Hair Bleach

Hair bleach is one of the most essential hair treatments. If one is looking to add some highlights, considering a total hair makeover and or going a few shades lighter, bleaching the hair will probably be necessary. Hair bleach can lift the hair to different levels depending on the strength of the bleach mixture. But there are things to consider before deciding on a hair bleach procedure. Bleach can damage the hair if great attention is not paid. That is why professionals know the best about applying the right type of bleach to different hair textures. ... What is Hair Bleach? Hair bleaching is a chemical process that involves stripping the pigment from hair strands and this results in lighter hair colour. Bleaching begins with an alkaline agent and then continues to work on the hair with an oxidative agent. While an alkaline agent opens up the cuticle which is the protective layer of the hair shaft, an oxidative agent penetrates the hair shaft and dissolves melanin which is the pigment that gives your hair its natural color. Every hair shade has different levels of pigment to dissolve through and the results of hair bleaching can change depending on the condition and type of hair you have. How dark the natural hair colour is one the main things to consider before a bleaching process. Especially with dark hairs, the bleach that is applied to the hair will need to be left longer for pigments to dissolve better. This way even really dark hair colours can turn to lighter shades. However, if one has hair with existing blonde colours, achieving platinum shades is much more easier with the hair bleach process. Darker shades like dark brunette or black will most likely appear yellow or even a warm reddish hue after the first application. For this reason, the bleach application can take longer or might need application more than once. Hence, one application of hair bleach does not always necessarily mean you will have white or blonde hair. This process and the expected results change with the natural hair colour, texture, and resistance of the hair to bleach. What to Consider Before Hair Bleach There are several things you should consider before exposing your hair to a hair bleach agent this will help you to achieve the most realistic colour and the expected results. Bleaching hair can be time consuming depending on the natural hair colour and texture. The logic behind this is that the darker the natural hair colour is the longer the bleaching agent will take to achieve the desired shade. Too much exposure to bleach can result in dry, brittle hair strands. Dry hair strands are one of the main things that let the hair to be prone to breakage. So before application, you should consider your hair’s health and if it is already exposed to another chemical process, using a bleaching agent can be a risky move. You may also need to give extra attention and care to your hair after a hair bleach treatment. The common knowledge is that bleach works best on virgin hair which is unprocessed hair that is free of heat damage, but when used wrong or exposed to bleach too much, even virgin hairs can be affected badly by these processes. What you should keep in mind is your hair’s general health, your hair texture, and if you have exposed your hair to another chemical process recently. What to Avoid When Using Hair Bleach The hair bleach process is a tricky one, so you should avoid doing it at home if you don’t have enough knowledge about how to do it, when to do it or how long you should expose your hair to it. Major damage can happen if hair bleach is not done correctly. There is a lot to consider before a hair bleach process; your hair’s texture, natural hair colour, and more. The bleaching treatment will be affected by all these factors and might give unexpected results. If you decide to consult a professional hairstylist, there are also things to avoid. The first one would be being honest with your hairstylist. Hair bleach works best on hair that is never been chemically processed and hair that is light brown or lighter in color. Hence, if you have coloured your hair before, you should always tell the professional you are consulting about your hair dye experience. Because when the hair bleach strips away your natural hair color however it may not affect areas exposed to hair dye from your previous hair dye treatments. With that being said, If your natural hair colour is darker than light brown, you can still achieve bleach blonde hair, but it might take a few tries to reach the perfect blonde that is desired. Before going to your hair bleach appointment, it’s a good idea to make sure your hair is in good condition. You can apply masks and nourishing oils to your scalp and hair tips. Another way to prep your hair for a bleaching process, is to skip the shampoo day at least two days before your appointment. A freshly cleansed scalp is more open to itchy scalp and irritation from hair bleach. Different Types of Hair Bleach There are generic brands of bleach that you can find in your supermarkets, beauty supply stores, and pharmacies But these brands are not the same as the products that are used in professional hair salons. Generic brands are suitable for at home hair bleach processes. These kinds of generic hair bleach products will certainly lighten your hair, but there will be significant differences between products like this and higher quality bleach, and this quality difference is why hairdressers don't use these generic bleach powders. Inferior ingredients, less effective lightening, greater damage to hair, and uneven lightening are just a few of these quality differences between generic brands and professional hair bleach products. Generic brands provide cheaper bleach treatments but you will notice that is because the ingredients in these brands are cheaper and inferior. Whereas salon hair bleach products contain top-quality bleaching agents, nourishing conditioners, and many other special ingredients that care for the hair. These bleach powders lift more effectively, but they also actually need less developer in the mixture too. Hence, it reduces the risk of damage and irritation during the process. Before deciding on what kind of process and application your hair will need, you might need to find out the depth of your natural hair colour. To know the level of your natural hair pigmentation, you can place a hair strand next to a hair color depth chart. This is one of the easiest ways to identify your natural hair color level. Knowing this also helps you to know how many levels up you should bleach your hair to get the desired hair color. The sessions of hair bleach that are needed for a hair colour depend on how light you want to go and how dark your hair is. However, it is not recommended to go more than four levels up in one session. You will need some rest time for your hair before going for more levels up to get the lighter hair shade you desire. You can achieve your dream hair colour by considering your natural hair color, hair porosity, product strength, and duration of application. .