Clapham Hairdressers Explains What Bleach Actually Does To Your Hair?

Over the last decade, bleaching has become a major hair colour trend. Having naturally blonde hair isn’t something everyone is born with, and it is in our nature to want to explore new looks and add character through our hair, and this is why bleaching has become so popular. 

We know that a lot of you are eager to rock the Marilyn Monroe bombshell blonde look and are ready to book a hair appointment online, but we have to face the facts. Bleach is never good for your hair, and today we are going to explain to you what bleach does and how you can restore your hair’s health after getting it done. 

What is hair bleaching? 

Have you ever accidentally spilled bleach on one of your coloured shirts? If so, you may have noticed that the area that came into contact with the bleach became discoloured or turned white. Bleach pretty much does the same thing to your hair, let’s go over the science behind it. 

Hair bleaching is a chemical hair dye technique that strips the color of your hair strands. Bleaching begins with an alkaline agent that opens up the hair cuticle. Next comes the oxidative agent that penetrates the hair cortex and dissolves the hair’s natural melanin (your hair’s natural color). The longer you leave this agent in your hair, the lighter in color your hair becomes. Your hair can either lighten to a yellow or reddish tone depending on your natural hair tone and then eventually lighten to platinum blonde. 

Using toner on bleached hair

Achieving the right type of blonde hair doesn’t stop at just bleaching. When you lighten the colour of your hair, the bleach has to work through each of those pigments to lift the color away. Depending on the duration you leave the bleach to set in, your hair may still have unflattering brassy undertones. That’s where hair toner comes in. The best hair toner for bleached hair can neutralize unwanted warm or brassy tones to help you achieve a shinier, healthier, more natural-looking shade.

The Damage

Hair bleach will make your hair feel a lot dryer to the touch due to the fact that the bleach has altered the porosity and elasticity of the hair. In layman’s terms, it means that it is damaged and is at high risk of becoming a split end and eventually breaking off if left untreated. Another cause of damage results from when the bleaching chemicals penetrate the hair shaft, they also break down natural fatty acids, which results in a weaker hair strand.

The Solution 

Olaplex bond repair treatment has become a go-to for many colorists as a means of keeping a client’s hair in optimum condition during a chemical treatment. Olaplex not only protects the hair from the process to get a desired color, but it also prevents further damage, makes the hair stronger, healthier, shinier, and also helps mend some of the previous damage.

By all means, we are not trying to discourage you from bleaching your hair, but it is our responsibility at Gritt London to make sure that you achieve your desired look while keeping your hair in healthy condition. The next time you book salon appointments online, for hair colouring, you will be happy to know that Olaplex is already incorporated into our colour price. We don’t charge extra because we love it so much and it’s a must have, but we do require all new colour clients to have a skin test 48 hours prior to their appointment.