Blonde Ambition: The do’s and don’ts.

 

 

 

 

 

Going blonde has been something I’ve wanted to try my whole life but haven’t had the courage to do. What better time to do it than during my make-over year. It has had mixed reactions from those around me but mainly positive. This was phase two, phase one being the first round of colour stripping which left me with uneven, blotches of orange. With 20 years of black box colour on my hair it hasn’t been easy. Approximately 2 more sessions and I should be a proud “bottle blonde”……if my courage holds out.

 

It will take so many sessions to achieve because I used box colour instead of having it professionally done. But lets face it, colouring your hair at a salon is not cheap and not convenient. These days the box colour is so easy to use and is so affordable, why wouldn’t we want to use it? I am quickly learning why.

If you think stripping colour from your hair in one go is damaging, then here’s news for you. The box colour is doing more damage. They contain harsh ingredients that can strip your hair and leave the cuticles irreparably damaged. The likelihood is that your hair will look and feel like straw, and there is no way to remedy this. Once your hair has been destroyed this badly, you simply have to wait for it to grow out, or if it’s really bad, you need to cut it off. Being a regular user of the box, my hair was indeed like straw, I had no idea the damage I was doing. Then suddenly, overnight, my hair went from being straw to being painfully oily and I was forced to wash it every day. I had decided to cut my hair off in a short bob but then thought, what’s scarier, going blonde just once or cutting off my locks.

Deciding to go blonde was the best idea I’ve had yet for my hair since it forced me to go to a professional. Stripping the colour from my hair will take 4 sessions, simply because of the volume of colour that is on there. Yes, my hair feels like straw now if I don’t use the quality, professional product given to me by my stylist, but better yet, I can go four days now without washing it. I am now on day 5 and it is only starting to feel oily now. The product I’ve bought however keeps my hair feeling soft and healthy, the best you can hope for really when bleaching your hair. Going blonde in a salon can cost you an arm and a leg and those of you who know me, know my Scottish blood runs deep, I always find the best quality possible for the lowest price possible. I go to a woman who works from home, with a string of clients leaving the salon to follow her I have to fight for an appointment. Just because they work from home doesn’t make them any less capable, it means you get the care and attention you really want when you have your hair done.

Being blonde is not a long term thing for me since I don’t want to completely destroy my hair, but while I have it I’m going to enjoy it. They do say that blondes have more fun, so far that hasn’t proved to be true.

Fingers crossed.

 

What happens when you try to go blonde at home:

Orange tint and flat colour.

Lifeless, straw-like texture.

Brunette to Blonde done in a salon by a professional.

 

10 golden rules of Banting

1. Remember: this is not a high protein diet. It’s a high fat, medium protein, low carb way of eating

2. Choose real foods that look like what they are, and cook them from scratch

3. Fat is not the enemy. Enjoy it!

4. Eat only when you are hungry; eat until you are satisfied – then stop

5. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry. You won’t die if you occasionally skip a meal you don’t feel like eating.

6. Stop snacking. You won’t need to – it’s just a habit.

7. No sugar. It’s an addiction, and it’s probably best to go cold turkey. But if you need to make it a transition, substitute with Stevia, Zylitol or Erythritol – NOT artificial sweeteners.

8. No grains of any kind

9. No (or very, very little) fruit. Think of it as a sweet rather than a health snack.

10. Embrace eggs. They’re healthy, satisfying and very good for you.