So, in case you didn’t notice, I am now a blonde :D. Made the change back in February and honestly, have not looked back since! It’s kinda crazy because I nevvveeeerr thought I would dye my hair, let alone, dye it blonde. But when Byrdie & dpHue House here in Los Angeles asked me to come in for a dramatic hair transformation, I was GAME!
Video documenting my first time dyeing my hair to platinum blonde here!
The first time I went in to dye my hair, I underwent two different dyeing sessions. As soon as the colorists applied the bleach, my hair immediately started lifting. After about 5 mins, I was feeling THE BURN. Now, I have gotten perms in the past when I was younger, and I remember always feeling a little tingle when the product started to seep into my scalp. But this right here, was on another level. They warned me that it would burn since I had washed my hair the night before (I didn’t realize my hair need to remain not washed, so my pores were OPEN). Because there was a dryer also circulating my head, it did make the burning sensation a bit more intense. The first round of dye was left on for about 15 mins.
When the colorists came back, they applied another layer of bleach on top of the bleach that was currently in my head. They explained to me that they needed to get my hair to lift as much as possible since I was going a platinum blonde. This application was actually soothing and 10 mins later, they washed the bleach out.
Next was toning (that purple color you see in the clip of the video). My hair was a golden yellow after bleaching, and we all know, that ain’t cute. Applying a toner gave my hair a more cool toned down platinum blonde that complimented my skin tone better.
*Note: The photos below are from my 2nd bleaching session where they took my hair to an even lighter blonde*
One thing I immediately noticed after dyeing my hair was the texture. I am usually a 4c. But after going blonde, my hair basically had no clear pattern. Some parts looked permed, while others had a 3a-3b texture, while my perimeter still had somewhat of a type 4 texture. It took me a little by surprise at first, because I realized that I would have to implement a different styling routine. But because my hair is already very very short, I was not phased by having to adjust my routine.
Taking my hair from black to blonde also meant dryness. This was a level of dryness that I had never experienced before. My hair would literally feel like carpet if I did not add any moisture to it. I was told by some other people to do weekly deep conditioning treatments, but I won’t lie to you. I have not done that. To be honest, I like when my hair is extremely low maintenance. Adding in a DC routine is more work in my eyes, and I rather not. Again, my hair is very very short, so I don’t mind. But if you have longer hair and are considering going blonde, I would wholeheartedly recommend it, or you will definitely deal with breakage.
Instead I have been using a combination of Carol’s Daughter Green Supreme Vitalizing Conditioner + dpHue’s Cool Blonde Conditioner to help bring back moisture to my hair while also ensuring that it doesn’t get too brassy. The particular routine I do (shared below) requires me to rinse my hair everyday. So using a purple conditioner helps to ensure that I am not losing that white ashy blonde color.
For those days I need a deeper clean, I use the dpHue ACV rinse (which is somewhat of a substitute for regular shampoo) and their Cool Blonde Shampoo when I need to do a deep clean. The rinse gets my scalp nice and clean without stripping the natural oils that my hair produces. It also keeps the color in tact as some shampoos have a tendency to do so. I then go in with the Cool Blonde Shampoo to get my hair back to it’s ashy white goodness. The shampoo is purple. Literally, purple. Purple neutralizes the yellow/golden undertones in your hair and balances the color out (fun fact: they are contrasting colors on the color wheel). So if you’re starting to see your hair get very brassy, use the purple shampoo before you feel the need to re-tone.
As mentioned above, my hair routine is definitely different than it was before since my curl pattern has changed so drastically. But it’s also super super simple and easy to achieve!
Step 1; With my hair damp, I go in generously spay my roots with the Green Supreme Leave In Tonic. This once again adds moisture to my hair and acts as a barrier to the gel I use in the next steps.
Step 2: Depending on the day, I will either use a cream based product or a holding spray to do the first variation of getting my hair to slick down. As of late, I’ve been using Shea Moisture’s Peace Rose Oil Complex Nourish & Silken Hold Mist which adds additional hold (and also smells BOMB).
Step 3: I then apply a generous amount of Eco Sytler Gel which helps to keep my hair as slick as possible. I alternate between a comb and a hard bristle brush to make sure that I am smoothing every strand out as much as possible.
Step 4: Once I make a part in my hair and everything is slicked down, I wrap my hair with a silk scarf for at least 45 mins to mold the hair onto my head. This ensures that there will be no strand fly aways and keeps the hair in place for the entire day.
Step 5: Lastly, I’ll apply the dpHue Argan Oil (pictured above) to add some additional shine to my hair, and then I am good to go!
I know this post is a bit lengthy but I wanted to give as much background as possible into my blonde hair. It definitely is a major change from my natural coils but I love it so so much. Maintenance is super easy, which is why I’m obsessed with it. Again, be aware that hair texture will most definitely change when you bleach hair. Also, there is a difference between bleaching and just lifting pigment. Lifting will keep your curls intact, but there’s no way to get this type of blonde with just a lift. Also, keep your hair moisturized. It can get dry very quick (like, within 24 hours quick), so you want to make sure that the hair is being shown constant love.
That’s all I have for you all today! Thanks for reading through!
Until next time…
All Photography by Kristen Ashley
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