The cost of having your hair professionally bleached at a salon depends on how long and dark your hair is. Bleaching prices range from as low as $150, to $200 and upwards. A bleaching service also includes lightening and toning the hair.
So what happens to your hair during a hair-lightening procedure, and why does it tend to be time-consuming and expensive?
How Much Does it Cost to have your Hair Bleached and Dyed at a Salon?
Although having your hair professionally bleached at a salon can be expensive, it’s the absolute safest route! It’s never a good idea to bleach your own hair.
Prices range from about $150 to $200+ and are generally based on your hair length and current colour. Remember, the darker your natural hair colour, the more bleach application sessions you’ll need and the more expensive it’ll be. Stylists also advise waiting one to two weeks between bleach applications. This gives your hair a chance to rest and recover in preparation for the next bleaching session.
In addition to the cost of bleaching, expect to pay a little extra for having your hair toned and dyed. A toning service ranged from about $20 to $40, while salon hair colouring costs can range significantly from about $60 to $200+.
After your appointment, your stylist will recommend colour-safe shampoo and conditioner. It’s crucial not to skimp on these products. Using drugstore or other low grade hair care products means all the hard work and talent your stylist put into your hair won’t last. Your colour will fade much faster, your hair won’t get the nourishment it needs from high quality ingredients and you won’t be supporting your stylist’s business.
How Long Does it Take to Have your Hair Bleached at a Salon?
If your hair is black or a shade of dark brunette, the bleaching process can be quite tedious and time-consuming. Your stylist’s goal is to achieve an even bleach and to avoid a patchy result. A bleaching session at a salon takes anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. Achieving a gorgeous shade of blonde is a journey.
Additionally, take into consideration the extra time it takes to dye your hair after having it bleached. Dying may take about 1-2 hours, plus a blow-dry and style. Note: if you have black or deep brunette hair, clear your schedule. You might be at the salon for a little while. There’s nothing stylists hate more than feeling rushed while they’re trying to make you happy and perform their craft to the best of their ability.
What Should you Consider Before Bleaching your Hair?
Before bleaching your hair, it’s important to ask yourself: do I really need to bleach my hair? If you are seriously considering bleaching your hair, keep in mind that you only need to have your hair bleached if you are planning to go lighter than your natural hair colour or current hair dye colour.
Since bleach tends to alter and damage your hair’s natural melanin due to oxidation, it’s important to tread carefully. Definitely book a consultation with an experienced stylist and ask questions before making a decision. Bleaching hair means that you’ll end up with a lighter base for your stylist to work with. A light base pretty much guarantees that your stylist will be able to help you achieve a gorgeous shade of blonde.
Here are a few steps to consider before bleaching your hair:
-Grow your natural hair colour out as long a possible – this will help your stylist achieve an even colour after bleaching your hair
-Before your bleaching appointment, do not wash your hair for 24-48 hours – this does not mean that you should show up to the salon with dirty hair, it simply means that you allow your scalp to produce natural oils meant to protect it from damage
-One week before your appointment, apply a deep conditioning treatment to your hair- this will nourish your hair and help minimize dryness that bleaching products can cause
How Much Does it Cost to Maintain Blonde Hair and Why is it so Expensive?
Maintaining bleached then dyed blonde hair is a time-consuming commitment. Keeping your newly blonde hair in excellent condition should not be taken lightly. You will need to purchase the right shampoo, conditioner and toner. These need to be ones specifically meant for protecting and nourishing blonde hair.
Pro Tip: never try to re-dye your hair at home. Make sure to pre-book follow-up salon appointments and plan your hair maintenance budget accordingly.
Keeping your blonde hair salon-fresh means booking root touch-up every 2 to 4 weeks. You’ll also need to use purple shampoo once per week. Your blonde hair will also love a protein hair mask once or twice per month.
How Much Does Bleaching Cost for Men?
Men going blonde is not a new trend, although it has gained popularity recently. Celebrities like Kanye West, Jaden Smith and Jonah Hill have all bleached their hair. Bleached beards have also become popular.
Just as with women’s hair, men deciding to go blonde need to know that it takes commitment to maintain. Luckily, the shorter the hair, the easier it is to bleach, dye and maintain. Bleaching costs range from about $60 to $250+ depending how dark and long the hair is. Lightening and toning the hair is included in the service.
Almost anyone can go platinum blonde, they just need to find an experienced stylist to help them get there. If a guy has super dark hair, they will most likely need two bleaching sessions. Bleaching short men’s hair takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour on average.
Even though bleaching a man’s hair is not much different from bleaching a woman’s hair, it’s a good idea to look for a stylist that has experience bleaching and dying men’s hair. Otherwise, you could end up with a crazy looking shade of blonde.
Pro Tip: Browse through stylist portfolio images rather than looking for inspiration photos online. A stylist will definitely appreciate being shown their own photos versus potentially edited photos you found online.
Bleaching Damaged Hair
If your hair is damaged, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have it bleached. Consult with your stylist, and ask them about applying protective products before bleaching your hair. You can also prep damaged hair for bleaching by using at-home hair masks, oils and other nourishing hair care products.
Hair that is very frizzy or that tangles easily might be too damaged to bleach. You might need to nourish and repair your hair before having it bleached. Your stylist will assess the health and integrity of your hair before letting you know if it’s safe to bleach it.
Bleaching the Tips of your Hair
If you’re looking to switch up your look without a ton of commitment, then bleaching and dying the tips of your hair is a fun option. Frosted tips is not only a safer option, you’ll also be able to trim it off once your hair has grown out enough and try a new colour! The shorter your hair, the quicker you’ll be able to switch up your look.
Frosted tips were really popular in the 1990s, and we’re seeing the trend start to reappear! If you don’t want your tips to look too unnatural, ask your stylist to blend them using a soft gradient.
Bleaching your Hair White
White blonde, also called icy blonde is the coolest shade of blonde on the blonde spectrum. It’s also the last shade you can choose. White or grey hair naturally occurs as you age, but dying hair white is notoriously difficult. If icy blonde is your dream hair colour, you can achieve it with the help of a highly experienced colourist.
While you might think that the only way to achieve a white blonde is to bleach all of the colour out of it, that is incorrect. Achieving a flawless white blonde means taking your hair to a pale yellow colour, then toning it to naturalize the appearance of any remaining pigments before dying it white.
Pro Tip: The double process of lightening and toning is crucial to achieving white hair.
Bleaching your Hair at Home Versus at a Salon
Bleaching your hair at home can be disastrous and disappointing. If you care about the long-term health of your hair, your best bet is to have your hair bleached by a professional at a salon.
Here are 4 things hairdressers want you to know about bleaching:
- Bleach is much different than hair dyes. Unlike semi-permanent or temporary hair dyes that fade or wash out with each shampoo, bleach is not a pigment that latches onto your hair strands. Bleach strips away your hair’s natural colours and cannot be reversed until your hair grows out.
- Bleach can damage your hair. Hair is made up of several layers of melanin, and underneath those layers are red, orange, or yellow pigments. These pigments need to be removed before going blonde. Since bleach lifts pigments, it. can also break down your hair’s nutrients, the hair shafts, and even natural hair oils. So, the more you bleach your hair, the more damaged it becomes if you aren’t using professional grade nourishing products.
- You must commit to nourishing and protecting your hair if you bleach it. Nourishing treatments like deep conditioners and hot oils are highly recommended before and after bleaching sessions.
- Hair professionals are your best option to achieving blonde hair safely and beautifully. At-home hair bleaching means you are far more likely to leave bleach on too long, burn your scalp and damage your hair.
Salon Bleaching Prices
The cost of having your hair professionally bleached ranges from about $60 to $200 or more depending on the length of your hair, and your natural hair colour. Virgin hair is much easier to bleach since there are no hair dyes hiding in hair shafts.
Virgin hair also has the easiest time going platinum blonde. If you’re hoping to hold onto your natural hair colour for as long as possible, don’t rush to bleach it. The only way to have virgin hair once again is once all of the hair dye has either grown out or is cut off.
Visit Beautster.com today to easily compare prices, browse stylist portfolio images and book an appointment 24/7 from the comfort of your sofa.
