Think back to the early 2000s, the era of boy bands, MySpace, mirror selfies, and hair that was colored in your basement sink with a bottle of bleach and peroxide, à la Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé. (Hey, hindsight is 20/20, right?) But the damage from dyeing your hair several strands lighter can be severe, especially if you don't know what to ask for, how to prep your hair, or how to take care of it afterward. Not to mention, many wannabe blonde bombshells are in search of a manageable at-home hair solution in order to save a few hundred dollars at the salon. To help you out, I chatted with celebrity hairstylist and all-around hair guru Kristin Ess to find out exactly how to bleach your hair without damaging it too much—and how to maintain the health of your newly bleached hair in the long-term. No breakage or fried ends here.
