Everything You Need To Know Before Dyeing Your Hair Blonde

Are you thinking of surrendering to the beauty of bright, luminous blonde tresses? Well, some say that blondes have more fun – and the whole blonde lifestyle has become so popular in pop culture and media, that seeing its allure is quite easy. But before being a lifestyle, becoming a blonde is a not-so-easy job – especially if you’re trying to achieve it yourself. Let’s see together how becoming a blonde bombshell will bring light, brightness and change in your life and hair care routine!

1. What Would I Look Like With Blonde Hair?

Before booking your appointment on a whim, this is the number one question you should ask yourself. There are several shades of blonde, some cool and icy, some other warm and gold-toned, and obviously the neutral beiges and ashy blonde colours. Each shade is designed to better suit different skin undertones, lifestyles, aesthetics, and – obviously – the natural hair colour you’re starting with. Other important factors to take in consideration, of course, are your eye colour and eyebrow colour for example.

Some others like the idea of relying on technology to “try on” a new hair shade before committing for good. You’ve probably seen it before: there are lots of Instagram filters for example that allow you to see what you’d look like with a different hair colour, but unfortunately these tools haven’t been optimised for people with dark hair yet! Nonetheless, if you’d like to give it a go and find some colour inspiration, I’d recommend visiting L’Oreal Style My Hair.

Earlier in this section, I’ve mentioned skin undertones. That is the key point to consider when finding a new hair colour, as it’s the number one factor that will determine if your complexion will be brightened up and brought to life by your go-to shade, or if you’ll end up looking washed out. The three main skin undertones are: warm, cool and neutral/olive. Skin undertone doesn’t refer to your skin colour, as people of any ethnicity can either be cool-toned or warm-toned regardless of the amount of melanin they’ve been blessed with. If you’d like to know more, have a read at our dedicated blog: How To Choose A New Hair Color?

2. Glam Makeup For Blondes

Going blonde will make a significant change to your appearance, meaning that you’ll likely need to switch your makeup routine around, particularly affecting the way your lipstick looks on you. When making the big change, particularly if you’re going from a dark and sultry brunette to a light, delicate shade of blonde, you may explore options such as brown eyeliner instead of black one for a softer day-to-day look that will warm things up on your complexion.

Blondes have access to a whole new palette of colours to rock on your face with makeup, yes, but also in your outfits. If you feel like going on a shopping spree, you’ll find that new colours will shine like never before with the aid of your new hair colour. Blonde hair is also commonly associated with certain aesthetics, such as Old Money or the Vanilla Girl Aesthetic. If you’re wondering what I am talking about, feel free to have a read at our blog: The Vanilla Girl Aesthetic Will Dominate 2023.

3. How To Dye Your Hair Blonde At Home?

Getting a bleach job done isn’t something I’d recommend doing at home – and if you are wearing Remy hair extensions, I’ll have to reinforce this concept – if dyeing hair extensions at home is already a risky job, when it comes to bleaching I’ll say it’s a big no-no. Bleach is a damaging product for your hair, and if used incorrectly it can also have some serious repercussions not only on your beauty but also on your health. If you’re adamant to try and bleach your tresses at home, please make sure you always follow the instructions on the box and do a patch test beforehand to make sure you are not sensitive to the chemicals inside your product of choice. Last but not least: if you had any previous dye or bleach job in the past, do a strand test to see how bleach works on previously-treated hair revealing the colours underneath.

Never Apply Bleach On Top Of Bleach

If you are topping up a previous bleach job, whether that’s highlights or a scalp bleach, take extra care not to re-cover the old bleach. Try to only cover the re-growth area to avoid over-processing the hair, when bleach is applied on top of previous bleach the hair becomes very weak and can even break.

Consider The Hair Colour You Are Bleaching

If you are applying bleach on top of very dark hair or especially very dark dyed hair, you may not get the results you want on the first colouring session. It's likely even with a high peroxide you will not achieve a clean blonde finish on the first go, it may have a golden or brassy tone to the blonde. For the best results on dark hair, have your hair lightened by a professional colourist who can control the timings and chemical levels to achieve the desired finish safely.

Consider The Hair Type And Conditions

If your hair is already broken and damaged, do not attempt to bleach it yourself as it's more than likely going to cause more problems than good. If you are bleaching hair that has never been coloured, what we call “virgin hair”, be aware that bleach usually takes quicker so keep an eye on the lightness. If you already have lighter hair naturally you may not even need to use bleach to achieve a light blonde shade, there are fantastic high-lift alternatives that can accomplish the same job without the risk of damage which is another advantage of having your hair lightened professionally..

Don’t Leave Bleach On For Too Long

Bleach should not stay on the hair for longer than 35-45 minutes maximum to avoid any breakage, especially when using a high-level peroxide. Any longer than this and the hair can become weak and, in some cases, snap, especially if the hair is already vulnerable from previous damage.

Tone Your Hair

Most hair stylists finish a bleach job with a toner to balance out any unwanted tones that bleach can bring out in the hair. This can be either in the form of a toning shampoo or a semi-permanent dye that uses a developer to deposit colour to the hair. The most common unwanted tone when dealing with blonde hair is yellowness, an easy-to-use toner for at-home bleach jobs to combat this is purple toning shampoo.

4. Which Blonde Shade Is Right For Me?

After you’ve considered the aforementioned factors such as skin undertone, lifestyle, haircut and all the other factors that can influence how a new hair colour will look on you, you can now pick the type of blonde you want to have and how to achieve it. Will it be a full-blonde new look from root to tip? Or are you more into classy and glamorous balayages?

Whilst the former is a more intense and dramatic change, an expertly crafted balayage could spare you lots of damage and expenses, considering that you won’t need to touch up your roots every few weeks. Also, you could look into recreating a balayage blowout with balayage hair extensions – this means that your hair won’t need to undergo any type of bleaching job, leaving you able to switch things up whenever you feel like it and leaving your natural hair healthy and strong whilst rocking that thick, bouncy sunkissed blowout that you’ve been longing for.

5. Can You Have Dark Eyebrows With Blonde Hair?

I’d like to remark that not everybody looks the same (thankfully), so keep that in mind before looking up questions like this. Cara Delevingne’s thick and dark brows have made history, and she looks flawless in them whilst being a blonde. On the other hand, different shades of blonde have made my naturally black eyebrows look either flawless or ridiculous, to me. Altering the shape of your eyebrows could be helpful to give you a softer gaze, or alternative you could look into mixed blonde shades to get a lighter mane without going too much in contrast with your dark brows. Mixed-shade hair extensions are the perfect way to achieve this type of look without having to commit to hair dye and bleach!

To get thinner eyebrows, alternatively, you could try simulation brows without overplucking and damaging your natural brows. Have a read at our blog: Everything You Need To Know About The Thin Eyebrows Comeback and find out how you too can rock 2023’s hottest look.

6. Can You Dye Your Hair Blonde Without Damaging It?

The short answer is no, you can’t – if your hair is naturally very light blonde and you’re going for a slightly darker, deeper shade of blonde you’ll be able to avoid damage, but every time you are going lighter (which makes 90% of the instances of going blonde), the bleach will unfortunately cause some trouble in your tresses. But don’t worry: there are a few things that you can do to minimise this and to give your hair some good old TLC afterwards, in order to keep your hair shiny, soft and manageable.

7. How To Care For Bleached Hair?

The first thing you need to know about bleached hair, is that it will initially lose its softness. Bleach is a harsh product that goes inside your hair shaft and destroys the pigmentation of your tresses, and without going too scientific on this you can easily understand that this process doesn’t sound gentle and healthy for your hair. In order to restore your mane’s original glory, you’ll need to be ready to commit to a strict hair care regimen that focuses on hydration, nourishment and lots of love. From switching your hair brush to investing in the right products, here’s a few tips and tricks to get the most out of bleached hair and rebuild its structure.

Use A Rebuilding Mask

As I’ve gone through bleach jobs in my life, nothing has ever helped my hair quite like the Rebuilding line from OWAY. The company focuses on developing plant-powered products to address and tackle lots of different hair and scalp issues, and OWAY Rebuilding Hair Mask is quite the bomb when it comes to restoring damaged tresses. This product belongs to the high-end range, but its results are guaranteed.

Use Olaplex Hair Repair Treatment Kit

Olaplex is a science-backed champion of bond-rebuilding in damaged hair, and it’s completely safe to use on human hair extensions too. The Olaplex Hair Repair Treatment Kit comes complete with hair primer too, something that is never enough talked about but extremely essential – just as you would never give up on priming and moisturising your skin before doing anything to it, the same should apply to your hair! I have talked more in detail about these products on our dedicated blog: Olaplex Review: Can You Use Olaplex On Hair Extensions? And after trying it myself, I can tell you that since the first use, your hair will feel different.

Oil Your Hair

Finishing your blowout with a dose of hair oil is the perfect way to seal moisture in your locks, giving your hair a softer, shinier appearance throughout your day after washing it. Keeping your hair cuticles sealed is essential to maintain your tresses manageable and smooth! Argan oil is one of the best options out there, but for a true spa day at home I’d highly recommend coconut or castor oil too – depending on your hair type. Find the best hair oil for you on our dedicated post: Hair Oil: Best Oils For Hair Growth And A Healthy, Happy Scalp.

Use A Leave-In Conditioner

My leave-in conditioner is my best friend, allowing me to manage damp hair like a pro without tangling, knotting and breaking off. I’m personally faithful to Ouai, since its formula is helpful against heat damage, preparing my hair to undergo the use of tools such as straighteners and blow-dryer, and making my strands sleek enough to be handled with the aid of a detangling brush for a seamless brushing session before sectioning. Get your Ouai Leave-In Conditioner here.

8. Conclusion:

Dyeing your hair blonde isn’t for the faint-hearted – but guaranteed, once you’ve picked the right shade and committed to the right hair care routine for it, you will love being a blonde and everything that it includes. When it comes to hair extensions, finding the perfect shade of blonde is fairly easy! Come and explore Cliphair’s blonde hair extensions range and fall in love with the blonde bombshell version of yourself!