- Before bleaching your hair, it’s a must, I repeat, you MUST check its health to know if it’ll withstand the process.
- However, don’t worry. Today I’m bringing you a test to check if your hair will weaken to the point of hair loss when bleached.
- Don’t overlook this test. If you do, you can damage your hair to the point of burning it.
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Yes, I know. You have a dozen friends who bleached their hair and it didn’t fall out.
Every day, you see on Instagram or YouTube the experiences of people who bleached their hair without apparent consequences.
However, not all hair is the same.
I face this truth every day at the salon. Many times, I have to be the spokesperson for bad news because certain hair cannot be bleached.
Most of the time, we cannot do the process because the hair is unhealthy. Being unhealthy, it won’t withstand the action of the chemicals used in bleaching.
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When I tell a client that I can’t bleach her hair because it might fall out, they want to kill the messenger. I hope you take it easy in this case.
The idea is that you bleach your hair without ruining it. And for that, you’ll have to take this test. It’s simple, you won’t have to look up the time of your birth or your blood group.
All you have to do is look at your hair and answer the questions honestly. Are you ready?
Whatever the result, remember not to kill the messenger. Let’s start with the first question.
Tabla de Contenidos
1- Is your hair porous, or does it look moisturized?
Well, if your hair is porous, we started with the wrong foot. If you bleach it, you risk hair loss.
On the other hand, if it looks moisturized and frizz-free, you won’t have any problems bleaching it.
Now, how do you recognize porous hair? With a simple test.
- Place a single hair in a glass of water.
- With the help of a comb, push it gently. Wait a few minutes and watch the results.
- If the hair floats, its porosity is low because the water can’t get inside the hair fiber. Therefore, your hair is in perfect condition for bleaching.
- If it sinks to the middle of the glass, the porosity is medium. I recommend that you go to a professional to bleach your hair. Otherwise, you can cause serious hair loss if you overdo the chemical exposure times.
- If the hair sinks to the bottom of the glass, your hair is porous. In that case, I don’t recommend bleaching it.
Let’s continue with the test.
2- Is your hair colored?
If your hair is colored, the risk of hair loss depends on the shade you used.
The darker your hair, the more bleaching sessions the process will take.
For example, the procedure must be repeated to reach lighter blondes on black or dark brown colored hair. Therefore, your hair fiber is more exposed to damage.
You should have some knowledge of coloring to prevent your hair from falling out during bleaching.
For example, did you know that the more bleaching sessions you do, the lower the peroxide concentration level? That way, the process is less aggressive and doesn’t damage the hair.
3- Do you want to achieve very light hair?
An extra tip? It’s better to do two light bleaches, even if it takes more days to lighten your hair than one strong bleach. It could burn the hair and cause it to fall out.
Keep in mind that overexposure will leave your hair extremely porous. Then, you risk frizz and hair loss.
4- Do you have bleached hair and want to bleach it again?
If your hair has been previously bleached, permed, or straightened, the risk of hair loss is high.
I understand your anxiety. Maybe you had highlights or balayage and you need to touch them up.
You have to check the elasticity of the hair. It’s a fundamental step to know if it’s feasible to bleach it again. How do you evaluate your hair’s elasticity?
- Take a strand of hair, wet it, and carefully tension it with the fingers of both hands.
- If the hair returns to its original length, its internal structure is still in perfect condition.
- If the hair is stretched or gummy looking, the internal structure is damaged and another bleaching could lead to significant hair loss.
5- Is your hair fine or brittle?
Think about your regular styling routine.
In the morning, when you get up, are there many hairs on your pillow or sheets?
When you brush it, do you notice a lot of hair caught in the brush bristles? Do you have split ends?
Then, your hair is weak and brittle. If you bleach it, you’ll only make it more fragile and it’ll fall out.
My advice is that about fifteen days or so before bleaching, you apply moisturizing masks, nourishing ampoules, or masks to regenerate the hair.
And moisturize it after bleaching to further strengthen the hair.
6- Will you go to a salon to bleach your hair, or will you do it at home?
If you have experience in hair coloring, you may be able to bleach your hair successfully. If you’re not experienced, the risks of your hair falling out after bleaching are high.
Another question, are you skilled enough to bleach your hair without putting it at risk?
I mean:
- Do you know how peroxide and bleaching powder react on the hair?
- Do you know how to stop the chemical reaction in case an allergic reaction occurs?
- Do you have any idea for how long to leave the bleaching mixture on?
Personally, it saddens me when a person comes to the salon with totally destroyed, burned hair, with irreparable damage. Their only solution is to have a short haircut. And it’s not one person. I’m talking about several cases a week.
As a stylist, I’m constantly updating my knowledge to avoid irreparable hair damage.
Put your hair health on one side of the scale and the money you will invest in your hair on the other. What weighs more for you?
We’re almost at the end of the test.
7- Do you suffer from any illness that you should take into account when bleaching your hair?
Unbelievably, some disorders such as thyroid, stress, or more serious pathologies can influence hair health.
Therefore, if you’re undergoing an extended medical treatment, you should ask doctor. Also, tell the hairdresser that will perform the bleaching session.
Although there’s no scientific data that bleaching can alter a medical treatment, it can change the hair quality and cause hair loss.
Also, if you’re pregnant, you should also ask your doctor. As the bleaching is applied from the roots, it can generate scalp sensitivity during that period.
Conclusions
Now you know that you have to evaluate the health of your hair before bleaching it. This way, you’ll avoid hair loss.
A good place to start is with this quick test to determine if your hair will withstand bleaching. When it comes to hair health, prevention is everything.
