While bleaching has become popular amongst those who don’t wear blonde wigs, it damages your hair. First, it’s one of the strongest chemicals you can use on hair. And second, the technique strips the color of your hair strands.
The process begins that opening up the hair cuticle with an alkaline agent. Next, an oxidative agent is applied which dissolves the hair’s natural color. Obviously, the longer you leave this solution in your hair, the lighter in color your hair gets.
Depending on your natural hair tone, your hair can lighten to a reddish tone or yellow. Then, it inevitably lightens to a blonde.
How Bleaching Damages Your Hair
Hair bleaching changes the elasticity and porosity of the hair. Not only will your hair feel less soft, but the strands will look rough. Porous hair means your hair cuticle is more open. As a result, it’s more vulnerable to spilt ends and eventually breakage if left untreated.
Another way bleaching damages hair is when it penetrates the hair shaft. This results in weaker hair strands as well as lower fatty acids. With the intense impact bleaching has on hair, having your hair professionally bleach is strongly recommended.
Strong hair chemicals like bleach are not magical potions. In fact, it’s an exact science. And if you think you can suck the pigment out of your hair without consequences, your split ends know better.
The same pigment (melanin) that lends hues to your skin and eyes also colors your hair. There are two types of melanin: eumelanin and pheomelanin, that combine to produce different shades.
Eumelanin is black and brown; two types. The darker the skin tone, eyes or hair, means it has more eumelanin. Conversely, pheomelanin, gives a reddish hue. In lower levels, blonde hair can have any combination of the two.
Instead of just adding pigment to your hair, permanent hair color opens up the shaft. Then breaks down the natural pigment to make a particular color. Consequently, when you change your hair from dark to lighter color, the original pigments get zapped. So, you can see how bleaching damages your hair. Not to mention, taking a toll on your follicles.
As with most hair products, there are many claims of not damaging your cuticles. But to avoid guesswork and save your hair, please have an experienced colorist change your hair color.
