• Give a Gift
  • Customer Service
  • Promotions
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Win
  • Free Games

Hair Bleaching — the Hidden Horrors

woman with long blond hair and foils on one side

Over-Bleaching

Photo Credit: Michael Wirth

Special Offer

The hotter the star, the brighter the blonde: Everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Jennifer Aniston has lightened her locks while transitioning from ingenue to Alister. But upgrading to platinum is risky. "You may think blonder equals younger and sexier, but once it gets beyond a certain point, no matter what you've spent, it looks cheap," warns Jason Backe, head colorist at Manhattan's Ted Gibson salon. And the blonder you go, the more damage you do. Overuse of bleach and peroxide eventually alters hair's texture, turning it dry as hay and limp as spaghetti.

"You know you've gone too light when you suddenly think you're pale and need a tan or a ton of makeup," notes Backe. A better way to boost your blonde, he says, is with lowlights. Surprise: Adding darker hues actually makes blonde pieces seem blonder.

The craze in upkeep has women so hooked, doctors and industry pros are now turning them away!
Read about this in How Much Is Too Much?

Still have blonde ambition? Find out how to go blonde - the right way.
Damaged your hair over years of going blonde? Get healthy, shiny, sexy hair in no time


Advertisement
Giveaway-a-day
Nude Eye Palette

Nude Eye Palette

Enter Now
Latest blog entries
  • The Power of Negative Thinking: A Good Idea?

    I invite a dude to hang out with me and my friends ... and after getting his response, I have to wonder if negative-thinking might help toughen me up and make living flirtatiously easier. 11/06/09

  • 8 Reasons Guys Are Obsessed With Sex

    Sex physically resembles “VIP Access” because we have to be invited. We work for it, we convince, we campaign, strategize, and pull out all the stops. The woman controls all access. 11/05/09

  • A Good Way to Contact Someone Who Didn't Get My Digits?

    You guys remember Mr. Tweed Jeans--he of the extended flirtation at a party two weekends ago? He who, despite seeming to be quite interested and talking to me for, like, 30 minutes, didn't get my number when I said I was taking off? Yeah, well, I inv... 11/05/09

  • Save 20% on everything at Harvard Sweet Boutique

    Every brownie, cookie and cake is concocted from scratch, made freshly by hand, and while we wish we could snatch a batch for ourselves at the local supermarket, these baked goods are made for giving. 11/04/09

  • 5 Hilarious Flirtatious E-Cards

    A new site has the funniest e-cards I've ever come across. There's one you can send to an office crush, one you can send to that great guy you just went on a first date with ... and a couple that would be appropriately inappropriate for the dude you'... 11/04/09

  • See all blogs
Marie Claire On The Go
  • Start receiving the day's headlines from topics you choose and get the latest posts from our bloggers. Sign up for RSS feeds now.

  • Take Marie Claire with you everywhere you go. Our mobile site has the latest 'it' items of the season. Including: Blogs, Hair & Beauty, Nutrition, Health & Fitness, Horoscopes and so much more!

    Here's how:

    1. Start a mobile session on your phone
    2. type m.marieclaire.com into your browser
    3. that's it!

  • In Every Issue:
    The one-stop shop
    for the very best in
    fashion & beauty


    Give a Gift
    Customer Service
    Marie Claire Magazine
Favorite Tools
Virtual Salon

Upload your photo and give yourself a complete makeover instantly!

Enter now
More From Hair & Beauty Articles
anti-aging cream
Non-Prescription Retinoid Alternatives

Not ready to ask your doc for a prescription? Try these over-the-counter anti-aging alternatives.

renova cream
Anti-Aging Retinoids: Pros and Cons

Does the standard Rx for reducing wrinkles and sunspots also thin your skin in the long run?

Hairstyle Gallery

Get salon hair at home with expert tips and must-have products for each style. Here, 125 real women with real hairstyles.

Special Offer