'Breakup Blond': The Iconic Hair Transformation Ushering In Your Next Life Chapter
There's no better way to announce to the world that you're moving on from your ex than with a total makeover. A hair change seems to be the move that most newly single folks set their sights on as they blossom into the best versions of themselves, whether they decide to go from straight to curly, chop it all off, or play around with color. If dyeing your tresses seems like the perfect way to bid the old you farewell and welcome in your hot single girl era, then one color stands above all the rest: "breakup blond."
To be clear, there's no particular tone of blond that makes this hue a "breakup" color — simply going any shade of blond when you weren't blond before is all that matters. Put simply, it's all in the transformation. While a drastic new hair color screams to the world that you're a brand new person who's over her ex, the truth is you don't need to actually have gone through a breakup to rock this do. If you ever want to leave anything behind, from a toxic friendship to a terrible job, then going breakup blond will empower you to set those plans in stone.
The relationship between hair transformations and life transformations
For most people, hair is closely entwined with identity. It's one of the first things that people notice about you upon meeting you, and there are endless ways to represent your personality through your hair, from styling and accessories to cuts and color. So it makes sense that switching up your locks is a satisfying way to make a declaration to the world about where you stand.
"It might be in order to make a statement, for example announcing 'I'm in control of my appearance as well as my life,'" psychologist Dr. Graham Hole told Prima. Particularly if you're self-conscious about people feeling sorry for you after a breakup, losing your job, or a similar difficult experience, opting for such an intense change is one way to communicate the message that you're on top of things.
Additionally, changing your hair can be a way of making yourself feel good again after the blow of a breakup. "Someone might change their hair to try something new," relationship expert and founder of luxury matchmaking service LUMA April Davis told Sweety High. "It's their way of taking back confidence that might have been temporarily misplaced during the breakup stage."
Blond, in particular, is a natural color to experiment with when you need to build your confidence up. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Social Psychology found that women with fairer hair were deemed to be more youthful, healthy, and attractive than their counterparts.
How to go breakup blond
The first step in going breakup blond is choosing the right shade. Generally, you'll need to determine the undertone of your skin color to figure this out. Oxley Plus explains that cool skin tones tend to suit cool blond shades (think platinum, icy, or ashy blond) while warm skin tones pair well with warm blond shades (think caramel or honey blonde). Luckily for those with neutral skin tones, any blond will do!
While the change to blond is drastic, it isn't instant. Depending on the exact color you want and the state of your hair before you begin your transformation, it can take anywhere from two to six sessions with your colorist to become blond (via Price Attack). The bleach used to achieve blond tones affects the structural bonds of the hair, which can make your tresses extremely dry. So to maintain healthy hair, it's vital to invest in a haircare plan. You'll likely need to add hydration treatments to your routine, avoid heat styling to protect your hair from further damage, and also keep up the tone with a purple shampoo.
If that sounds like too much, there are other ways to mark the end of this chapter of your life. Opt for blond highlights or balayage color for something that will still be noticeable but require less bleach. Otherwise, cutting your hair into a bob or lob can be an even more show-stopping way to celebrate the new you.