Lightening Tips For Blondes

From all over shades to incorporating blonde tones for highlight clients, blonde has been a popular shade for decades and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

While “checking the foils for a banana-peel shade” will always let us know the color is just right, blonde color has come a long way from the heydays of Marylin Monroe and Gwen Stefani.

From changes in tone and placement to tips for maintenance, we’ve learned a great deal over the years and below we’re highlighting a few of our favorites. 

The Starting Point

By analyzing the base shade, stylists can create a targeted road map for getting the desired end result. To determine if certain level is even possible, stylists need to set realistic expectations based on the starting point or base level, the color history and the health of the hair. 

Stylists should always carry out an extensive consultation to ensure they are able to meet goals under realistic terms. As always, remind clients that they’ll need to be patient and plan for plenty of time to reach their ideal look and commit to touchups, toners and take-home products.

The Journey

After the consultation and realistic goals are set with a client, the path to platinum (strawberry, honey or bronde) can begin.

*Pro-tip: You never know what you might uncover when beginning a hair application on a new client, so consider performing a strand test and communicating the process to your client the entire time.   

Various Techniques

Color Removers

If your client has previously used permanent, semi or demi color, chances are the dye molecules have built up on their hair. Color removers are an excellent way to shrink those color molecules down and remove them from the hair prior to using bleach. By doing so this can decrease the risk of damage and get the level closer to the final goal.

Platinum Card

Platinum Card refers to a technique in which a thin slice of hair is foiled individually. This creates an incubation of lightener/bleach in a great deal of lift or detailed color corrections are needed.

When picking volume of developer — higher volumes exert more power and faster, but lower volumes can create the same great results and with more control.

Off-Scalp Bleach Application

The scalp produces the most heat — if we want an even result, we need to focus on application at the mid-shaft first when bleaching, then move to the scalp and then ends. There are exceptions for every rule and if your canvas is already significantly lighter than the color at the new growth you may need to create a new plan.

Upkeep

No matter how long it takes to get your client to the perfect baby blonde, retouches are a realistic part of any color service for maintenance once they get there.

Clients should anticipate this by pre-booking for touchups in order to avoid excessive grow out. Once a client has more than 1 to 1.5 inches of regrowth they become a double process due to the chance of banding. 

*Banding occurs as the result of trying to touch up too much root at the same time when the area closest to the scalp gets the lightest and leaves a warm ‘band’ next to the previous blonde.

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