‘Tis the season for vibrant hair color, and Taren has officially shared her return to blonde hair after nine color treatments:

This series is sure to give any color fiend an itch to explore a new summertime hue. Stylist Jennifer-Rose from Bellissimo Hair Spa in NYC gives a thorough explanation of each step in Taren’s highlighting process and here’s a quick synopsis of each video.

Lighting Pre-Color Treated Hair

To lift some of the permanent black off of her previously dyed blonde hair, Taren crushed vitamin C pills and mixed them in a bowl with Head and Shoulders shampoo to create a paste. Then, she applied it to wet hair, scrubbed, and allowed the treatment to sit for 20-30 min. before rinsing thoroughly and applying a deep conditioning treatment. This will not lift the previous color treatments like bleach would, but it helps.

The Rules of Lifting

Always gradually go light to lessen the potential for damage. When your hair has already been color treated, it is important to do a soap cap, which consists of lightener (bleach”>, developer, shampoo, or condition. This process preps the hair for color and must be done in a fluid manner since the hair requires constant rinsing, so it is advised that you do not do this at home. From the looks of this video, attempting to DIY is not a good idea. The entire lifting process requires constant toning so that the color is wearable at every stage, which is best done in the hands of a licensed cosmetologist.

Full Head Color is Unnecessary

When you want to achieve a full head of color, consider doing highlights. By lifting all of the hair and then strategically highlighting certain areas, you add dimensions to the hair while also creating the illusion of a full head color. This also decreases the potential for severe damage from overlapping.

You Need Toner

Toner is necessary to smooth the cuticle, so to only lighten without toning is quite damaging because the cuticle is left exposed. The secret to maintaining the integrity of curls after this strenuous? Olaplex!

Read more: Olaplex: If You’re Color Your Hair, You Want this Treatment

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How many times have you colored your curls?