Whether we’ve decided to buy a tub of powdered bleach at the local beauty supply or had a lousy hairstylist, some of us blondes have experienced the pain of dead bleached hair. We’ve all heard things like, “Your hair is going to be fried anyway,” but that’s not exactly true. With the proper preventative steps and aftercare, you can avoid ever having a bad head of bleached hair ever again! The most critical steps to retain the health in your locks are as follows:
1. Avoid Heat
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Put down the curling iron! Heat damage is the last thing your fried hair needs! I know, it can be tempting and feel necessary to cover up the state of your hair with a beautiful hairdo. However, if you don’t give your hair a break so that it can recover, you’ll risk causing further irreparable damage!
Tip: Sure, blowouts look and feel amazing! But next time you’re at the salon, opt out of the blowout at the end to avoid further damage.
2. Bond Treatment
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Immediately after washing the bleach out of your hair, it’s crucial to ask your stylist for a bond-building treatment, such as Olaplex (or protein treatment if that’s not available). This helps keep the bonds in your hair intact and avoid any immediate breakage.
3. Protein and Moisture
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These two things often get confused, resulting in your hair not getting what it needs. Protein such as keratin is essential for making your strands strong when they are weak and brittle. Moisture is necessary for dryness. Your products should deliver a balance of both for optimal hair health. When your hair is bleached, using protein should be your priority for your hair to regain some of what it lost during the bleaching. After a few weeks, you can get back to the balance of providing protein and moisture to your hair.
Tip: Use a protein treatment in the shower before an appointment to fortify your hair for the bleach.
Tip: Avoid overusing coconut oil since it fils the pores in your hair and blocks other products you may need from penetrating the hair follicle. Not to mention, it solidifies at room temperature so it can weigh down your locks!
4. Hair Masks
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Even if you have virgin hair, hair masks are essential and even more so when your locks are bleached! Hair masks should be done regularly to treat any needs your hair may have. Many products focus on different ailments, so stock up on hair repair, color treatment, and hair strengthening masks after you bleach.
5. Regular Trims
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Let’s face it, you didn’t think you could get away with bleaching your hair and not trimming your ends, did you? If bleach can dry out the oily hair at your scalp, then imagine what it does to dry ends. Getting regular trims is essential to keeping your bleached hairdo looking as fresh as possible as well as allows your hair to grow!
6. Breakage Protection
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This step is essential when rebuilding your hair’s health. Breakage and split ends can keep your hair’s luster from returning if it isn’t under control. Because your hair is the weakest when it’s wet, be sure to take extra care of it when it is. Protection includes wearing braids while swimming, conditioning your hair before exposing it to chlorine, and protecting your hair at night. A lot of breakage can happen overnight from the friction caused between your strands and your cotton pillowcase, so be sure to invest in a silk/satin pillowcase or invest in a hair bonnet made of silk/satin. Most of your breakage will happen in the shower since bleached/brittle hair tends to get knotty. Stock up on detangling products and take it easy on your hair while brushing it to minimize hair loss.
Tip: Using oils like coconut oil can be beneficial right before shampooing since they won’t clog your hair by overstaying and can be a fantastic detangler.
7. Vitamins
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Need I even say more? If bleaching your hair is going to be a regular thing, the least you could do is make sure the hair coming out of your scalp is healthy and fortified! Invest in some vitamins that specialize in hair health (after consulting your doctor about it) and watch the magic grow!
8. Hair Type
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Aftercare for bleached hair can look very different depending on the hair type. People with all kinds of hair opt for golden locks, including those with straight hair, curly hair, fine hair, and thick hair. Bleaching can dramatically change the texture of your hair if the aftercare isn’t up to par, so do your research on how to specifically pamper your strands to minimize loss.
I have a 3B curl. Of course, I had no idea of any of these tips back when I bleached my hair regularly, so my hair lost its curl and was perpetually frizzy, forcing me to apply heat daily. Needless to say, I had to chop my hair off and focus on regrowing my luscious curls back to their previous grandeur. However, it didn’t have to end up this way, and it doesn’t for you either! As long as you follow these tips, all that has to change about your hair after bleaching is the color.