The Truth About Pastel Hair

Pastel colored hair. You've seen tutorials online, and you've seen Pinterest blow up about it.

Celebrities from Katy Perry to Nicole Richie gave it a try. No longer is it just blonde, brunette , red, or black. Now you can have purple, pink, green , and blue. If you can think it, we can probably create it. However, there is a price.

First, just because you watched a 10 minute tutorial online doesn't mean it is true or good for your hair. I am telling you right now: FOOD is not made for your hair. Kool-Aid, baking soda, vinegar, etc. are all ingredients to cook with for your bellies, NOT YOUR HAIR. Tutorials edit and sometimes use food to create these looks. They give half truths . Just because it is on the internet doesn't make it true. If you do that you will either burn your hair off or have to see a stylist to fix it. You will have to get it cut off or pay for a costly color correction. If you use food, you will lose time and money you were not planning on spending.

To create this look you have to bleach the hair to white. Depending on your natural hair color and health of your hair, that can take anywhere between 40 minutes to 4 1/2 hours. Once your hair is lifted to a bright white blonde, then you can put the pastel colors on it. To make the color pastel it has to be a semi permanent color, meaning it will fade and wash out with every wash. Semi permanent dyes just stain the hair; they do not penetrate into the medulla and change the actual hair color. So reapplication is necessary to maintain the pastel look.

To keep up this new look, you will need to commit to reapplying the pastel color about every 3-4 weeks. Then your blonding every 6 weeks, for sure. Without maintenance, this look will quickly fade and look dingy. You will notice your color being washed out every time you shower. Cold water and color shampoo and conditioner will help, but it will still fade.

This process can be very damaging to the hair, but if it is maintained and done right, it will be beautiful. It will take time and money. As long as you have a stylist helping, you can keep the integrity of your hair and rock the fun trends.

If you want to do this on your own, consult a stylist to find out the truth.

(This content is part of our Tami's Tips Collection)