Blonde bombshell: how to care for bleached hair between colour appointments
Summer may be approaching its end, but there are still plenty of sunny days left to enjoy. This is great news for your tan, but it's not so good for your bleached hair. Overexposure to UV rays, swimming pool chlorine, and sea salt can cause breakage and brassiness.
But never fear — glossy blonde locks are well within reach with the proper care. Our colour experts show you how to care for bleached hair at home and in-salon, so your lovely locks stay strong, soft, and vibrant.
How bleaching works (and why hair may need extra TLC!)
To understand why blonde hair needs extra care and attention, we need to explore the bleaching process.
To bleach your hair, a colour specialist will apply hydrogen peroxide and lightening powder which dissolves the melanin (colour) in your hair through a process known as 'oxidation'. Hydrogen peroxide causes the hair strands to swell and opens the cuticle so it can penetrate the cortex and do its job. This is what causes your hair to become weaker.
Bleached hair is often more porous than virgin hair, and repeated treatments can potentially cause you to lose keratin. This could make it prone to damage and breakage.
Exposure to hot summer sun can add to the damage, ruining the glossy vibrancy of your newly coloured locks. The secret to long-lasting colour and excellent hair health is in the homecare products and salon treatments you use in between your colour service appointments.
How to treat bleached hair: care tips every blonde should know
From daily care to quick fixes for damage and brassiness, these are the care tips every blonde should know, complete with our favourite product recommendations.
Daily care
Your hair will be weaker in the first few weeks after your bleaching treatment, so it's better to limit the number of weekly washes to once every three or four days. Shampoo can strip lipids from your hair, so we'd recommend washing with shampoos formulated to replace that lost protein. Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Shampoo and Kérastase Blonde Absolu Cicaextreme Bain Shampoo Cream are both great choices.
Healthy blonde hair relies on moisture, so a deep conditioning mask once or twice a week is the best way to hydrate your parched tresses and replace lost lipids. Our favourite is Kérastase Urban Moisture Hydro Nourishing Treatment. It's loaded with ingredients like moringa oil and red algae for deep hydration and care.
Another trick to maintain excellent colour and condition is knowing how to treat bleached hair before heated styling. Give it an extra boost of protection using a heat defence product like the Kérastase Blow Dry Primer range or Shu Uemura Netsu Design. For an extra hit of summer sun defence, try Kérastase Soleil Créme UV Sublime Hair Cream.
How to fix bleached hair damage
Bleached hair damage is common, especially when you consider how delicate it is after a colour treatment. Not to worry! There are products and hair care routines developed to address the different types of damage bleach can cause.
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Extreme damage
Over-processed hair can suffer from a loss of lipids (protein) and bonds. The Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset collection is formulated to help add proteins back into the hair and stop breakage.
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On the verge
Over-processed hair can suffer from a loss of lipids (protein) and bonds. The Kérastase Blond Absolu Cicaextreme range uses deep reconstructive technology to help recover fragile hair, restoring health and softness without weighing it down. The range gives double hydration with its unique blend of two different hyaluronic acid molecules.
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Ongoing maintenance
Blonde locks need continuous specialist care to prevent damage from occurring. We recommend powerhouse ranges like Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde and Kérastase Blonde Absolu to maintain strength and colour integrity.
Treatments like Blonde Absolu Fusio Dose are great for adding hydration back into the hair and knocking out any brassiness. You can request one of these treatments as part of your next appointment at our Paul Edmonds London salons.
How to fix brassiness
This is one of the most helpful and universal care tips for maintaining gorgeously bright, salon-fresh blonde locks. Brassiness occurs when warm tones start to creep into your colour — this can be caused by environmental factors, UV exposure from the sun, and heated styling. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to fix it!
Blonde hair turns brassy when too much of the base yellow tones come through into your chosen shade. You can 'neutralise' it by using colour theory to knock out the unwanted tone with the shade opposite yellow on the colour wheel, which is purple.
Adding neutralisers into your homecare hair routine can help you maintain your salon colour and protect it from environmental factors which cause brassiness. Your colour stays pristine for longer!
Read more: Banish brassy hair with these superstar neutralisers
Davines Alchemic Shampoo & Conditioner bundles (from £36)
When it comes to neutralisers, Italians do it better. Sustainable Italian brand, Davines, uses high-grade natural ingredients to protect hair from brassiness while enhancing the colour. The Alchemic Golden Bundle is excellent for maintaining sunkissed warm blondes, and the Alchemic Silver Bundle is perfect for preserving platinum and cool blondes.
Shu Uemura Yubi Blonde (from £22)
Shu Uemura's Yubi Blonde range neutralises and cares for hair using precious Japanese white peony and pigments manufactured by Japanese ink specialists. It freezes cool blonde locks in a state of grace, leaving them as fresh and icy as the day they were coloured. The range is a complete four-piece home care routine for daily use and weekly treatments.
Kérastase Blond Absolu (from £20)
The Kérastase Blonde Absolu Keep Your Blonde Cool range is a selection of 5 products formulated to give end-to-end care. Blonde tresses are illuminated and deeply nourished through a unique combination of potent Hyaluronic Acid and Edelweiss flower.
Luxurious blonde care treatments at Paul Edmonds London
The colour experts at our Battersea and Knightsbridge salons aren't just great at giving you care tips here on the Paul Edmonds London blog. They can also help you care for your colour in-salon, too. Here's a selection of luxurious, specialist treatments you can enjoy when you visit us.
Bonding treatment
Take the proactive route and stop damage before it happens. We offer bonding treatments as part of our pre-lightener (bleaching agent) during colour services to protect the hair throughout the colouring process. You can find out more by getting in touch with our colour experts. Find out more
Ultimate Protein Rejuvenate treatment
Are you in need of an immediate SOS hair treatment? This is the one for you. Our Ultimate Protein Rejuvenate treatment has the power to replace lost protein and stop breakage immediately.
We apply the treatment under steam for deeper penetration and recommend combining it with moisture treatments to add elasticity. This treatment works best when done every two to three weeks, depending on how often you wash your hair.
Metal Detox
Heavy metals like copper can seep into your hair and damage your bleach or balayage colour and condition. Research by L'Oréal showed that one in two people have excess levels of heavy metal in their hair due to local tap water and other environmental factors.
To counteract it, our colour specialists use the L'Oréal Metal Detox 3-step protocol before colouring your hair. The specially formulated products penetrate into the cortex to neutralise copper molecules, remove them from the cuticle, and stop metal from damaging your hair in the future, too. Continue the care at home with the 2-step care routine.
Find out more here.
Glaze and Gloss treatment
The perfect luxury hair treatment between colour appointments! Glaze treatments lower the PH level of the hair, which locks the cuticle to give you super resilience and ultimate shine.
Glazes act as a colour top up before an important date or event (hello, bridal hair). Glazes can also protect your hair from harsh UV rays, so they're an ideal treatment to get before you jet off on a summer getaway.
Now you have everything you need to care for your blonde hair. Book a colour service with our specialists, indulge in a nourishing treatment or visit our online shop to create the ultimate blonde hair care routine.