Tasha Pinheiro - The Hair Alchemist

There still might be a bit of work ahead of us on this one, but we’ve made so much progress on our healthy blonde journey.

The back story involves weight loss related hair thinning and overlapping bleach breakage, which prompted a desire for hair extensions. Her previous stylist opted for nano beads. While I cannot speak to whether they were installed correctly or if they were installed with too much tension, as I personally am not trained in nano beads, as someone who is trained in other forms of extensions, what I can say for sure is that her hair was overloaded. This means that the density of the hair installed did not match the density of the hair it was being attached to. Failure to density match always results in one thing, regardless of extension type: traction alopecia. This is when the hair follicles are pulled to the point that the follicle becomes damaged and no longer produces hair. The nano beads were pulling out her hair like crazy.

We started our journey together with just extensions, which you can see in the before. We matched as best as possible to what she had colour-wise at the time without incorporating her natural dark dimension as our goal is to eliminate that as much as possible for a maximum blonde look. For better weight distribution, comfort, and blend as we grow out the damage, tape in extensions were chosen (2.5 packs of 18” hair).

These photos track our first colour appointment together. While it’s still a work in progress, you can see we’ve made huge strides in eliminating her natural dark through the ends of her natural hair in an effort to get rid of that ‘muddy’ look and create a better blend with her extensions. We are also working towards an all over more solid blonde root area. Her goal long term is the blondest of blonde with no dark dimension whatsoever.

Picking through to avoid further damage has been a task, but considering we saw no breakage after the colour, we’re in a great place as we continue to grow out the old damage. And with this being our third extension install together, I’m happy to report that we are seeing nothing more than natural shed on the extensions.

What do we think so far?

Technique is everything.

Amanda came to me after a few disappointing appointments while searching for a new stylist after relocating. She was trying to get back to the blonde she loved that her stylist in Toronto was able to achieve — bright, seamless, and buttery without going brassy.

Instead, she was leaving with:
• chunky, unblended highlights
• ends that looked dark and muddy
• colour that felt too ashy initially, but then faded really warm

When she spoke up, she was dismissed.

All that trouble came down to technique. On fine hair especially, placement determines everything. It affects how the colour blends at the root and how it carries through to the ends. If that placement is off, no amount of toner will help. For this fix, we changed nothing but the technique and utilized intentional placement.

This is why blonding isn’t one-size-fits-all. And it’s also why I don’t build my services around rigid techniques. Instead, I choose what actually works for your hair in the moment to get you the result you’re looking for.

Low-maintenance and high impact can go hand in hand if your stylist approaches with strategy. A look like this, for example, is undeniably high impact with the nearly solid blonde ends. By allowing the roots to maintain dimension (a mix of the blonde with your natural) and incorporating a shadow root (1 - 3 shades darker at the root compared to the ends) during the toning process though, you can ensure that as your hair grows, there is no harsh line. This can often help you feel more comfortable with your colour as it grows in, and get you an extra 1 - 2 months of longevity (sometimes longer depending on the look) before you feel the need to come back to the salon for a blonding session, giving you a little extra freedom from maintenance.

If you are going to go 6+ months, though, don’t neglect those haircuts (maybe even a fresh tone) between those bigger appointments though! 😉

Alyssa is one of my low-maintenance queens. Between her two demanding jobs as a lawyer and mom — not to mention the fact that she travels from the far side of the GTA to see me — it’s important that she’s able to maintain a polished “my hair but better” sun-kissed look that fits into her life.

By crafting something that grows in softly, she’s able to get away with only seeing me twice a year. Even then, her appointments are never boring. We always spend a good amount of time collaborating on how we can change things up or try something new, often by playing with varying levels of brightness or a different tone. I can’t wait to see what we do next time!

Being a blonde specialist means so much more than being willing to foil my back out for hours to get you blonde. It means understanding the nuance of how different techniques and placements affect the end result. It also means understanding what my client’s goals are and managing to distill what they’re trying to convey to me, through their words and inspiration photos, and choosing the right approach to execute that end result. All the while, of course, respecting their hair’s health and integrity.

Jessie came to me exasperated, ready to give up on her dream blonde because she’d tried for years. Multiple attempts, multiple stylists. Never achieving the bright pops of blonde she envisioned and always feeling too brassy. Her bangs and hairline broken from being over processed with lightener. Even her haircut never seemed to get any better, never quite sitting the right way, making her thick, coarse hair difficult to manage on a day to day basis.

Almost exactly one year after her first appointment with me… Her broken and damaged bangs and face framing are long, healthy, and thick. The layers that were uneven and over-texturized, resulting in artificial frizz are grown-in and blended. Her haircut never kicks out disobediently, always sitting just as it was designed to. And her blonde is bright with no brass in sight, enhancing her natural colour with beautiful bold ribbons that grow in seamlessly (no 2004 Kelly Clarkson stripes here).

The days of fighting with her hair are over, and it’s been an honour to help her get to this place after years of struggle. My job is powerful. I feel incredibly privileged to help women like Jessie overcome barriers that can so hugely impact their self-confidence on a daily basis.

Are you ready for your hair to have this kind of glow up?

In two appointments we transformed Mel’s blonde. As an eight week highlight regular with thick, strong hair, she couldn’t figure out why she was never feeling any blonder or why her hair was breaking constantly. She came to me for a second opinion, and we got to the bottom of it.

A mix of the wrong techniques and overly aggressive approach turned out to be the culprit. With a few adjustments, we had a beautiful bright blonde result at the end of our first appointment. But the end of this second appointment is where we really saw the fruits of our labour — hair longer than she’d seen in years, no more broken pieces shedding all over her clothes every time she ran her fingers through her hair, and no desperate urge to install extensions because the pieces around her face finally matched the length of the rest of her hair.

Soon, it’ll be nothing but long, luscious blowouts for Mel!

I’m not a perfect hairstylist. I’m human, just like you. And I miss the mark sometimes.

Is admitting that a bad look? Maybe. What I think is worse, though, is not taking ownership of the times we make mistakes. Does it happen to me often? No, but when it does, I do not shy away from owning it, and doing everything in my power to make things right.

Now, did my client leave with “bad” hair. Absolutely not. If it was bad, she wouldn’t have left the salon. So where did I go wrong? Mostly the consultation. We looked at some photos and I interpreted boldness where she saw overall impact. This led me to choose an approach that created high contrast ribbons of blonde, when I should have been leaning more into blend. This was emphasized when she wore her hair back, because I failed to ask the question of *how* she tied it back.

Oh, and I’m pretty sure I somehow moved her part the wrong way at some point, causing her face frame to not be as close to the scalp as it should have been. Only explanation I can think of. Not even sure how I missed that the first time.

A few days later, she reached out with her concerns. So what did I do? Got her in ASAP and adjusted it, of course. No offence taken on my part, no excuses, no shortcuts, no charge. This is that hair the day of the adjustment.

With me, you’re in the hands of a stylist that has the desire for feedback, the confidence to handle it, and an ego-less mentality that will do whatever it takes to ensure you love your hair after every visit.

Would it be nice to have a hairstylist who never makes mistakes? Sure. But since all of us are human, it can happen, so make sure you choose one you can trust and cares more about taking care of you than shielding themselves from criticism.

Oh, and she messaged me a few days after the adjustment to let me know that her “hair is perfection now.” 🥳

I’m no doctor, but this sounds legit. 🤔

Have you been struggling to find the right stylist? Going blonde (or maintaining it) is an investment, and it’s important that you are completely satisfied with the results. Here are a few things to consider when choosing a stylist:

✔️ Are they a specialist? Creating beautiful, healthy blonde hair requires a deep understanding of lightening, toning, and maintaining hair integrity. Yes, non-specialists can create beautiful blondes, but a stylist who focuses on blonding will have greater expertise and insight — especially if you’ve been trying to achieve your blonde dreams for a while, and it’s just not been coming together.

✔️ Does their work match your vision? Every stylist has a unique approach. Check their portfolio to see if you love the work that they have proven they can achieve. Blonding isn’t one-size-fits-all, and small details make a big difference.

✔️ Do they have a clear, straightforward process? If you feel overwhelmed by trying to get an appointment or knowing what to book, you’re not alone. It can sometimes feel like you’re trying to gain access to a VIP area, but you don’t know who to talk to to get on the list or where the door is. That’s why I designed Modern Blonding; you choose your service based on how much blonde you want to see, without worrying about technical details, service names, or unclear pricing, and you have the ability to book online 24/7. No velvet ropes here!

✔️ Do they prioritize hair health? The best blonde is a healthy blonde. A stylist should balance your goals with the long-term integrity of your hair, and choose the right techniques and products to keep it strong, shiny, and soft. They should also be honest, and not afraid to tell you no — or at least ‘not yet’ — if your goals are unrealistic or require a compromise outside your comfort level.

At the end of the day, the right stylist is someone who truly listens, understands your vision, and has the expertise to bring it to life while prioritizing the health of your hair. My approach is built on exactly that: making sure you feel heard, cared for, and confident every step of the way so that you leave the salon feeling beautiful and with the results you expected.