Farida Abdel Malek 
Going blonde is a commitment. It's not an easy decision to make for many of reasons. However, it is a beautiful hair color and a lot of people are curious to try it, especially platinum blonde hair. Now, let's say for starters that even if you follow the tips below and try the best you can going blonde can still affect your hair's health, especially if the hair is naturally dark, coarse, dry or fragile. However, there are things that can be done like knowing how to protect hair when bleaching, that can help minimize any damage...
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Note: If you've done chemical treatments on your hair before or if you hair is really fragile, be careful because bleach could really further damage it quickly.
How to go blonde without damaging your hair:
1. Don't do it quickly
The truth is a big part of going blonde without really damaging your hair is being patient and not doing it in one go. It it important kind of create a plan with your hairstylist to start the process gradually and not go straight from brown to platinum or blonde. The bleaching process is best taken a little bit at a time with more than one session and treatments in between to help fight damage. Yes, it will take more time and you might have some awkward phases in between with the color transitioning and changing from, for example, black to brown to a lighter brown, then blonde and a lighter blonde and so on...Doing it quickly and in one go can be really damaging to the hair.
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2. Treatments during the bleaching process
Treatments are what can also seriously help with reducing damage. Your hairstylist should use in between bleaching deep conditioning treatments. Some stylists add treatments to the bleach to help protect and repair protein bonds. The thing is bleaching the hair breaks down the protein bonds in the hair. You might have heard of Olaplex, it’s a product that is incorporated in the bleaching process to protect the natural proteins in your hair and make the bleaching process more safe and less damaging. How? It helps stick the protein bonds together and therefore protects them and helps the hair stay strong and healthier in the process.
3. It's an investment
The whole process, in order to be as healthy as possible, will need a invest in time, effort, research and money. First and foremost, investing in a good hairstylist is crucial. Take your time to sit with more than one, before you start, to discuss what you want to do and what's best for your hair, before deciding on one. Also investing in really good products can make a difference. Especially the bleach, it should be of really good quality and take time to look for the best and least damaging ones that have good ingredients to nourish the hair as much as possible. Same goes for the products used in after care...
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4. Shampoo, conditioner and aftercare
Speaking of aftercare, it is also a crucial part of the process. The hair will be delicate and will need you to use good products that will nourish it and further protect it. Especially with curly, dark or coarse hair, it will need a lot of conditioning before, during and after bleaching and dying. It is important to make sure you use conditioning masks every day before starting the process. Also, don't forget about products like Olaplex to help the protein bonds. The of course there's shampoo and conditioner. Try to find ones that are really good quality, very hydrating, and include natural oils. Of course purple shampoo is also a great help to sustain the color. purple products—i.e. shampoos and conditioners infused with purple pigments that help counteract the brassy tones that naturally develop in blonde hair. Also, don't forget about protective hair serums.
4. Protect it from heat
If you use heat on your hair regularly, you have to be extra careful when it gets bleached. Make sure you use a heat protectant because blow drying, straighteners and curling irons will cause a lot of damage. Try to use a gentle, low setting with them and of course any other tools you use, like your hairbrush, should be really gentle and less prone to cause breakage.
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5. Touch-ups
When it comes to touching up your hair after dying it to sustain the color, balance is key. Find a place in the middle. Don't go for touch-ups way too quickly but also don't wait too long for a touch up. "If you wait too long between touch-ups, you risk getting a 'band' of slightly different shades of blonde around your head, which will require a full-on, all-over bleach job to correct." And that is severely damaging.
going in for touch-ups too soon can do more harm than good. It’s harder for colourists to lighten shorter roots and the overlapping of bleach on your hair can leave your strands worse than when you came in. Ideally, if you can go in for a touch-up every four to six weeks you’re golden (literally)
If you're getting a bleach and tone—a.k.a. going platinum—make an appointment before you leave the salon for a touch-up in four to six weeks so you don't forget," recommends Ess.
every five to seven weeks, depending on how fast your hair grows," says Friedman. "Coming too soon or too late can result in overlapping and breakage.”
Main Image Credits: Instagram @officiallyquigley
