Have dark hair and want to go blonde? Wonderful! Think it can happen overnight? Guess again.
Depending on your hair history, how your hair got dark in the first place, your budget and your available time, it can take 2-20 weeks to go all the way blonde.
Why? Let's start with how your hair got dark. If you have been coloring your hair at home with "box" color for years, or even just once, you have added metallic chemicals into your hair. Lightener has a hard time penetrating those chemicals.
If you had your dark hair color applied at a salon, this is better news, but it is still going to be a process.
Secondly, let's look at your hair history. Do you often straighten your hair? Do you get it trimmed regularly or only once a year? Do you get regular in salon hair treatments? Are you using moisturizing hair products? All of these are factors in the health of your hair. Lightening hair that is in poor health is a BIG NO NO! If your hair is healthy, you can expect to be able to lighten it faster than if it is unhealthy.
Next, let's look at your available time. Can you come in to the salon for a couple hours? Maybe 3-4 hours at a time? Maybe 6 hours for one appointment? If your hair is healthy, the initial visit might be a double process ( lighten the hair twice in one visit).
Can you come in every two weeks? If your hair is healthy enough, you might be able to have a visit every two weeks until the desired blonde is achieved. If you do not have that much available time, your visits might be limited to 1-2 hours every 4 weeks or so. That will effect how long until you are blonde.
Finally, let's look at your budget. Color correction is often an expensive service. There are many hairdressers that will not even perform color corrections. Those who do charge for their time and product accordingly.
Let's say your hair is healthy and you have been getting it colored at a salon. You have all the time in the world. This is the best case scenario. You come in for your first visit. Your stylist will apply lightener as thickly as possible to almost all of your hair. This is a lot of product. This is also a lot of time. You may or may not go ahead with a double process that day. This doubles that product and that time.
Olaplex is a bond builder that works with lightener to strengthen hair and repair the peptide bonds that make up hair. This product allows a harsher lightening process without the damage. Good products don't come cheap though. With time, product and Olaplex, expect to pay $175-$300 for the first visit. Then you will come back for a single process every two weeks until desired blonde is achieved. Expect to pay $100-$200 per visit.
The photo above shows the stages of lightening. Expect warmth. Orange/red always happens when lightening.
Is being a blonde worth it? You decide. The most important thing is the health of your hair. It will not matter what color your hair is if it breaks off an inch or two from the root. Interested in learning more about the process or what it might be for you specifically? Schedule a consultation with your hairdresser.