Lightening Dark Hair Warwick | Dark to Blonde Safely | Alex Royer Salon

Going from dark brown or black hair to blonde is one of the biggest changes you can ask your hair to make. It's possible, but it takes planning, and often more than one appointment.

Lightening removes pigment, and dark hair has a lot of it. Rushing the process can leave hair dry, brittle or uneven. We'd rather do it in stages, protect the hair along the way, and be honest about what's realistic. Sometimes that means settling on a lighter brown or a caramel first.

What to expect

•     A consult first, including any previous dye in your hair

•     Lightening in stages, often over several visits

•     Bond-repair and conditioning treatments between sessions

•     Toning to get the shade you actually want

Warwick is within reach of our Dianella salon. If you're keen on a big change, start with a conversation, not a booking.

Wolf Cut and Shag Haircut Redcliffe | Alex Royer Salon Dianella

The wolf cut and the shag are close cousins. Both are heavily layered, textured and a bit deliberately messy, and both have been popular for a while now. If you like hair that looks lived-in rather than polished, you'll probably like them.

They work best with some natural movement, a wave or slight curl, though a good stylist can adapt them to straighter hair. The cut has to suit how you style your hair, and how much effort you want to put in each morning. If the answer is almost none, tell us.

Things to think about

•     Your natural hair texture and thickness

•     How much layering you actually want

•     Whether you'll style it or let it dry naturally

•     How it will grow out

Redcliffe is a short drive from us. Bring a photo or two and we'll talk about how to make it work for your hair rather than copying it exactly.

Coloured Hair Aftercare Girrawheen | Colour-Safe Home Care | Alex Royer

You can spend a lot on colour and undo it in a fortnight with the wrong routine. The good news is that a few simple habits make a real difference to how long it lasts.

Hot water is the first culprit. It opens the hair, and colour slips out. Washing every day is the second. Neither is a disaster, but changing them helps. The third is the shampoo. Products meant for coloured hair are gentler on pigment.

Habits that help

•     Wash with lukewarm or cool water

•     Wash less often, and use dry shampoo in between

•     Use a colour-safe shampoo and conditioner

•     Use heat protection before styling

•     Wear a hat or use a UV protectant in strong sun

Girrawheen is a short drive to our salon. Ask us at your next visit which products suit your colour, and we'll keep it practical.

Split Ends Trim for Long Hair Koondoola | Alex Royer Salon

A lot of people with long hair avoid the salon because they're afraid of losing length. I understand it. Growing hair takes time, and nobody wants a haircut that takes off three inches when they asked for one.

That's what a dusting is for. It's a very light trim that removes split ends and frayed bits without changing your length in any noticeable way. It keeps your hair healthier, and healthier hair actually grows longer because it isn't breaking off.

Signs it might be time

•     The ends look see-through or feel rough

•     Hair tangles more than it used to

•     You can see split ends travelling up the strand

•     It's been three or four months since your last trim

Koondoola to Dianella is an easy drive. Tell us you want to keep your length, and we'll work with that.

Perm and Texture Wave Doubleview | Modern Perms | Alex Royer Salon

Say the word perm and plenty of people picture 1985. Modern perms are a different thing. They're looser, softer and designed to look like your hair naturally has a bit of wave, which is why fine, flat hair often benefits from them.

A perm changes the structure of your hair, so it isn't a casual decision. Your hair needs to be in decent condition, and previous colour and bleach matter a lot. We'll look at it before promising anything, and sometimes the honest answer is wait, or try something else first.

Questions worth asking before a perm

•     Is my hair healthy enough to take it?

•     How will it work with my colour?

•     How long will it last, and how do I style it?

•     What does the grow-out look like?

From Doubleview it's a straightforward trip to us. Come in for a chat and bring photos of the texture you're after.

Brunette Hair Colour Stirling | Rich Tones and Shine | Alex Royer Salon

Brunettes get overlooked. Blonde gets all the attention, but dark hair has its own problems: it can look flat, it can go reddish or orange in the sun, and a single all-over shade rarely does it justice.

The fix is tone and depth, not just picking a colour off a chart. A good brunette has dimension, a bit of warmth here, a bit of coolness there, and shine on top. We can build that with a base colour and a gloss, or add soft, subtle lowlights so the colour moves when you do.

What helps brunette hair look its best

•     A colour matched to your skin tone, not just a swatch

•     A gloss every so often to keep shine and tone fresh

•     Care with sun exposure, which pulls warmth out of dark hair

•     A colour-safe shampoo at home

Stirling is a quick drive from our Dianella salon. We use PPD-free Keune colour, and we're happy to talk through what will suit you before anything is mixed.

Highlights vs Balayage vs Babylights Alexander Heights | Alex Royer Salon

These three get mixed up constantly, and I understand why. They all add lighter pieces to your hair. The difference is in how they look and how they grow out.

Traditional highlights are placed in a regular pattern and give a more defined, striped effect, which some people love. Balayage is painted freehand for a softer, more natural fade, and it grows out gracefully. Babylights are very fine, delicate strands that mimic the sun-kissed look of a child's hair, and they blend beautifully.

Which suits you?

•     Highlights: if you want brightness and definition and don't mind regular maintenance

•     Balayage: if you want a lived-in look and fewer salon visits

•     Babylights: if you want subtle brightness that looks natural

•     Not sure: bring photos and we'll help you pick

Alexander Heights is a reasonable drive to us in Dianella, but plenty of clients come that far for a colour they trust. We use PPD-free Keune colour, and we're always happy to talk through what will work for your hair.

Pixie Cut Short Hair Wembley | Alex Royer Salon Dianella

The big chop is a decision people sit on for months. I get it. Hair is personal, and short hair feels exposed. But some of the most confident clients I see are the ones who finally did it.

A short cut isn't low maintenance, whatever people say. It needs regular trims to hold its shape, usually more often than long hair. What you gain is freedom: less drying time, less fuss, and a style that suits your face rather than hiding it.

Questions to think about first

•     How much time do you want to spend styling each morning?

•     Are you happy to come in for trims every four to six weeks?

•     What does your hair do naturally, curl, wave or straight?

•     Do you have a reference photo of a short style you like?

Wembley is a short drive from our Dianella salon. Book a consult and we'll talk through it honestly. If you decide you're not ready, no harm done.

Deep Conditioning Treatment Lockridge | Dry Hair Repair | Alex Royer Salon

Perth summers are rough on hair. Sun, salt, chlorine and constant heat all strip moisture, and by February a lot of people are wondering why their hair feels like straw. It's easier to look after it before it gets there.

A salon deep conditioning treatment does more than the supermarket tub because it's matched to your hair and left on properly. We'll look at whether your hair is dry, damaged, or both, because the answer changes what you need. Dry hair wants moisture. Damaged hair needs repair. They're not the same.

Protecting your hair this summer

•     Rinse with fresh water after the beach or pool

•     Use a leave-in product with UV protection

•     Limit heat styling, or use a heat protectant

•     Book a conditioning treatment every month or two

Lockridge to Dianella is an easy drive. Come in before the heat arrives and you'll thank yourself in January.

Root Touch-Up vs Full Colour Beechboro | Alex Royer Salon

Most regrowth appointments don't need a full head of colour. If your lengths still look good, a root touch-up does the job faster, usually costs less, and keeps your ends from being coloured again and again, which is where a lot of damage comes from.

There are times when a full colour is the better call, though. If your lengths have faded or turned brassy, or you're changing shade, then root-only won't give an even result. Be honest with your stylist about how often you colour at home, because that changes what we can do.

When a root touch-up is enough

•     Your lengths still match your shade

•     You're staying within the same colour family

•     It's been about four to eight weeks since your last visit

•     You want to limit damage to your ends

We're about a twenty minute drive from Beechboro, and a quick consult will tell you which option fits. We'd rather recommend the cheaper one when it works.

Kids and Teen Haircuts Mount Hawthorn | Alex Royer Salon Dianella

Taking a nervous kid to a salon is a different job to cutting an adult's hair, and good stylists know it. The cut matters, but so does the mood. If a child leaves feeling happy, you'll get them back. If they leave in tears, you won't.

We keep things calm. We talk to the child directly, not just the parent, and we let teens say what they want, even when the reference photo is a bit ambitious. Part of the job is translating it into something that works for their hair type and their school's rules.

Tips for a smoother visit

•     Tell your child where you're going and what will happen, so there are no surprises

•     Bring a reference photo, even a rough one

•     Check your school's hair rules before booking a dramatic change

•     Book outside peak after-school times if your child is likely to get restless

Mount Hawthorn is a quick trip across to us. And if your teenager wants to explore colour, we'll have an honest chat about what's sensible and what can wait.

Booking a Wedding Hair Trial from Menora: What to Bring and What to Ask

A trial is the best money you'll spend on wedding hair, and it's the one people skip. Menora is only a few minutes' drive from our salon in Dianella, so there's really no excuse. What a trial does is take the guessing out. You find out how your style sits, how long it lasts, and whether you actually like it, with months to spare.

Bring a few photos, but also bring the dress neckline if you can, or at least a picture of it. Necklines change what suits. Up, down or half-up can look completely different depending on what's around your shoulders. And bring your veil or headpiece if you've got one, because it changes how the hair needs to be built.

Things worth asking at your trial

•     How long will this realistically hold through photos, dinner and dancing?

•     What will you do if the weather is humid or windy?

•     Can the same stylist do the day itself?

•     How long should we allow for the bridal party?

Book early, too. Popular weekends fill up months out. If you're mid-colour journey, get your colour sorted a few weeks before the wedding rather than the week of.

Fine Hair Volume Cut Woodlands | Thin Flat Hair | Alex Royer Salon

Fine hair gets bad advice. People tell you to layer it heavily, and then it looks stringy. Or to keep it long, and then it hangs. In my experience the answer is usually in the cut, and a bit of honesty about what your hair can and can't do.

For most fine hair we aim for a shape with weight where it counts, often a blunt, well-balanced line with a few soft layers to give movement without thinning the ends out. Colour can help too, because a little texture from highlights or a root smudge makes hair look fuller. And the blow-dry matters more than most people think.

Simple things that help fine hair

•     A cut with weight at the ends rather than lots of choppy layers

•     Lightweight products, because heavy ones flatten fine hair quickly

•     Drying roots first, lifting them as you go

•     Not washing with scalding water, which can leave hair limp

From Woodlands it's a straightforward drive over to us in Dianella. If your hair has been flat for years, a consult and a good cut might be the easiest fix going.

PPD-Free Hair Colour Embleton Bassendean | Sensitive Scalp | Alex Royer

PPD, short for paraphenylenediamine, is a common ingredient in permanent hair dye, and for some people it triggers itching, redness or worse. If you've ever had a scalp that stung after colouring, it's worth knowing about. I can't diagnose anything, and if you've had a strong reaction you should see your doctor, but I can tell you what we do differently.

We use Keune's PPD-free colour range, which is one of the reasons people travel to us from places like Embleton and Bassendean. It's still real, professional colour, with good grey coverage and a full range of shades. And we're happy to talk through patch testing before your first appointment if you're nervous.

Questions worth asking any salon

•     Is your colour PPD-free, and which range is it?

•     Do you offer patch testing, and how far ahead?

•     Can you apply colour a little off the scalp if I'm sensitive?

•     What products do you recommend for aftercare at home?

No colour is risk-free for everybody, and I'd never promise otherwise. But if sensitivity has put you off colouring, it's worth a conversation.

Bond Repair Treatment Highgate | Bleached Hair | Alex Royer Salon

You can usually tell bleached hair that's struggling before you even touch it. It looks puffy at the ends, feels gummy when it's wet, and snaps when you brush it. If you're coming from Highgate and recognise that, you're not alone, and it's often fixable.

Bleaching works by breaking down pigment, but it also affects the bonds inside the hair that give it strength and stretch. Bond-repair treatments are designed to help rebuild some of that internal structure. They're not magic and they won't undo years of damage in one go, but used consistently they make a real difference to how hair feels and how it holds colour.

What helps most

•     A bond-repair treatment in the salon, ideally as part of any lightening service

•     Gentle, regular trims to remove the most damaged ends

•     Lower heat on your hair tools, and a protectant when you do use them

•     Patience, because damaged hair repairs slowly

If your hair is beyond saving at the ends, we'll tell you straight. Sometimes the kindest thing is a cut, and then looking after what's left.

Going Grey Transition Tuart Hill | Silver Hair | Alex Royer Salon

I'd say one in ten consultations these days starts with, I'm over covering my roots. Fair enough. Going silver is a decision a lot of people feel good about once they're through the awkward bit, and the awkward bit is exactly where a stylist earns their keep.

The trick is softening the line between your coloured lengths and your natural grey. We can do that with lowlights, highlights or a gradual blend, so the regrowth doesn't look like a stripe. How long it takes depends on how much colour is in your hair and how fast it grows. For some people it's a matter of months, for others longer.

Ways to make the transition easier

•     Soft highlights or lowlights to blend the regrowth

•     Regular trims to remove old coloured ends gradually

•     A purple-toned shampoo to keep silver bright rather than yellow

•     Check-ins every couple of months to adjust as things grow

Tuart Hill to our door in Dianella is a quick trip, so if you're thinking about it, come in for a chat first. No pressure to start anything.

Hair Gloss Treatment Joondanna | Shine Boost | Alex Royer Salon

A gloss is the thing I recommend most often and the thing clients forget to ask for. It's a quick, gentle service that sits on the outside of the hair, adds shine, and freshens up tone without a full colour commitment. If your colour is a few weeks old and looking flat, a gloss is often all it needs.

Joondanna is only a short hop from us, so plenty of locals fit one in around work or the school run. It tends to take around thirty minutes, depending on what else you're having done, and the difference under daylight is easy to see.

Who a gloss suits

•     Coloured hair that's gone dull between appointments

•     Blondes who want to soften a touch of warmth

•     Natural hair that just looks tired

•     Anyone who wants a refresh before an event but not a whole new colour

It's not a miracle, and it fades over a few weeks as you wash. But for the time and effort involved, it's one of the nicest little upgrades going.

Vivid Hair Colour Leederville | Fashion Colours | Alex Royer Salon

Leederville has always been a bit of a creative pocket, so it's no surprise that a lot of the people who ring us about pink, teal or violet hair live around there. It's about a fifteen minute drive to us in Dianella, and most say the same thing afterwards: they wish they'd stopped doing it themselves at home.

Here's the part nobody loves hearing. Vivid colour on dark hair almost always means lightening first, and lightening is the bit that does the damage. A good colourist plans the whole thing before a brush comes out: how light your hair needs to go, whether it can handle it in one sitting, and what you'll do at home to keep it alive. Sometimes the honest answer is two visits.

What to expect

•     A proper chat about your starting point, including any box dye hiding in there

•     Lightening done in stages if your hair needs it, rather than all at once

•     Semi-permanent vivid shades that fade rather than leaving a harsh regrowth line

•     Cold-water washes and colour-depositing conditioner, which really do make a difference

Vivid shades fade quicker than natural colour, that's just how it is. We're upfront about that, and we're also genuinely happy for anyone to walk in as themselves. Everyone's welcome in the chair.

Osborne Park Colour Corrections: Why We See So Many Box Dye Fixes

Osborne Park has a lot of the big pharmacy and supermarket chains nearby, which I think explains why we see a steady stream of box dye corrections from clients in the area. It's an easy trap — box colour is cheap and convenient, right up until the tone goes wrong or it reacts badly with a previous colour, and then it's a bigger, more expensive fix than if you'd come to a salon in the first place.

The core problem with box dye is that it's one-size-fits-all. It doesn't account for your natural level, your hair's porosity, or whatever colour is already sitting in there from past dye jobs. Salon colour, including our PPD-free Keune range, is mixed and applied based on an actual assessment of your hair, so the result is predictable instead of a bit of a gamble.

Common box dye problems we correct

•     Uneven or patchy colour from inconsistent application

•     Green or brassy tones from mismatched underlying pigment

•     Colour that's noticeably darker or more dramatic than the box promised

•     Dryness and damage from higher-strength developers used in home kits

If you're in Osborne Park and a box dye job hasn't turned out the way you hoped, it's worth a consult before trying to fix it yourself again — we can usually correct it in one or two sessions depending on how much colour is already built up.

Grey Blending for Men in Balga: A Subtler Alternative to Full Colour

A lot of the men who come in from Balga tell me the same thing: they're not trying to look twenty years younger, they just want the grey to look a bit more even and a bit less like it happened overnight. That's really what grey blending is for. It's not full colour, and it's not meant to hide every grey hair — it softens the contrast so the grey looks more deliberate and less patchy.

It's a low-maintenance option because it grows out gently rather than leaving an obvious root line, which matters if you're not planning to come in every four weeks. Most of our Balga regulars are in every eight to ten weeks for a refresh, sometimes paired with a haircut on the same visit.

Who grey blending tends to suit

•     Men noticing uneven grey, especially at the temples and beard

•     Anyone who wants a natural result rather than an obvious colour change

•     Clients who don't want the maintenance of a full men's colour service

•     First-timers to salon colour who want something low-commitment to start with

If you're in Balga and curious but haven't wanted to commit to 'dyeing your hair,' grey blending is usually the easiest first step — it's subtle enough that most people just say you look well rested.