Silver switch

Game of Thrones is over, but it has set some iconic trends. Celebrities across globe are sporting the fierce Khaleesi’s platinum blond hair, inspiring fans to embrace the look too. From Kylie Jenner flaunting her silky silver hair at the MET Gala some time ago, to Indian rapper Raftaar going bleach blond, this global trend has seeped down to the streets. Most recently filmmaker Karan Johar posted a photograph of Kiara Advani on his Instagram account sporting the ash-blond look to portray a rebellious and has a don’t-give-a-damn attitude for her role in his Netflix film Guilty.

We caught up with celebrity stylist and one of the brand ambassadors of Godrej Professional hair colour, Ryan D’Rozario, who recently held a masterclass workshop in the city, to find out more about the look. Ryan D’Rozario, 20 years ago, decided to turn over a new leaf when he changed his career from DJ-ing to become a hair expert. Now he thoroughly enjoys it! He studied from the International Academy of Tony and Guy, and specialises in block colouring, straightening and extensions. Today he is a celebrated specialist who is not only loved by the general public but also by Bollywood stars such as Malaika Arora, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kajol, Tara Sutaria and many more. He also owns a salon in Pali Hills, Mumbai called MUAH (makeup and hair).

“Indians usually have a medium dark skin tone which perfectly complements the ash tones. But if one wishes to maintain long hair, like most Indians tend to, one must realise that the hair will require constant periodic trimming at the ends. This leads to majorly chopping off the coloured part of the hair,” says he. 

The stylist suggests opting for a balayage style of colouring with platinum blond shades instead of the regular block colouring. Since Indian hair is dark, it provides a pleasant contrast to the light colour. 

Maintenance
Though this colour looks fun, it is rather tough to maintain. “Ash tones require constant hair care. Every two months you must go for a spa treatment,” Ryan says. “The duration for which the colour stays depends completely on one’s lifestyle and the way one maintains their hair. A more hectic lifestyle will mean more exposure of the hair to the environment, thus allowing the dust to accumulate quite often. This leads to the increase in the number of hair washes and hence the colour will fade quite soon,” he adds.

In such situations, he suggests opting for the bowl wash method which focuses on rinsing the scalp rather than the hair. This method not only helps to open up cuticles and reduces the frizz but also refrains from scrubbing off the colour pigments and the effect of the shade lasts much longer. 
Since platinum blond is as light as it can get, it is mandatory to bleach the hair before setting the colour. But different bleach and pre lighteners can vary a lot in pH value and potency. Talking about the damaging effects, he says, “Anything overused can cause excessive damage, so you have to be  careful. For precautions, one can use the plex spa. It has the colour in it and if infused along with pre lighteners, it works brilliantly on every kind of hair.”

For a long-lasting silvery satin sheen, he suggests using silver shampoos. “These shampoos are used particularly for ash and grey tones. They are tone cutters which act as anti-yellowing agents. They cut out yellow or orange tones depending on what colour the hair originally was. The shampoo is declared as the most preferred one for such shades,” he says. 

Worried whether colouring your hair platinum blond will ultimately make your hair grey faster? While the problem itself seems redundant, for those who are worked up with such concerns, the stylist puts some myths to rest. “Colouring of hair has honestly no connection with the natural process of hair turning grey. It is entirely dependent on one’s genetic link and not the product or process used that affects the natural greying process. Hair colour does not usually turn hair dry or rough,” he says before signing off.