At home or in a salon: where is it better to lighten dark hair?

It can be difficult to decide whether to lighten dark hair in a salon or at home. Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of each option will help you choose the one that’s best for your hair.

While home lightening is convenient and reasonably priced, there are drawbacks, such as uneven color and possible damage if done incorrectly. To get excellent results, you’ll need the appropriate equipment, supplies, and cautious methods.

However, visiting a salon offers expert knowledge and premium products, which lowers the possibility of errors. But it usually costs more and needs to be scheduled for in advance.

Lightening dark hair: the essence of the procedure

The goal of lightening is to change the natural shade; it is combined with bleaching to remove pigment from the head’s hair. The final technique establishes the foundation for a new tone and is executed first. The primary factor complicating the bleaching process is the high level of pigmentation that characterizes dark strands. To achieve the best outcome, it’s critical to accurately determine the original shade level and then lighten the hair to the desired background. Determining the composition’s holding time independently is far more difficult and is typically a task best left to a professional colorist.

However, this is not the last phase. The curls are then coated with tinting paint, also known as Besammiac, which controls the final tint.

3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of lightening

• full coloring in blond, as well as partial balayage and shatush techniques are an incredibly effective way to stand out from the crowd;
• a beautiful light shade looks expensive;
• manufacturers "fell in love" with blondes and produce a lot of really good products to maintain the beauty of light shades and keep hair healthy.

However, there are some drawbacks to the procedure that should be taken into account:

• on dark hair, you have to remove a large amount of pigments, the bleaching agent has a fairly aggressive effect on the curls, which, when using low-quality products and poor coloring techniques, leads to thinning of the hair;
• a good result can only be achieved with the help of professional products, and they are not cheap;
• most often, to achieve a certain color, it is necessary to use several types of oxidizers and shades of paint, which is not always possible at home.

What is used to lighten hair?

The original hair color, whether you’ve colored your hair before, and the amount of money you have set aside for coloring all influence the lightener you choose for this process.

Dyeing compositions

This is a manufacturer-supplied pre-made set that includes oxidizer and dye. most frequently observed in the mass market industry. Such a product has the drawback that the outcome may be unpredictable since it is impossible to choose the products separately.

Bleaching powder/powder

Professional coloring requires powders or powders. The hair has to be bleached by them. After combining the product with an oxidizer, it is applied to the curls.

Tinting paints

These paints produce a color film rather than altering the structure of the hair. They can be unstable and stay on the hair for up to six months, but they also typically don’t contain ammonia. For instance, the Matrix Color Sync paint smooths out the regions of hair cuticles so that the color can "seal" on the curls. These products are insufficient when working with a dark base; further bleaching is required.

Lightening dark hair at home or in a salon – where is better?

At home, lighting is like playing Russian roulette. Everything can come together nicely, and you’ll save money and get the ideal shade. But there’s a chance of getting an unattractive dye job or, worse, damaging the structure of the hair. And this is the explanation:

• if you can handle lightening natural dark curls yourself, then the artificial pigment behaves unpredictably, which is why many get an unpleasant rusty or yellow tone when leaving household black;
• it is quite difficult to independently assess what percentage of oxidant is needed, moreover, you may need to mix several products to achieve the ideal proportion, the same applies to the tinting dye;
• at home, it is not profitable to use protection during bleaching, which leaves the curls without protection during the chemical reaction and makes the cuticle structure become porous and brittle.

Because of this, in addition to paint, you also need to be proficient with specific lightening powder, oxidizer, hair protection, and toning agents in order to achieve high-quality coloring. Furthermore, it’s critical to use a professional conditioner to further hydrate the hair after coloring. Ideally, the brand should match the coloring composition.

Girls who understand the laws of lightning and the proportions of "their" color are the ones who choose to leave all of this at home. In other situations, leaving yourself in the capable hands of a professional at the salon is far simpler.

Both at-home and salon methods exist for lightening dark hair, but each has pros and cons. While you can take your time and control the process at home, finding the perfect shade without breaking your hair can be challenging.

However, expert care and more predictable results are guaranteed by professional salons, particularly for intricate color changes. But there is a higher price for this.

The decision ultimately comes down to how much of a drastic change you want, how confident you are in your abilities, and your financial situation. When making a decision, take into account the state of your hair and the desired outcomes.

Depending on your experience level, the state of your hair, and your desired outcome, you can decide whether to lighten dark hair at home or in a salon. Although at-home treatments can be less expensive, professional stylists have the know-how and supplies necessary to reduce damage and produce consistent color. A salon might be a better option for people seeking results that are safe and even, particularly for significant adjustments.

Video on the topic

Lightening with paint – Myth or Reality? / Coloristics for beginners.

LIGHTENED AT HOME (hair left the chat)