I’ve been a dyed blonde for most of the past 10 years. There’s been a couple of times where I dyed it different colours, usually because the colour was getting too expensive to maintain. Salon visits can cost anywhere from $150 to $400 when you’re a fake blonde. Why so pricey? Well, to go from any other colour to blonde often takes several steps. To do it the safest way, you’ll usually either start with blonde highlights (a full head) or a blonde balayage. The former is cheaper and more gradual while the later is usually around $300 to start. Once I paid $500 for a balayage treatment. :O It was brutal, but I was happy with the results. Then there’s the maintenance products. Bleach is hard on the hair so you will want to buy top notch conditioners and invest in Olaplex treatments. Touch ups on roots are usually needed every 6-8 weeks so while they are cheaper than a full dye or balayage treatment, this still adds up over time. Although the good thing about balayage is it’s designed to have darker roots so you can wait about 3 months before re-touching.

Needless to say, blonde is a colour I enjoy having on my hair so it was worth it to me. However, anytime I’d run into a situation where I couldn’t afford to touch up the roots I’d think “I guess it’s time to use box dye and go a darker shade”. Then I’d imagine all the money I could have saved or put towards something else had I not spent it on being blonde. You can spend close to $1,000 per year on hair if it’s a high maintenance colour. Box dye on the other hand is usually under $25 per box.

The thing with box dye is that it can be damaging, especially if you use it several times over the span of a few months. The reason for this is that they usually have a high volume developer designed to lift the hair shaft 2-3 shades. This has a similar effect to bleach, so you need to be careful you’re not overdying otherwise your hair ends up just as damaged from hair colour as it would from getting bleached.

I chose red because it’s a striking shade and doesn’t feel too “boring”. My natural hair colour is a medium brown and it’s honestly quite nice, but I wore it that way for 27 years of my life so I feel more like myself as a blonde or redhead than I do with that colour. However, I do miss how long and strong it used to be. Unless you invest in hair extensions, your hair won’t grow much past your shoulders as a bleach blonde due to chemical damage. And that’s even with Olaplex and protein-infused conditioners. I notice I tend to have a cycle of blonde, red (or pink or purple) then brunette. No less than 3 months later, I’ll go back to blonde again. I can’t seem to *not* be blonde for longer than a few months.

It makes me wonder how healthy and long my hair could be if I just grew it out for 2 years. It is a nice colour in its own right – I have natural red highlights so when the sun hits it, it almost looks auburn. Blonde and shorter looks edgy though, so it’s tempting to go back after I go to the darker side.

This year I’d like to challenge myself to leaving my hair alone for 8 months. After that point if I want to highlight it, I’ll do that. Maybe that’s the happy medium between being a blonde and going natural – highlights. There’s a reason why “bronde” has become such a popular hair colour – it’s the happy medium between blonde and brunette. Aside from having healthier hair, I would like to be a better steward of my money. Sure, hair colour is a lot of fun but I would like to get my own apartment again. Cost of living is expensive these days so if I can budget better then an apartment will become more feasible.

As for the red, I’ll be rocking it a little longer. It’s a fun colour. Like bleach blonde, it’s edgy. If you’ve never been red, I recommend trying it at least once. The box dyes are quite good at getting your hair super red. I may do a final colouring that’s darker (like auburn) for the new year then leave it be. See how long it can get in 8 months. If I still miss being blonde by that point, it’ll be a sign that a full head of highlights are a good thing – those are cheaper than a full balayage treatment and not as damaging either.

Have you ever dyed your hair? Do you enjoy being a certain hair colour?