Preparing your hair for a blonding appointment is crucial for achieving beautiful, long-lasting results while maintaining healthy hair. Here are the key steps you should take to get your hair ready:
1. repair damaged hair
Blonding services can weaken and damage your hair, so ensuring your hair’s structure is strong before your appointment is essential.
Use products designed to repair damage at the core level, like Surface’s Bassu Bond Leave-In, which strengthens hair fibers and restores hydration.
Or K18’s Molecular Repair Hair Oil, which works on a molecular level to rebuild damaged keratin chains.
Both of these products help to bring your hair back to its peak health, ensuring it’s ready for the lightening process. Consistently using these repair products in the weeks leading up to your appointment will fortify your strands and reduce the risk of breakage during blonding.
2. Arrive With Unwashed Hair
It sounds bad, but natural oils produced by your scalp actually play an important protective role during the lightening process. It’s essential to arrive for your appointment with unwashed hair, ideally with at least 24 hours of natural oil buildup. These oils act as a barrier, helping to shield your hair from the harshness of the bleach. If you can manage it, two days of unwashed hair is even better, as the added oils will provide more protection. However, it’s important to avoid any styling products—your hair should be product-free, allowing only your natural oils to be present during the service.
This ensures the lightener works evenly while keeping your hair’s integrity intact.
3. Avoid Heat Styling
In the days leading up to your appointment, it’s best to avoid heat styling tools like curling irons, straighteners, and even blow dryers when possible. Heat can weaken your hair, and make it more susceptible to damage during the blonding process.
Allow your hair to air dry or use heat-free styling methods to keep your strands in optimal condition. If you want more heatless styling ideas, here are some great tips.
4. Clarify if Needed
If you regularly use products that cause buildup, such as dry shampoos or styling creams, use a clarifying shampoo a few days before your appointment. This will cleanse your scalp and strands, ensuring the lightener can penetrate evenly. However, avoid clarifying on the day of your service, as natural oils are necessary to protect your scalp during the blonding process.
5. Communicate with Your Stylist
Be open with your stylist about your hair goals and any concerns. Whether you’re aiming for icy blonde, warm caramel, or anything in between, clear communication ensures your stylist can create a customized blonding experience that suits your vision and your hair’s needs.
By following these steps, you’ll be setting yourself up for a successful blonding appointment. Healthy, well-prepared hair not only takes color better but also looks shinier and lasts longer!
Read our article on how to care for lightened hair.