The world of pop culture and influence is awash with instant gratification. This is a world where you can tap on a pretty image of a pair of Prada platforms in your SM feed and reliably expect them to show up on your doorstep within a couple of days. This is a world where your teeth are whiter than white in a day, where you can track the arrival of your dinner in realtime, and have fuller lips with the prick of a needle.

Not all that long ago, this would have been the stuff of pure science fiction. The Germans have a word for it, it’s called Lustprinzip – the pleasure principle. It’s the idea that we want what we want, and we want it now. It’s not a new idea, Lustprinzip has been kicking around in our consciousness since the late 19th century, but let’s be realistic we are talking about an innate human quality here.

There are days when you wake up and you just want a major hair change for no reason at all. Usually, the impulse passes, and you go about your day as usual with your normal hair, but what about when the idea sticks? What are your chances of getting that instant hair transformation you’ve been daydreaming about? Billie Eilish can go from lime green to platinum and Kim K can be blonde in a day. Celebrities do it all the time, it must be a thing.

When Kim K showed up at the Met Gala with slick bleached hair, I automatically assumed it was a wig and zoomed in on that perfect hairline to prove it. After all she can clearly afford to drop the $10K or more that it costs for a top shelf, custom fit, hand knotted, lace front wig, so why would she mess around with bleach.

It’s no small undertaking that’s for sure. Strap in as we take you through the ins and out of going blonde in a day.

Healthy hair is the best prep for a major color change. Work on building strength and condition by using bonders, peptides and moisture masks in the lead up to your bleach.

Start a folder of blondes that you love and try to drill down on what it is that you really like about them. Instagram filters can give a false impression of cool/warm tones but they can also be used to experiment with tones too.

Talking through your bleach goals with your stylist is a must. This is your opportunity to get a handle on what kind of blonde you can expect, how long it might take and a ballpark cost for the service. A consultation beforehand puts your stylist in the best position to get an epic result for you.

Plan for the day. Most hair transformations take between 5 and 10 hours so clear your calendar, take an uber or get dropped off and settle in. For sure throw on an old T shirt, pack some snacks, and bring your favourite novel. Nobody wants to be bored and hungry during a bleach job.

During a bleach service there is a whole lot of chemistry going down inside your hair – disulphide bonds get smashed, the cortex swells, proteins are leached, and the cuticle is degraded. Your hair is going to need a bit of extra help post-bleach to regain strength and condition.

Reference:
Grosvenor AJ, Deb-Choudhury S, Middlewood PG, Thomas A, Lee E, Vernon JA, Woods JL, Taylor C, Bell FI, Clerens S. The physical and chemical disruption of human hair after bleaching - studies by transmission electron microscopy and redox proteomics. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2018 Dec;40(6):536-548. doi: 10.1111/ics.12495. Epub 2018 Nov 19. PMID: 30229956.