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View Full Version : Bleaching prep - The night before. Advice please?



JustPam
April 28th, 2016, 02:57 AM
So I'm getting my balayage tomorrow morning, and just wondering what preparation I should do tonight if any. I don't tend to deep condition any more because it gets weighed down super easy in it's current state (straight, virgin, kinda thin) but I have done a protein treatment recently (2 weeks ago I think) because ends were getting rough. Should I oil and wash normally tonight rather than wash and DC to avoid possible (read: inevitable) residue? Will either affect the bleach process in an adverse way??

Horrorpops
April 28th, 2016, 03:33 AM
Do a coconut oil soak tonight, leave it in and don't wash it out.

Meteor has the research but essentially coconut oil left on hair while bleaching it is protective and reduces the damage bleach can do. :o And based off others experience it doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the bleach. So you get the same lightening but less damage. Win win!

Good luck :cheer:

ETA: how exciting! Please post update pics of the balayage!!

JustPam
April 28th, 2016, 04:02 AM
Do a coconut oil soak tonight, leave it in and don't wash it out.

Meteor has the research but essentially coconut oil left on hair while bleaching it is protective and reduces the damage bleach can do. :o And based off others experience it doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the bleach. So you get the same lightening but less damage. Win win!

Good luck :cheer:

ETA: how exciting! Please post update pics of the balayage!!

I really need to wash tonight, my roots are full of dry shampoo and hairspray and general dirt. I could oil length after then and let it soak in overnight, I do have coconut oil but I'm not keen on it, does it have to be that or could I use my grapeseed/jojoba oil? I have asked them to use olaplex and I'm only aiming for a 2 level lift, so I don't know if I'm just being paranoid and overprotective.

Horrorpops
April 28th, 2016, 04:34 AM
All l the research I've seen has been based on coconut oil (I think due to its penetrating qualities) and I haven't heard anything about replacing it with jojoba oil etc. However I guess if it doesn't usually agree with your hair you may have to weight up the benefits.

I was going to ask if they're using olaplex! That's great! I still think minimising as much damage as you can is a good idea, even with the olaplex treatments. Given this is the LHC Forum I don't think you are being paranoid or overprotective around bleach at all! :)

However with all things considered plenty of people bleach their hair without coconut oil soaks beforehand so I don't think it's life or death. I've just heard really good things about it and bleach.

butterflybutton
April 28th, 2016, 04:47 AM
Nope don't wash it!!!! None of that stuff matters that's in there. The dirtier the better. Just detangle and coconut oil it!

edit: the bleach will eat though any dirt, and it doesn't affect the lightening

Anje
April 28th, 2016, 05:38 AM
Agree, coconut oil and don't wash your hair. Hair should be dirty when you bleach, and it'll all get washed out anyway. But coconut oil specifically has a protective effect (not certain what it is, but there's some evidence that it can bind up copper ions, which is important) so it's worth getting some and using it.

lapushka
April 28th, 2016, 05:46 AM
Coconut oil is great... if of course your stylist doesn't decide that you're a greaseball and need some heavy shampooing - because then... you might as well have done nothing. And they will be washing it prior to the treatment... until all the grease is *out*.

So... yeah. I don't mean to rain on your parade...

Horrorpops
April 28th, 2016, 06:04 AM
Coconut oil is great... if of course your stylist doesn't decide that you're a greaseball and need some heavy shampooing - because then... you might as well have done nothing. And they will be washing it prior to the treatment... until all the grease is *out*.

So... yeah. I don't mean to rain on your parade...

True, this all only works if the stylist is cool with it..

AJNinami
April 28th, 2016, 06:10 AM
If your stylist isn't willing to protect your hair, maybe you should find a different one? Just my :twocents:

You don't want to be one of those people that go in for a highlighting and end up with melted off orange hair.. If she's distracted at all during the process, ask her to please pay attention to your head!

tigress86
April 28th, 2016, 06:16 AM
I found this on reddit (someone asked if it was okay to use coconut oil and Olaplex together):
We do not recommend mixing in coconut oil along with Olaplex. It will further dilute the lightener. Also, Olaplex works internally and coconut oil coats the hair, this can cause issues with the efficacy of Olaplex. Following with conditioning agents after Olaplex is what we recommend as Olaplex is unable to address the external part of the hair's separate issues, protein and moisture.

JustPam
April 28th, 2016, 06:37 AM
Yeah way back when I used to bleach my own hair from the roots I would leave it greasy to protect my scalp to some degree (Hair Dye Forum tip), but since I am not getting the roots done it would be kinda pointless and uncomfortable (3rd day itchies). I'm more concerned with the length being prepared and being overall reasonably hygenic looking, so I will just oil lengths after my wash, with the coconut oil since it has those specific properties. Thanks everyone for the input :)


ETA: posted this before tigress86's reply appeared, ok so the olaplex alone will be enough during the process and then condition afterwards.

ETA2: so does a coating on the hair of any kind affect olaplex? Should I use my cone-free condish tonight?

Horrorpops
April 28th, 2016, 07:03 AM
Given tigress' comment I guess you can try going with clean hair. I agree that with balayage unless the bleach is going quite high up having clean roots isn't going to matter (as the scalp oils won't be going down to where the bleach would hit anyways!)

I imagine that if it was super important for the olaplex's effectiveness that you avoid any/all hair coating substances your stylist would have told you to wash without cones or they would do a clarifying wash before bleaching. I personally haven't heard about anyone needing to do that before an olaplex treatment so I think you'll be ok (but then I haven't bleached my hair in a few years and also hadn't heard about the coconut oil-olaplex thing either!) :p

meteor
April 28th, 2016, 09:49 AM
ETA2: so does a coating on the hair of any kind affect olaplex? Should I use my cone-free condish tonight?

That's a good question. I would think that if it were a real problem they would probably have explicitly mentioned it, asking you to show up with freshly clarified hair or even clarify it on the spot.

Honestly, experienced hairdressers themselves tend to recommend that clients show up with styling-product-free but sebumy, unwashed hair for going blonde and then bleach over that. Sure, there is an issue of presentability, but sebum is protecting scalp (and possibly hair) a bit during bleaching session. Coconut oil (or coconut oil + argan oil) is now getting more and more accepted as pre-bleach treatment, so some colorists already know about it - I'd call in advance and check with your colorist if it's OK with her. Oil actually helps spread lightening mix significantly more easily on strands (which is important for highlights/balayage/ kinds of treatment).
(Here is the LHC thread on coconut oil pre-bleach: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=10495)

I'd highly recommend showing up with product-free hair that is as sebumy as possible and with a heavy soak of coconut oil (overnight + some added on top of that in the morning, if it rubbed off). (Personally, I used to get highlights done very frequently years ago, and my worst results (dry, brittle hair) were specifically on freshly washed, crispy clean hair. For what it's worth, the best results I got (shine, no breakage, quick smooth application and problem-free lift) were on unwashed, sebumy and pre-oiled hair.)

Horrorpops
April 28th, 2016, 08:09 PM
How did it go JustPam? :o

JustPam
April 29th, 2016, 06:03 AM
Well to be honest it's not really much different, it's OK, but it's not near as light as I wanted it. The girl didn't even use bleach, the bits she done are only about half a shade lighter. So I'm a bit disappointed, but I had already been in there for over an hour and a half and I really couldn't be bothered sitting longer. It just looks like I've had a few days in the sun. At least I know for next time to have a picture to show what I want.

Horrorpops
April 29th, 2016, 06:06 AM
Well to be honest it's not really much different, it's OK, but it's not near as light as I wanted it. The girl didn't even use bleach, the bits she done are only about half a shade lighter. So I'm a bit disappointed, but I had already been in there for over an hour and a half and I really couldn't be bothered sitting longer. It just looks like I've had a few days in the sun. At least I know for next time to have a picture to show what I want.

Oh wow. That's a shame! How was she planning on lightening the hair without bleach?
Yes, I think taking pictures is such a good idea, especially with balayage which can look so different. Are you going back any time soon?

JustPam
April 29th, 2016, 06:58 AM
Oh wow. That's a shame! How was she planning on lightening the hair without bleach?
Yes, I think taking pictures is such a good idea, especially with balayage which can look so different. Are you going back any time soon?

I don't know what she used, I think I overemphasized "not bleach blonde" too much and she took that as "no bleach". I'll wait a month maybe before going back for more.

Horrorpops
April 29th, 2016, 07:05 AM
Oh no, I hate those kind of miscommunications... I guess at least she didn't damage your hair though! Did she still do the olaplex?

Anje
April 29th, 2016, 12:11 PM
I don't know what she used, I think I overemphasized "not bleach blonde" too much and she took that as "no bleach". I'll wait a month maybe before going back for more.

You know, it might be worth looking at samples of hair with the different "levels" of color, and tell her that you want it to be, say, level 7 on the lightest parts. That'll give them a much clearer idea of what you've got in mind. Ideally, find a swatch of those levels in person (salon probably has one), rather than judging from pictures online.