Hi Guys and Girls [GGs] !
As promised here’s another blog on SummerRainefalls :D [YEY!]
Okie let us start with a disclaimer I am NOT a professional hair dresser nor hair colorist/stylist. I’m just a girl who has been coloring her hair for the past 5 years. Okie let’s start! :D
What you need to know about your hair
Your hair contains keratin, a fibrous protein forming the main structural constituent of hair [can also be found in nails], it acts as a protective layer and also an inner foundation of your hair. Your hair also contains Melanin, it’s a pigment that gives our skin, hair, and eyes their color. Obviously the more Melanin the darker color you have.
There are 3 parts of a hair structure [shaft]:
The cuticle, the outer layer of the hair. It’s usually depicted/ shown as the scales of the hair strand, this is because the cuticle is consist of overlapping cells that forms scales that help give your hair strength and protection [dead cells, its the reason why you don’t feel the pain when your having your hair cut] .
The cortex, the thickest layer of your hair. It contains most of the color of your hair, which is Melanin.
And The Medulla, the inner most layer of the hair shaft. when I read a description about this part they say that it’s nearly invisible and it serves as an marrow pit.
Bleach is a chemical that can remove or lightens color via oxidation. Bleaching works the same as coloring your hair but instead of depositing color, it removes color from the hair shaft. I read a little about bleaching and watch a lot of videos regarding bleach [after I bleached my hair, should have researched more before going through with it] and it said that it works by breaking the bonds of Melanin [the pigment found in you hair].
For me an easier way of understanding bleach is that it is a chemical that when applied to the hair for a certain amount of time lightens/ lifts the color of the hair. To lighten the hair, the chemical breaks or weakens the cuticle of the hair strands in order to get to the color molecules of the hair found in the cortex and breaks it down so your hair will lighten.
Okie hopefully you GGs know a little bit about bleach [I encourage to still do additional research].
Now lets talk about what to expect and some tips on when you are already 100% sure on bleaching you hair.
ALWAYS PREPARE FOR DAMAGED HAIR. As I explained earlier the hair weakens when you apply a strong chemical like bleach. So be ready with conditioners, masques, treatments, serums, etc. [in short be ready with all hydrating things for your hair]
NEVER compromise. If you love your hair, always take care of it. If you can have it done professionally I strongly advice to do so [you could go to a professional and talk about the process and how to do it properly and how to maintain it] and if you are bleaching your hair by yourself please do research on the products you will be using. Please if something works great with your hair [and you know its great quality] but it’s a little bit on the pricey side always remember that it’s for your hair, and you would want whats best for your hair. [I learned this the hard way]
START WITH A LOW VOLUME OF OXIDATION LOTION / DEVELOPER. Here in the Philippines you can buy developers that are 6% [20 volume], 9% [30 volume], and 12%[40 volume]. I highly suggest to start with a 6% developer, it lifts the hair color slightly and will slightly damage the hair. A thing to remember when choosing your developer, the higher the percentage or volume the higher it lifts/lightens and the greater the damage. The sensitivity of the scalp also determines what volume you should go with the higher the volume the harsher it is to your scalp.
BE PATIENT. Work fast on applying, but take it slow when waiting or cooking the product on the hair. What I learned is that when the product or the bleach is still moist on your hair it’s still processing on your hair, meaning it’s still lightening. So when your using a low volume developer and you hair is still moist from the bleach and you still want to go lighter, Just wait a few more minutes. It’s better to repeat the process of bleaching your hair and put treatments in between than risking on over processing the bleach on the hair and damaging your hair forever.
So far those are the tips I could think of giving. Okie now on how I bleach my hair.
The things you need for the Bleaching your hair:
Bleaching powder [I’m using 2 Hortaleza Profestional Hair Bleach Powder for my hair length]
Developer / Oxidation cream [Currently using the MoNDES Spa Oxidizing Emulsion Cream, in 12% or 40 vol. but I do advice starting with a 9% or 30 vol developer]
Plastic mixing bowl and coloring brush
Hair Clips [shark clips] to section your hair
Wear a shirt that you don’t mind staining
[Just to show you GGs my roots, before I bleached it]
Step 1: Mix your Bleach. I was told that 1 sachet of the bleaching powder should be mixed with 2 developers of Hortaleza. I still use that method:
1:2 ratio 1 sachet is to 2x the amount of powder for the developer.
Step 2: Section your Hair into 4-6 parts. Start with parting your hair in the middle so you’ll have 2 sections. Then section your hair from the top to your ear, do this on both sides so you’ll now have 4 sections. You could stop there or you could section the 2 parts on the back into 2.
[here is a sample of how I sectioned my hair, I didn’t have shark clips so i braided my sections and tied it with an elastic hair tie]
Step 3: Grab a half or an inch thick section/layer from one of the parts we did earlier. Then Start applying the bleach to the layer [I started on front sections]. Always remember to apply the bleach at least 5 centimeters away from your scalp. I learned from Guy Tang’s videos that bleach expands and works its way up. It helps combing your hair before applying the bleach to assure you have applied the product evenly [also lightly massaging the product to the layer helps make sure that the bleach is distributed evenly].
[Here is a sample of how far the bleach should be from your scalp]
Step 4: After applying the bleach to the 1st section/layer grab another layer and repeat Step 3 until your done applying the bleach on all sections. Remember with bleach you need to apply it on you head fast to assure that even lifting, but then again Guy Tang did say after a few minutes of waiting the hair would all lift to the same color [I also tried that one, yes it’s true but i’d rather use a lower developing cream or oxidation than 12% so it won’t hurt my scalp and I could bare the heat/pain].
[here’s my sample of another layer I took]
Step 5: Let the bleach process. If you can tolerate not having to sit in front of a fan or air-conditioner [I mean directly in front of it] then I suggest you do that, to prevent the bleach from drying [when the bleach drys it means all the oxidation of the bleach is gone. Then that means that the lifting of hair color stops]. For me since I’m using a 12% developer, I waited for 15-20 minutes for my hair to lift to the desired color [I’m bleaching my roots, that’s why I waited for “short” time].
NOTE: Roots lifts faster than the ends of your hair, Because the roots are near the scalp. Bleach already emits heat when processing as a reaction of the scalp it also lets out a heat by sweat to help it cool down, making the process of lifting your hair faster.
Step 6: Rinse and CONDITION!! [I must stress that part, USE CONDITIONER!]. Remember your hair is very vulnerable at the moment, This is the time to condition it and put treatments to bring back the nutrients.
Step 7: Air dry your hair, then repeat steps 1 to 7 for those who are using a lower percentage of developer.
NOTE: I’ve done research about bleaching hair and they also say never bleach your hair if its already pale yellow. I’m assuming it’s because the there would be no more melanin to break down, so instead of lifting it the bleach would damage/fry your hair instead.
[here is a sample of level of how light hair can go. photo from: http://www.robertcraig.com/php/index.php?location=bleach]
After bleaching your hair it’s suggested to regularly treat your hair with masques, oils/ serums, and conditioner. Some say just have a day/night with just oily hair. Your hair is adjusting on how much oil it’s suppose to produce.
Toning your hair after the bleaching is suggested by most professionals [if you want a platinum blonde kind of hair], unfortunately I don’t know any Toner hair products here in the Philippines. But you could make your own purple shampoo to help tone down the yellow/redness of your hair then use a clear cellophane for shine [but honestly it doesn’t make a big difference, it more of a subtle muteness of the redness and yellowness].
[Here is my hair after the bleaching process ^-^ just air dried and no toning]
And that’s it GGs! That was a long blog. Hope I didn’t bore you GGs out.
