Your ultimate guide for caring for your bleached blonde hair at home

The men rock it, the ladies love it and even though the hot shade of the season may range from platinum to strawberry blonde, silver, balayage and back again, everyone can agree that a halo of blonde hair is a look every fashion-forward individual should try at least once. Just so long as you’re ready to take care of your bleached tresses at home, of course.

We caught up with Deidré Geldenhuys, owner and head stylist at Piatra's Hair Design, to find out what advice she gives her clients who are looking to go over to the lighter side. Here are a few expert tips to help you care for your bleached blonde hair at home. 

Embrace the hair mask

“I always advise my bleached blonde clients to do a hair mask at least once a week. Some people can get away with a mask once every two weeks - it depends on the condition of your hair to start with - but once a week is my rule of thumb,” says Deidré. “There are plenty of salon formulations available - look out for something protein-rich that adds moisture.”

“You can also choose to intersperse a salon product with something natural you can whip up at home. A lot of people love coconut oil for this purpose, but just be careful to wash it out completely afterwards. As coconut oil turns solid at cooler temperatures, we have found that some clients who use it as a moisturising mask come in with build-up on their scalp.” 

Inside tip: Give castor oil a try! The consistency is great - you can either use it on its own, or you can mix it into your favourite conditioner. It also encourages hair growth, which is a nice added bonus.

Don’t overdo it on the keratin

“If you choose to use protein-based shampoo and conditioner, just remember that too much keratin can make your hair brittle,” warns Deidré. “So, if you feel a change in the texture of your hair that you don't like, rather look for a shampoo and conditioner that's not as heavy on the keratin.”

Keep the yellow at bay with silver shampoo

“Every blonde should have a silver shampoo and conditioner in their arsenal,” says Deidré. “It really is the simplest way to keep your colour from turning brassy or yellow in between salon visits.”
Inside tip: Silver shampoo is actually purple – it’s the hue that sits opposite yellow on the colour wheel, so helps cancel out those unwanted warmer tones between salond visits.
 

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com