Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Flawless Blonde Highlights

Blonde can give you a sun-kissed look, or bold, face-framing streaks, based on your needs and preferences. But how to achieve flawless blonde highlights? Let's understand step-by-step today.

Step 1: Choosing the right shade of blonde

Remember: not all blonde shades are created equal. You need to choose one that complements your skin tone and natural hair color. For help, consider taking the help of a professional blonde salon NYC. They will guide you in choosing among the following blonde shades based on your skin tone:

Fair skin

For people having fair skin tones, the cool tones suit them best. They can go for platinum, ash blonde, or icy blonde.

Medium skin

Warm blondes including honey, caramel, and golden blonde go well for medium skin tones as they enhance natural warmth.

Dark skin 

For dark skin, the options of buttery blondes, mocha, and bronde are mostly suggested to get a beautiful contrast.

Step 2: Selecting the right highlighting technique

With different blonde highlights NYC, you will get a different effect. Let's explore some popular blonde highlighting techniques offered by the salons:

Foil highlights 

It is the most traditional method, perfect for precise, evenly distributed highlights. 

Babylights 

Do you want to achieve super fine, subtle highlights mimicking natural lightened strands? Babylights can offer a soft, blended look.

Chunky highlights 

You can also go for chunky highlights at a hair color salon NYC for high contrast. It will give you a more dramatic transformation.

Keep in mind: the right blonde technique to choose is very important. It will define if you will be able to achieve your desired outcome. Take the help of a professional to discuss more about its maintenance.

Step 3: Preparing your hair for highlights 

As the hair color professionals of top-quality salons say healthy hair absorbs color better and has less chance of damage are there, follow these preparatory steps before getting blonde highlights:

Deep condition your hair 

Before the chemical process, hydrate your hair with a deep conditioning mask.

Avoid washing before coloring 

Were you planning to wash your hair before going to the blonde salon NYC? Wait, do not wash it. Otherwise, the natural oils will strip off.

Perform a strand test 

A strand test will help you determine how your hair is going to react to the lightener. It will also make sure that you get the desired color.

Step 4: The highlighting process

Based on your chosen technique, the actual highlighting process can vary. However, here is a general aspect of the highlighting technique:

Sectioning the hair 

Your stylist of one of the best hair salons East Village NYC will first divide your hair into small sections. This makes sure that the color gets applied precisely.

Applying the lightener 

After hair sectioning comes the part of applying a professional-grade lightener or bleaching specific strands of your hair. The amount of lift (lightness) depends on the developer's strength and processing time.

Monitoring the lightening process

To avoid any over-processing and unnecessary damage to hair, hair is also checked frequently. After achieving the desired lift, the lightener is rinsed off. 

Toning the highlights

Using a toner is also an integral part of the blonde process. It neutralizes unwanted brassy or yellow tones from the hair.

Some of the common toners used by the best hair salon in East Village include violet-based for cool blondes and golden-based for warmer tones. 

Deep conditioning treatment

After the lightening process, a nourishing treatment is needed to restore moisture and seal the cuticle.

Step 5: Aftercare for long-lasting blonde highlights 

Once you achieve the perfect blonde highlights from the best hair color salon NYC, make sure that you maintain your hair properly to let it last longer:

Use purple shampoo

It will neutralize brassiness and keep your blonde shades bright all the time. You can use it once or twice a week to avoid over-toning.

Moisturize with deep conditioning treatments

There are chances that the lightened hair will dry quickly. In such situations, you can use hydrating masks weekly. If you can find ingredients like argan oil, keratin, and shea butter, they are the best for hair deep conditioning.

Minimise heat styling 

If you use excessive heat, it can fade and damage highlights. Hence, minimize heat styling as much as you can.

Limit washing frequency 

Limit washing your hair only to 2-3 times a week.

Schedule regular touch-ups 

Depending on the technique, the hair color professionals of the best hair salons East Village NYC might call you for touch-ups every 6-12 weeks.

Conclusion 

If you want to achieve flawless blonde highlights, you will require careful planning, the right technique, and a very solid aftercare routine. So, why not make a top-quality salon your companion in the blonde journey? It will guide you at every step from choosing the right highlighting technique to maintaining your hair based on your lifestyle.