Kylie Jenner Hair Disaster: How To Rock Kylie’s Color Without The Damage

Reality television star Kylie Jenner is hiding a secret behind her flowing locks. And she’s really self-conscious about it. According to Hollywood Life, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star doesn’t have the luscious mane she wants fans to believe she has. In a March 10 SnapChat, Kylie Jenner revealed her natural, shoulder-length hair. A far cry from her usual thick, flowing locks.

In the SnapChat video, Kylie asks a friend if he likes her natural hair, which appears damp and hangs limply just above her shoulders. The unidentified friend laughs and says, “Honestly? Not really.”

Kylie admitted in the video that the upper part of her hair was destroyed by bleaching. She then goes to a few other friends in the room, asking if they like her natural hair.

Kylie’s problem isn’t unique. For brunettes dreaming of blonde highlights or a more drastic makeover, hair bleach is the go-to option. But the process of bleaching hair can be damaging. Add frequent color changes, chemical texture alteration like perms or relaxers, and heated styling tools and it becomes a recipe for breakage. And as the summer months edge closer, more and more women may consider following in Kylie Jenner’s bleached footsteps.

But there’s hope for women chasing Kylie Jenner’s trendsetting styles. Here are a few tips for going lighter, but keeping your hair healthy.

Go to a professional: It’s tempting to snag a box of blonde hair color while strolling the drug store aisles. Resist the temptation. First, box color uses harsher chemicals than a professional has access to. This can lead to undesired results such as brassy color. The worst part is a box color may not be able to give you the results you’re looking for. According to Instyle, drastic changes, like going from nearly black hair to blonde hair, are difficult to achieve in one step. Save your luscious locks and go to a professional colorist.

Condition: There’s no way around it, bleach is a strong chemical. If you don’t prepare for the damage, your hair may fall victim just like Kylie Jenner’s. Follow the initial bleach process with a good deep conditioner and protein treatment. If you are braving the bleach waters alone, look for words like “intense” and “strengthening” when choosing a deep conditioner. While you’re in the hair care aisle, it’s time to find a new shampoo. Most shampoos contain sulfates, which leave natural hair squeaky clean but can dry out and strip the color from color-treated hair. Look for a color-safe, moisturizing shampoo. Follow up with deep conditioning treatments after every color process. If your hair was relaxed or permed before the bleach, you’ll need to condition more often.

Fake it: Consider whether how badly and for how long you want a new look. If you’re just looking for a few colored highlights, consider clip in hair pieces. If you crave more drastic change but aren’t ready for the commitment of a new hair care regimen, take a page from Kylie Jenner’s book and opt for a fabulous wig. All the color change, none of the damage.

Accept it: But Kylie Jenner surely went to a professional, right? That reveals a sad truth about hair color. There is a certain amount of sacrifice involved in drastic hair color changes. It’s possible that you’ll do everything right and your hair will still take a health hit. Especially if you have multiple chemical processes, like perms or relaxers, before you use bleach.

When it comes to hair bleach, forewarned is forearmed. With a little preparation and a lot of expectation adjustment, you can look just like Kylie Jenner. Wealthy family not included.

[Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images]