Hair Update: I Went Lighter
After 4 years, I went lighter and I am thrilled with the results! Four years ago, I went to the wrong colorist time and time again for what I thought was going to be a beautifully done balayage. I was constantly told they were going to correct my red-orange color, but all they were doing was adding more bleach higher up throughout my hair, totally ruining what the balayage effect was supposed to have. Balayage is a technique for highlighting hair in which the dye is painted on in such a way as to create a graduated, natural-looking effect. A truly talented hair colorist will take their time carefully painting color on thin sections of hair so that it blends well with your natural base color. Gigi, at Balayage by Gigi, has done my mom, my sister, and some of my close friends who are all blonde, and I am always so impressed by her work. Gigi helped me get the brassy, left over color out that would peek through my dark hair, by doing glosses on me which in turn made my hair so silky and dark. I became so tempted to go light again because I really trusted her and knew that she would not damage my hair while doing so. With all that being said, here is what I believe you need to know before you go lighter with your hair color.
Tips on Going Lighter
Doing your research is key to finding a color that is suitable for your hair in particular. For example, I know that my hair pulls red and has very warm tones because of the way it turned out in the past (i.e. the brassy, orange-red-yellow colors). I looked all over Instagram searching hashtags like #balayage, #lightbrown, #caramelhair #ombre, etc. I found models who’s hair I loved and saved them to a collection on Instagram. I knew I was going to go to Gigi from the start because she knows my hair, genuinely wanted me to go lighter, and to have her do it. I felt so comfortable knowing she was so confident doing it.
I think it’s extremely important to find a colorist who has worked on hair alike to your own and not get fixated on a salon name. Plenty of salons in LA and NYC, and I’m sure across the world, have reputable names, yet not everyone at the shop may be as talented as the one’s who are constantly being tagged and featured across social media. Some of those salons will charge you upwards of $700… INSANE and not worth it. My best friend has gone to two separate trendy salons in Los Angeles. One colorist severely dried out her hair, and the other colorist ruined her color completely. Yes, I know that’s just one example and she may have just been unlucky, but it is so important to find a colorist who can do exactly what they say and have images to back their word. I mean it’s your hair. Sure it grows back, but if someone does a horrible job or rushes the process, it’s a complete nightmare, believe me!
A couple other things you should keep in mind before going lighter is the effect it may have on your hair texture. Bleach tends to dry out hair and make it become more coarse. It’s important to invest in products that will help maintain color while building strength and locking in moisture. Balayage by Gigi recommended Joico shampoo and conditioner to add moisture and shine while protecting your color. They are on sale for $15 each at Ulta, I just ordered them.