Hollywood is rife with bad bleach jobs lately, so it’s high time we put out a warning before anyone rushes out to copy them on a whim. Lightening your hair color to a super light blonde shade can be done, but there are some tips that you need to know before you take the plunge, especially if you aren’t a natural blonde. Consider these facts if you are thinking of going to an extreme shade of blonde:
- If you have very dark hair naturally, lightening your hair to a platinum blonde will cause damage. It’s best to consider a shorter style when you go for this dramatic change of color to avoid the ‘straw hair’ look.
- Going for a warm or cool tone will make or break your new look. If you have warm undertones, you will need to ask your colorist for a blonde with some golden or yellow tones in it- think Marilyn Monroe. If you have cool skin, you need an ash white blonde- think Swedish-looking blonde!
- This is one color that requires regular touch ups every 3-4 weeks max—be prepared mentally and financially for that fact before you dye your hair!
Now, here's what to avoid:
Maggie Rose has dark hair naturally and very dark eyes. Platinum blonde hair isn’t her ideal shade as it is more than two levels lighter than her natural color but hey, she went for it anyways. It actually isn’t that bad of a look as her skin is quite fair, however she needs a bit more golden tones in there to really warm up her complexion. Another problem with this is the lack of definition. Having her hair all one shade makes it look wig-like especially because of the matte look of the color. Be prepared if you bleach your hair—you will lose a lot of lustre!
Mitzi Gaynor shows the mature ladies what NOT to do with their hair color, especially if they’re super tanned. Mitzi has the right idea going on with the warm blonde, however, because of her tanned skin and dark eyes, darker lowlights throughout would not go amiss. Bleahed hair needs definition, so be sure to ask your stylist to break it up a bit with some lowlights throughout.
Miley Cyrus demonstrates another bad bleach job, this time by flaunting the ‘green hair’ effect. This usually occurs after someone with bleached hair gets chlorine in their hair (say, from a swimming pool) or doesn’t tone their hair properly. Ask your stylist for an ash toner if you have too much gold in your bleached hair, as Miley does here. It will get rid of that nasty green tinge and make your color look more natural.
If, after reading this article, you are sure that you want to go for The Big Bleach, then make sure you can afford to buy salon-quality products to take care of your color in between salon visits. It will make a world of difference between a bad bleach job and a sexy new color.
