Hair experts from the UAE explain why you shouldn’t take going blonde from dark too lightly
Kim Kardashian dazzled on the Met Gala red carpet, wearing a vintage dress once owned by Marilyn Monroe. To complete her look, Kardashian dyed her hair platinum blonde in homage to the Gentlemen Prefer Blondes actress. Kardashian, 41, told Vogue that she spent the day before the fashion fundraiser in the salon chair, saying: “I’m spending the whole day just dyeing my hair, 14 hours straight.”
The reality star wore her newly dyed hair in a tight bun on the top of her head, a stark contrast to her long, raven locks.
This is not the first time she has stripped the colour back and gone blonde. The reality TV star had a long, blonde bob at Paris Fashion Week in March 2016 and dabbled with ashblonde hair in 2017.
We spoke to three leading UAE colourists about what it takes to make such a dramatic change and the care and commitment needed when going blonde.
Here are their top tips:
Catherine Hawkes, artistic director at Salon 971
Hair that has been dyed from light to dark several times “has been compromised and would have to go through many treatments and chemical processes to be able to lift and get a clean blonde. That is why it would take that long, to keep as much integrity as possible.”
When it comes to intense colouring, both thick and thin hair can make the process tricker. “To get the hair from dark to blonde, it depends on the tones underneath and if you are lifting out previous colour,” she says. “But it involves using a lightener to open the cuticle and lighten the pigment. The thicker the hair, the harder it is to lift, as the hair is covered in layers of cuticles. However, finer hair, although easier to lift, can easily snap.”
Post-treatment care is of paramount importance to maintain the colour and health of hair, with Hawkes advising avoiding the pool and sea, and using sulphate-free shampoos. “Going blonde,” she warns, “is definitely high maintenance.” salon971.com, 04 579 6222
Hicham Eid, creative director at Eideal and Davines Arabia
“I like to educate my clients that it can take up to six stages and six separate sessions to go from black to blonde,” he says. “It is not an instantaneous process, no matter how it may seem on celebrity Instagram feeds.”
He defines the six stages as: black to medium brown; medium to light brown; light to dark brown; dark blonde to medium blonde; medium blonde to light blonde; and light blonde to very light blonde.
Commitment is vital to going blonde, especially if you have very dark hair to begin with. “The time commitment isn’t the only factor to consider when you are switching up your hair colour,” says Eid, who recommends the Heart of Glass haircare line for blondes. “Avoid going to the pool without rinsing your hair with natural water after, and always apply a leave-in conditioner before going into the pool to avoid the minerals from the copper pipes ruining your colour.” eideal.com
Karl Warner, artistic director at Pastels Salon The Ritz-Carlton JBR
“You don’t want to walk out with your hair in a bag, so it is a procedure that requires a lot of
stages in order to be as gentle to the hair as possible and keep it in the best possible condition,” he says. “If you did it all in one go, your hair would fall out completely, so it’s recommended that the process be done over a six-to-eight week period, but it could take longer depending on client’s hair condition and texture.”
Revealing he would never perform the process on overly coloured and fragile hair, Warner advises that clients be “realistic” about the colour they will leave the salon with at each stage of the process.
Warner recommends using an Olaplex treatment at home, as well as protein and moisturising shampoos and conditioners. pastels-salon.com, 04 399 5016
What does it cost?
All the stylists agree the cost from start to finish would be somewhere between Dh2,000Dh3,000. “Every stylist has a different cost, but on average every hour spent during the process would cost between Dh220-Dh370,” Eid says. “Remember, the client will visit the salon during that process two to three times and every appointment would probably be four to six hours, followed by in-salon treatments to maintain the health of the hair. So, it is an expensive procedure to undertake.”