Bleached hair: the secrets to take care of it avoiding the straw effect
Having bleached hair is an increasingly growing trend, but unfortunately we have to admit that the hair is irremediably affected. The bleaching damages the hair and that is why we are ready to reveal the secrets to remedy and have strong, healthy and shiny hair. Before leaving you to read the article, we suggest you watch the video below: 5 things to know before doing the color.
Bleached hair: what is there to know?
To have the perfect blonde we have to be ready for sacrifices: dryness, frizz and yellowing are just around the corner, but there are ways to combat these unwanted effects of bleaching.
Bleaching is a treatment to be performed in hairdressing salons and is used to lighten your natural hair color until it is completely removed and then colored with the desired color.
In short, the bleaching process removes the color from the hair through oxidation: the pigment present in the hair shaft is removed or rather lightened / bleached until it appears a yellowish color.
This happens because keratin, the protein that hair is made of, naturally has a light yellow color, so to get platinum blonde, or other types of blonde, this is the first step. After that we move on to the next step which is that of dyeing or toning. In short, it is impossible to lighten your hair without the help of a bleaching agent, so if you want to switch to blond, know that any hairdresser will proceed with the bleaching first.
The most used bleaching agents are hydrogen peroxide and ammonia, often mixed together as, if used separately, they are unstable and very slow in lightening the hair.
Here are the stages of bleaching:
PHASE 1: In natural hair, the melanin molecules within the individual hair determine its color.
PHASE 2: With the bleaching the bleaching agent (such as hydrogen peroxide or ammonia), comes into contact with the hair, opens the cuticles and penetrates into the cortex where there are the natural pigments of the hair, going to remove the pigment .
PHASE 3: Oxidation is the last phase during which the bleaching agent oxidizes the melanin and makes it transparent. During bleaching, the hair becomes lighter and lighter: from black to brown, to red, orange, light blonde and platinum blonde.
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Damage caused by discoloration
The bleaching must always be performed by professionals, only in this way can much more serious damage than those mentioned above be avoided. Carefully choose the hairdressing salon where you want to carry out the treatment and let them explain how it will proceed in order to have a "general idea of the final result."
As we have seen by explaining the various stages of bleaching, the cuticles are opened to allow the oxidizing agent to penetrate the stem and remove the pigment. In essence, it is a rather aggressive treatment and repeated bleaching can cause the cuticles to lift permanently, causing a rapid and continuous loss of hydration. This explains why bleached hair often appears extremely dry, very similar in color and texture to straw. The yellow effect is also part of the bleaching damage: it can happen especially if you decide to lighten your hair yourself at home without relying on an expert hairdresser. As we all know, the perfect blonde is rich in reflections and shades and appears as a full-bodied and natural color. Yellow, on the other hand, is a flat color, the result of a wrong tint, and does nothing but take away volume and movement from the hair. During a professional hair bleaching treatment, there is also a step that involves the application of a shampoo or a mask with a strong purple color: purple is a silver that eliminates the yellow and makes the blonde much more natural and luminous.
Useful tips for treating bleached hair
Now it's clear: bleached hair looks very dry, brittle and not very elastic. That's why below we have collected a series of useful tips to follow and put into practice immediately to try to remedy the situation and get back to having a healthy, strong and shiny hair.
No to the heat of the hairdryer
If you have bleached your hair, you should avoid blow-drying it. In fact, the heat of the hairdryer would dry out an already compromised hair more and the result would be terrible. The same is true if you use the straightener every day, you should moderate your use. Bleached hair has been made more vulnerable so it is important to try not to add any more stress with the heat.
Don't wash your hair too frequently
Once the bleaching is done it is important to try to space the washes as much as possible so as not to fade the color and not to dry the hair. The choice of shampoo and conditioner will have to fall on products suitable for bleached hair: it will be essential to keep your color bright for a long time.
Choose specific color protection products, rich in nourishing ingredients.
Beware of chlorine or salt
Another precaution will be to pay maximum attention to the chlorine of the swimming pool or to the salt water of the sea: often if the bleached hair is in contact with salt and chlorine for a long time, the color can turn green; moreover, in general, these agents still dry more hair.
Before diving into the water, apply a generous amount of conditioner to your hair, then put on the cap.
You will create an effective protective barrier on the hair avoiding future damage.
Finally, wash and rinse your hair thoroughly once you get out of the pool or swim in the sea.
Protect your hair from the sun
The sun's rays contribute to weaken and dry hair, especially bleached hair.
If you plan to spend a lot of time in the sun, bring a wide-brimmed hat or bandana with you to effectively protect against UV damage.
Natural ingredients to treat bleached hair
By following the simple tips revealed in the previous paragraph it will be easy to take care of bleached hair in the right way. In addition to choosing your hairdresser carefully, avoiding the stress of the hair dryer, chlorine, salt and the sun, there are also natural ingredients that can help you fight dryness due to hair discoloration.
- Tamarind oil
It gives softness and protects the hair from the harmful effects of UV rays, so it is perfect for fighting dry, frizzy or brittle hair as it also helps to preserve its color
- Coconut oil
This oil deeply nourishes any hair and brings important benefits such as the repair of split ends. It gives shine to the hair, making it soft, smooth and full-bodied.
- Vegetable Glycerin
Its strong emollient and humectant properties help to retain water inside the hair avoiding dehydration. You will see hydrated hair from roots to ends.
Bleached hair and dyeing herbs: the most frequently asked questions!
Can henna and herbal dyes be used on bleached hair?
The hair shaft after bleaching is emptied of pigment, so before using henna or dyeing herbs it is necessary to repigment it through the use of warm shades such as copper, red or gold. All this is necessary to favor the uniform absorption of the vegetable pigment.
Can a mix of dyeing herbs be used directly on bleached hair?
It could be risky if you don't pigment your hair with a warm shade first. On the contrary, you may see greenish reflections on bleached hair that are not very aesthetically beautiful.
Can dyeing herbs be a natural remedy to combat the damage of discoloration?
Once damaged, the hair cannot be as beautiful and healthy as before the bleaching and not even the dyeing herbs will be able to work miracles. Although excellent for combating brittle hair, our advice is to make regenerating compresses and gradually proceed to cut the ends of the damaged hair.
