How to Prevent Brassy Blonde Hair

Hair that has been lightened is prone to brassiness.

Many people desire the perfect sun-kissed shade of blonde and lighten their hair with an at-home product or visit the salon to go lighter. Hair that has been chemically lightened or bleached blonde is prone to developing an orange, dulled look that is anything but golden.

Things You'll Need

• Shower filter
• Violet or light ash toner
• Styling products safe for color-treated hair

Instructions

1. Install a filter on your shower to reduce the amount of iron exposed to the hair. Iron deposits in tap water are known to cause brassiness in chemically lightened hair.

2. Shampoo hair with a special shampoo formulated to mask or reduce orange undertones. Such shampoos are normally violet in color and the package will indicate that they should be used on bleached or dyed blonde hair. The shampoo will help neutralize the brassy tones in the hair.

3. Use a toner between bleaching or lightening sessions. A toner is a semi-permanent dye that is less damaging to hair than bleach. Using an ash blonde or violet-based toner will help eliminate some of the orange undertones without risking further damage by bleaching the hair.

4. Protect your hair's moisture and color by only using styling products formulated for color-treated hair. Chemically lightened hair has been damaged and requires products that provide hydration and are free of alcohol. Alcohol can further dry out the hair.

Tips & Warnings

• Leave the bleach or lightening product in your hair according to the directions. Brassiness is often the result of incorrect hair lightening processes, such as the bleach being rinsed out too early or the darker color not being lifted enough to achieve blonde hair without orange undertones.

References

• Become Gorgeous.com: Get Rid of Brassy Blonde Hair
• Blonde-Ambition: Staying Blonde

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish