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Brightly colored hair has been a trend for years. Different shades of each rainbow color painted on the hair often appear on Pinterest and Instagram posts, making people want them more and more on themselves. There are many variations to choose from when dyeing your hair. You can go all out and have all-over color or stick with something subtle like an ombré or peekaboo hair. It doesn’t just have to be about shiny hair, muted ash brown and blonde tones are also considered a timeless hair trend.
I am personally a hair color enthusiast, being a regular at several hair salons to have my hair colored, occasionally switching to shades of medium brown and blonde. I like to chat with my hairdressers while they’re doing my hair, and one thing I often hear them complaining about is that a lot of people come in to get their hair dyed a trendy color, like blue or pink. pastel but once they are told that before they can apply the dye to their locks they have to go through a bleaching process they instantly back off and try to negotiate if they can avoid it and still have the color they wanted.
When asked why some people don’t want to bleach their hair, the answer would probably be the same:
“I don’t want my hair damaged!”
Some people aren’t afraid to bleach their hair, but choose to do it themselves at home without knowing how to do it right, and end up using the wrong product mixes or applying the bleach incorrectly. This can seriously damage your hair, making it extremely dry, brittle and susceptible to breakage. Usually people choose to do it themselves to save money, but it will also be expensive to get it fixed.
You can’t get your hair dyed a bright color without having your hair light enough to show the color, unless you’re a natural blonde (if you are, you’re in luck!). This is something that my hairstylists often struggle to explain to clients who have no idea about the whole process of coloring hair. If you’re considering getting your hair dyed but still unsure about bleaching, read on!
What is whitening anyway? How it works?
Bleaching is the process of lightening your hair by using an oxidizing agent to remove pigment from your hair shaft. Bleach is usually made up of a mixture of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which is considered bleach powder and developer. The process begins with the alkaline agent opening the hair shaft, then the oxidizing agent enters the cortex of your hair to dissolve the melanin (the dark pigment) in your hair.
How light can hair get?
The lightest your hair can be is platinum blonde, also called level 10 when referring to the image below.
The time it takes for your hair to reach a high level depends on your natural color. If you have level 1-3 hair, it may take longer for it to become light enough to lay down color. It also depends on the strength of the bleaching powder and developer used.
What about the volume of developers? What are the differences between them?
Cream developers (also known as peroxide) come in several strengths, most commonly 10 volume, 20 volume, 30 volume, and 40 volume. When mixed with bleach, the higher the volume the faster it lightens hair, but you should NEVER use 40 volume on your hair unless a professional does it for you. It will cause great damage to your hair if you do. It is best to take the bleaching process slowly, repeating it 2-3 times to achieve the desired shade. Also, it is advisable to only have a professional bleach for you to avoid making the mistake of choosing the wrong developer, because they know best what to use on your hair!
And the damage?
The damage caused by bleaching is usually dryness and brittleness of the hair, and with repeated bleaching, your hair will become porous and prone to breakage. Your hair will need a lot of care and attention to maintain both its color and its health. It’s a risk some people are willing to take to achieve their dream color.
So if it’s just to get messy, why should I pay more to see a professional hairstylist to get my hair done? What’s the difference if I do it myself at home?
There are several reasons:
1. Professionals have a greater variety of products that they can use and they have sufficient knowledge of what works best for your hair. They can tailor the mix of color and bleach depending on the condition and type of your hair. The bleach and canned dyes that are sold in grocery stores and drugstores are mostly “one size fits all”, usually very high in ammonia to suit even the toughest hair types. The damage you will suffer will be much worse when using boxed products. Even if you go to a salon supply store, you might not know what products to buy for your hair.
2. The application process is not as easy as just brushing it on and waiting for it to lighten up. You can miss spots and have the bleach process all over your head at different speeds if you’re not quick enough when applying it, creating a messy, smudged result. Even if you ask someone else to do it for you if they don’t know how bleach works and what’s the best way to cover all your hair, it will always end badly.
3. For several techniques like ombre, balayage, or full head highlights, a professional would be trained enough to know where to place the bleach and how to blend it with the rest of your hair. It’s difficult and takes a lot of practice to master these techniques, so it’s best left to someone who knows what they’re doing.
But there are exceptions. If you are looking to dye your hair only a little in a style that is low risk and easy to undo if something goes wrong, like doing just one color streak or like these looks that are shown below, then you can do it at home. Two-tone hair like this has been growing in popularity lately, and as long as you’ve done enough research on how to get the best results (so you don’t have to undo it), you can do it yourself at the House. . Sounds pretty self-explanatory, right?
What can I do to minimize the damage caused by bleaching?
Have you ever heard of Olaplex? It is a famous product used in hair salons to minimize the damage caused by discoloration. It consists of 3 step-by-step products, but the only one you can buy and use at home is Olaplex #3, #1 and #2 are for professional use only. What it does is multiply the bonds in your hair that have been broken and rebuild them, making the hair able to retain moisture. It’s often called a miracle product because of its potency, and the formula has been patented, so no other product can copy Olaplex. The image below is Olaplex #1, the one that will be mixed with bleach before application.
But it sure is expensive.
There are other ways to minimize the damage caused by the whitening process:
1. Use coconut oil
Leave the coconut oil in your hair for a few minutes before washing it out. You can also leave it on overnight, but be sure to cover your head with a shower cap so it doesn’t stain your sheets. My experience with coconut oil has been pretty good as it softens the hair strands, but I would say more of a temporary relief. The effects will wear off if you don’t do it once in a while, so if you choose this method, remember to repeat the process every week!
2. Use a leave-in conditioner
This is very useful as it helps to hydrate your hair and provide it with nutrients to replenish its overall health. You can do this with other treatments to help the hair regain its strength.
3. Regularly trim your split ends
There is no other way to treat split ends than to simply cut them off. Most bleached hair has split ends, so trimming regularly will help hair grow softer and stronger.
What do you think? Are you interested in bleaching and coloring your hair?