Everyone wants rainbow hair… We repeat, EVERYONE. But sometimes when a client comes in, their expectations vs. the reality of rainbow hair just does not line up. Although our hair stylists are entirely capable of giving you the hair color of your dreams, they are not magical fairies that can grant you unicorn hair without some realistic ground rules. We thought the easiest way to clarify the truth about the rainbow hair trend would be to lay out some guidelines for you; that way, next time you visit the salon you know exactly what the outcome will be.
Reality One
We cannot take you from black hair to pixie dust pink in one go. Well… we could, but you would have to be okay with short pixie hair first (thanks to the bleaching and damage that it would cause).
The darker your hair color is, expect the process toward rainbow hair to take much longer. If you want the integrity of your hair to stand up against the test of time, then prepare for a few appointments of lightening to get your hair to the correct level of blonde (instead of doing it all in one go). Trust us, it is much better to wait a few months to get the color you wanted than having to wait years for your damaged hair to grow your hair back to it’s original length.
Reality Two
The color you’re describing might not be what your hairstylist is imagining. It’s best to come in with a few photos of the correct rainbow shade you’d like, rather then trying to explain that radiant purple you saw on so-and-so at this one festival you were at five years ago.
Your stylist will have a much better understanding of the shade you are going for if you present him or her with ample amounts of examples before, or at your appointment. We want you to be happy with your rainbow hair, so please, set up us for success instead of disappointment by coming prepared.
Reality Three
Brace yourself for a really long appointment. Depending on the length and condition of your hair, creating a rainbow mane takes up a lot of time.
Our stylists use special techniques to ensure that your hair stays healthy as you venture into unicorn land. For some, appointments can take up to 4 hour- others, even longer. Prepare for bleaching, toning, deep conditioning, rinsing, color deposit, and more rinsing… We’re warning you! It’s a long haul! (But it’s totally worth it 😉 )
Reality Four
You could be forking out a lot of $$$. Rainbow hair comes at high cost if you want it to look ace all of the time.
If you aren’t using the right products to condition your hair, it won’t stay glossy for long. Because you’ve taken the chance and bleached the $h!t out of it, your hair is thirstier than that guy who keeps messaging you on Instagram. You’ll want to pick up color safe shampoo and conditioner, color depositing product (for gray silver, or lilac hair), and a lot of moisture infused oils that will protect your hair from heat, etc.
Reality Five
Maintenance is a B!tch. Oops, have we said too much? Because unless your hair magically never grows, you could be investing a lot of time into upkeep.
Once the initial bleaching process is done, it is a lot easier for us to fix your regrowth and re-color; but it still does suck knowing that your vibrant shade will probably fade fast. After about six weeks, the brightness of your hair color will definitely need a touch-up. However, there is hope to make it last longer if you’re willing to wash your hair every third day or so!
Photos above taken from Lauren Calaway.
Sounds a lot more complex than it all looks, right? That’s okay, because if you’re still hungry for a taste of the rainbow, we have a few tips that will make the procedure a whole lot easier!
Tip One
Be honest about your hair history. Tell your stylist about the profound and dark past your tresses hold. We want to know everything from your at home f!@#$ ups to how often you and your hair straightener tango. Be sure to ask us questions too… we might come up with a different game plan when it comes to creating your color based upon your hair history.
Tip Two
Get dirty. Literally, come into your appointment with dirty hair as the natural oils will help to protect your scalp and strands from the bleach. Second or third-day hair should do the trick; anything longer might have you end up feeling nasty before your appointment.
Tip Three
Do your research. Obviously, just by looking at our gallery, you’ll see that almost all of our stylists have experience in creating magical manes. An excellent indication of whether the stylist you’re seeing will be able to produce your desired outcome is to look for their past work with rainbow colors. Not to say that if they don’t have an example up that they can’t do it, but, at least, you’ll get a snippet of what the outcome could look like.
Although rainbow hair (including pastel and silvers) comes at a price, anyone with brightly colored locks will tell you it’s 100% worth it. You’ll definitely be stopped on the streets for your fabulous and unique shades, so, what are you waiting for?
