Okay, so I’d been thinking about changing up my look for a while. My black hair felt a bit… well, plain. I kept seeing pictures of people with highlights and thought, why not give it a try? Decided light brown would be a nice contrast, not too drastic but definitely noticeable.
Getting Started
First thing I did was spend way too much time scrolling through pictures online. You know how it is. Trying to find that perfect shade of light brown that wouldn’t look weird against my dark hair. I saved a couple of photos on my phone to show what I was aiming for.
I booked an appointment at my usual salon. I trust my stylist, which I think is super important, especially when you’re doing something with bleach. Didn’t wash my hair for like, two days before going in. Heard it’s better ’cause the natural oils protect your scalp a bit. Not sure if it’s true, but couldn’t hurt, right?
The Salon Process
Showed my stylist the pictures. We chatted about how light I wanted to go and where the highlights should be placed. She suggested starting subtle, which sounded good to me. Better to add more later than go overboard right away.
Then came the foils. Lots and lots of foils. She sectioned off bits of my hair, painted on the bleach mixture – that stuff definitely has a strong smell! – and folded them up in foil squares. It took a while. Just sat there, flipping through old magazines.
Waiting game. This was probably the longest part. Just sitting there while the bleach did its thing. My stylist checked a foil every now and then to see how the color was lifting. My hair is pretty dark, so it needed a decent amount of time. Felt a tiny bit of tingling, but nothing too bad.
Once it was light enough (looked kinda yellowy-orange when she showed me, gotta admit I was a bit nervous!), it was time to wash the bleach out. Felt good to get that stuff off my scalp.
Next step was the toner. This is what actually makes the highlights the brown color I wanted, instead of that weird yellow. She mixed it up and applied it all over the bleached sections. Waited again, but not as long this time.
Finally, another wash, some conditioner that smelled amazing, and then the moment of truth.
The Result & Afterthoughts
She dried my hair and styled it a bit. When I finally got a good look in the mirror… I really liked it! The light brown streaks weren’t too chunky, just blended nicely. It definitely added dimension and wasn’t as stark a change as I’d feared. It just sort of brightened things up.
My hair felt a little dry afterwards, which is totally expected with bleach. My stylist recommended using a purple shampoo sometimes to keep the brown from getting brassy, and definitely using deep conditioners or hair masks regularly.
- Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
- Deep condition weekly.
- Maybe use purple shampoo occasionally if needed.
- Try to limit heat styling.
Overall, pretty happy with how it turned out. Took a few hours, but worth it for the refresh. It’s a nice change without being totally different. If you’re thinking about it, I’d say go for it, but definitely go to someone you trust!
