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Jennielee88
October 6th, 2013, 03:47 AM
Hi,
This is my first post :)
I'm a natural level 4 (ish) brunette with bleached blonde hair.
My question to all you other bleached blondes is- is it possible to bleach hair but also maintain it's condition?
Ive been growing mine for a year or so and it's going well, but I do find what I would consider quite a lot of breakage... Which worries me because I feel like I'm undoing all that time and patience I spent growing it just for it to break off!

This is 6 months worth of growth...

http://instagram.com/p/fBB8ZGGXHN/

kysgrl
October 6th, 2013, 04:01 AM
I highlight and low light everything and I have a heck of a time growing past Bsl because of breakage. it looks like you are doing a great job though!

Jennielee88
October 6th, 2013, 04:07 AM
Thank you!
It's looking like I'm going to have to compromise either the colour or the condition and length though and I don't want to have to compromise any of them!

goldenlady
October 6th, 2013, 04:14 AM
I'm mid-back growing towards waist. My hairdresser said last year that my hair is the healthiest she's seen of anyone that bleaches :) Which I was super glad about because it really worries me that I'm damaging. I only ever bleach/tone my roots and use a lot of conditioner and olive oil. My hair is growing rapidly at the minute and I don't get many split ends which could just be due to my hair type.

goldenlady
October 6th, 2013, 04:18 AM
I'm probably a natural 7 and bleach to about a 9 :)

Jennielee88
October 6th, 2013, 04:21 AM
Mine feels very soft but still seems to break!
Maybe I'm just unlucky with my hair type. It's kinda flat and limp if I don't use volumising products.

Firefox7275
October 6th, 2013, 05:05 AM
Hi,
This is my first post :)
I'm a natural level 4 (ish) brunette with bleached blonde hair.
My question to all you other bleached blondes is- is it possible to bleach hair but also maintain it's condition?
Ive been growing mine for a year or so and it's going well, but I do find what I would consider quite a lot of breakage... Which worries me because I feel like I'm undoing all that time and patience I spent growing it just for it to break off!

This is 6 months worth of growth...

http://instagram.com/p/fBB8ZGGXHN/

Welcome!

I am naturally mousey, lightened to blonde then semi permanent red on top. No it is not possible to bleach/ peroxide without damaging the hair somewhat, how visible that damage is to the naked eye depends on many factors - from how fine or coarse your hair is, how many shades you lift, roots only or lengths 'refreshed', what else you do that is damaging, how you pre and post treat, how long or old the hair is. If hair is splitting and breaking to me that is more than simple damage, that section is fried and beyond repair.
http://www.clinicalservicesjournal.com/Print.aspx?Story=4313

What is your full routine, your hair is pretty wavy at 2c do you treat it as such or always follow a straight hair routine? What do you mean by volumising products? Do you know what your hair properties are, particularly porosity and elasticity? Do you practice protective styling/ gentle up dos? Proven ingredients for protecting hair from bleach/ peroxide damage include coconut oil and hydrolysed wheat protein. For post care proven are coconut oil, hydrolysed protein, ceramides, 18-MEA and panthenol. Protein can be overused and make hair brittle.

jacqueline101
October 6th, 2013, 06:16 AM
I had a racing stripe bleached in a year ago. I found that coconut oil helped. I applied it prior to bleaching I walked away with very little damage. I've heard others who bleach and due their hair say coconut oil is a life saver. Welcome to the forum.

spidermom
October 6th, 2013, 08:15 AM
There is a thread around here on growing bleached hair. Let me see if I can find it and bump it for you.

Jennielee88
October 6th, 2013, 08:36 AM
Thanks for your replies and your warm welcomes everyone!

Firefox7275, I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure about all the jargon yet, I'm not sure what 2c means unfortunately! As for my routine, I try to keep washing to a minimal. I've recently started limiting the products that I use on my hair because I think a big part of why my hair is snapping is because I have over conditioned it thinking I was doing it good. My hair was coming out badly when it was wet (and a little whilst dry).
Since then, I've been trying to balance it with protein, using lee stafford hair growth treatment once a week and redken anti-snap leave in treatment (both packed with protein). It seems to have improved a little but I'm not sure of that's because I'm being a lot more gentle with it... I don't use heat anymore and I never brush it- only comb with a wide tooth comb (never when wet).
As for colouring, I got cocky. I used to go to the hairdressers to get my roots done, they used a high lift tint mixed with a little bit of bleach, then a toner over the top and the condition was great. About 6 months ago I decided to start doing it mysef to save money and because my hairdresser wasn't getting the colour right, I was leaving the salon still with yellow roots.
I started doing it myself with bleach and the condition was still fine up until a couple of weeks ago when I started noticing breakage.
I certainly won't be colouring it myself again, I've been told by my hairdresser friend that it's so difficult to do your own roots that I've probably been unintentially overlapping, despite how careful I thought I was being!

I take 10,000mcg of biotin and 60mg of sea kelp a day.

Sorry about the mammoth reply!

As for protective styling, I never knew there was such a thing! I will look into it. And by volumising products I mean the volumising powders (such as Schwarzkopf dust -it) because my hair is very soft and tends to fall flat

Also, thanks spidermom

spidermom
October 6th, 2013, 08:43 AM
I found it - Bottle Blonde Grows Long! It should pop up on the first page for you now.

prettyinpink
October 6th, 2013, 10:25 AM
jacqueline, how long did you let the oil sit on your hair? did you use peroxide?

jacqueline101
October 6th, 2013, 11:36 AM
jacqueline, how long did you let the oil sit on your hair? did you use peroxide?

I don't know what the beauty shop used as far as product goes. I had mine professionally done. I daily oiled at that time so I left it on with out rinsing it or washing it out. The next day I oiled daily wore my hair up like normal.

Firefox7275
October 6th, 2013, 11:55 AM
Thanks for your replies and your warm welcomes everyone!

Firefox7275, I'm new to this forum so I'm not sure about all the jargon yet, I'm not sure what 2c means unfortunately! As for my routine, I try to keep washing to a minimal. I've recently started limiting the products that I use on my hair because I think a big part of why my hair is snapping is because I have over conditioned it thinking I was doing it good. My hair was coming out badly when it was wet (and a little whilst dry).
Since then, I've been trying to balance it with protein, using lee stafford hair growth treatment once a week and redken anti-snap leave in treatment (both packed with protein). It seems to have improved a little but I'm not sure of that's because I'm being a lot more gentle with it... I don't use heat anymore and I never brush it- only comb with a wide tooth comb (never when wet).
As for colouring, I got cocky. I used to go to the hairdressers to get my roots done, they used a high lift tint mixed with a little bit of bleach, then a toner over the top and the condition was great. About 6 months ago I decided to start doing it mysef to save money and because my hairdresser wasn't getting the colour right, I was leaving the salon still with yellow roots.
I started doing it myself with bleach and the condition was still fine up until a couple of weeks ago when I started noticing breakage.
I certainly won't be colouring it myself again, I've been told by my hairdresser friend that it's so difficult to do your own roots that I've probably been unintentially overlapping, despite how careful I thought I was being!

I take 10,000mcg of biotin and 60mg of sea kelp a day.

Sorry about the mammoth reply!

As for protective styling, I never knew there was such a thing! I will look into it. And by volumising products I mean the volumising powders (such as Schwarzkopf dust -it) because my hair is very soft and tends to fall flat


Sorry I thought you posted you have 2c hair (wavy with curls to the ends) I don't even know where I got that from!!!!

Well on the plus side you know what you have done to damage your hair so you know what not to do in future. Hydrolysed protein is excellent but do not overdo it, it can make your hair dry and brittle. Balance that out with coconut oil treatments to reduce porosity, increase elasticity and protect from further structural protein loss. The Redken Anti-Snap contains more useful ingredients (18-MEA, ceramides, silicones, protein) than the Lee Stafford (basic conditioner base, silicones, protein) plus leaving in is better than wetting your hair for long periods, consider switching the Lee Stafford for overnight pure coconut oil treatments on dry hair, twice a week if you wash that often.

You might also lay off the volumising powder, these are sticky and your hands or comb may snag on your weakened hair - when hair is in a bad way you want plenty of 'slip'/ friction reduction which is where silicones are of use. Try getting volume from root clipping whilst drying, overnight protective styles on the top of your head (loose 'pineapple' or loose braid).

Protective styles are keeping your hair up and out of the way as much as possible, especially tucking away the ends. Styles should be quite loose and use gentle secures - scrunchies, silk or satin ribbon, terry cotton ponios, Spin Pins, hair sticks, beak clips and the like. This is so the hairs don't rub on one another or your clothing, don't get caught behind your back when you sit, don't get tangled or need frequent combing - all these are damaging over time (mechanical damage).

HTH!

Jennielee88
October 6th, 2013, 12:39 PM
Sorry I thought you posted you have 2c hair (wavy with curls to the ends) I don't even know where I got that from!!!!

Well on the plus side you know what you have done to damage your hair so you know what not to do in future. Hydrolysed protein is excellent but do not overdo it, it can make your hair dry and brittle. Balance that out with coconut oil treatments to reduce porosity, increase elasticity and protect from further structural protein loss. The Redken Anti-Snap contains more useful ingredients (18-MEA, ceramides, silicones, protein) than the Lee Stafford (basic conditioner base, silicones, protein) plus leaving in is better than wetting your hair for long periods, consider switching the Lee Stafford for overnight pure coconut oil treatments on dry hair, twice a week if you wash that often.

You might also lay off the volumising powder, these are sticky and your hands or comb may snag on your weakened hair - when hair is in a bad way you want plenty of 'slip'/ friction reduction which is where silicones are of use. Try getting volume from root clipping whilst drying, overnight protective styles on the top of your head (loose 'pineapple' or loose braid).

Protective styles are keeping your hair up and out of the way as much as possible, especially tucking away the ends. Styles should be quite loose and use gentle secures - scrunchies, silk or satin ribbon, terry cotton ponios, Spin Pins, hair sticks, beak clips and the like. This is so the hairs don't rub on one another or your clothing, don't get caught behind your back when you sit, don't get tangled or need frequent combing - all these are damaging over time (mechanical damage).

HTH!

Oh that was because when I was signing up , I didn't know what they all meant, so I clicked on a random one! I've removed it off my profile now because I'm not sure which category my hair would fall under.

Thanks for all your advice, that's loads of things for me to think about! I'm slapping some coconut oil on as we speak :)

Babzilla
October 6th, 2013, 12:48 PM
An ammonia-free lightening system is the best way with an oil lightener (like the others have said) for root touch ups.

0xalis
October 6th, 2013, 01:42 PM
Ick. After I bleached my hair every strand ended in a split. I envy anyone who can put their hair through that and still have it grow- let alone find no damage! :agape:

goldenlady
October 6th, 2013, 04:44 PM
I would personally lay off most products.. Just a good shampoo/conditioner/oil... I found that anything else seems to weaken my hair more. Bleached hair is very porous.

Jennielee88
October 7th, 2013, 01:31 AM
I would personally lay off most products.. Just a good shampoo/conditioner/oil... I found that anything else seems to weaken my hair more. Bleached hair is very porous.

Thats what I've found too... I only really noticed any damage after I started using lots of deep conditioners etc. it made my hair too fragile when wet and almost 'melt' away with my comb D: I've cut right down on my products now, it seems to be better. It took a while up take its toll, I've been bleaching for over a year now and until recently I never even so much as had a split end, now I have a few snapped pieces