The Beginner's Guide to Pink Hair: Now What?

     Ok, so now I have pink hair, but what does that even mean? What surprised me the most was not the color change (although the first morning, when I woke up and looked in the mirror I didn't recognize myself for a minute) but the texture change. Everything you read says your hair texture will change and that is completely true. I'm not mad at it, and I think my stylist did an amazing job shielding my hair from damage as much as she could, I'm just adding my agreement that this is an outcome of bleaching. My hair has always been very soft. It now has a texture that is more like dolls hair, and is a lot dryer. It also tangles. I have to spend a lot more time on it, brushing it frequently as it drys. The upside has been that it is now pretty easy to braid! My hair usually slips out of braid, but this hair doesn't do that. I've been watching a lot of YouTube tutorials and am excited at the braiding possibilities. 

     I've also tried to wash it as little as possible because every time you wash it, some of the color washes out. It has definitely already faded a bit (it gets lighter, so sort or looks more strawberry than raspberry in color) I also wash it in cold water (brrrr) because hot water causes you to lose more color. Apparently hot water opens the hair cuticles so the dye is more likely to wash out (or at least, so says the internet). After it all washes out I'll still have bleached hair and will have to decide if I want to do more color, a different color, try to color it back toward my natural color, cut it, or some combination of the above.  

     I've been able to go about 5 days at a time without washing it (I think this goes without saying but I still shower during that time, I just put my hair in a shower cap). As a result, I have been relying heavily on dry shampoo. After doing some research I bought Oribe's Dry Shampoo (pricey, but I love some of their other products so I wanted to give them a try) and IGK First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo (it had good reviews on Sephora and came in a travel size). 

    So far my process has gone like this:

     - Day 1: wash it, let it air dry, brush it what feels like 200 times, curl it with a curling iron 

     - Day 2: Nothing

     - Day 3: Dry shampoo and some re-curling, although I know the heat is bad for it

     - Day 4: Put it in a ponytail or bun

     - Day 5: Dry shampoo + braids 

     The only other thing I've tried is using Olaplex, which is a newish product. It is a bond-builder that claims to help repair damaged/bleached hair. My stylist used a little of it in my hair lightener and there is an at home version as well. You leave it on your hair in a mask, and then wash it as normal. I decided to try it, leaving it on for the length of one episode of The Great British Bake Off (or about 40 minutes). I think it actually did make a difference, my hair was softer when it dried, but I think it might have caused a little more color to come out. This is anecdotal but more color seemed to wash out during my second hair wash than the first. I'll definitely use it again once all the color is mostly gone. 

     The last thing I wanted to add is that this has also had a fun impact on the way I approach my clothes. I've been wearing basically all black or dark navy, because I love the color contrast with my hair, and has made me want to dress a little edgier, causing me to prioritize my off-the-shoulder and backless items. 

     Overall, I'm very pleased with how this all turned out and happy that I did it. If you are thinking about getting a vibrant hair color I'd say go for it, but be ready to have high maintenance, although totally awesome, hair.