Most products used for lightening your hair contain small amounts of bleach. Bleach is known as the fastest and simplest way to remove strand pigment.
Using bleach to change your hair color comes with a cost, especially if you do it yourself. Bleach breaks down strand proteins so it could remove color, and after you wash it off, your strands are left significantly weaker and lighter. Dryness, frizz, and breakage are the most common side effects you’ll experience after bleaching.
How to take care of bleached and dyed hair? The best treatment for bleached hair includes the use of nutritious oils, various moisturizing ingredients, and protective caps. Here are some tips you should implement to restore softness and strength after using bleach.
Hydrating Tips
Bleached strands look frizzy or as if they were fried because of damaged cuticles. Their job is to lock in moisture, but bleach disrupts the cuticles. Until they regenerate, you should use products that will help restore shine and gloss and help protect from further damage. If you want to know what to do right after bleaching hair, use the following products for a bleached hair care routine. They are perfect for rehydrating and keeping your cuticles safe.
1. Use Olive Oil
Only several drops of olive oil can do wonders for shine and vitality. Use only several droplets of olive oil at a time and apply all over while focusing more on the ends.
2. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil will seal your follicles and protect them from more damage, and it’ll also prevent protein loss. Rub coconut oil between your hands to warm it up and then apply it to all frizzy and dry spots, as well on bleached hair ends.
3. Apply Antioxidant Oils Like Argan Oil
Antioxidants are essential because they will help protect your follicles from additional damage. Argan oil is known for its excellent antioxidant properties. After you’re done styling, use only a few droplets of Argan oil conditioner so it would seal in moisture and give you a healthy shine you’ll love.
4. Use Oils Full of Vitamins and Proteins like Almond Oil
Almond oil is known for being saturated with vitamin E and proteins. Proteins are essential for making your hair stronger by binding the strands together. Almond oil will also fill in gaps and cracks in your strands. These gaps make them prone to additional damage after bleaching. Apply several drops of almond oil every day before you leave home. Moreover, you can use almond oil as an additional ingredient for your deep-conditioning mask recipe.
5. Use Sun Protection
Your strands become extremely vulnerable to sunburns or heat styling after bleaching. Use SPF spray that’s designed for blocking the sun and its harmful rays. You may feel sensations like irritation and tight scalp after bleaching. SPF sunblock spray will help protect your scalp as well.
6. Caviar Extract Shampoo
The rich formula of Caviar extract with Dead Sea Minerals shampoo by Ayam Beauty Care will help repair damaged and dried out hair while protecting it from additional damage. This product will nourish your strands by helping them retain their natural moisture. It will prevent ends from breaking off, and your hair will become silky and smooth.
7. Heat Styling Is Bad
After you’ve bleached, chances are your ends of the entire length have become vulnerable and dry. Applying heat when styling will damage your hair even more. It’s advisable to avoid using hot tools for blow-drying, straightening, and curling at least several weeks after a bleach. When you’re finally ready for heat styling, make sure not to do it frequently. Few times a week is the most you should heat style if you want to keep your locks shiny and bouncy.
8. Chlorine is the Enemy
Your hair becomes much weaker after bleaching, and chlorine can make it even weaker. Washing it with cold water before and after entering a chlorinated pool is a must. Use a swim cap since it’ll help protect your scalp and strands. Chlorine can also change bleached blonde color to a weird carrot-orange tint or it can add a prominent greenish hue.
9. Avoid Frequent Washing
Do you wash hair after bleaching? Washing hair after bleaching and toning is not advisable because natural oils from the follicles get stripped away. Let them heal, and don’t wash your hair frequently. This will allow it to heal faster. While washing only twice a week may seem horrifying to some, you should try it out, especially if you’ve bleached recently. You’ll get used to the new washing frequency in no time.
10. Avoid Hot Water
Bleached or heat-damaged hair should never be washed with hot water. Steam from your shower can cause further damage to your strands by opening up your cuticles. Washing bleached hair requires medium or even low water temperature. Finish off your wash by spritzing cold water on it so the moisture can seal in.
Ideas on How to Repair Severe Damage
Suppose your entire length is severely damaged by bleach or any other environmental factor. In that case, you might want to consider using strong bleached hair products to initiate regrowth. Some of the following natural remedies have been known to promote hair growth for centuries:
1. Apply Onion Juice
Onion juice had incredible and promising results for re-growing hair in various animal studies. Blending up some onions and applying onion juice to your scalp. Let the juice soak in for no more than 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly before using shampoo.
2. Massage Your Scalp
Massaging your scalp will speed up your blood circulation to your head. Increased blood circulation will help stimulate regrowth. Massage it during every wash and focus on the nape of your neck.
3. Use Rosemary Oil For Faster Growth
According to recent research, mixing rosemary oil with some carrier oil like coconut oil and massaging it onto your scalp will help your hair grow faster. Treat it regularly with this amazing gift from nature and you will see the first results after a couple of weeks.
Now that you know what to do after bleaching hair, it’s of vital importance to avoid making mistakes, and give it time to heal after the aggressive treatment. There are numerous regenerative oils and home remedies you can use to treat your damaged strands and promote regrowth. Treat it with care, and you will see the results soon enough!
Rhydian Choi 
Kim Marks 
Nicola Holder