Bleaching; the pros and cons
I have been obsessed with bleaching peoples hair since I was 18. My first bleaching application was in a home bathroom doing a teasy ombre. Some might say that I was ahead of the game lol. Since then I have bleached hundreds of heads of hair.
I'm often met with fear behind the chair when it comes with bleaching. So I wanted to take a moment to break down the pros and cons about bleaching your hair to eliminate this fear.
PROS:
-Bleaching has the ability to make your hair feel and appear fuller. I had very thin hair in highschool but once I began highlighting my hair it became more full and I had more volume. Bleach roughs up the cuticle leaving it feeling larger than its normal state.
-Bleaching can spice up dull hair. There are many ways to apply bleach in subtle ways that elevate boring flat hair color.
-Bleaching can blend grays in a much softer way than just doing a color retouch.
-Bleaching can dry up the cuticle slightly, which if your hair is overly oily this can help minimize greasy hair.
-Bleaching applications when done correctly can create looks that grow out for months or even years reducing the amount of chemical services on the hair.
CONS:
-Bleaching does cause dryness, if your hair is brittle aiming for overly blonde hair is not your best option. Perhaps doing a wet balayage would help you achieve lightness. Water creates a barrier of protection and creates a gentle lift.
-Over bleaching or overlapping bleach will break your hair. I never put bleach on pieces of hair that are already bleached. I have seen many clients with breakage because someone didn’t take the time to avoid overlapping.
-If your bleaching your hair you have to take more precautions. Things like heat styling, swimming pools, the sun, and even sleeping will cause stress to your hair. Making sure your product game is strong will ensure you don't experience added breakage.
If you have experienced adverse effects due to bleaching your hair, consider some of the cons and try to address them. Likewise, be mindful of the stylist you’re choosing to bleach your hair. You can be doing all the right things on your end but you can't succeed if your stylist is causing the damage during the service.
Things to look out for:
-Does your hair stylist let you sit and process for too long? If bleach is left on for a long time especially under heat - it's going to break off and become gummy. There's no turning back from this.
-Does your stylist overlap the bleach on hair that's already lightened? This will cause breakage and gummy hair or crunchy over processed hair.
-Does your stylist try to rush and use too high of a developer? Blowing the cuticle out too fast is irreversible.
Choosing the right stylist and products are the best way to have success with bleaching!
