- You can’t bleach your hair with products in it.
- You risk damaging your hair if you bleach it with product residues in it. Also, the resulting process would be uneven.
- To free your hair of residues, you should wash it with a clarifying or detox shampoo two days before bleaching it. Also, don’t apply any conditioner.
- During those two days, your scalp will produce natural oils that will protect your hair during the bleaching process.
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Are you about to bleach your hair at home?
This is when you should stop and think about your hair health.
Otherwise, you could be in for some nasty surprises.
It happened to Julieta, one of my clients. She bleached her hair, but she didn’t know much about colorimetry.
What happened?
She noticed that her hair color was quite uneven after bleaching it. Some areas were light yellow, and others were too bright.
In short, her hair hadn’t been bleached evenly.
Why?
The hair products that Julieta often uses had interfered with the bleaching process.
So, Julieta’s locks that had traces of styling cream, for example, had been bleached more slowly than others.
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When she rinsed out the bleach, she noticed that her hair had turned two colors.
So, if you use hair products daily, want to bleach your hair, but don’t want to have the same fate as Juliet’s, read on.
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If you want to bleach your hair, it must be free from hair products residues
You can’t see them, but the remains of gels, sprays, and hair masks can interfere with your bleaching process.
For example:
- Gels leave a barely noticeable dust residue.
- Sprays leave traces of hydrolyzed crystals that are invisible to the naked eye.
- Some hair products contain silicone, which is not water soluble and is very difficult to remove with regular washes.
So, how do you make sure you remove all traces of hair products before bleaching?
By using a clarifying or detox shampoo. It has a higher amount of cleansing agents than your usual shampoo.
Most clarifying shampoos contain acetic acid which is a mild chemical ingredient that has descaling properties.
A clarifying shampoo will remove all hair products before bleaching.
When should you wash your hair with the clarifying shampoo?
You should use it 48 to 72 hours before bleaching your hair.
After you remove all traces of hair products with the clarifying shampoo, the scalp oil will protect your hair from the aggressive action of bleach.
How should you use a clarifying shampoo before bleaching your hair?
That’s what I’ll talk about next.
How to remove hair product residue with a clarifying shampoo before bleaching
Do you know when you’ll bleach your hair?
Then, two days before, wash your hair with the clarifying shampoo.
And here’s the step-by-step process.
- In the shower, wet your hair and apply a walnut-sized amount of clarifying shampoo.
- Rub it gently through your hair to lather.
- Rinse your hair and reapply the clarifying shampoo. Leave it on for two to three minutes.
- Rinse your hair again with plenty of water.
Don’t apply conditioner.
If you do, you run the risk of leaving traces of conditioner in your hair again.
You’ll probably notice your hair rough. Don’t panic.
Unlike the usual shampoos, the clarifying shampoo doesn’t contain any moisturizing ingredients.
That’s why you’ll notice your hair is dry and rough.
I recommend you tie your hair in a ponytail to control frizz.
Then, just wait at least two days to apply the bleach to your hair.
If you don’t wait for two days, the bleach could irritate your scalp and damage your hair.
If possible, remember to do the strand test before you bleach your hair.
If the test shows that your hair is too weak or dehydrated after using the clarifying shampoo, you shouldn’t bleach it.
How do you perform the strand test?
- Prepare a small amount of bleach.
- Separate a strand from the back of the head, and apply the bleach.
- Leave it on for twenty minutes. Check the color often.
- After the exposure time, rinse your hair.
Let it air dry and look at it:
- If you were able to detangle it easily , you can bleach your hair.
- On the contrary, if it stretches like chewing gum, don’t bleach it.
In that case, my advice is to go to a salon to bleach your hair.
Your hairdresser will offer you some alternatives like Olaplex to bleach your hair properly without damaging it severely.
Conclusions
Residues of hair products can dry out your hair if you bleach it before removing them.
Also, if you don’t remove the product residues, the bleach will process unevenly on your hair.
Use a clarifying shampoo two days before bleaching to ensure that no traces of masks, gels, or sprays remain.
