Brunette to Blonde {Professional Advice for Taking Care of Color Treated Hair}

In just 14 months I went from having very few highlights, to blonde, and blonde, and blonder, to having hot pink ombre.  Once the pink faded a DIY hair coloring went wrong left me with gray hair.  I kid you not, it was gray, and I cried real tears.  It took almost a week to get an appointment to fix it, so you could say I learned my lesson the hard way.  Then on top of that, in order to color correct the damage I had done I had to go a very dark brunette color, which wasn't what I wanted but simply what had to be done.

I let the color fade for almost a year, getting regular hair cuts, until I was finally ready and my hair was healthy enough to start the process of going lighter again.  At this point all the blonde I previously had in my hair was showing through and the overall color was very brassy (see photo below).  If I learned just one thing throughout the entire experience it was that I wanted a color that was low maintenience and natural.  

 Before

Now I love my hairdresser, I trust her completely and I am never disappointed when leaving her chair.  This time around she took almost 4 inches off the ends and lightened them to a beautiful honey color.  I asked her to do an interview with me on the process of lightening your hair and how important it is/ how exactly to take care of it. I was thrilled when she agreed!    

After

How would you describe the technique you used to create this ombre look? 

To create the ombre, I used a balayage technique with lightener, a bowl, and a brush. My foil placement was in 1 and a half inch sections apart leaving potions of the previous color to create a very natural sun kissed look.

What is the importance of toning your hair?

When it comes to toning, it is a very important part to creating a finished look. Whenever there is lightener involved, it is taking the pigment out of the hair shaft. Toning is using a color to put pigment back into that lightened portion of hair. It helps keep the desired look for a longer period of time. Toning is not necessarily always used, however in most cases of lightening, and in the ombre look that I did, toning was a necessary step in achieving the desired look.  

**Side note: it is recommended that blondes tone their hair at home at least once a week using a purple shampoo such as Joyco Color Endure Violet Shampoo which will prevent your hair from turning any bronzey/ orange tones !

What products would you recommend in order to maintain color treated hair?

When it comes to color treated hair it is very important to use a shampoo and conditioner that is safe for color treated hair; mostly all salon products now are safe for color treated hair. Wella Brilliance for both fine and course hair, AG Color Care, and Redken Color Extend are just a few good examples of these products. The importance of this is that when shampooing and conditioning the hair, the color is continually being washed out, or in other terms, its fading. A lot of people do not understand that products used at home is one of the main reasons of color fading. I think of hair as an investment, if you're going to invest the time and money on coloring your hair, then you want to invest in the products that will continue the care at home. This will result in your look lasting longer.

How much is too much?  How often can you color your hair and how much time do you recommend waiting between touchups?

When it comes to color, retouches often differ from client to client but normally a recommended time frame is anywhere between 6-8 weeks. Anything more often then that can result in unwanted damage.

How often do you recommend getting a hair cut?

Haircuts are necessary to keeping the hair looking healthy and fresh. A good time line for women's haircuts are anywhere between 3-4 months. For men's hair cuts it is often a lot sooner, such as 1-2 months, as the haircut loses its shape a lot faster.

-Tianna Nagy, Chatters Salon Mayfair Mall, (250) 386- 1366

I want to thank Tianna again not only for my beautiful hair but also taking the
 time out of her busy life to do this interview with me! ❤  

How do you care for your color treated hair?

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xoxo

Organic Hair Mask: What, How, Why

I have a lot of hair.

And I've dyed it a lot over  the years back and forth from blonde to brunette, pink once. My hair was even gray at one point- but that was an accident and a whole other story.  The point is I'm always looking for ways to keep my hair strong and healthy.  

What has worked for me?

I always always always recommend coconut oil.  

I've tried a lot of different hair masks and deep conditioning treatments but I always seem to come back to this.  I started using coconut oil a few years ago after it was recommended to me by a friend.  She used it for tanning oil (fun fact: coconut oil offers UV protection) but after I looked into a little more I learned that it can be used for so much more.  Not only can you use it in your kitchen as a substitute for butter- but its good for your skin and of course your hair! 

Coconut oil pictured at room temperature (top) and warm (bottom)

How do I use it?
I tend to wash my hair only every third or forth day (dry shampoo is my best friend) so I like to plan ahead. The night before washing I will coat my hair in a generous amount of oil.  It's solid at room temperature so I just scoop out a walnut size portion with a spoon, warm it up in my hands and massage it into my hair starting (and focusing) at the ends and working up. Whatever is left on my hands I'll work into my skin.  Then I braid my hair or twist it into a high knot until the next morning when I wash it out (making sure to shampoo twice!)  It's very greasy- so it's definitely not something you would want to put in clean hair but I promise it works miracles.  I bleached and highlighted my hair every 2-3 months for over a year and it felt so soft, healthy and shiny. I get asked if it leaves stains on my pillow cases and bed sheet and I promise it doesn't! 

Why it works?
Whereas most conditioning treatments just coat the surface of your hair and wash out after your next shampoo. Coconut oil has the ability to penetrate your hair, therefore making it stronger and less susceptible to damage from heat and everyday wear and tear.  This means less breakage and longer, stronger hair!!

Prior to over night coconut oil treatment

Post coconut oil treatment

The best part?
It's easy to find!  You can buy coconut oil at any grocery or healthy food store.  The oil I'm currently using I bought from Naked Naturals for around $15-20CDN. Its called Artisana Raw Coconut Oil and it's lasted forever. 

On a related note- I use "Penetrating Moroccan Argan" oil every single day.  Its  very dry and non-greasy which is great because when my ends are feeling dry I just rub some in and it soaks it right up.

Either one of these oils and your hair will thank you !