CAN YOU GO BLONDE WITHOUT DAMAGING YOUR HAIR?

Ok, so the first question you need to ask yourself is, "Is my hair healthy enough to go blonde?"

Well, you need to ask yourself the following questions before you can answer this:-

Does your hair have split ends?

Is it rough to touch?

Does your hair break off when you brush it?

If yes to any of these questions then your hair is porous and it should not be coloured.

If you're still not sure, why not do a strand test:-

While your hair is wet, take a strand and gently pull it. You can use a strand that has fallen out already if you prefer. If it snaps easily then this is a sign of it has been over-processed and is not suitable to colour again. Your best option in this situation is to have a good cut to get rid of those split, dehydrated hair. I would also recommend that you grow as much of your tint/bleach out before colouring again. Why not pop into Avalon, and speak to one of our colour experts at our Crouch End hair salon for some advice on what to do for the best.

Also, a really important thing to consider when going from dark to blonde is tint does not lift tint. If you have coloured your hair either dark or blonde, once you have put tint on your hair you can not lift the colour with tint. You can go darker but you can not go lighter. This means that you would have to revert to bleach to achieve a lift in colour.

As you most probably know with bleach you get a lot more lift than you would do with tint but the downside is that bleach is a lot more damaging than tint. Here's why:-

Bleaching involves the oxidisation process, which uses hydrogen peroxide to remove the colour from the hair shaft.

Tint permanent hair dyes use the same oxidisation process that bleaching does, but it doesn’t lift the cuticle and damage the hair to the same degree. Oxidisation lightens the hair slightly while colour is being applied and bonded to the hair shaft. This process not only changes your hair colour, but it allows you to lighten your hair colour.

Ok so you've considered your options but you still feel nervous about going lighter and damaging your hair. Let's go through the safest steps to take:-

1/ DO IT GRADUALLY - At Avalon, we like to use colour safely by coming up with a long term plan with our clients to achieve the results they want with the minimum damage. We pride ourselves in gaining the reputation of being one of the best hair salons in North London. If you don't have the option of coming to Avalon hair salon Crouch End then talk to your colourist and explain your concerns. Mention that you would prefer not to overlap the colour when coming in for a colour touch up and that you would prefer to go lighter slowly and safely. Any good colourist will completely understand and agree with you.

2/ TREAT YOUR HAIR WHILE COLOURING - When lightening your hair the colour breaks down the protein bonds in the hair shaft. Olaplex is a product that any hairdresser would advise you to use when colouring your hair to protect the natural proteins in your hair and makes the whole lightening process safer and less damaging. It helps stick the protein bonds together and therefore protects them and helps the hair stay strong and healthy.

3/ AFTERCARE - This is your part of the long term plan. Investing in a really good shampoo and conditioner. Our Davines Nou Nou range at Avalon is perfect for bleached, permed or relaxed hair. The rich formula gently cleanses treated hair, giving it deep nourishment, hydration and restoring its natural softness. By buying this product you not only take care of yourself but you will also be taking care of the planet with the effort that is put into sustaining the natural resources and environment when producing.

4/ HEAT PROTECTION - This is my go-to product that I use every day. I use it on wet or dry hair. Not only is it a great lightweight, All In One Milk, it's a multi-function leave-in spray treatment that softens, detangles, controls frizz and protects the hair from heat, it also smells amazing!! This is my personal hair perfume!!

Well, I hope this advice has helped you make a decision on if and how to lighten your hair. Remember shiny healthy hair wins hands down versus dry, dehydrated, limp hair so be sensible and be safe.

This article was written by the Salon Owner Debbie at Avalon.

SPLIT ENDS

So let’s start with what split ends actually are. Basically it is wear and tear. From shampooing to styling, it's dehydrated hair. In technical terms it’s where large areas of the cuticle have split away from the shaft, revealing the inner cortex.

What causes our hair to split?

Well there are a number of reasons.

COLOURING - Colouring changes the structure of your hair. Our colour experts at Avalon Hair Salon Crouch End  always recommend you use an Olaplex treatment with your colour so as to reduce the damaging effect of colour.

CHEMICAL TREATMENT - Chemical straightening and perming weakens the hair quite dramatically. Your aftercare is extremely important to make sure your hair doesn't dry out.

HEAT STYLING - Step away from those straighteners ladies! Heat styling also significantly weakens your hair, especially if you’re not using heat protection every single time you style. My recommendation if you have to use heat on your hair is to use Resistance Extentioniste Thermique Hair Protection. It's strengthening hair protector for long hair and split ends which helps to gently restore hair and detangle without causing breakage.

How to get rid of split ends?

Unfortunately there is no way of fixing a split end. You can make them look a little more presentable with finishing products like Kerastase Resistance Serum Therapiste Dual Treatment. This product helps with dehydrated hair and can temporary seal the split ends which makes them visibly smoother.

So what can you do about split ends?

Cut them off! Unfortunately this is our only option. Once you have cut them off you can then change what you do that cause the ends to split.

How to prevent split ends happening again?

Get regular haircuts. Our stylists at Avalon Hair Studios Crouch End recommend every six to seven weeks to really stop those pesky ends from splitting.

Don't brush so hard. Maybe try a tangle teaser and start at the bottom and work your way up.

Use a deep conditioning treatment to keep the ends hydrated. You can even comb your hair while the conditioner is still in especially if you do have a tendency to have knotty hair.

Oils! I can not emphasise this enough. Add to your daily routine a little oil to the ends of your hair, it will make a huge difference. I swear by Elixir Ultime L'huile Original, it's saved my poor dried out hair!

Put your hairdryer on a low heat. Over heating can burn and dry the hair out.

Wear a hat on your holidays! UV rays is so damaging for the hair, it can make your hair dry and brittle.

So that's it folks. My advice on split ends. Cut and rehydrate is my two key points!

This article was written by Debbie at Avalon.