Platinum blonde hair might look fantastic, but it does nothing for the health of your hair if you have to regularly reach for the bleach. Not many people are born with hair which is close to the platinum shade, so that means an overwhelming number of people are heading to the salon on a regular basis for a bout of bleach, or, even worse, attempting to do it themselves.

Let’s be honest, platinum blonde hair looks great when it’s just been done, and perhaps still when it’s starting to show roots, but not for very long. You then get regrowth that is all you can focus on, and whilst you’re recommended to wait between 4 to 6 weeks for a touch-up, not that many people notice their style lasting that long. Platinum blonde for anyone who has naturally dark hair is an expensive and time-consuming process, but it’s also extremely damaging for your hair.

I know this because I have recently turned my back on the platinum process. Don’t get me wrong, I loved it, and if I could have kept it without going borderline bankrupt, I probably would have, but I now feel that getting away from the bleach every month is one of the best decisions I’ve made. Regular bleaching leaves your hair weak and brittle, prone to splitting and breakage. I also noticed my hair falling out a lot more often than it ever did before.

Now, it’s all very well and good deciding to avoid bleaching, but growing out a bright shade when your hair is quite dark can be a long process. Thankfully, there are many colour option you can go for, which hide the grow-out period, until you completely wave goodbye to any lasting strands of bleached locks.

The best option is to head to your salon. It’s not a good idea to try and re-colour bleached hair yourself. The chances of it going wrong are super-high, and orange, purple, or green hair is not in fashion! Instead, ask your stylist either for blonde highlights to disguise the bleach as it is growing out, or opt for an ombre or balayage instead. You can do this by asking for an all over base shade that is just slightly lighter than the colour you already have, but one which is also just a tiny bit darker than your natural colour. This will provide balance and make it far less obvious when the bleach is making its way out. At this point, you can also add highlights if you want to go for a beachy, sun-kissed look.

It’s not all about colour however, as asking for texture and layers will help to disguise the grow out process too. Opt for waves and choppy, blunt ends, rather than one single length, and use a little volume on the roots, to hide where the hair may look a little darker over time.

Of course, it’s a long process, but it is one which is worth it. For me, I am glad I waved goodbye to the bleach, and my hair is in much better condition as a result. I also do not miss the almost monthly trips to the hair salon, and neither does my bank balance!