My Hair Has Never Been So Blonde and Healthy—22 Things I Hold Responsible

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(Image credit: @marielodiandreakos)

When I had black hair and bangs (my former signature look)‚I tended to dress as one of my favorite blonde icons every Halloween, whether it was Drew Barrymore in Scream, Jayne Mansfield (as a Satanist), or Angelyne the Billboard Queen. But once I began switching up my look and dyeing my hair different colors, being blonde was something I could finally attain without a wig. All I’d need was a great hairstylist, amazing products, and commitment. After all, being blonde isn’t easy to maintain when you’ve got naturally dark hair. While I’ve been blonde in the past, my current era (initially inspired by an homage to Pamela Anderson) is the longest I’ve gone without reverting back to pink, aka my "natural” hair color.

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With Pink:
(Image credit: @marielodiandreakos)

I'm happy to say that my hair is also pretty healthy, considering the journey that it takes for a natural brunette like me to get there. We’ve all seen how celebs can seemingly go from black to blonde in the blink of an eye (if they aren’t wearing a wig) but the reality is that it’s a long process, which could be too much to handle if you’re not patient.

Celebrity hairstylist and founder of #Mydentity Guy Tang says that the biggest mistake that people make when wanting to go blonde is thinking that they can go from dark brown hair to platinum in a single service. "Going blonde takes time,” he says. "If you rush it you will damage your hair and have a brassy blonde. Let your stylist do it the right way and you will end up with a beautiful blonde color.”

Once you reach your dream blonde shade, there are a few maintenance tips to keep in mind. Touch-ups, for one, are key. Because my hair grows fast, my hairstylist (shoutout Gina Atkinson at Moef Salon!) doesn’t want me going past eight weeks for a touch-up. "If you have highlights or global blonding up to your roots, then a touch-up every four to six weeks is a good standard to go by. This ensures your roots don’t grow out too much,” explains Tang. He says that for this kind of blonde, if roots are longer than 1.5 inches or so, it gets harder to get an even clean blonde lift in a single service, but if you have a low-maintenance blonde color, you can go as long as four months before getting a touch-up.

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As a blonde:
(Image credit: @marielodiandreakos)

You also want to find a colorist you trust, and stick to them. "One of the biggest mistakes you can make is switching colorists all the time,” explains ​​Clayton Hawkins, a celebrity stylist whose clients include Olivia Rodrigo, Kiernan Shipka, and Maddie Ziegler. Unless you have had a bad experience with your hairdresser, it’s important to keep going back to them for touch-ups, especially for light blondes. Someone using a different product or developer on your already fragile hair is a recipe for breakage!” Scary! 

If you’re an unnatural blonde like me or thinking about making the plunge, it might help to learn which products can help you with at-home maintenance between salon visits. Ahead, you’ll find some of the different products and tools I swear by, along with tips and recommendations from the hair experts I trust. I do believe everyone who wants to go blonde should do it at least once in their life. It’s a commitment—but it’s worth it!

The products and tools I swear by for maintaining blonde hair:

Purple Shampoo and Other Hair Care

Styling and Protective Products

Shower Filters

Tools and Accessories

Next: "Smell Is Our Most Ancient Sense": The 14 Most Enchanting Perfumes of All Time

Marie Lodi
Freelance Beauty and Fashion Writer/Editor

Marie has covered beauty, fashion, and lifestyle for almost 15 years. She contributes to the beauty section here at Who What Wear. Previously, she was the Looks Editor for Bust Magazine, built the beauty vertical at HelloGiggles as its beauty editor, and was a founding staff writer at Rookie mag, giving fashion advice to teens. Her bylines have appeared in The Cut, Allure, Glamour, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She was born and raised in Southern California and is based in L.A. Marie is a self-proclaimed costume design nerd and a co-host of Makeover Montage, a podcast about fashion in film and costume design. You'll see her writing about her beauty obsessions: red lipstick, winged eyeliner, pink hair, nail art, and skincare for people over 40. When she's not working, she's playing with her dog, Gnocchi, and writing her style newsletter, Overdressed.