Born Blonde or Bottle: Avoid This Pitfall

By: Jackie Silver

Now that fall has arrived, many women are toning down their summer hair, but some people haven't gotten the memo. Whether you're a born blonde or get your color from a bottle, Maxine Salon and Chicago Magazine's 2012 Best Colorist says there is such a thing as too much blond. In fact, he even has a name for it: Blonde-aholic. Straight from him to you, here is the expert's take on what to do and what to avoid.

Q: How would you define a Blonde-aholic?

I would describe a blonde-aholic as someone who is never happy, regardless of how light they actually are. Some clients always feel as if their hair could be lighter.

These are the women who refuse to listen to their colorist's professional suggestions that might involve softening the color and adding natural-looking lowlights or mid-tones to add dimension. Healthy blond hair should reflect light and appear shiny, not dry and damaged as many blonde-aholic's hair does.

Q: How would someone know if they were going overboard with their obsession?

You know you're obsessed when you find yourself booking a full foil highlight every four weeks and not wanting any lowlights or a gloss to tone it down.

Q: Who are the blond-obsessed celebs?

Christina Aguilera is a perfect example. Her hair, most times, appears to be dry, damaged and even crunchy looking. Healthy blond hair should reflect light and appear shiny. When it's dull and damaged, it shows, regardless of how much shine hair product you use in it.

Prescription:

Proper treatment depends on the type of blonde-aholic. If you're a double process blonde, consider getting a touch up every four weeks and get a good trim each time to eliminate any "crunchy" looking ends. For overly highlighted hair, consider lowlights, leaving the natural base color as is and possibly adding a deeper golden or wheat toning gloss to seal the cuticle and add shine.

Chicago's Maxine Salon

Maxine is the Chicago Flagship L'Oréal Professionnel Haircolor Center. Its color team transforms hair color with the latest technology. Included in their repertoire are the balayage, ombré and dip-dye color techniques, all inspired by the runways of New York and Paris.