Thinking About Going Lighter for Spring? Read This First.

Thinking about freshening up your colour for spring? Before you reach for the blonde, balayage or highlights, a little preparation can make all the difference.

Spring is the perfect time for a fresh new look. Brighter blondes, creamy highlights, soft balayage and sun-kissed colour are all beautiful ways to freshen up your hair for the warmer months.

But before you start going lighter, it's worth taking a good look at the condition of your hair.

Lightening can put additional stress on the hair, particularly if it's already dry, brittle, breaking or has a history of colouring and regular heat styling.

The good news? With a little preparation, the right professional haircare and some good advice from your hairdresser, you can give your hair the best possible start before your spring colour refresh.

Here are our @HairByU professional tips for preparing for — and looking after — lighter hair this spring.

1. Start With the Condition of Your Hair

Before going lighter, ask yourself:

How does my hair actually feel right now?

Is it dry? Brittle? Breaking easily? Are the ends split or looking like they've seen better days?

Not all damaged-feeling hair needs the same thing. Understanding what your hair needs before your colour appointment can help you choose the right home haircare routine.

Is Your Hair Dry?

If your hair feels dry, rough, dull or thirsty, it's time to concentrate on hydration.

Start with a hydrating shampoo and conditioner, then add a hydrating treatment to give your hair some extra moisture and nourishment.

Our Pick: ARVO Hydrating Range

We recommend the ARVO Hydrating Shampoo, Conditioner & Treatment for dry, dehydrated hair.

A consistent hydrating routine can help leave your hair feeling softer, smoother and more manageable, giving you a better foundation before going lighter.

Is Your Hair Brittle?

If your hair feels brittle, rough through the ends or lacks softness and flexibility, concentrate on repair and nourishment.

We recommend combining a repair shampoo and conditioner with a nourishing serum or oil, paying particular attention to those vulnerable mid-lengths and ends.

Our Pick: CPR Fortify Repair + Inca Omega

Use CPR Fortify Repair Shampoo & Conditioner, followed by CPR Inca Omega Healing Serum through your mid-lengths and ends.

A little serum through those brittle ends can provide extra nourishment and help leave the hair feeling smoother and more manageable.

Is Your Hair Breaking Easily?

Are you noticing little broken hairs? Does your hair snap easily when brushing or styling? Does it feel weakened after previous colouring or lightening?

Your hair may benefit from a strengthening routine with protein.

Our Pick: Redken Extreme

We recommend Redken Extreme Shampoo & Conditioner together with Redken Extreme CAT Rinse-Out Treatment for weakened, distressed hair that needs additional strengthening support.

CAT adds a protein-focused treatment step to your routine to help strengthen fragile, compromised hair.

@HairByU Tip: When it comes to protein, more isn't always better. Follow the directions for your treatment and remember that your hair may need a balance of both strength and moisture.

And Don't Underestimate a Good Haircut 

Sometimes one of the best things you can do before a fresh colour has nothing to do with another bottle of haircare.

Have a good haircut!

If your ends are split, badly damaged or simply past their best, cutting those tired ends off can make a huge difference to how your hair looks and feels.

And we're not saying you need to chop it all off! Even a good trim can remove damaged ends, freshen your shape and give you a healthier-looking starting point for your new colour.

Cut those dead ends off, freshen up your style and start your new spring colour with a beautiful fresh canvas. 

There's nothing quite like walking out of the salon with a fresh cut AND fresh colour.

Your Quick Hair Check

Dry Hair → Hydration & Moisture → ARVO Hydrating Range
Brittle Hair → Repair & Nourishment → CPR Fortify + Inca Omega
Breaking Hair → Strength & Protein → Redken Extreme + CAT Treatment
Split/Damaged Ends → Time for a Good Haircut 

Remember, your hair can fall into more than one of these categories. If it's already significantly compromised, speak with your hairdresser about what's realistically achievable. Sometimes reaching your dream blonde gradually over several appointments is the better approach.

2. Give Bond Repair Some Love

If your hair has a history of bleaching, colouring or frequent heat styling, adding bond repair to your routine can give compromised hair some extra support before and after going lighter.

Our Pick: Re:Bond Molecular Hair Science

For a complete bond-building routine, we recommend Re:Bond.

And we have to mention it...

It smells divine! 

Here's how we'd build your Re:Bond routine:

Step 1 – Re:Bond Daily Miracle Bond Building Spray
Start with the Daily Miracle Bond Building Spray as the first step in your Re:Bond routine.

Step 2 – Re:Bond Shampoo
Follow with Re:Bond Shampoo to cleanse your hair as part of your bond-building routine.

Step 3 – Re:Bond Conditioner
Follow with Re:Bond Conditioner to condition and help leave the hair feeling softer, smoother and more manageable.

Step 4 – Re:Bond Leave-In Miracle Bond Building Mask
Finish with the Leave-In Miracle Bond Building Mask for your final leave-in treatment step.

@HairByU Professional Tip: Don't wait until after your colour appointment to start looking after your hair. If you're planning on going lighter, start your Re:Bond routine beforehand, then continue caring for your freshly coloured hair at home afterwards.

Explore our range of Bond Products.

3. Don't Forget Moisture

This is one we really want U to remember:

Bond repair and moisture aren't necessarily the same thing.

Lightened and blonde hair can often feel drier, particularly through the mid-lengths and ends.

Even if you're using strengthening or bond-repair products, your hair may still benefit from some extra hydration.

One of the easiest ways to add that extra moisture is with a weekly hair mask or treatment.

Our Pick: Hi Lift RESCUE 1 Minute Tube Miracle Treatment

We love Hi Lift RESCUE 1 Minute Tube Miracle Treatment for a quick weekly moisture boost.

Enriched with macadamia seed oil and shea butter, it helps hydrate and nourish dry hair, leaving it feeling softer and more manageable.

It's also vegan, sulphate-free and paraben-free.

And one of the best things about it?

It works in just 1 minute! 

You don't need to find an extra 20 minutes in your day to do a hair treatment.

Simply keep it in the shower and swap your conditioner for Hi Lift RESCUE once a week. Apply through your mid-lengths and ends, leave it for just 1 minute, rinse and you're done.

It's an easy way to give your hair some extra hydration — especially when you're preparing to go lighter or caring for freshly lightened hair.

@HairByU Professional Tip: Don't wait until your hair feels extremely dry before reaching for a treatment. Make your weekly mask part of your regular routine. Pick a day each week, use Hi Lift RESCUE instead of your conditioner, and give those mid-lengths and ends a little extra love.

Discover our range of Hair Masks & Treatments.

4. Going Blonde? Purple Shampoo Isn't Your Everyday Shampoo 

You've left the salon with your beautiful new blonde and naturally you want to keep it looking fresh and bright.

Enter purple shampoo.

Purple shampoos and toning products are designed to help neutralise unwanted yellow and warm tones in blonde, highlighted and lightened hair.

But here's where people can go wrong:

More purple shampoo isn't always better.

Overusing blonde or purple shampoo can cause your colour to start looking muddy, dull or cloudy, instead of clean, fresh and bright.

And there's something else to consider — porosity.

If your hair is quite porous, particularly through the mid-lengths and ends, those areas can grab onto the violet pigments much faster than healthier sections of your hair.

This can result in areas looking over-toned, greyish, violet or dull, while other sections of your blonde look completely different.

That's why we recommend using a professional blonde shampoo and not automatically reaching for it every time you wash your hair.

Our Pick: NAK Blonde Shampoo 

We recommend NAK Blonde Shampoo for maintaining your blonde and helping neutralise unwanted yellow tones.

For most blondes, we recommend starting with your blonde shampoo around once a week, then using your regular shampoo and conditioner suited to your hair's condition for your other washes.

Your individual routine may vary depending on your blonde, the condition and porosity of your hair and how quickly unwanted warmth starts to appear.

@HairByU Professional Tip

Watch your blonde — don't just watch the calendar.

If your colour is already looking clean, fresh and bright, you don't necessarily need to tone it again just because it's blonde.

Pay particular attention to those porous ends. They can grab purple pigment much faster than the rest of your hair, so leaving your blonde shampoo on for longer isn't necessarily going to give you a better result.

Start gently and adjust how often you use it according to how your blonde is looking.

Purple shampoo tones your blonde — it isn't your everyday shampoo. It also doesn't replace the hydration, strengthening, bond repair and everyday care that lightened hair may need.

Shop Blonde Hair Solutions.

5. Turn Down the Heat 

You've just left the salon with the perfect fresh blonde and beautiful toner — the last thing you want to do is compromise that colour with your styling tools.

Your styling tools don't always need to be on maximum heat.

Using a straightener or curling iron too hot can contribute to your fresh toner fading faster, particularly on lightened and porous hair.

If your styling tool has adjustable temperature control, we recommend keeping it around 180°C or lower, depending on your hair type and condition.

Fine, fragile, highly lightened or porous hair may need an even lower temperature.

Turning up the temperature doesn't necessarily mean you'll get a better result either. Good technique, smaller sections and the right styling products can make a huge difference.

Always Use Heat Protection

Before reaching for your straightener, curling iron or other heated styling tool, apply a professional heat protectant as directed.

Heat protection should be part of your regular styling routine, but it's especially important when your hair has been freshly coloured or lightened.

@HairByU Professional Tip

Fresh toner + excessive heat aren't the best combination.

If you've just spent time and money achieving that beautiful fresh blonde, don't go home and immediately run your straightener through it at 220°C or 230°C.

If your tool has adjustable temperature control, turn it down to around 180°C or lower, use your heat protection and avoid repeatedly going over the same section.

It's a simple change that can help you look after both the condition of your lightened hair and that beautiful fresh toner.

Shop our range of Heat Protectant Products.

6. Be Gentle When Your Hair Is Wet

Freshly lightened hair needs a little extra TLC, and how you treat it when it's wet can make a big difference.

Wet hair is more vulnerable to stretching and breakage, particularly when it's already lightened, porous or compromised.

Rather than aggressively rubbing your hair with a regular towel, gently squeeze out excess moisture.

A microfibre hair towel is a great addition to your routine, helping absorb excess moisture without unnecessary rough rubbing.

Choose the Right Brush

If you're brushing your hair while it's wet, make sure you're using a brush specifically designed for wet-to-dry detangling.

Our Pick: Wet Brush Range

We recommend the Wet Brush range for gently detangling wet hair.

Whatever brush you're using, don't start at the roots and drag it all the way through your hair.

Instead:

Start at the ends → gently detangle → gradually work your way upwards.

This helps reduce unnecessary pulling and tugging through those vulnerable mid-lengths and ends.

@HairByU Professional Tip

One of my favourite ways to detangle lightened hair is to do it while you're still in the shower with your conditioner in.

Apply your conditioner through the mid-lengths and ends, then use your Wet Brush to gently detangle your hair.

Start at the ends and gradually work your way upwards. The conditioner provides extra slip, helping the brush glide through the hair rather than fighting through knots and tangles.

Once you've finished detangling, simply rinse your conditioner as usual.

It's such a simple change to your wash routine, but being gentle with freshly lightened hair is just as important as choosing the right shampoo, treatment or styling product.

7. Protect Your Beautiful New Colour 

Getting your dream spring colour is only the beginning.

What you do at home matters too.

You've invested time and money into your beautiful new colour, so a few simple changes at home can help keep your blonde looking fresh and your hair feeling its best between salon visits.

Turn Down the Water Temperature 

Just like excessive heat from styling tools isn't ideal for freshly coloured hair, extremely hot water isn't your colour's best friend either.

Washing your hair in extremely hot water can contribute to colour fading faster, so turn the temperature down and wash with warm to lukewarm water instead.

It's a small change that's easy to make every wash.

Protect Your Hair From the Sun 

As we head into spring and the warmer months, your hair is going to see a lot more sunshine.

Our advice is simple:

Wear a hat whenever you're outdoors.

A hat provides a physical barrier from direct sun exposure and is one of the easiest ways to help protect both your hair and scalp when you're outside.

For your hair, we also recommend applying a leave-in hair solar cream or protective leave-in product before spending time outdoors.

You've invested in that beautiful fresh colour — don't forget about it when you head out into the sunshine.

Heading for a Swim? 

Pool and beach days are one of the best parts of warmer weather, but give your hair a little preparation before jumping in.

If you've got long locks, apply a leave-in product, gently detangle your hair and put it into a loose braid or plait before swimming.

Keeping your hair loosely contained can help reduce the knots and tangles that can happen while you're swimming.

Our Pick: NAK Care Daily Detangle

NAK Care Daily Detangle is a great addition to your spring and summer hair routine.

Use it as a leave-in detangling product to help keep your hair conditioned, manageable and easier to detangle, particularly when you're spending more time outdoors or around the water.

@HairByU Professional Tip

Think ahead before you jump in the pool or head to the beach.

Apply your leave-in product first, gently detangle and put long hair into a loose braid or plait.

After swimming, rinse your hair with fresh water as soon as you can and follow with the appropriate shampoo, conditioner or treatment for your hair.

And don't forget your hat! 

Lukewarm water | Hat on outdoors | Leave-in protection | Loose braid for swimming

These simple habits can make a big difference when you're trying to keep your fresh spring colour looking beautiful while caring for lightened hair through the warmer months.

Ready for Your Spring Hair Refresh? 

Going lighter for spring can be a beautiful way to freshen up your look — but beautiful blonde starts with looking after the hair underneath it.

Before your next colour appointment, take a good look at what your hair is telling U:

Dry? → Give it hydration.
Brittle? → Give it nourishment and repair.
Breaking? → Look at strengthening and protein.
Previously coloured, bleached or heat stressed? → Add bond repair.
Split, damaged ends? → Give them the chop. 
Going lighter? → Add a weekly hydrating treatment.
Blonde turning warm? → Tone when needed, but don't overdo the purple. 
Using hot tools? → Turn down the heat and protect your colour. 
Detangling wet hair? → Use the right brush and be gentle.
Heading outdoors? → Protect your hair from sun, heat and swimming. 

Then continue caring for your new colour with the right combination of professional haircare, bond repair, hydration, blonde care, heat protection and gentle handling.

And if you're standing in front of all those shampoos, conditioners and treatments wondering, “What does my hair actually need?” — we're always happy to help.

@HairByU, we're here to help U find the right professional haircare for your hair type, condition and concerns, so you can create gorgeous hair at home with confidence.

Bond Repair | Blonde Haircare | Hair Masks & Treatments | Heat Protection | Dry & Damaged Hair Solutions

 

Creating gorgeous hair at home because “It’s All About U.”

Jodie & the @HairByU Team x