Key Takeaways
- Whether you’ve lightened your hair before or have virgin hair, prepping your hair before lightening it at the salon is important to prevent damage.
- Use bond-building treatments before and in between salon visits to keep your hair healthy and strong as you continue to go lighter.
- A personalized OLAPLEX routine can keep your hair looking its best.
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How to Lighten Your Hair Safely
Whether you’re wondering how to go from dark to blonde hair without damage or a few shades lighter from your current blonde, this OLAPLEX® step-by-step guide will walk you through the lightening process before and after your service for the healthiest, strongest sparkle.
Prepping Your Hair
Treating with OLAPLEX Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and Nº.3 Hair Perfector before your color appointment is imperative. Nº.0 works as a booster for Nº.3 for deeper repair, and 68% more repair happens when you use Nº.3 and Nº.4 together as a system after one use. Nº.3 has patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology™, proven to repair broken bonds for stronger hair. This treatment can benefit all ends of the hair integrity spectrum, from virgin to highly compromised. In the days leading up to your appointment, use Nº.3 prior to shampooing and conditioning. Apply this treatment by saturating the hair and leave on for 10 minutes. Then, rinse with OLAPLEX Nº.4 Bond Maintenance® Shampoo followed by Nº.5 Bond Maintenance® Conditioner.
Prepping with Compromised Hair
When it comes to processed or highly compromised hair, using OLAPLEX is essential. By preparing the hair with OLAPLEX, you’re walking into your chemical service knowing you’ve gotten your hair in its best shape before a change. With highly compromised hair, especially, going lighter safely means doing more than one treatment before the salon visit. You might want to ask your stylist to add the OLAPLEX Original Bond Builder Treatment to be added to the lightener. Be patient with these treatments as you get closer to your lighter hair goal, whether it’s blonde highlights or going icy platinum.
Prepping compromised hair doesn’t stop at treatments like Nº.3. Wash your hair with Nº.4 and Nº.5 and use OLAPLEX Nº.6 Bond Smoother®. This styling cream softens, hydrates, and repairs frizz-prone hair types without adding excess weight. Finish your styling routine with OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil, a weightless, highly concentrated oil that locks in moisture. This hair oil is so easy to use that you can pop it in your bag or even your pocket to replenish and treat the hair on the go.
What About Virgin Hair?
The jump from virgin to color-treated hair is exciting, but it’s still important to protect your hair. Using OLAPLEX means the integrity of the hair is front and center, rather than weakening and breaking with each color service. That’s why it’s important to ensure your hair stays in its best shape possible before the appointment to give your stylist the ultimate canvas to create confidently, no matter if you’ve lightened your hair before or not.
Treating Hair After the Salon
A post-salon visit is all about maintenance, but lucky for you, you’re already familiar. The prep you did to get your hair ready for lightening with OLAPLEX is just what you’ll do to maintain it in between salon visits. A minimum of once-a-week Nº.3 treatments as part of your routine of Nº.4, Nº.5, Nº.6, and OLAPLEX Nº.7 means more good hair days. Be sure to add OLAPLEX Nº.5LEAVE-IN™ Moisturize & Mend Leave-In Conditioner to your hair routine. This moisturizing leave-in is ideal for all dry hair types seeking moisture. It is clinically proven to provide 12x more moisture after one use.* Apply it to clean, damp hair after washing, then follow with your stylers.
No matter where you’re at in your hair-lightening journey, following an OLAPLEX routine with regular bond-building treatments can keep your hair in great shape. Take our hair quiz for your personalized routine.
*As tested in a clinical facility using curly tresses.