The Ultimate Guide to Strawberry Blonde Hair: Care, Styling, and Maintenance

Strawberry blonde is an absolutely gorgeous but underrated hair color. Underrated, how? When it comes to blondes, people immediately picture platinum, caramel, dirty blonde, or even ash blonde. Such has become a trend in the last few decades or so. However, strawberry blonde is one of the most beautiful natural colors you can have and we believe that this color should definitely be shown off to the world.

How do you know if you have strawberry blonde hair, though? Or if you want to achieve this color, how would you go about doing it? Well, we’re here to tell you all about strawberry blondes! Read on to know how to spot this stunning hair color.

Understanding Strawberry Blonde Hair

Definition and Characteristics

You may already have an idea of what strawberry blonde hair looks like based on its name. It is called “strawberry” because this type of blonde contains undertones that are reddish or pinkish much like strawberries. But how exactly does blonde hair have red or pink undertones? Imagine the very end of a sunset with a warm light kissing a field of wheat or yellow leaves just on the brink of turning red during autumn. It’s blonde hair with just the slightest hint of copper.

Variations in Shades

Strawberry blonde hair can come in a variety of different shades. Not to be confused with red hair, strawberry blonde hair is still very much blonde. It can vary how prominent the red undertone is. Sometimes, it may just be a tiny hint of pinkish undertone and some have more of a coppery hue. The shade of blonde can also vary as strawberry blondes can be light blondes as well as dark or dirty blondes.

Genetics and Natural Occurrence

Strawberry blonde hair is a recessive gene but can occur naturally when both parents have the MC1R gene. This is what gives the hair a shade of red no matter how prominent it is. For example, those with orange, red, copper, auburn, and strawberry blonde hair all have this gene but the strength and shade can vary depending on your other genes.

Hair Care for Strawberry Blonde Locks

Choosing the Right Shampoo and Conditioner

If you’re a strawberry blonde and you want to keep that gorgeous warmth and vibrance in your hair, choosing the right shampoo and conditioner is very important. First off, you should know what to avoid. Purple and blue shampoos are a no-go if you want to keep that warmth in your hair. Purple and blue shampoos cancel out yellows and oranges and can make your blonde hair look much cooler in tone.

Strawberry blonde hair will also be finer in texture compared to darker tones such as brunettes and blackes. A shampoo and conditioner that contains protein or keratin will help strengthen and thicken the strands. A clarifying shampoo and lightweight conditioner is also essential to keep the strands from being weighed down.

Importance of Moisture and Hydration

Protecting Against Sun Damage

Sun damage is something that everyone experiences. Much like the skin, hair should also be protected from the sun to keep from damaging the scalp and strands. Use a UV protectant that’s made especially for hair. For fine, strawberry blonde hair, it’s better to opt for a powder or dry shampoo type of UV hair protectant to avoid any greasiness.

Tips for Minimizing Brassiness

As mentioned before, blue and purple shampoos should be avoided if you want to keep the warmth in your hair. However, it may be a little too much when the brassy tones start to set in especially for those who had their hair chemically processed rather than having naturally strawberry blonde hair.

To minimize brassiness, the best option is to have your hair toned. You may also use a blue or purple shampoo to minimize brassines but to avoid having cool-toned hair, a toner is a more controlled and specialized product that will give you the color that you desire.

Hair Masks and Treatments for Nourishment

Hair masks should always be part of everyone’s hair care routine. For strawberry blonde hair, a hair mask once a week will help restore moisture and nourishment in the hair without weighing it down or being too oily. Opt for hair masks that contain protein, probiotics, and lightweight moisturizing ingredients such as argan oil and aloe vera.

Styling Tips for Strawberry Blonde Hair

Best Hairstyles to Showcase the Color

Show off your strawberry blonde tresses by getting voluminous curls or waves. This showcases the different hues in your hair.

Styling Products for Enhancing Shine and Definition

The essential styling products for strawberry blonde hair: heat protectant to lessen heat damage, hairspray to keep things in place, a lightweight finishing oil to enhance shine, and dry shampoo or texturizing spray to provide some volume.

Heat Styling Precautions

Do note that heat styling can cause the hair to lighten. Whether or not this is a desired outcome for you, it’s best to lessen heat styling and avoid it when you can to lessen the damage on your hair.

Maintenance Routine

Frequency of Washing and Conditioning

For fine strawberry blonde hair, you may have to wash more frequently because it can easily gather oil and product buildup that can cause it to look greasy. Washing hair thrice a week or every other day should do the trick. Adjust as needed.

Trimming and Maintaining Hair Health

No matter the hair type and color, a trim is always essential every couple of weeks or so. You don’t have to take off length but trimming the ends will be beneficial to preventing tangles and split ends.

Color Maintenance and Touch-Ups

If you are a bottle strawberry blonde, your hair will definitely be needing some maintenance. You can get your roots touched up every few weeks to avoid the “grown out” roots look. However, if you want a bit less high maintenance look, you can always go for a balayage or ombre hair that will make your roots look more natural as they grow in.

Dealing with Split Ends and Breakage

Split ends and breakage are common hair issues no matter if you’re an artificial strawberry blonde or a natural one. You can prevent them by using a moisturizing and strengthening hair mask every week and getting a trim every couple of weeks.

A Unique Color

Strawberry blonde is a unique color both naturally and as a color pigment. To have this hair color naturally, you have to have a very rare and unique gene on both your parents’ side. As a trend, ashy blondes and cooler tones have been on-trend the past couple of years. Strawberry blonde is truly an underrated hair color nowadays. It’s also one of the most beautiful colors! Why not stand out from the crowd and rock a gorgeous strawberry blonde for your next look? Now that you know the basics of caring for this hair color, you’re sure to maximize and make the best out of being a strawberry blonde!