How I Maintain My Blonde Hair as an Asian Woman

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I’m Medium Maintenance in most areas of my life. My hair is not one of them.

I talk a lot about letting your life balance itself out and putting extra effort where you want to. For me, my hair is where I choose to put more effort. Not just physically, but financially and time-wise.

A big part of having Asian hair and going blonde is being able to maintain it. After spending over a decade blonde, it’s become clear to me that as a Filipino woman, I do need to put in more effort to keep this look. And at this point, that’s a choice I’m making.

Schedule Regular Appointments

This is the base of everything.

If you want to have long blonde hair as an Asian woman, you have to commit to regular salon appointments. Back in the day, I wasn’t a great client. I would eventually make it into the chair, but my wallet took a hit for the inconsistency.

I’ve learned that a lot of blonding comes down to how your hairdresser blends your new growth into the rest of your hair. The hair closest to your scalp processes faster because of the heat from your head. If your roots grow out too much, that’s when things like banding can happen.

I haven’t experienced it too badly, but I remember watching my old hairdresser look like she was doing calculus just to make sure I didn’t walk out looking crazy.

Be a good client. Schedule your appointments.

Hair Washing Routine

This is something I still have to think about.

Before going blonde, I just washed my hair whenever I showered. No-brainer. Now, I actually have to be intentional about when I wash my hair because I’m trying to protect what was chemically done to it, especially with how I’ve structured my hair care routine.

The more I wash it, the more it fades. That’s just the reality, no matter what products I use.

Because of that, I end up stretching my wash days longer than I’d like sometimes. If I have an event, I have to plan around it so my hair is clean when I need it to be. It’s annoying.

It’s a system. It’s not perfect. But I have noticed my color staying more vibrant this way.

Avoid Heat

The less I wash my hair, the less I need to blow dry it, which naturally cuts down on heat exposure.

Bleached hair is already compromised, so adding more heat damage doesn’t really make sense. I know this isn’t realistic for everyone, but my hair is naturally straight, so I can get away with air drying most of the time.

Even just being aware of how often you’re using heat is a good first step.

If you’re not going anywhere, let your hair have a break.

Selective About Products

This is where things get expensive.

I’ve tried a lot of products over the years trying to figure out what actually works for my hair. I’m not saying you should spend money you don’t have to maintain your hair. I would never advocate for that. But I also understand how easy it is to get pulled in by “life-changing” product marketing.

Part of why I started this blog was to share what has actually worked for me and cut through some of that noise.

I’ve found that drugstore and more commercial brands don’t really hold up for me when it comes to preserving my color. They’re made for the masses, and being a Blonde Asian woman is a very small part of that.

I’ve had better luck with salon products, even though they come with a higher price tag. One of the products I keep coming back to is K18 AirWash dry shampoo. There are cheaper options, but this one helps me stretch my wash days in a way that actually works for me.

This Is Where I Choose to Put the Effort

Because I feel most like myself as a blonde, this is where I choose to put in extra effort.

I know it can come off as a little vain, but it’s also just honest. There aren’t a lot of resources out there about maintaining blonde hair on Asian hair. My hairdresser has even pointed that out to me before.

But we do exist.

And if I can share what’s worked for me so you don’t have to overthink it as much, then it’s worth it.

I’m always looking for small ways to improve how my hair holds up, even down to something like the hair ties I use.

Maintenance is the whole thing.