I Can Haz White Hair??

Recently I've been getting a bunch of people asking me how I managed to get my hair white, and not just how to get that colour, but also for tips on maintaining it.

First of all, if you've read my first blog you may be a bit scared off, and I wouldn't blame you. White hair is REALLY hard to take care of, and the smallest mistake can set you back pretty far. Fortunately you have me to serve as your guinea pig and tell you what to avoid (wish I'd had that).

Do not attempt if you have thin hair, i would avoid going super light. Why? Well if your hair is already thin, stripping down the layers is just going to weaken it further and you WILL experience mass amounts of breakage sooner than others. Also, if your hair has a rougher texture to it, bleach is just going to make that problem worse and cause breakage as well.

That being said, I was told my natural hair was too light to be bleached that colour by at least three salons and i defiantly proved them wrong.

      From This...

(Excuse the obvious cliche, i was fourteen xP)

      To This!

(All unedited just so we can avoid any photoshop colour jobs)

The Steps....

• So I started using the lightest colour I could find in a box bleach (which due to monetary issues I am still using), which was the Garnier brand '100% Colour' and i believe the exact name was D01 bleach blonde (I'll include a picture though, for some reason I only remember what the girl on the cover looks like, versus the name). When it comes to all over colour, the application is pretty straight forward, just follow the included instructions and you should be fine. (An alternative bleach would be using a more reliable professional 40 volume bleach purchasable at most hair and beauty stores, 30 volume wouldn't achieve 'white').

• Depending on how fast your hair grows, you're going to want to wait a minimum of six weeks before hitting it with another dye application. In the in between time, using a restorative treatment like 'Frizz Ease: Overnight Serum' (retails for about $9, available at most drug and value stores) and 'Macadamia Healing Oil' (product information in my last blog) about two times a week to help repair any damage and maintain moisture. After the second bleach application (I would advise waiting for your roots to get noticeable before the second bleaching session, this way you can cover them AND lighten the rest of your hair) you'll want to get your ends trimmed because as the bleach strips away the colour layers, the ends will begin to break. Otherwise your hair may start to break from the bottom as your hair grows, causing it to stay the same length.

• After the second application (to the WHOLE head of hair, not just the roots), you should be left with a very pale blond. To get out that last bit of yellow and those brassy tones, you will need a purple toning shampoo (bare minimum) and even a conditioner if you can afford one. My favourite would be the Lush brand's 'Daddy-o' (you can find the purchasing information in my previous blog). Be careful though, some toning shampoos can leave a blue stain in your hair, and other toners may not work at all (such as 'Manic Panic Virgin Snow Toner', I bought three bottles online and it did NOTHING as far as toning goes).
• Getting your ends clipped every two to three months, as well as using deep conditioning treatments and toners (occasionally) will all help to keep your hair bright and white. To avoid further damage, I really can't stress enough that you should get someone else to do bleach your roots. After the initial bleach applications to the whole head, prolonged bleaching of already processed hair will cause mass amounts of damage (Re-bleaching over top of drastically lightened hair while doing roots in highly likely).

My final word on this would be to find a colourist that you can trust, who is comfortable and willing to help you achieve this colour. I'd also like to put out the disclaimer that I can't guarantee this will work for your hair, my stylist has marveled many times at how strong my hair is to have put up with all of this bleaching and still be so resilient.

Hope this helps, happy bleaching<3