Gen x Taste is a lifestyle blog and newsletter for those who still don’t know what they want to be when they grow up (even if they’re over the age of 40).
I’ve written a few articles (over at cupcakes & cashmere and on Medium) about getting balayage right before the pandemic. The decision to bleach my Asian hair was not one I took lightly, and the amount of time I spent figuring out how to maintain it during lockdown was… a lot.
But it’s been more than 3 years that I’ve been getting balayage every 4-6 months. So now that I do it regularly, I’m here to tell you it really isn’t that bad.
Ha ha ha — did I say it really wasn’t that bad? Actually, for one day, it will be quite annoying as you sit there getting chemicals painted one by one onto your strands and wrapped in foil. Depending on how experienced your colorist is and how much of your head you’re getting highlighted, it could take anywhere from 3-6 hours (my last one took 8 !!!!!! but that was also due to poor planning and I was getting it done for free as a hair model).
You may be wondering, what’s the difference between balayage and highlights? What is a partial and what is a half highlight? What are low lights? Root smudges? These are all terms hairdressers and beauty writers use, and yet, the inconsistency in definitions is wildly confusing. I’ve asked, I’ve researched, and well…
Translation: I don’t know.
So my advice: bring some photos. Say: “I want this!” And let your hairdresser do what they’re going to do. The one main thing you should be clear on is TONING. For me, I learned early on not to do an ashy color because it was too close to grey and I’m just not comfortable with that. (YET - I KNOW ONE DAY I WILL BE.) So I get a warm, golden tone instead, armed with many screenshots of J.Lo for inspo. But not to worry, if the tone isn’t what you want, they can change it (they’ll blow dry one sample strand for you while you’re at the salon).
Try to be as clear as possible what you want your color to look like.
Once your hair is bleached, you can tone your hair in different shades! I’ve gone darker brown for acting roles and also (once) I went pink. They’ll eventually wash out (consult with your hairdresser first). This is why I’ll continue getting highlights even when I want my hair to just be one color. I don’t think I’ll go back to permanently black anytime soon, because my greys grow in so quickly — and they’re just more obvious when my strands are dark.
As I mentioned, I get the balayage done every 4-6 months, so once or twice a year. It costs about $200-300 plus tip. Places/People in Los Angeles I’ve gone to regularly: Midhaven (Marissa, the owner), The Harbor (Gel who I went to a bunch is no longer there but Sky did my last color - she’s an apprentice and is offering reduced rates), and Etude Salon (Aria who was definitely the quickest, probably because she’s Korean and knows Asian hair).
Now for the upkeep!
During the pandemic, I was much more conscious of using purple shampoos for brassiness and deep conditioning on my own. As mentioned in the Medium essay, I used an updated version of Sun-In called Sunbabe (I found that Sun Bum’s hair lightener worked too) since I couldn’t get to the salon at all. I was also always doing my version of a home blowout (by using this miracle tool) because I slept once on my bleached hair without any product in and woke up to a static nightmare.
But then I discovered the “right” way to air-dry my hair and ever since I’ve gone to see my hairdresser more regularly, I haven’t needed to use any toning shampoos. Therefore, my current hair routine is incredibly simple.
(A lot of these were also recently mentioned in my Summer Hair/Body Care post.)
Wash with a color safe shampoo. My favorite is Living Proof Perfect Hair Day, but lately I’ve been switching between K-18 Peptide Prep and this Kitsch Rice Water Protein shampoo bar.
Use a hair turban to wrap/dry, then apply a leave-in conditioner/mask using a Wet Brush while damp. I use the K-18 Repair Mask followed by this JVN Air Dry Creme, or spray with Maya Chia’s The Mane Agent.
Every once in a while, I use a scalp scrub (love this one by Davines) plus the Malibu Blondes Wellness Remedy whenever I feel like things are looking dull and I can’t get to the salon. This is also when I would use Olaplex 3 to do a really deep conditioning treatment pre-shampoo.
Very important when air drying - DO NOT TOUCH YOUR HAIR AT ALL. I think the frizzball mistake I made was sleeping on my hair while wet (which I used to do all the time before bleaching). Just let it naturally do its thing and resist the urge to fidget or fuss.
Brush every day. I showed this in my Morning Skincare Routine video, but using a brush in the morning helps distribute the oils so I only have to wash every 4-5 days. I also put some hair oil (right now I’m using Bread) on the mid-shaft to the very ends.
That’s basically it. Other than that one day in the salon 2x a year, dusting/trims every 3 months (I do it myself) and a few more leave-in products, I find my hair routine is pretty much identical to what it was when I had black hair1 — except now I don’t have to use root cover up spray for when greys are growing in.
P.S. As mentioned earlier, I don’t tone my hair ash-y because I’m not currently comfortable being “grey” for acting role reasons. However, I think it looks gorgeous on others and if anyone reading is comfortable sharing their process with the blog, please let me know.
My aim is to keep these posts sponsor-free, so if you’d like to support me directly with a paid subscription, that would be very helpful. Please note: I do use affiliate links and may earn a commission when you purchase something. If you’d like to read my other Substack publications, check out Trying So Hard (occasional career news/updates) and The Yellow Pages (Asian/AAPI culture).
When I had black hair, I would use Root Cover spray and dye my hair at home using E-Salon custom color, both which I do recommend!
You a gliding SO gracefully now into exquisite middle age.