Blonde ambition: Hair care tips for blondes
Advice on achieving and maintaining this season's hottest hair colour -- blonde.
Do blondes have more fun, and do gentlemen prefer them? While we may never know the answers to these questions, one thing we do know for sure is that blonde hair comes with its own set of rules on how to care for it.
“Blonde hair has a finer shaft in terms of diameter,” says Alain Larivée, owner of CAJH Maîtres Coiffeurs and Canadian creative consultant for John Frieda. “Hair has three layers, the medulla, the cortex and the cuticle and in naturally blonde hair there is no medulla.” This makes blonde hair finer, more fragile and more susceptible to dryness.
And when it comes to colouring blonde hair, you have to pay attention to hair health, texture and density, says Stacey Staley, owner of Blonde, a salon in Toronto. “Existing blondes can be more porous, delicate and dry, especially if they have been trying to find the right colour and stylist for them. And you cannot sacrifice health for colour,” she says.
And here’s some interesting findings: the folks at Garnier Nutrisse conducted research and found that the preferred shade of blonde differs around the world. Here in Canada, we tend to prefer a blonde that’s not too yellow or brassy or ashy, something that’s more beige blonde. Whereas in the United States, golden blonde is the most popular tone and in Europe, ash blonde is the hottest shade.
Whatever your blonde, here are some tips and tricks from the pros on achieving, caring and repairing your best blonde hair ever.
Problem: Blonde hair whether natural or coloured has a tendency to yellow.
Solution: Using a tone restoring shampoo and conditioner with neutralizing elements will help, says Alain. Also, stick to products that won’t create that undesired yellow tone, he adds.
Try: L’Oreal Paris Color Radiance Protecting Mask with UV Filter.
Problem: Your tresses are dry and fragile.
Solution: Natural blonde hair does tend to be fragile and if you’ve overworked it, it needs some TLC ASAP.
Try: Kerastase Ciment Thermique. “This is my favourite miracle repair product,” says Stacey. “It’s lightweight, protects against heat damage and does a mini treatment every time you blow dry or iron it in the hair.”
http://www.ellecanada.com/beauty/hair/blonde-ambition-hair-care-tips-for-blondes/a/43946