From baby blues through to electric indigos; there’s only one hair colour on our radar at the moment and it happens to be, yep you guessed it, blue. Nicknamed ‘mermaid hair’ by those in the know, this fresh new take on alternative hair colour has caused quite the stir. And not just with the cool kids. Thanks to several breakthroughs in dye-technology it’s now easier than ever to try an experimental hair colour without looking well, experimental. Leading the way is Blogger Sophie Hannah Richardson, now famous for her signature blue hair, she tells us she’s inundated with requests from women of all walks of life and ages to find out how she keeps her colour so vibrant. No longer reserved for just the young and trendy, today it seems more and more grownups are swapping highlights for rainbow hues, and salons are stepping up to the mark making it easier to transform your hair without breaking the bank. Tempted? Before you take the plunge read on to discover a few of Sophie’s top tips…
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1 There's no blue without bleach
Unsure of what happens during the process of dying your hair a bold shade of rainbow bright? The most important thing to know is that in order to achieve a vibrant hue, your hair must first be bleached from root to tip in order for the new colour to hold. As we all know, these harsh chemicals can weaken hair and strip it of its natural oils, so it’s better to have it done in a salon that you trust with experts who will make sure your hair can handle it. Here, you can also load up on conditioning products designed for colour treated hair to restore moisture and shine. Clearly a connoisseur when it comes to DIY dying, Sophie isn’t afraid to experiment when it comes to her hair. ’‘When I was at uni I changed my hair a lot, and always dyed my friend’s hair for them.’ explains Sophie. ‘After trying almost every colour under the sun, I ended up going back to blonde, and then Kylie Jenner inspired me to go green when she got her dip dye last year. Eventually I decided I wanted to get rid of my roots as they grew out fast so I went all blue and just took it from there! It’s my staple now. I’ve taught myself the tricks of the trade along the way, I go to Sally’s beauty outlet to pick up all my colour boosting products. When I initially bleached my hair it went orange, so now I always buy a special toner to level out the shade, along with silver shampoo to keep the colour fresh.'
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2 Long hair should hit the salon, short hair can DIY it
So what’s the lowdown? Is this look achievable at home? ‘It depends if you’re worried about ruining your hair, and what kind of results you’re after,' says Sophie. 'I switch between the salon and doing it myself but I have shorter hair and my hair can handle quite a lot of colour.' Sophie explains that it's a much longer process in a salon because they prefer to take an approach that's kinder to the hair making it perfect for first time mermaids or those with long or fine hair, in tip top condition. 'Salons won't damage your hair and over bleach it, quite often they will lift your hair with several full heads of highlights or balayage to get you as light possible before taking you blue. It really comes down to how precious you feel about your hair, and how vibrant you want it to look.' If you have shorter hair and a certain flair for hair colour then yes, this kind of look can be achieved at home if you buy the right products. Our advice? Unless you have the confidence or know-how (like Sophie) to do a DIY job, beware: things can get messy! Think broken ends, orange roots or an adverse reaction to the bleach.
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3 Bring on the oil
The beauty of this particualr blue hair trend is that the colour looks very bright and shiny. This doesn't happen by accident people, it's all down to regular conditioning treatments and colour boosting haircare products. 'Keeping your hair nourished and hydrated after an intense dye job is key if you want to keep it looking soft and shiny' says Sophie. After 2 colour sessions, a toner treatment and a blowdry, things might feel a little bit fried. ‘I’ve recently started using argan oil for the ends of my hair to stop it from drying out’ explains Sophie. 'It's made a big difference.' (Beached hair will drink oil so apply it twice a day to really notice a difference in the condition of your hair) 'I also use heat protection products when I'm styling to protect it.' Fact is, unless you’re opting for an ultra-grungy, just-rolled-out-of-bed look, maintaining luscious rainbow locks often takes more effort than just your regular set of highlights. Roots are also slightly trickier to deal with as they need to be re-bleached before more colour is applied. 'If I'm in between colours I sometimes go for the glitter roots look simply to hide my regrowth!'