Keeping Lightened Hair Healthy

Around spring to summer time we all get that urge to do something different to our wardrobe, our makeup, our hair. To reinvent ourselves into the new season with a new colour palette that can range from playful, flirty, party, or work. One major seasonal change that has remained constant is lightening your hair. Mostly going from brown to blonde, or taking it that one step further and dying it purple or red or blue. As fun as it is, there are a few things that first timers, or people that aren’t hair care enthusiasts, need to know in order to protect and revive your lightened hair.

Get a good purple shampoo/conditioner. I don’t use both at once, I alternate between the shampoo or conditioner depending on if they’re in stock or on sale. I recommend using Fudge Violet Toning Shampoo ($16AUD). It lasts quite a while as you don’t need to treat your hair every wash – roughly once a fortnight or as needed depending on how often you wash your hair. Realistically it is quite expensive for a shampoo, but it works miracles and to make it last longer, you can mix it with your normal shampoo when you do need to use it and voila!

Find a conditioning treatment. Your hair will start to become quite dry and brittle if you use heat regularly and you’ll get split ends regardless of how good your hair was before. Try to do a hair mask/treatment once a month, or in summer if you spend a lot of time in salt or chlorine water, once a fortnight. If you aren’t sure where to start with hair masks, you can ask your hair dresser or a beauty store sales person to point some out. I personally recommend Toni & Guy Nourish Reconstruction Mask ($16AUD). After using it my hair feels sooooo soft and fresh and healthy. And the good thing about this is it lasts forever and you can use it on unlightened hair as well.

Use heat protectant and oil. Heat protectant is a no-brainer. If you use a hair dryer try to avoid the heat and use the cold setting if your dryer has it. After drying or styling your hair with heat, I like to use Schwarzkopf Daily Oil Elixir ($9AUD) in the ends of my hair to help the ends remain healthy and stop them getting knotted and dried out. I like to use Tresemme Styling Heatspray ($5AUD) for my heat protectant and to air dry my hair as much as possible, even when it isn’t lightened anymore I still prefer to air dry. For the oil just one to two pumps will do, spread evenly on your hands and fingers, and run through the ends of your hair. I also like to comb through the ends once I have finished just to make sure none of it is sticking together.

Try to use chemical repair or moisturising shampoo’s and conditioner’s. The most important thing now that you have lightened your hair, is to try to keep it healthy and to avoid it drying out. Any moisture repair/moisture rich shampoo or conditioner will do. Do try and experiment with different types. At the moment I alternate between Herbal Essence’s and Garnier, and have a Toni & Guy Nourish for Damaged Hair Conditioner ($16AUD) for when my hair is feeling completely dried out or when I go on holidays and need that extra oomph. It is a bit more pricey but definitely worth it.

Have fun with your hair ladies and keep it healthy!

Cate-Marie xxx