is just surface for many people (except for those who does it for religion etc.) It is all about what people like and feel beautiful in isn´t it? virgin hair is not what everyone wants, some people like other colours better and therefore I think everyone should feel free to do whatever they like.

I highlight my hair, it is quite healthy except from some damage that is not caused by my regular highlights. You can definitely grow bleached hair long, it is just not true that it will break as soon as it reaches APL-BSL. As long as you do it right and your hair can handle a little bleach it will be okay. but be careful!

How long is your hair today, and have you dyed it a lot before? Do you think your hair can make it? Is it healthy today?

I think you should go visit a hairdresser, or a lot of hairdressers. Tell them what you want and ask them what they will do to achieve that. Show them pictures and say that you want it longer (if thats what you want off course) so they will be careful. Tell them that if they don´t do what they say or "accidently" dye your hair darker or platinum blonde you will tell your friends about your bad experience and they will lose customers. Off course mistakes can be made and different hairtypes turns out differently, but a good hairdresser should know what to do.

Highlights is what you probably need. and you will probably have to trim an inch off afterwards and make sure you get enough protein and moisture and really baby your hair a lot. and just do the roots in the future!

Anlbe
May 7th, 2012, 09:00 AM
I feel your pain. I too have medium to dark brown hair naturally and I just couldn't learn to love it. It makes me look like an ill person with bad makeup, particularly in the winter when it brings out the green and purple undertones in my skin as well as the stark contrast with my dark eyes and lips. To look healthy I had to wear quite a bit of make up and I'm just too lazy. Furthermore I was blonde until my teens, and it goes blonde in the sun, unfortunately I go red so that wasn't an option although I ended up with blonde ends which then made my roots look greasy.

So....

I gave in and dyed. I have never regretted it. I get highlights (aveda) twice a year and try to be as nice to my hair as possible. I don't know if its made my hair less healthy - it was brittle and never got beyond bsl even before the highlights. However as it means I can actually look at my hair and enjoy the way it looks, I think it's the best possible hair investment.

cutiepie11
May 7th, 2012, 09:23 AM
Thanks so much for your input guys! I plan on growing my hair an inch or two below APL so I think I'm just gonna go for it! xx

Micayla47
May 7th, 2012, 09:49 AM
i agree 100% with MonaMayfair and i would add (from personal experience) a couple of cautions: 1) don't highlight too often or you end up with all bleached blond hair (see my avatar) and 2) research colorists before you choose. i went to aveda for many years and had good results with them, aside from too many highlights, which was my doing.

leenybeenz
May 7th, 2012, 09:56 AM
From experience - it's very damaging to the hair BUT it's so fun to be a blonde!
If you are going to go through with it - take your time with it, start with highlights and do not go full blonde immediately... Good luck! (:

leenybeenz
May 7th, 2012, 09:59 AM
also - if you are looking for a change but don't want to do damage to your hair, maybe try bangs, highlights, a different shade of brunette/red?

LaFlor
May 7th, 2012, 10:06 AM
I agree with everyone else, you have to decide what level of damage you are okay with and go for it if it makes you happy. I would suggest staying away from other forms of damage if you are going to color and let that be your only hair "sin" and you should be okay in the end. I highlight my hair and its fine because I take care of it in every other way.

summergreen
May 7th, 2012, 10:11 AM
Go for it, I'm sure you can still get a good length with all the good advice on here. I used to love being blonde when I had highlights!

spookyghost
May 7th, 2012, 10:31 AM
I say do whatever makes you happy. You might go blonde and later on down the road go back to your natural color-who knows. I have been blonde ever since I can remember and now Im desperately trying to go back to my natural dishwater blonde hair! Funny huh? I love the blonde color. I just love it. But I have reached the point in my life where I just really want healthy hair the most. I am going to look into natural lightening a little. Just enough to give it just a little gleem. Nothing much.

holothuroidea
May 7th, 2012, 10:39 AM
...You can definitely grow bleached hair long, it is just not true that it will break as soon as it reaches APL-BSL. ...

It is not true for everyone, but it is true for many people- especially with finer hair. It's a risk that you take, but it doesn't mean that it's not worth it. It just depends on what your goals are.

Annibelle
May 7th, 2012, 10:45 AM
Some members ARE lucky enough to have gorgeous, healthy, long hair that's bleached. But don't count on this!

BUT you say you don't want your hair much longer than APL. I say go for it, then, especially if you have hair that grows quickly. You'll probably have to do a lot of trimming, but if that's the length you're going for, it shouldn't be a problem. :)

Malibu Barbie
May 7th, 2012, 11:08 AM
Do what makes you happy. Maybe highlights or highlift color will work for you. I'm at tailbone right now and maybe my last two inches are thin. I use highlift color once a month. I abuse the heck out of it... My hair is still soft, thick and long. Justy also bleaches her hair and it's beautiful, it can be done.

mzBANGBANG
May 7th, 2012, 11:33 AM
Why not start with highlights? They are easier to maintain when the roots start growing in and will definitely do less damage. I'm naturally a medium blond and constantly long for white blond hair. I recently did an all over lightening procedure on my fine hair. The hair felt kind of damaged after the first week but then it bounced back! I just took really good care of it and gave it a trim. I didn't go as light as I wanted to, just evaluated what I wanted presently and in the long run.

Overall I am 100% pro do what you want with your hair! Also in favor of the 2-6 week rule :)

afu
May 7th, 2012, 12:17 PM
My advice would be to go for it :) Hair is best when it's enjoyed

My hair is pretty fine but it's managed to get to a couple of inches past BSL with my abusing it (think bleach, daily heat straightening, rough brushing, piled up washing...). don't get me wrong, my hair felt dry and brittle, but I only started properly taking care of it a few months ago and stopped using heat 5 months ago. Once i found the LHC and started CO'ing and oiling my hair transformed (i know the damage can't be reversed, but it's much improved). I started applying coconut oil a couple of hours before having my highlights topped up (root bleach only) and so far using ktani's recommendation i have seen NO further damage from bleach, it's amazing what a bit of oil can do!

It IS possible to have long, blonde hair, so even if you decide at a later date you do want to grow longer than apl that option is still there. My big tips would be to use coconut oil prior to bleaching, to assess your wash regime to make sure you are getting the best results (for me this meant turning to CO), to make sure you really pay attention to moisture treatments and to treat your hair gently.

(http://ktanihairsense.blogspot.co.uk/2009/11/part-1-of-3-part-series-on-innovative.html)

Make sure you update us with pics if you do decide to go for it :) Also, try searching for the 'bottle blonde grows long' thread for more personal experiences