"From someone who misses the hairdresser dearly, here's exactly how I care for my dyed blonde hair."

I dyed my hair blonde about six months ago… for the fourth time.    

Ya girl has been blonde to brunette and back so many times it’s hard to keep track. I love being blonde, but it is a high maintenance colour (and I am high maintenance enough).

When I went blonde, a mere six months ago, I was not expecting that lockdown would inhibit my access to hairdresser… again. Which means that I’ve been left to navigate this world of brassy tones by myself. 

And no, I don't even want to talk about my roots.

When people talk about brassy hair, they mean those unwanted brass tones that magically appear in coloured-blonde hair overnight. It’s every bottle blonde's worst nightmare.

When I go brassy, I go yellow and I like my hair to be platinum bordering on white. 

Never yellow.

So when I decided to go blonde, again, I decided that this time I was going into it with my eyes wide open and with a head full of knowledge. First stop: why does blonde hair actually go brassy?

Those unwanted yellow-y tones stopping by for a visit... Image: Supplied.

The two main reasons are:

1. The toner wears off. If you have naturally warm undertones (your hair is naturally some variation of brown or red) then when the toner (a sheer layer that counteracts the brassiness) wears off then your natural undertones will shine through.

2. Dyed hair is incredibly porous and soaks up everything. This means it soaks up your products, the pollution, minerals in the water you shower in... everything. 

Second knowledge pit stop: what blonde sins am I committing and how do I fix them?

1. Using the wrong shampoo and conditioner.

This might seem like a no-brainer but it’s so easy to pick the wrong shampoo and conditioner for your hair. Of course we want purple shampoo and conditioner, but why? 

Travel back in your mind to high school art class, what sits opposite to purple on the colour wheel? Yellow. Meaning that purple shampoo and conditioner will cancel out any yellow tones. The more you know. 

I am loving John Frieda's Violet Crush Intense Purple Shampoo and Purple Conditioner at the moment. 

Image: Supplied.

They've been so great on my locks for gradually neutralising brassy tones, and they're peroxide-free so I’m not scared about doing any damage to my hair without supervision from my hairdresser. 

Image: Supplied.

They're just swapped in and used just like any regular shampoo and conditioner. I noticed a softer, ashier blonde result after just the first wash with them, so definitely recommend.

Image: Supplied.

I've been using the Violet Crush Intense Purple Shampoo and Purple Conditioner duo weekly for a few weeks and I've been so impressed with the difference its made.

It’s science: purple fixes yellow. Image: Supplied.

2. Overwashing your hair. 

I usually wash my hair once a week. I know some people might cringe at the thought, but overwashing your hair is definitely a bottle blonde hair sin.

Why? Because if you're washing your blonde hair with regular shampoo and conditioner then your shampoo will strip your toner so much faster and expose your natural pigments. Do yourself a favour and invest in some dry shampoo instead. Your colour will thank you.

3. Not treating your hair properly.

Healthy hair holds colour better and longer. Facts are facts. 

So grab yourself a hair mask that will repair bonds and reduce breakage and treat your hair to an at-home spa day once a month.

Image: Supplied.

4. Not filtering your shower water.

Blonde hair absorbs everything including the minerals in the water coming out of your shower, we've discussed this. What we haven’t discussed, however, is that you can purchase a filter to go on your shower head. 

Shower filters are great at softening water, reducing the amount of chlorine and other minerals present as well as removing a lot of bacteria from the water. An easy win.

5. Not prepping your hair before swimming.

The weather is warming up and while faux blondes don’t need to avoid the pool altogether, I have discovered that there is a right way to prep your hair before swimming. 

If you try wetting your hair with unchlorinated water (from a bottle or the shower) first so that your hair can soak up the 'clean' water, it leaves less room for the chlorinated water to affect your colour-treated locks. 

The second step is running a little conditioner through the ends of your hair to protect them before you jump in. 

And, of course, wash your hair as soon as you can after your swim, to stop the chlorine from doing any more damage. So that means another date with my John Frieda products? Oh, if I must.

Being a blonde is hard work. But hopefully now that you’re equipped with some blonde hair care knowledge, you won't need to worry about fighting brassy tones anymore (which leaves more time for the important things, like bingeing Nine Perfect Strangers). 

Want to have toned, soft, brass-free blonde hair too? Get your own hands on John Frieda Violet Crush Intense Purple Shampoo and Purple Conditioner here.

Feature Image: Supplied.