Human
Fantasy creature
Pastel hair is here to stay – from celebrities like Katy Perry, Nicole Richie and Kylie Jenner to Youtube and Blogging stars sporting unicorn pastel manes. Before you bust out the bleach, ask yourself these 4 important questions before dyeing your hair pastel.
1. Can you handle the maintenance?
Having pastel hair or even rainbow hair is hard maintenance – from regular root touch ups every 6 weeks to overall maintenance of your pastel hue every 2-3 weeks to keep it from fading to a dull shade, buying the right shampoo and conditioner (look for sulfate and silicon free) and using regular treatments for your hair, it really starts to add up. Not to mention before you even get out the dye, if you have brown to black hair color then you’ll need to bleach it to a light blonde (as white as possible) which usually is a costly process.
2. Can you handle your new hair damage? Constant bleaching and regular color changes will cause your hair to become damaged and susceptible to split ends. In order to go pastel, you need to go super blonde first. If you aren’t a natural blonde, that could be quite a process causing quite a lot of damage to your hair. A way to minimize damage is to invest in protein treatments as well as moisturizing and repairing conditioners. Many pastel haired beauties will wear hair extensions as often the bleaching process will result in thinner hair or sometimes even hair loss. For those wanting pastel hair but are discouraged by the damage your hair will endure, try going pastel ombré for a subtle pastel look.
3. Can you change your hair routine? As coloured hair is prone to be weaker and more damaged than virgin hair, you will need to change up your usual hair routine. If you want your pastel hue to stay as vibrant as possible avoid using heat styling products in your hair – this includes hot showers, hair straighteners, hair dryers etc. Washing your hair daily is actually quite bad for the health of your hair stripping vital oils and nutrients, so by avoiding washing your hair every day you will not only notice healthier hair but you’ll hold onto the pastel for longer!
4. Can you DIY at home? If you’ve asked yourself this question – READ THIS FIRST. If you are thinking about Do-It-Yourself, I would strongly advise against it unless you already have blonde hair. DIY bleaching kits are nice and do work in theory however are more likely to cause more damage to your hair than if you were to have your hair bleached in a salon. If you already have bleached or pre-lightened hair (it will need to be the whitest blonde in order for you to achieve pastel) then you’re good to go to DIY pastel hair. Pick out the right dye and shade and apply away! If you have any questions about how to do this, leave your questions in the comments below.