Why does my hair keep breaking from bleach?
This is the most common question I get asked as a Hairstylist.
Most types of coloring do actually damage the hair to some extent, the color molecules sit in the cortex of the hair and they work by breaking down the bonds that are inside the cortex.
Bleaching hair actually requires a lot of science, skill, and aftercare in order to leave the hair looking and feeling healthy after.
Let’s start by looking at how bleach actually works on the hair.
Bleach is alkaline based which will lift the cuticle allowing the molecules to enter, the molecules enter the cortex, and then swell the hair.
Once this has happened, then the oxidative agents will begin to dissolve the hair's natural pigment.
The longer the bleach is left on the more the pigments will be dissolved, as stylists, we look for the hair to lift through red, red/orange, orange, orange/yellow, yellow, and pale yellow, this tells us when the color is ready.
On the flip side of this, we need to look at what bleach does to the hair's internal structure.
Porosity refers to the hair's ability to absorb and retain moisture, it means that the hair’s cuticle is raised rather than closed.
Porosity also plays a huge part in how long your color will last, the same as with the moisture, the color will absorb quickly but will also rinse out quickly, like a sponge!
You can check this by taking a strand of hair and running your fingers from the tips to the roots, it feels rough it means your hair is porous.
Porous Hair:
Porous hair can be caused by any color service including bleaching, this is due to the cuticle lifting during the color process.
There are numerous things we can do to improve the hair's porosity:
The Milkshake Moisture Plus Whipped Cream is a really great product to help improve the hair's porosity. It is a leaf in foam that helps to improve softness, manageability and balances the hair moisture levels.
Hair elasticity refers to the general health of the internal structure of the hair, you can check this by damping down a strand of your hair and stretching it slightly.
Bleaching WILL damage your hair, there are no if’s or buts!
Hair with poor elasticity will:
When bleaching, the bonds that hold the internal structure together are broken so that the color can be removed.
Although some of these bonds come back together, some do not result in poor elasticity.
We can help to prevent poor elasticity by using a bond builder with the color – most salons now offer these, so ask during your consultation.
Bond builders are designed to repair the hair from the inside out, they do this by rebuilding and repairing broken bonds.
Examples of bond builders are:
Using these alongside the aftercare will really help to improve the hair's elasticity.
As well to this there are some great aftercare ranges that will help to repair damage caused by bleach.
I want you to think about the food that you eat when you are training to build muscle? This may sound weird, but it relates...
We eat protein, so eggs, chicken, rice, etc...
Protein is the key ingredient in repairing products, it is there to build the hair back up.
My favorite range is the Kerastase Resistance Range, I love this range because it has a product for every level of damage.
I would 100% recommend the Architecte range, I have used this on and off for years and I regularly recommend it to clients.
You see real results with this product and it really makes your hair feel healthier and stronger.
Yes, bleach does damage the hair! However if we really focus on improving the hair's porosity and elasticity we can help to keep the hair looking and feeling healthy.