5 Tips When Bleaching Your Hair

I've worn my hair every style and every color possible--except one.  This summer I decided to fulfill a lifelong desire to go blonde.  My natural hair color is very dark brown so the closest I've ever managed to get on my own was a strawberry-orange color.  I got lots of compliments, but it felt like an incomplete achievement.

1. To Pro or Not To Pro:  That is the first question you must ask.   I initially went to a salon to have a pro handle this tricky task and to ask about the price for such a feat.  I was quoted at $150 for initial bleaching and $60 for each 4-6 week follow up visit.  No way!  I thought, I can do this myself for less.  A two part bleaching solution can cost around $50-$70.  Add in the tubs and brushes, and special shampoo, and you're over half-way to the cost of having it done at a salon.  Given that my hair came out fried and unevenly bleached, I really wish I'd just spent the money and gone to the salon, but you have to decided for yourself which is best.
2. If you decide to tackle it on your own, be sure to strip any existing hair dye or gloss treatments  from your hair first.  I like Oops: Color Removing Solution.
3. If you go to a salon, you'll be more likely to get an evenly toned color.  At home you run the risk of having a mix of orange-y yellow all the way to platinum.
4. Bleaching damages hair and it will likely not bounce back to that same natural softness you had before.  Be ready for hair that feels like straw and is in need of lots of over night conditioning masks to restore some of the softness.
5. If you've fried your hair beyond repair (ahem, like me), you have two options: be patient and let it grow or embrace your inner pixie and buzz it all off (ok, maybe there's an option somewhere in between).  The pro to letting it grow is that you can keep your long hair look if you're willing to power through the frizz each day, and of course fighting the frizz and the constant flat hair and breakage are the cons.  I'm facing my frizz with a lot of up-dos.  FYI, all that frizz, really makes my up-dos and buns look fuller and thicker, so that's another pro.  The pro to a pixie cut is that glorious feeling of starting fresh and the con is that manic year of crazy, weird hair while you wait for it to grow out.  Either way, time and patience are key.  In the end, I may still go short and ditch the frizz, but I'd like to try one more color before I do.