It’s the first week of January, which means your “New Year, New You” mantra should be in full swing. If this change means taking the plunge and dyeing your hair blonde, then we say “Do it!”

Maybe it’s a part of your 2018 transformation or maybe it’s for your upcoming wedding. Either way, you need to know these four things before you decide to become Goldilocks.

And you’ll be able to answer the age-old question: Do blondes really have more fun?

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The Process Is Really Long

If you thought turning your dark locks light was a simple dye job away, we apologise from now for crushing your dreams. The process of effectively dyeing hair blonde can take up to 9 hours and requires a lot of patience, both from you and your hairdresser. Some stylists will do it over two days, so you may have to leave the salon on Day 1 with a mop of yellow for hair, however it’s possible to get it done in one day – just like Selena Gomez.

As her stylist Riawna Capri explained on Instagram, “It took 9 hours, about 300 foils, and 8 bowls of bleach, all with 2 stylists working together simultaneously. It was a nice long patient process of baby fine slices, then going back and opening each foil and reapplying, but done in one sitting.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbsrrlBFOOs/

Plan Your Colour Change In Advance

We do love a bit of spontaneity, but if you’ve decided you want to go blonde for your wedding that’s only a month away, you may be playing with fire. As we mentioned above, the process of dyeing your hair is a long one, so you may need to do it over numerous sessions. Planning your new look in advance is important as the dyeing process can severely damage your hair if done too hastily. A timeline of four to six months is safest, as the colour change is more gradual and you can achieve your desired result. To get the perfect colour – free from yellow and brass tones – book in a final appointment at least two weeks before your wedding to touch up your roots and tone your hair.

You May Need To Budget

Achieving the blonde locks of your dreams may seem like a great idea, but the lengthy process can be very costly (especially for those of you with longer hair). With wedding planning taking up most of your time and wallet, you need to consider whether investing in this change is viable for you. Do your research before settling on a hairdresser, as their popularity, location, and methods greatly affect how much you’ll have to fork out.

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Be Prepared For The Maintenance

Blonde is known to be tricky when it comes to maintenance and avoiding the dreaded yellow tones is a must before your wedding. When you dye your hair blonde, you’ll need to invest in purple shampoos, conditioners, and toners (we warned you about budgeting) as your regular ones won’t do. The purple of these products will help to offset any brassy and yellow tones that may come through and will maintain your desired look. You’ll also need to use a deep conditioning treatment once a week to keep your hair shiny and healthy, along with avoiding heat damage from constant hair styling and hot water, and washing your hair slightly less regularly (this is where dry shampoo comes in handy) in order to keep up your salon fresh look.

To keep the yellow away, try Clairol Professional Shimmer Lights Shampoo or Fanola No Yellow Shampoo.