5 ways to maintain bleach blonde hair

Despite the saying, ‘blondes have more fun’, they do have it rough when it comes to maintenance, especially those with bleached-out locks - just ask bh’s Michelle.
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But bottle blondes don’t have to struggle through botched dye jobs, bad breakage and seriously questionable texture anymore. To help the fair-haired among us avoid the aforementioned, we’ve got the scoop on how to maintain it - plus a few tricks from our very own bh bleached to ensure your lighter locks are forever vibrant and miraculously healthy.
Pick your products
When it comes to choosing a shampoo and conditioner, look for formulas designed specifically for maintaining and protecting your colour. Avoid anything harsh or stripping, and opt for sulphate-free products. Brassiness is a common curse of blonde hair, but it can be easily remedied by washing with a purple or blue-based formula once a week.
bh loves: Shu Uemura Art of Hair Color Lustre, Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo & Conditioner, Sachajuan Silver Shampoo & Conditioner, TONI&GUY Hair Care Cleanse Shampoo for Blonde Hair
“The bane of my blonde existence is brassiness. It creeps up on me when I least expect it, but using De Lorenzo Novafusion Silver Shampoo twice a week helps me keep the orange at bay.” - bh’s Kelly
Be protective
Hot tools aren’t great for coloured hair overall, but they’re especially threatening to blondes. Since we’re not advocating a cold turkey ban on heat tools, it’s essential to minimise the damage. Depending on your hair type and preference, try a heat protecting cream, spray or balm to fight damage - and keep colour fading at bay.
bh loves: Fudge Hot Hed Violet, Moroccanoil Heat Styling Protection, Schwarzkopf Essence ULTÎME Crystal Shine 220 ° Heat Protection
“All blondes have brittle dry hair (we can thank bleach for that) so I swap my conditioner for a mask and it works wonders. Keep in mind that product builds up doing this though, so you need to use a clarifying shampoo every now and then.” - bh’s Kelly
Keep out of the sun
You protect your skin, so it’s high time to start protecting your hair - and scalp too. If your hair is going to be in direct sunlight, it’s imperative you prep it using a heat protection product with UV filters. A tortured blonde can point the finger at UV damage, but they really only have themselves to blame.
bh loves: Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil, Charles Worthington Sunshine Leave-In UV Protection Spray
“I'm addicted to hair oil and lather it onto my strands, particularly at the ends. I use the TONI&GUY Hair Care Reconstruction nourishing mask twice a week, and the Make Blonde Toning Shampoo once a week. My hairdresser always uses Olaplex too - it’s a much safer way to keep up the bleach, sans the breakage!” - bh’s Ally
Stay hydrated
If you’re not a natural blonde, it’s likely your hair is dehydrated and a little damaged thanks to all that maintenance. When your locks are thirsty, you’ve got to nourish them with a weekly leave-in treatment or restoring mask to repair those stressed out cuticles. And never underestimate the power of a hair oil to soften your ends for a shinier finish.
bh loves: OUAI Hair Oil, Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Keratin Restore Blonde Mask, Redken Blonde Idol Mask
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“It's weird, I know, but as I have really dry hair, I love exercising and working up a sweat as it helps bring a bit of moisture back into my roots!” - bh’s Ally
Avoid going green
Swimming in chlorinated water can turn blonde hair a shade of green. To avoid this, use a clarifying shampoo once a week for deep cleansing. Before swimming, drench your hair in argan oil or a conditioning treatment, or wear a swimming cap, if you can stand it. These small measures will help prevent chlorine absorbing into your hair and turning it green.
bh loves: Moroccanoil Clarifying Shampoo, Pureology Purify Shampoo, Kevin.Murphy MAXI WASH
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“Something I've learnt that works wonders is putting a mask in my hair before I go in the sun or for a swim, it keeps the moisture locked in and never dries out.” - bh’s Kelly
Do you have bleach blonde hair? How do you maintain it?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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66 Member Comments
Olaplex fixes damage I do and would love to try also some more kerastase
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I don't thinkI would bleach my hair unless I decide to try some crazy colour
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I’ve never bleached my hair and I have no plans to do so. Not going to put chemicals in my hair.
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The Fudge Blonde Shampoo is so good for keeping brassiness at bay!
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I would love to try Oribe.
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I'm a light sandy blonde at the moment. I use a mixture of the purple and blue Fanola shampoos, changing the ratio of the two depending on whether I want to counteract more orange or yellow tones. I use a hair masque once a week.
I also use use the Pureology Colour Fanatic Leave in treatment spray. It's an amazing all-in-one spray that detangles, conditions, improves colour, reduces frizz, adds shine and provides protection from heat and environmental damage. It's amazing! :o
I've cut the hot tools out. I always air dry and only straighten for special occasions. Plaiting your hair when going to bed and sleeping on a silk pillowcase helps reduce damage too.
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Not something I need to think about any longer.
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I have blonde hair and I find purple shampoo really helps. Only recently discovered I should be using sulfate free products to keep brassiness away.
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Being blonde sounds like a lot of work. But then again most of these tips can be used for all hair types!
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Bleach blonde and honestly it's high maintenance plus expensive to keep it in good shape. For me it's no heat styling (only hairdryer to get hair dry enough - twice a week only), quality sulphate free products (evo, moroccanoil, Kevin Murphy, etc), constantly using hydrating products and treatments, olaplex every time at the salon.. it's never ending :)
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I think I'd like to try having blonde hair once but it does look like a lot of work!
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For me, it's all down to the combination of the right purple shampoo and alternating my conditioner and favourite conditioning hair mask. I slay the leave-in after every wash, too. I still don't get the same after-salon look four weeks following my appointment, but it helps.
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I put on a blonde wig once to see if I could go blonde but I looked grannyish somehow - just not my colour!
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The price you pay for being that perfect shade of blonde but it's all worth it.
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I've been wanting to bleach my hair, but it looks like I'll have to buy a whole new set of products to maintain it!
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I use the Delorenzo Novafusion silver shampoo, it is getting harder to maintain being blonde and am thinking of going a tiny bit darker.
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My sister is a bottle blonde so these are great for her especially. I get naturally much lighter in the summer months but even with the natural sun, some of these products sound good for me too.
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Luckily for me I don't have blonde hair to maintain! I know few people that have bleach blonde hair and I'm exhausted from hearing the routine let alone having to do it!
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I've used Redken Blonde idol and it's amazing would definitely recommend it for dyed hair.
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I'm not a blond but this reminds me to pick up a clarifying shampoo as my hair needs a reset.
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I haven't used any of these products. I usually use Goldwell Dualsenses Blondes & Highlights or Color Extra Rich. I also use a toner periodically and a treatment once per week.
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Things I've learnt being blonde and a hair stylist: Blonde toning shampoos are amazing but blonde toning conditioners do nothing. There isn't enough pigment for it to help with toning. A better option is something with protein or hydration.
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That's funny, I found the opposite! My hair is very long. When I was blonde, it was my mid-length & ends which had the most brassiness. I put toning conditioner on & left it like a mask. When I rinsed it off, the brassiness looked much better.
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As a blonde and a stylist my self my holy grail products are fudge clean blonde shampoo (for white silver blondes) and CPR always blonde (for ashy silver grey) And surprisingly the Lee Stafford range for hair that doesn't grow past a certain length. It's available from priceline and supermarkets and it's super high in protein which bleached hair needs but it's so moisturising and softening it doesn't feel like a protein product.
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I stopped getting my hair dyed due to concerns about chemicals. Having said that, sometimes I would love to go blonde again.
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