Blonde Hairstyle

There is a growing trend in the world of hair today.  Seemingly more and more women are foregoing their natural hair color and opting to go for the lighter, fresher, blonder hairstyle.  We see Hollywood stars do it all the time:  brunette in one movie, blonde in the next.  A multitude of surveys have been taken to find out if Marilyn Monroe was actually right about blondes having more fun.  But, the fact of the matter is it is an individual choice.  And, if you don't find that you're having more fun, you can always go back to what nature gave you.

How Natural Hair Color is Determined 

Hair color is determined by your genetic background.  Just like your skin, hair follicles contain pigmentation in the form of melanin.  The more melanin you have in your hair follicles, the darker your hair.  Those with less melanin in their hair follicles have lighter hair.  By comparison, blondes tend to have the least amount of melanin in their hair.  However, the amount that does exist is enough to create a range of shades of blonde from platinum blonde to dark golden blonde to strawberry blonde.  In many cases, children are born with blonde hair but the hair changes color and turns darker as they age. The good news is, people who were blonde as children make good candidates for a blonde color change as adults.

Changing Your Hair Color

If your ultimate goal is a blonde hairstyle you can call your own, you will be joining the millions of women who currently color their hair.  You may choose to do it at home or go to a salon.  Either way, you need to be careful so that you don't end up with nightmare outcome.  How do you do that?  Here are some tips:

• Avoid lightening your hair more than two shades.
  
• Use highlights and lowlights if you have naturally brown hair.
• Pictures on the dye box can be deceiving.  Select your color by the hair sample.
• Always do a strand test.
• When in doubt, go to your stylist.

Types of Hair Color

Keep in mind hair color is a chemical and chemicals damage hair.  The entire process of lightening hair color involves changing the concentration of melanin in the hair follicles.  It may be impossible to change very dark hair to light blonde because of the natural hair color. Again, this a chemical process and professional hair stylists know best how to handle the chemical process.  In addition, the use of good conditioning treatments and heat protectors can help reduce the damage along with regular visits to your stylists.  Meanwhile, there are many different shades of blonde and there are many different types of hair color.

• Permanent hair color cannot be reversed, hence the name permanent.  The process of permanent coloring involves changing the natural pigmentation of the hair. 
  
• Semi-permanent hair color of course does not last indefinitely.  You can use it to darken hair, but not to lighten your color.
• Single process color is designed to lift and deposit color together.
• Deposit only color is designed only to deposit color on the hair.

Finding the right shade of blonde for you depends on several variables including your skin tone, eye color, current fashion trends, your hairstyle and if you plan to be a full blonde or partial blonde.  At any rate, the range in shades vary from platinum, which is the lightest blonde color you can have, to golden or honey blonde which are medium shades, to toffee or strawberry blonde which are darker shades with hints of brunette and red undertones.  In addition, highlights and lowlights help to add dimension and contrast to the hair.  The lowlights allow some darker strands to "shine" through and act as a backdrop for some of the lighter strands.

Blonde Hairstyles

Blondes can wear any length hair and still result in a hairstyle that is perceived as fresh, young and attractive.  The key is for the blonde hairstyle to complement your face and be easy for your to maintain.  A simple bob haircut is very stylish for blondes.  The bob can be very short to the jawline with bangs or slightly longer to the neckline.  A bob can also incorporate a layered look which is great way to add volume to the hair and accentuate the face.  Layers are also useful in medium and long blonde hair.  Although as your blonde hair gets longer, you may notice it getting thinner and having less body.  Shampoos and conditioners can help with this.  However, many times a medium length cut may work better and look better.  The medium cut can incorporate soft waves and curls as well to show off the blonde shades and highlights.