So, bleached hair. Where to begin! There’s so much that you could say about bleach. I mean, how much its changed over the years for a start. Most come with built in bond builder nowadays so they’re a lot less aggressive than they used to be. And stylist know how to use it kindly now too. We like to mix it with lower developers, more slowly, which results in less yellow tones than years ago when you’d use stronger more powerful ones. Also, toners are used now too, which the majority of people will have.
So firstly, lets talk about how bleach works. It destroys all of the natural colour molecules that are built within hair, which makes it lighter or completely colourless if used wrongly. The darker you are naturally, the more red and orange molecules to get rid of. Bleach also needs to be on the hair for much longer if your starting colour is very dark. This then increases the risk of damage. Even after leaving it on for an extended length of time, will not manage to destroy all of the yellow molecules, so a toner will be needed otherwise you’re gonna look very brassy! Then, the toner will fade quick because of the damage its developed to the hairs internal structure. Brassy-ness is hardest to banish on dark natural levels as the molecules will always come creeping back.
Now, natural mousey, light brown, dark blonde levels are different. These levels don’t have red molecules but have orange and yellow and when they are being bleached, dont need to have the bleach on for as long before they turn a lovely clean pale yellow, which is the level/tone that’s perfect for achieving the clean ice platinum blonde shade.
So, we’ve covered how the lightening process works, and what it does to the structure of the hair, now to go over hair care. This is why we drill it into our clients that hair care is so important. The internal structure of the hair is being ripped to shreds. I’m sure you’ve all noticed how much softer, healthier and shinier your new growth is when it comes through. Compared to the bleached hair further down which suddenly feels dry, rough and less shiny. Think of the hair like that crystal we used to have to shine a light through in science class and a rainbow reflected from it, that’s what hair should do. It’s made of a mixture of all the colours and when it’s bleached, all of those colours are removed. The same works the other way, when you decide to go brunette from blonde, we have to fill the hair with all the warmth so it reflects the colours and shines.
So everyone who has bleach used on their hair should invest in a good quality shampoo, conditioner, conditioning mask and heat protector. These are the key products to ensure you’re looking after it the best you can.
Believe it or not, most of the damage is caused after the appointment, how you care for it at home. Numerous things could cause breakage in this time such as,
Combing it or brushing it too aggressively, you need a wide toothed comb or a tangle teezer.
Rubbing it too aggressively with the towel after washing. You need to pat it dry or squeee it. Rubbing will roughen the cuticle which is already rough from the bleach.
Heat appliances. This is a big one. Every time you use heat on your hair you cause your colour/toner to fade. Use your stylers on lower temperatures. Try avoiding GHDs as they come set at one heat which is too hot for most people’s hair. 180 degrees is about right. You shouldn’t need too much heat if you just take smaller sections and go slower with each pass.
Tight bobbles or elastics are a no go! Use scrunchies, pins or grabber clips. The tight bobbles will apply too much pressure and cause breakage, you will know if you have this because you will have short pieces of hair around your hair line.
Your shampoo or conditioner may not be suitable for you bleached hair. Maybe it doesn’t contain enough moisture or maybe its got too much protein in which can cause the hair to become stiff and straw like. If you need advice then speak to your stylist.
We promise we won’t pressure you into buying our range, it’s important to us that you use the right quality product so we will help find you something in your price range. Don’t be afraid to ask, there’s no judgment on what you can afford or what you want to spend!
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