Sun, Fun & Hair Protection 101

Sunshine, salty breezes, and poolside lounging—what’s not to love? Oh right, the hair damage. Whether you’re soaking up rays at the beach or swimming laps in the pool, your hair is catching more heat than it deserves. Luckily, with the right tips and products, you can protect your strands and keep your color looking fresh all summer long.

🏊‍♀️ At the Pool: Hair vs. Chlorine

We love a good cannonball, but your hair? Not so much.

Here’s what you’re up against:

• Chlorine is basically bleach—and that means color fade city.

• It bonds with keratin, your hair’s structural protein, weakening your strands over time.

• Blondes, beware: Light hair can take on a greenish tint thanks to copper algaecides in pool water.

• Hard water minerals in pools add another layer of dryness and dullness.

💧How to Fight Back:

• Saturate your hair with clean water before getting in the pool—your hair acts like a sponge, so fill it with the good stuff first.

• Apply a leave-in conditioner like Unite’s 7 Seconds or a deep conditioner beforehand to create a protective barrier.

• Rinse immediately after swimming to flush out chlorine and minerals.

• Shampoo with a swimmer-safe clarifier like Unite’s Weekender Shampoo to fully detox the hair.

• Minimize sun exposure during and after your swim to avoid double damage.

• Swim caps aren’t just for Olympians—grab a cute one and thank yourself later.

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🏖️ At the Beach: Salty but Still Soft

Saltwater may feel magical, but it’s secretly drying your hair out and leaving it vulnerable to breakage.

You can use many of the same tricks from the pool here:

• Soak your hair with water before hitting the ocean.

• Apply a UV-protectant leave-in like 7 Seconds to shield against the sun and salt.

• Rinse thoroughly after swimming to prevent salt build-up and dryness.

• And yes, a hat is your best friend—not only does it preserve your color, but it protects your scalp (yes, your scalp can sunburn too).

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Summer Must-Haves: Your Hair’s Ride-or-Die Products

🌊 7 Seconds Leave-In Conditioner

Spray this on before diving into any water—chlorine or ocean—and your strands get a hydrating, detangling force field. It fights UV rays, prevents frizz, and stops the dreaded “crunch” before it starts. Beach bag essential.

💧 7 Seconds Moisture Conditioner

This ultra-nourishing conditioner hydrates, repairs, and shields all hair types from sun and thermal damage. Use it after beach days or blowouts to keep your hair soft, strong, and salon-fresh.

🧼 Weekender Shampoo

Chlorine and product buildup don’t stand a chance. This clarifying shampoo gently deep cleans while restoring your hair’s natural softness and pH balance. Perfect for weekly resets—just a heads-up, go light on this one if you’ve got temporary or demi-permanent color, as it can strip more than you bargained for.

☀️ Final Thoughts

Summer should be carefree—not full of regret over faded color or brittle ends. With a few simple habits and the right product lineup, your hair can thrive all season long, no matter how many pool days or beach hangs you have planned.

Got questions or want personalized product recommendations? Swing by Katie Blue Salon—we’ve got your hair covered (literally and figuratively).

-Stef

Platinum Blonde: Iconic, Gorgeous… and High Maintenance AF

Thinking about going platinum? I have a homework assignment for you…

When you’re out in public for the next month, count how many platinum blondes you see.

(Hint: you won’t see many.)

And there are several reasons.

1. Sure, maybe at the time you’re reading this platinum is “out” for the season. But let’s be real… is platinum hair ever truly out? Sure, toners go in and out of trend, but the platty base will always be a fave.

2. It’s an investment service. The annual cost may surprise you. (See my chart at the bottom for an annual price breakdown.)

3. It’s incredibly time-consuming. Going platinum means you’re going to be getting to know your stylist really well with all the time you’ll be spending together. (Hayyy)

   As a platinum hair specialist in-training, please don’t think I’m trying to talk you out of going all the way. Platty is bold, beautiful, & it screams confidence.

   
   

Before you book your consultation and channel your inner Daenerys, here are a few things to consider & stuff you’ll need to invest in to keep your hair healthy

Your hair color history matters

Something to consider (and you’ll absolutely discuss this with your stylist at your consultation) is whether or not you already have chemicals/color/lightener on your hair.

If you’re not starting with virgin hair — which is the industry term for hair that has no artificial color on it at all — you may need several corrective sessions before you can safely get to platinum.

And that often includes bond-building treatments like Olaplex or K18 to protect the integrity of your hair along the way.

Platinum isn’t just about lifting color. It’s about doing it safely. If there’s previous color in your hair, we’re working against chemistry — not just time.

How much time ya got?

Okay, let’s say you’ve gone and done it. You got there. You’re platinum! Hooray!

Now what?

Expect to come in every 4–8 weeks for a double-process root touch-up. These appointment generally take an hour to an hour and a half.

Have you ever seen a blonde with those gold-to-brown horizontal lines across their hair? That’s the dreaded gold band.* And that’s what happens when you don’t regularly get your root touch-ups.

Bleach needs the heat from your head to lift to its lightest level. The further your natural root grows away from your scalp, the less heat it gets — and that’s why it doesn’t lift as well.

It can vary a little from person to person, but on average, your hair grows about half an inch per month. That means in 8 weeks, your roots are about one inch long — and you don’t want them getting any longer than that.

Eight weeks is the absolute maximum we recommend between root touch-ups.

*Once you get the gold band you’re potentially in color correction territory and that’s a whole blog post all it’s own. Trust me when I say you don’t want to go there.

🧴 How to Keep Platinum Hair Healthy

Bleached hair can go from silky to straw real quick if you’re not careful. Here’s how to keep your strands strong and shiny:

• Use sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo—we love Unite’s Blonda line to maintain tone and health

• Deep condition weekly to keep your hair soft and moisturized

• Minimize heat styling and always, always use a heat protectant

• Sleep on a silk pillowcase to reduce friction and breakage

• Don’t skip trims—bleached ends need a little more TLC

🧊 Is Platinum Hair for You?

Here’s the honest tea:

• If you want a bold look and don’t mind high maintenance? Go for it.

• If you wash your hair daily, hate coming in for toners, or rarely use conditioner? Maybe hold off.

• If your hair is already compromised or very dark? It’ll be a longer (and pricier) road.

The best first step? Book a consultation. We’ll assess your hair, talk goals, and build a game plan for getting you safely to platinum—and keeping you there without damage.

Ready to go icy? We’re here to make the magic happen—no breakage, no brass, just platinum perfection.

-Stef