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Last week we talked about how to recover from damage by permanent color. Today we will discuss how to recover from bleach damage and heat styling tools.
Damage from bleach
If you’ve gone from dark to light hair, you probably know all too well the damage that bleach can inflict on your hair.
Bleach is used to remove your natural hair color from each strand through the process of oxidation. Oxidation decolorizes the pigment in your hair shaft. It makes your hair swell, allowing the bleach to reach the inner part of the strand. It literally dissolves the melanin that gives your hair pigment.
If left on too long, bleach will turn your hair almost white. Very bleached hair often gains a ‘yellow’ tint, because keratin (the protein your hair is made of”> is naturally a pale yellow tone.
Bleaching raises your hairs’ outer cuticle to allow the bleaching agent to fully penetrate. However, repeated bleaching can permanently raise the cuticle scales which allows rapid and continuous loss of moisture.
This process can leave hair dry, brittle, fragile, inelastic, porous, and more prone to breakage and split ends.
Bleached and chemically treated hair tends to be porous and can, therefore, have a higher affinity to conditioning ingredients because they have a low isoelectric point (meaning a higher concentration of negative sites”>.
How to recover and prevent further damage
- Bleach less frequently or not at all. There’s just no way around it. Bleach tends to damage your hair to some degree. The less you do it, the better.
- Professional colorist- Request a hair bond builder. These are formulated to protect hair from chemical damage and prevent further damage. Ex. Olaplex, Redken pH Bonder, Smartbond, and Karaal Baco powder lightener, just to name a few.
- Try to use permanent color with low ammonia content (ex: Bacò by Kaaral “>
- Add moisture by doing regular deep conditioning treatments. Before bleaching, pay extra attention to moisturizing your hair and avoid other damaging activities, like heat styling, for a couple of weeks.
- Use sun protection. The sun’s UV rays can harm your hair. Blonde and gray hair is especially susceptible to UV damage.
- During the hot months, try wearing a wide-brimmed hat or hair wrap to protect your hair and scalp. You can also use a UV protection hair spray (Ouidad Sun Shield Sun & Sport Leave-In or Phyto Phytoplage Protective Sun Veil“> to protect hair that peeks out.
Other Product Suggestions include:
- Olaplex no. 3
- Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Leave-In Conditioner
- Ouidad Curl Immersion Triple Threat Deep Conditioner
- Deva Curl Melt into Moisture
- Deva Curl Deep Sea Repair
- Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair!
- The Curl Junkie Repair Me
- Aphogee Two Minute Reconstructor
- Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner
Damage from using heat tools
Styling with heat can “cook” hair fibers and lead to raised cuticles and porous hair. If you’ve used heat styling tools on your hair for years, you might find that some sections have lost its elasticity, even after you wash your hair.
When you use high heat too often, over a prolonged period of time, your hair can lose its ability to curl or revert back to its natural texture due to the loss of elasticity caused by heat damage.
Hair that’s suffered considerable damage displays a few telltale signs: brittleness, loss of curl pattern, and breakage.
If this is the condition your hair’s in, you may be wondering if it’s possible to recover.
Everyone’s case is different and the length of time for recovery will vary. Sometimes it is possible for the hair to regain some movement, and sometimes, you’ll have to grow your hair out.
How to limit and prevent further damage
The first step to recovery is to clarify your hair to remove product buildup that can prevent moisture from getting into the hair.
Next, follow up with an application of a strengthening or conditioning mask or a combination of the two, depending on what your hair needs. Be careful not to overdo it—more isn’t always better, especially when it comes to protein treatments.
If you frequently use heat stylers, lower the temperature- the less heat you apply to your hair, the better. The reality is, if you continue using heat on your hair, especially while transitioning, you’re simply prolonging the process and setting yourself back.
The bottom line
Unless you have a time machine, you can’t undo hair damage once it’s done. But you can change your habits and give your hair some TLC.
If you aren’t seeing results after a few weeks, schedule an appointment with a professional stylist, where they can assess your damage and better advise you.
Image: Unsplash via Cortney White
Ever seem like you were taking one step forward and two steps back when it comes to damage by chemical processes or heat styling tools with your hair?
So how do you go from dry, brittle, damaged hair to smooth, shiny, healthy hair? The answer isn’t always a simple one. For the most part, hair damage is permanent because hair is actually a collection of dead cells, making them beyond repair. The only real cure is time, a pair of shears, and taking steps to prevent new damage.
But don’t despair, with proper hair care and a few targeted treatments, you can help restore the outer cuticle and begin to improve the look and feel of your hair.
Sometimes it’s all too clear how you ended up with damaged hair. Maybe you used a flat iron on high heat one too many times. Perhaps, a chemical process like bleach was too strong or left on your hair too long. Whatever caused the damage, keep reading to learn how to prevent further damage. Note: you may need to repeat several steps to recover from all of the damage.
Damage from permanent color
Whether you dyed your hair a bright color or just tried a new shade dying your own hair can have consequences that last longer than the color. Chemical dyes can remove your hair’s natural moisture, quickly making smooth hair coarse to the touch. Unless your hair was light, to begin with, you may also have had to bleach your hair before applying the dye.
How to avoid further damage
Experts recommend choosing a dye within three shades of your natural color and opting for shades that are darker rather than lighter to limit the damage. Unnatural colors are more difficult to maintain (trust me- hence my custom shade of red hair”> and have to be touched up more frequently.
- Dye less often. Extending the time between touch-ups can also help reduce damage. If possible, wait for 8 to 10 weeks or longer between dye jobs. This gives your hair time to recover between treatments.
- Less frequent washing
- Use shampoos formulated specifically for dyed/colored hair
- Please go to a professional. Coloring is often best left to the professionals. A professional colorist knows how to use the correct products to minimize damage.
- Try opting for demi- or semi-permanent. Chemical processes can change the hair so aggressively that the only fix is to grow it out and start over (sorry, but it’s just the truth”>.
How to ease existing damage
Use oils. Oils have been shown by Trusted Source to help rehydrate the hair and smooth the cuticle. The key benefit? The oil’s molecules are small enough to penetrate the outer cuticle and hydrate from the inside out. It can also help replenish the protective oils on the outside of your hair.
Use color-safe shampoos and conditioners. These products are formulated with the proper pH to prevent the hair shaft from swelling. Your color will last longer and your hair will look and feel its best.
Here are just a few suggestions for Color safe shampoos:
Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Shampoo
Evolve UltraShine Moisture Shampoo
Jessicurl Gentle Lather Shampoo
Briogeo Don’t Despair Repair! Super Moisture Shampoo
The Mane Choice Easy on the Curls Detangling Shampoo
Briogeo Curl Charisma Rice Amino + Avocado Hydrating Shampoo
Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Strengthening Shampoo
Product Suggestions for Color Safe Conditioners:
Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Oil Strengthen & Restore Conditioner
Mielle Organics Mongongo Oil Hydrating Conditioner
Mop Top Citrus Medley Light Conditioner
Jessicurl Too Shea! Extra Moisturizing Conditioner
Curl Junkie Beauticurls Strengthening Hair Conditioner
Hair oil suggestions:
Sunny Isle Jamaican Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Use color-safe shampoos and conditioners. These products are formulated with the proper pH to prevent the hair shaft from swelling. Your color will last longer and your hair will look and feel its best.
Next week we’ll continue with the series and talk about damage from bleach and heat styling tools, plus how to recover. Stay tuned.
Pictured @discocurls
Let’s be honest natural hair can be complex. There are many instances where your hair may be trying to tell you something, but you’ve already exhausted your go-to treatments. Before you give up and resort to a hat day, you may want to try steam therapy.
What does steaming your hair do?
Steaming your hair opens up the hair cuticle by way of heat. This allows for moisture from the steam to penetrate your hair. Steaming also works to open up the pores on the scalp which can in turn help with blood circulation. Proper blood flow is key to hair health, as well as helping to ensure new growth is possible. This process also aids in elasticity to safely stretch the hair.
This simple treatment is easy to implement in your routine and is actually quite soothing compared to other time-consuming techniques. In an effort to detoxify your scalp and give your hair some additional moisture, this treatment may just be everything your hair needs to reset.
What are the benefits of steaming?
As a level up from a typical deep condition process, steaming your hair has many benefits that you may have never realized you needed to keep your hair in tip-top shape. While both deep conditioning and steaming are fantastic for maintenance, steaming has an important element that helps your strands go into overdrive. Steaming your hair provides the best of both worlds by using heat and moisture to activate the hair follicles and open the cuticles to allow deeper penetration for product application. From Type 3a to 4c and everything in between, implementing a steaming treatment makes a huge difference, and the results will have you hooked.
How to steam curly hair
Step 1. Cleanse & dry
After a thorough wash, make sure to remove the dirt and product build-up, dry the hair slightly with an old cotton t-shirt. The t-shirt will work gently on the hair to dry without breakage.
Step 2. Apply a moisturizing treatment
While the hair is still somewhat wet, apply a generous amount of deep conditioner and massage it into the scalp. Depending on the type of steamer you’re using, you can section your hair for an equal steam time or put a shower cap on and place your hair under the hooded steamer and wait for the magic to unfold.
Step 3. Steam your hair
The amount of total steam time can depend on the hair type and length, but typically, it only takes about 30-40 mins to give your cuticles time to lift and begin to absorb the product. The ideal steam treatment should be at least 20 – 30 minutes (make sure the steam reaches the ends of your hair”>. If, however, your hair is short and thin hair, then it will benefit from a shorter steaming session.
But like many great things in life, it’s important not to overdo steam therapy as it can over-moisturize your hair, creating a hygral fatigue where the cuticle is damaged. Also, your scalp should not feel irritated or uncomfortable while steaming. If you suffer from severe scalp concerns, you should not steam unless supervised by a scalp care professional or dermatologist.
Find a system that works for you and your hair, and like any good treatment, schedule it accordingly.
What kind of steamer should you use?
Steam therapy comes in many different forms, and depending on how you like to do treatments, there may be a specific type of steamer you want to use. At many professional hair salons, you typically find a standing steamer, which you sit under for a period of time.
But if you’re someone who would rather take the DIY approach, several convenient devices are perfect for at-home use. Both the tabletop and handheld steamers are great to use when you want an easy setup in the comfort of your own space.
Is steaming a regular part of your curly regimen? Let us know in the comments!
