The platinum standard

Meet the Filipina hair colorist responsible for Sia's platinum bob and the glossing of Filipina supermodel Marga Esquivel's infamous silver mane.

MANILA, Philippines - If you’ve been shilly-shallying between staying balayage-free or taking the platinum-blonde plunge, this is the sign you’ve been waiting for.

We caught up with Lucille Javier whose brunette-to-platinum transformations include token platinum lob hair peg Sia and the impeccable silver glossing of one of Resort 2016’s busiest models Marga Esquivel. Both girls can attest to the life-changing power of the bleach but Javier’s hair magic impacts lives in a more profound way as she and her boyfriend Mark Bustos have made it their advocacy to give homeless people free hair makeovers.

Javier honed her hand-painted platinum and customized color skills for a decade, being mentored by Aura Friedman, colorist to another brunette-turned-blonde Lady Gaga at Sally Hershberger Downtown in New York City.

If you can’t make it there, you can go platinum anywhere — just be prepared emotionally, physically, and financially. You can’t be cheap and un-chic about it. Don’t do it at home. Javier has had to fix a lot of platinums gone very, very wrong, so her first tip is to seek out a professional who’s had experience turning brown or black hair to blonde. Ask someone whose platinum blonde hair you like, interrogate their colorist, stalk their Instagram, and if you don’t click, ask them to recommend someone for you.

Be honest in your consultation, too. It’s an invasive process, and whether you’ve used a box dye or had your hair permed before matters. Going platinum is basically changing your lifestyle, and it is neither for the weak nor the lazy. We’ve cut out some of the leg work for you and asked her what you should expect.

YSTYLE: Is going platinum blonde for everybody?

LUCILLE JAVIER: I am keen on letting everybody know it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s not for those looking to blend in. I also make sure it fits their skin tone and hair integrity as well their personal style and lifestyle. If they can’t maintain it, I will suggest not to do it.

Can you walk us through a typical process?

Turning dark pigmented hair to platinum blonde can go from three hours to an eight-hour, one-session job. As for over-porous and damaged hair, it’s best to lift the color in increments. This could take anywhere from one to four sessions depending on the damage done and tone desired.

First is double processing, which is the bleaching and toning of the hair. When bleaching brown to black hair, it will first turn orange and yellow then a pale yellow. This step is for cleaning the canvas of the hair. It will shock its integrity, so I condition it with different treatments like Olaplex mixed in (it alleviates the mild burning sensation on your scalp as does coming in with unwashed hair). And then I tone it.

Once it’s bleached, it’s like a blank canvas. I can gloss it into purple, blue, or undertones of gray, depending on skin tone, and then low light and highlight accordingly to create the illusion of shadows so it looks more natural — even if it’s very unnatural of a color — to give it dimension. I can paint it in any color — or all colors! — of the rainbow.

How often should you wash your platinum blonde hair?

Everyone is different so there are no hard and fast rules, but often the hair will have a drier texture once blonde, so many clients reduce washing to one to two times a week. Psoriasis, eczema and other skin conditions should be taken into consideration so ultimately pay attention to not just your hair but also your scalp.

What’s your recommended haircare regimen?

Platinum hair needs extra TLC for best results. My suggestions begin with washing. Use cold/cool water to keep hair cuticles closed and allow the color to last longer. Re-train yourself to apply sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner gently and delicately rub the scalp with fingertips as the hair is extremely fragile when wet.

When towel drying, there is no need to scrub. Simply pat hair to remove excess water. Spray a leave-in conditioner and comb through wet hair using a wide-toothed comb. Apply hair oil like Shu Uemera Essence Absolue to the ends and air dry if possible. I recommend an at-home mask once a week.

Hair ties pull and irons jeopardize the quality of the hair. I don’t completely rule out heat styling but I recommend keeping it to a minimum. In order to maintain great hair health, one should consider wearing hair in its natural state.

What’s the right way of using a purple conditioner?

Using purple conditioner has a cumulative effect. If you use it after every wash, eventually, the blonde hair will take on a purplish/grayish tinge. If you’d like to avoid that, keep your purple conditioner use to once a week.

What’s the salon maintenance like?

Double process typically requires root touch-ups every five weeks. If you wait too long between appointments, the process may take twice as long and call for higher developer thus incurring additional damage to the hair. The colored gloss applied to give your hair a pink, silver, or blue tone will disappear after a couple of washes, so be prepared to maintain that, too.