Things to Consider Before You Go Blond

The saying goes "blonds have more fun". While this may or may not be true many women want to find out for themselves. If you aren't naturally blond you have to become blond. There may be a little more to consider than just wanting to do it.

I have blond highlights myself. My natural color is a light brown and I can't stand it. I didn't want to go completely blond so I went with the highlights. It works well for me. Whether you are considering highlights or all over blond here are some things to consider before you make the decision to go for it.

Cost

For a good natural blond look you are better off going to a salon. The cost of a good coloring can run up to a hundred bucks a shot. You can't let it go for much longer than a month without going back. That's $1200.00 a year. Is that within your budget? Sure you could go once every two months but you end up with dark roots, which most likely will not be flattering.

Highlights are a little easier to manage and don't require you to return to the salon monthly. I personally only have to do highlights twice a year. I can also do them at home because I have naturally curly hair and it's really hard to mess up highlights if you have curls. If my hair were straight I'd leave it to the professionals.

Your Coloring

Not everyone looks good with blond hair. Everyone's skin tone is different and only certain people can go blond and have it look natural. I'm sure you've seen it on the streets; the women who just shouldn't have done it. What is the point of making yourself look worse?

I learned this the hard way in college. A friend begged me to let her do my hair. I don't know what I was thinking when I agreed. She bleached my hair blond and I looked like death warmed over. I still shudder at that memory. I dyed my hair back to brown the very next day. A good salon can at least suggest the best shade of blond for you skin type if you insist you must do it.

Hair Health

When you bleach hair you are changing the molecular structure of your hair. The bleach opens up the cuticle of the hair and chemically removes the pigment of your hair. When it is rinsed away the cuticle will lay back down. The problem is it never lays back down as it was when you started. Your hair has just sustained damage that you cannot fix. It will remain so until it is trimmed off.

Though this kind of damage is not fixable you can lessen it somewhat by using quality hair products. I would recommend using them before you bleach so your hair is as healthy as possible when you go in. In my case my hair has to be babied. My natural curls are already fragile before I highlight.

Hair Loss

There is hair damage and there is total hair loss. It's not common if you have a professional doing your hair but if you are doing it on your own, it's possible. The damage of bleaching can build up and your hair can break off and fall out. When my friend bleached my entire head and I re-dyed it brown the next day I was very lucky. It could have been a total disaster! The longer your hair is the more damage you will accumulate. After a while you may have to bite the bullet and sport a shorter hair do just to get rid of the damage.

Make Up

You may find yourself starting from scratch in the make up department. Your new hair color will affect the look of your face and you may need to buy different colors and shades. Depending on where you shop for your cosmetics this can be pricey and pretty much a guessing game. This may hold true for some of your wardrobe as well. What once looked really good on you pre-coloring may not go with your new mane.

It's Not All Scary

Though there are minor issues with going blond it may be just the thing you need. You may feel stuck in a rut and wanting something new. Maybe you are hitting an early midlife crisis. Whatever the case may be, if it feels good then you should do it. I strongly believe a person should do what they can to be happy. If you think blond hair will give you a new outlook on your life then by all means go for it.