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So here goes… As a hairdresser if I had a pound for every time I had been asked for ‘ice white’ or ‘grey blonde’ hair I’d be giving Kylie Jenner a run for her money on her bank account.

Im going to clear things up with this ‘trend’ and show the reality of:

1. How it is achieved

2. The science of the (very difficult) process.

3. The consequences on the condition of the hair

4. The maintenance in which you have to do yourself in between colourist visits

5. Products best to use to keep the colour and condition

6. Trend: Pinterest and Photoshop!

How it is achieved…

So without blinding everyone with science which I could gas about all day long as the science that goes into lifting hair is INSANE Id like to explain the lifting process when pre lightener (bleach) is applied to the hair, this image shows each colour the hair roughly goes through when lifting.

Please bear in mind every single persons hair is different along with every strand of the hair which all depends on our distribution of pigment..

Phew! Still with me?!

The science of the (very difficult) process…

So when prelightener is applied the hair goes through all these stages depending on how dark the hair is to start with, note this does not included tint that has previously been applied to the hair, home hair colours and warmer tones will be even more difficult to lift as it effectively has even more layers of colour to remove.

To achieve a lovely clean blonde, either as a full head or in highlights we are looking for pale yellow, think the inside of a banana skin. As colourists we are also taking into consideration the condition on the hair during this process, I always say there’s no point your hair looking the most amazing cleanest, whitest blonde, in your plughole! We need the hair to still be on the scalp and in good condition too! This is where it gets slightly unrealistic. Pre lightener’s only job is to remove, remove, remove, it won’t stop until there is nothing really left! So if its left on too long or mixed with the wrong oxidant it can be catastrophic for the hair. It needs to be timed to precision and taken off at the right moment where its clean but not damaged.

This is just the lifting process! Now we are working with the cleanest blonde that is safe for your hair, no not someone on Instagrams hair, YOUR hair as we know everyone is different, what worked for hers may not work for yours.. simple! We now need to consider TONERS!

So now we’ve effectively taken the pigment out of the hair were looking like a 90s Eminem! Woo! This colour is perfect for toning, obviously the rapper forgot his toner back in the day! Hah! A toner mixed to precision by a colourist is the only way to tone from this point, please don’t use these semi permanent, crazy color, manic panic colours as they simply don’t have the science to work their way deep enough into the hair and WILL go uneven and wishy washy! Well get onto those later! I did say this was a long process and did I mention I’m SUPER passionate about hair?!

All the toners job is to put the pigment back into the hair! Colourists are always on the look out for a revolutionary toner that’s going to change our whole lives and there are a few amazing brands and colours out there but its hard! Hard to get a tone that not only cleans the blonde but that doesn’t go too grey. On the colour wheel (here we go) the way to neutralise ‘yellow’ ‘ginger’ and ‘warmth’ is Blue or ‘Ash’

To clarify to get the hair this light in the first place is fully dependant on your natural hair colour, the amount of previous tint put on the hair, your distribution of pigment, the condition of your hair, your ethnicity (people can have warmth underlying in their hair from generations back) and just the overall ability to lift the hair!

The consequences on the condition of the hair…

Now you know a bit of the science that goes into lifting (this is just the basics) you can imagine how risky it is on the hair to keep lifting and the level of lift we have to achieve in order to get ‘ice white’ - i’m not saying it is impossible to achieve, with an amazing colourist, the correct products and knowledge it is possible to do it safely and it can look amazing, but as any colourist will tell you, its seriously high maintenance.. which brings me nicely to my next point..

The maintenance in which you have to do yourself in between colourist visits…

Toners fade. Simple. Doesn’t matter what brand, how amazing your hairdresser is, how much you pay, the sad truth is toners fade, usually after only a couple of washes. When hair is pre lightened its basically like a sponge, its sucks the toner in, but squeezes it right back out. If the hair has been lifted correctly in the first place you’ll be left with a nice clean blonde in which you can just top up yourself, this is where our semi permanent colours come in, Crazy Color and Manic Panic are the brands I recommend, they are semi so only sit on top of the hair but can revive your colour and add some pigment, I have pink hair so use Crazy Color in Candy Floss to top up with.

Tip: For more intense colour apply to clean, dry hair then rinse, for more subtle colour shampoo the hair then apply toner then rinse and condition.

Products best to use to keep the colour and condition…

To keep the icy silvery colour your going to have to top up nearly every time you wash your hair, unless you want weekly visits to your colourist id recommend Crazy Color Silver or Platinum. Either use as a conditioner or apply to dry hair, rinse through and condition with your normal products. I always say with this get your own routine and find what works for you and what gives you the colour you want.

If your happy with your colour and have highlights I recommend Fudge Violet Toning Shampoo, notice how it doesn’t say brightening?! Most blue shampoos that you find in supermarkets claim to be ‘brightening’ shampoos, this is false advertising to say the least and boils my blood, scientifically no shampoo has got the power to lift the hair in any way, what it can do is add an ashy hue which may make it appear cleaner. Please don’t waste your money on cheap products as you’ll be gutted when you see it rinsing down your shower as most of them are less than useless.

This stuff is the closest to a toner Iv ever seen in a shampoo, the pigment is strong and it doesn’t dry your hair out! Simply wet the hair down and towel dry, apply this then leave for 3 mins only, then rinse and condition. Do not leave it for more than 10 mins as your hair will go actual purple!

An alternative if your feeling plush is Kerastase Blonde Absolu - this whole range specialises in not only keeping your blonde looking amazing but working on the condition too which is a must when pre lightening the hair!

Trend: The Power of Pinterest and Photoshop!

So if your my client youll know Im strictly professional, honest and give the best advice on what is best for your hair, I take into consideration with each client their lifestyle, the amount of time they have to spend on their hair, their ability to maintain the hair and of course what will suit their face shape and skin tone. The truth is there are very few skin tones this ice white hair actually suits, most people aspire to have it then end up with over processed, over toned, dull hair, this is never going to compliment anyone.

So I had a quick look on Pinterest for the images that I receive on a daily basis of how ladies would like their hair, from an untrained eye most of these images look reasonably doable, from a realistic point of view I can’t stress enough how filtered and photoshopped most of these images are. I agree they look lovely with their angle and lighting and beautiful thick hair but a lot of the time id go as far saying they are wigs!

Here are a few examples of what I and a lot of my hairdresser friends get sent daily, the power of photoshop!

So that’s just made me feel better about my work! We all know everything looks better with a filter, but please when your looking for hair ideas don’t just believe what you see, I always say ‘how many people out in real life do you actually see with hair like that?!’ almost never…there’s your answer.

Zowie x