A few years ago I commented to my hairstylist that my blonde seemed to be turning brassy and dull faster than usual.

“Well, it almost looks like it’s burnt,” he said.

And it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. It did look burnt. And it made sense that despite using treatments and products at home to keep my blonde pure and toned, it was still looking a tiny bit orange.

I got serious about scaling back on the amount of heat I was using, which was already on the lower end of the spectrum but my fragile hair was proving to not be able to handle it well.

The right combination of lower heat use and heat protectors went a long way in protecting my color and making sure it wasn’t turning a yellowy-orange color.
If you have lightened hair and you’re wondering why your blonde may be looking a bit off, try to look hard at your routines to see if you are inadvertently burning it.

Blonde hair that turns brassy should still look and feel healthy, but simply be a little off in the ideal color. Blonde hair that may be burnt will look a bit orange, feel coarse to the touch, look dry, and possibly crinkly on the ends.

If you feel like your hair may be damaged from heat, a deep conditioning mask is the best way to care for your hair. Check this post that has a round up of my favorites!

If you feel like your hair is otherwise healthy, and the brassy tones are not necessarily from heat, look into a clarifying shampoo and an...