You've been scrolling through Pinterest, dreaming of the day you finally muck up the courage to dye your hair blonde or maybe even silver. You've got an entire board pinned with messy buns, braids and curls that just seem to look better with hair that has a California summer vibe to it, right? If you've finally decided on going from brunette to bleach blonde, you know that maintenance and upkeep is a full-time job! From the three hour hair salon visits every month to the weekly purple-shampoo wash, you'll stay busy trying to keep up with the latest hair trend.

I'm going to share with you my tips on how I keep my hair healthy, strong and most importantly, perfectly bleach blonde. There is a huge struggle to eliminate those yellow, brassy tones from your blonde hair. The trick is to keep up with it after you leave the salon (also important that your stylist picks the perfect toner for you). My hair is a little bit of both silver and blonde; it always starts off as silvery hair with cooler-tones then slowly regresses into a bright blonde with warmer-tones due to my natural hair color trying to come through. 

Transitioning from dark to light hair was difficult; it was a long, timely process with many awkward stages in between each salon visit. The biggest complaint I had was that it took so much time. You can't bleach your entire head in one session expecting to come out looking like Kim Kardashian with platinum hair. The process isn't supposed to be quick so that it can keep your hair healthy for the duration of the transition.

Now that you have reached the perfect shade of blonde, you run into the dilemma of keeping it that way. Personally, my roots collect water deposits and naturally regress into brassy tones that do not match my complexion but I have a few tricks that keep it nice and bright after leaving the comfort of my hair stylist's shampoo bowl.

This stuff is a Godsend. It is so important to wash your hair with purple-shampoo at least once (or even twice) a week. Don't get intimidated by the violet-tone! The purple in the shampoo is made to counteract with the yellow and orange tones in your hair by restoring the blue-ish pruple tones with the original chemicals put in to make it bright again. Make sure not to go overboard with it! This shampoo is only supposed to be left on for a few minutes in the shower (I typically shave my legs or wash my face while it's soaking in) if you leave it on any longer you'll end up with a lavender tint to your hair. If you are totally into that look then by all means go for it and rock the purple hair.

Skip the paraben, sulfate and silicone filled shampoos!! These product can strip the color in your hair and are known to lead to brassiness. You may think they work great because they leave hair feeling shiny, thick and usually smell way too good. These products are filled with waxes that will not only strip your blonde locks, but also lead to breakage after applying heat. The wax builds up on your hair and overtime melt into the hair and cause little beads at your split ends that cause major damage. I know what you're thinking "I bleach my hair with super-harmful chemicals but can't wash my hair with them??" The answer is no. Go home and use products that are kinder to your hair; my Top Five Beauty Products post shows some of my favorite hair treatments, check it out here. Using lemon-water or lightening sprays can really damage your hair and lead to major brassiness, so be cautious when using a DIY spritz!

Your shower plays a pivotal role in the tone of your hair. Now, it may not be something you can totally control unless your family owns the entire water and sewage system of your town (highly unlikely) but there are some measures you can take to eliminate changes to your hair caused by water. Most water used in the shower and sink have fluoride and other mineral deposits that can chemically react and cause hair to turn brassy. For me, the water at my friends house in California did wonders to my hair and left it shiny and blonde, but the water in Dallas never fails to leave my hair feeling toned down and yellow. Best practice to eliminate this from happening: purchase a water-filter for your shower head. You can buy a cheap, easy installation filter from Amazon for around $15 or go wild and instal a whole new shower head system for $50 - $75. 

Instead of going to visit your hair stylist for three hours, create an in between appointment if the brassiness and yellow-tones are getting out of control. Ask your hairstylist to put a toner in your hair for ten to fifteen minutes and it'll brighten your locks again! Going in between visits for a quick hit of toner will save you more money than your initial coloring session. If you feel super confident, or have been advised by your colorist, then you can purchase a toner at your local beauty supplier and touch it up at home. This process is not for beginners so make sure you get some good advice from your hair stylist (and probably therapist, I get the best advice from my go-to gal).

Following these tips and tricks will surely extend the life of your bleach blonde or silver hair and ward off any early-on set brassiness. After you leave your colorist's chair, remember not to neglect your full-time job as a blonde and proactively make changes to your hair regiment.

If you have ways that you keep your blonde hair strong, bright and healthy, please leave a comment bellow! Don't forget to share, subscribe and leave some feedback on this post. Follow me socially, links in sidebar!

xo, kristina