While you strive to achieve a new look by deciding to bleach your hair three shades lighter, here’s what you should know. Your hair takes big hits whenever you bleach because the strands become weak, dry and rough. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t change your look whenever you like. Although your hair would still be affected, there are steps you can follow to reduce the damage. All you need to do is properly care for your bleached hair. And you’ll see how to do that right after discovering how bleaching affects your hair.
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What Bleach Does to Your Hair
There’s no doubt that bleached hair catches the eyes, turns heads and fits different skin tones. But there’s a catch. Bleaching involves using chemicals to remove the natural colour from your hair. An alkaline agent present in the bleach opens up your hair cuticles. Next, an oxidative agent penetrates your hair cortex and dissolves the melanin responsible for your natural hair colour. The process dissolves the fatty acids in your hair, weakening the strands and causing them to break.
Now that you know how bleach affects your hair, here’s how to care for your bleached hair.
Frequent Washing Won’t do You Any Good
The one thing about bleached hair is that it gets really dry and thus, will not easily attract dirt. So, excessively washing your bleached hair is not necessary. Once you bleach your hair, ensure that you reduce the number of times you wash your hair. Washing once or twice a week is enough for you to maintain clean hair. Also, immediately after you bleach the roots of your hair, you can go as long as one week before washing it. Obeying this golden rule will improve the look and feel of your bleached hair.
Protect Your Hair From Elements
This is one tip you’ll frequently hear when treating bleached hair. The less heat exposure your bleached hair experiences, the better for it. It means that you should avoid using your curling iron, flat iron, and blow dryer as much as possible. Bleached hair remains healthy when you often wear your natural texture. However, if there’s a style you must wear that demands heat styling, ensure to use a heat protectant like Living Proof Restore Perfecting Spray.
Secondly, you should protect your hair from chlorine. Yes, the pool is a good example. Rinse your hair before and after you slip into a pool to reduce the chlorine effect on your bleached hair.
Thirdly, you want to protect your hair from the harsh sun rays that will do more damage to your hair. If you plan to spend a lot of time in the sun, wear a hat. Also, look for SPF-based products like Sun Bum Scalp and Hair Mist SPF 30 to protect your hair and scalp.
Be Gentle After Washing
Some tender loving care would do your bleached hair a world of good. Here’s an instance where you can treat it lovingly. Gently detangle your hair when you’re fresh from the shower and your hair is still wet. Apply conditioner to soften it while slowly brushing it out with a flat brush. Please do not use a towel to dry it; instead, you can leave it to air dry.
Do Not Bleach Dead Ends
If there is one rule you should obey, it is this one. No matter how light your dead ends look, it would help if you never bleached them because it will worsen the condition of your hair. Overlapping bleach on your previously bleached hair will fast-track breakage and severe damage, making your hair worse. If you feel the need to apply more bleach, ensure that your stylist applies it to the roots of your hair. That way, you’ll still maintain your beauty while preventing split ends.
Condition Regularly
Washing your hair less frequently does not mean you should give up your hair care routine. Instead, you can switch to using deep and hydrating conditioners to moisten your hair. Conditioners will also hydrate and repair your hair while slowly restoring its lustre.
Use Essential Hair Oils
Women worldwide have used essential hair oils to keep their hair glossy and healthy for a long time. You can use argan oil, coconut oil, and olive oil to treat your bleached hair carefully. Apply essential oils from the tips of your hair down to the roots to ensure the hair soaks up the nutrients.
After some time, your hair will begin to regain its natural texture. You can also use keratin to seal your hair cuticles, protect your hair from split ends, and give you shinier hair.
Go for Trims Frequently
One easy way to keep split and dead ends in check is by going for trims regularly. These trims keep your hair strong and make the strands less prone to brittleness and breakage.
Use Satin/Silk for Your Hair
It will help if you use satin/silk-like products for your hair. The well-being of your hair depends on them because it does in a way. Wear satin/silk scrunchies and hair bands, and use satin/silk pillowcases to keep your hair smooth and shiny and prevent excessive breakage.
Use a Hair Mask
When you bleach your hair, you should apply a hair mask once a week. Please pay more attention to the ends of your strands and leave the mask for some time before you wash it off. The following are the types of repairing hair masks you can use.
- Olive Oil and Honey Hair Mask
This is a DIY procedure where you mix one tablespoon of honey and three tablespoons of olive oil and whisk them until the mixture becomes smooth. Wash your hair with shampoo first and dry it properly before applying the mixture to your hair. Let it sit for 30 minutes, after which you rinse it with warm water.
- Coconut Hair Oil Mask
It doesn’t matter if your hair is damp or dry. Heat two tablespoons of coconut oil and apply it to your hair. Leave it encased in a towel for 7 hours; you can also prefer to go to bed with the hair mask. Rinse your hair with shampoo after 7 hours and properly comb out your hair.
Any Other Thing?
Yes, there’s one more thing. It would be best to occasionally bleach to help your hair regain its natural state and vitality. Bleaching frequently causes long-term damage to your hair, leaving it dull and broken. And since we mentioned using keratin as a treatment, check here to see how to care for keratin-treated hair.
Now you know how to care for bleached hair. If you have more knowledge or questions about the topic, let us know in the comment section.