PLATINUM BLONDE MAINTENANCE - HOW OFTEN SHOULD I TOUCH UP MY ROOTS? (2024)

You've just had your hair lightened to a luminous white blonde and it looks gorgeous! The next question that comes to mind is when do i need to come back to touch up your roots?

ROOT MAINTENANCE

Ideally, you should be visiting your colourist for a root touch up every 4 to 6 weeks if you have a global colour such as a white blonde scalp bleach (otherwise known as pre-lightening) This isn’t purely because it’ll look better, but for scientific reasons, too.

In particular for hair lightening that is done at the roots it is affected by the heat that the scalp naturally gives off. The scalpsheat won’t extend much further than 2centimetres past the root.

Therefore, when the lightner is developing on your head, this heat works to speed up the developing process. Since the temperature drops the further the hair shaft is from your heat producing scalp, development time is naturally slower.

If you wait too long to have your roots retouched, they can grow past the point where the heat will help the colour to develop.

If your roots are, say, 8 centimetres and not 2 centimetres, there’s 6 centimetres that will develop differently due to the lack of heat. The colour will be lifted at 2 different speeds and the result will be uneven.

An experienced colourist will then need to use two different formulas or need to do a double application to balance out the different development times. These are often much more expensive though, as it becomes a much more complicated process which will also take a lot longer than normal to complete the service.

Ultimately if you want to have very light / white blonde hair it's financially wiser in the long run to stick to a 4-6 weekmaintenanceregime, then let your roots grow out longer and end up having to pay sometimes twice as much for double development. Book your service here.

KEEPING UP THE BRIGHTNESS

Another thing to know about having white blonde (or platinum blonde hair) is that it's normal that the vibrant colour of your hair won’t last – and you need to take steps to ensure it stays bright for as long as possible before you head back to the salon.

Very light blonde hair that has been coloured is very porous, so it is very susceptible to environmental factors that will strip out the colour (toner) at the salon and deposit elements that will make it brassy.

With this in mind, we’ve got a few tips for you to follow to help keep your colour looking its best as long as possible.

• Use shampoo and conditioner especially for coloured hair. You’ll want to use products labelled sulfate free – vegan shampoos are great! Sulphates strip the toner from your hair very fast (1-2 washes) and once that's gone your hair can turn brassy overnight. Talk to your colourist about their recommendations for the perfect colour-preserving shampoo for your hair.

• Rinse with cold water. As with skin pores, hot water opens hair follicles. This will result in the toner (which keeps your blonde looking gorgeous) washing out faster, which you definitely don’t want. Use cold, lukewarm or room temperature water instead, and you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

• Always use a nourishing conditioner and invest in a leave-in conditioner / weekly hair repair treatment. Retaining moisture in your hair is essential for keeping the colour looking vibrant and your hair glossy. Also after your normal shampoo and conditioner, try adding a leave-in treatment or conditioner to keep your hair well moisturised.

• Go as long as possible between washes. The fastest way to ruin your beautiful blonde is to over-wash your hair. Try washing it twice a week and using dry shampoo in between washes.