Get ready – I am sharing all my secrets about how I maintain healthy, dyed hair! Whether you are looking to go 10 shades lighter or just want a good conditioner, this is your go-to hair post!
Before
My hair is naturally dark. This photo is from the summer before my sophomore year of college. I was only getting a trim 1-2x pear year and was not super impressed with the stylist I was seeing. I was using drugstore shampoo and not investing any effort into making my hair look healthy.
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After
This is what my hair looks like now. For the past 2-3 years I have been seeing a stylist I love, and actually investing in my hair.
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Make The Decision To Invest
It is up to you how much you want and can invest into this process. Keeping up with highlights every month or two may just not be in the budget. Figure out how much money you are able to invest and budget from there. While dying your hair an entirely different color may sound appealing, realize it does take time and will probably not happen in one appointment. I had to go several times in the beginning to get my color as light as it is. Communicate with your stylist about the cost and time you have to invest so you can come up with a plan. If you live in the Baltimore area, I highly recommend Laurie Lazatti at Sola Salons in Timonium.
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Make The Chop
I went back and forth so many times when I made the decision to cut my hair. I had kept it long for as long as I could remember, and the ends were soo damaged. I don’t think my hair would be as healthy as it is today if I hadn’t chopped all the deadness off years ago!
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Find a Good Stylist – And Go Consistently
I think finding a good hairdresser – and seeing them regularly – is crucial in maintaining healthy hair. I have been going to the same hair stylist on a consistent basis the past couple years. I get highlights every 6-ish weeks and a trim/cut every 4-ish months. If you hair is very damaged, I would even recommend getting a trim every 2 months at least, especially if you keep your hair shorter.
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Find The Right Products
Finding products that really work for my hair have aided in keeping it healthy, long, and blonde. These are my favorites! (they’re nearly all available on amazon – so much cheaper than retail)
AG Hair Care Sterling Silver Shampoo
This shampoo helps to keep oily hair clean and helps prevent blonde hair from turning yellow.
Toner
I use this toner 1x per week to help extend the color. It also doubles as a hair mask and makes hair super soft!
It’s a 10 Miracle Conditioner With Keratin
This conditioner is GOLD. Definitely the best hair product I use! I give most of the credit to this conditioner. Once I started using it I noticed I have significantly less split ends, and my hair is always soft and easy to brush.
It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In With Keratin
This works similarly to the conditioner. I spray it in my hair every time I get out of the shower. It helps to prevent damage when you brush your hair and makes it easy to brush. It has helped prevent my hair from being pulled out when brushing. I would lose so many hairs if I didn’t use this! It also makes hair soft, shiny, and works as a heat protectant.
Moroccan Oil
I just started using this oil a couple weeks ago and have already noticed a difference! It makes hair softer, shinier, and healthier without increasing oiliness. It is an investment but a little goes a looong way!
Marilyn Hair Treatment
I recently started using this hair treatment. I put this product in my dry hair and keep it in for an hour before I wash my hair. This is an investment as well, but it instantly lightens my blonde!
Dry Shampoo
I would also recommend not washing you hair every day if you can. I am still working on this, and this dry shampoo helps me a lot! These one seems to be the only bottle that doesn’t stop working in my house, haha.
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Limit Hair Tool Use
One of my biggest pieces of advice would be to use as little heat as possible. Using heat everyday can be very damaging, especially straighteners (at least in my experience!) I don’t use a ton of hair tools – and the ones I have aren’t anything fancy or expensive – but they work for me!
Hairbrush
I have been using the wetbrush for years now after trying a bunch of different brands. This is the softest on my hair and I barely lose hair when I brush with the wetbrush.
Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer
This tool is gold! It is a blow dryer, straightener, and volumizer in one! It is a little hard to use when your hair is dripping wet so I towel dry as much as I can first and then use this. It makes my hair look SO GOOD! Blow drying alone makes me hair look frizzy and regular straighteners make my hair look flat. After I bought this I got rid of my straightener – they cause so much damage!
Curling Wand
I don’t have the most prestigious curling wand, but it works! I have trouble with curling irons because I always get creases and my curls never stay in. I like this one because the barrel part is thicker at the bottom and thinner at the tip so you can customize the size you want your curls. And my curls stay in! The best part is it’s under $25!
Blow Dryer
Here is the blow dryer I use before I curl my hair. Again, nothing fancy, but it’s pink and comes with a free brush, haha.
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I hope this post was helpful and answered some questions! Send me a DM or comment at the end of this post for any other questions!
