Should you go blond?

From Jennifer Lawrence to Sophie Turner, everyone who is anyone is upgrading their blond to platinum. Tempted to follow suit? The traditional ‘double process’ method – where your existing color is stripped with bleach and then toned to your desired shade – hasn’t changed much over the years.

What has changed is the damage it inflicts – bleaching isn’t the danger it once was, thanks to a very clever treatment called Olaplex, which makes the process much gentler. This three-step treatment protects your hair’s bonds – which break when bleached – while preventing breakage and locking in color. It works at a molecular level where it plugs broken bonds caused by chemical, thermal and mechanical damage. Olaplex’s shampoo rebuilds broken disulfide bonds, the Bond Perfector goes one step further to rebuild any remaining broken bonds, and the at-home Hair Perfector will maintain strength in your hair between visits to the salon. Tell your colorist to use it every time you go, whether for highlights or all-over platinum.

So that’s how you bleach. But should you? There’s a shade to suit most of us, but it can be a challenge to find it. “Warmer skins suit violet or blue-tinted platinum, while ice white is great for paler tones,” says London-based color expert Josh Wood. “Ask your colorist to keep a slight shadow at the roots to avoid your blond looking flat.”

And upkeep? Even with darker roots, prepare to top up every 5-6 weeks. Between appointments, preserve your hair’s natural oils with a sulphate-free shampoo and a weekly mask – Christophe Robin’s Shade Variation neutralizes yellow tones without dulling color. And remember, the brighter your hair, the less forgiving it is when it comes to your skin, so upkeep is essential there too. Also, it’s a given that changes in hair color or tone should also be accompanied by a change (or at least a tweak) in your makeup – ensure you pay some attention to the foundation and eyeshadow shades in your makeup bag.

Finally, a beautiful blond color needs to be in top condition, no matter how gentle the bleaching process is. So invest in the best conditioning masks you can to enhance and protect your new shade.