Bleach vs. Health Dilemma

[kikikhaleesi]

Hi Everyone! :pumpkin:
I've been going back and forth with this dilemma I have. I'm in no rush to decide, but I like having a plan.

Basically, I need opinions / reasons on whether I should highlight my hair to blend my light blonde balayage with my dark blonde roots that are growing in.
To give some background, I went to get balayage from a hairstylist in May 2018 and she pretty much just dyed / put HEAVY highlights on my hair - causing a dramatic line as it grows out. This is exactly what I didn't want - I wanted balayage to AVOID the dreaded line (I'm lazy and don't want to have to go to the salon for upkeep). Anyway, in July, I couldn't stand how it was growing out, so I hunted down a hairstylist that knows what she's doing. She did a great job, correcting the "balayage" as much as she could. She said that I'd have to come back in a couple months (which I've been postponing while trying to decide) to get partial highlights in order to actually blend the balayage into my roots for a great-looking grow-out that I wanted in the first place.

The problem is that I am scared to go get highlights when I'm trying to grow out my hair long. It's at BSL/MBL right now and my goal is waist (I just chopped 1 inch to get rid of layers and even the hemline). I joined LHC recently and now realize that bleach is NOT going to benefit my hair growth. I now know that I shouldn't have even done the initial balayage in the first place - I regret that and wish I could undo all of this. But now I'm in this dilemma on looks vs. health. I'm focused on healthy hair and growing, but I also want my color not to look horrid as it grows long. The roots / color are about 1 1/2 inches grown out, and I want to not be self-conscious about the slight color line as it grows out more. I don't know what to do!! I feel like I'm leaning towards not getting the highlights, but I go back and forth! Please help. Thank you in advance. I'm sorry this is so long. :o

[akurah]

I would personally get the color correction done, it’s pretty demoralizing to have mismatched colors that you don’t want. Depending on your natural color, though, you might be able to do it without bleach. How dark/light is your hair naturally? If it’s darker, why not an all-over deposit only dye in your natural shade?

[kikikhaleesi]

I would personally get the color correction done, it’s pretty demoralizing to have mismatched colors that you don’t want. Depending on your natural color, though, you might be able to do it without bleach. How dark/light is your hair naturally? If it’s darker, why not an all-over deposit only dye in your natural shade?

Yes, I agree. It just doesn't make you feel great. I'm not sure if this picture / link is working below, but my natural blonde (what my roots are now) is between a 6/7 and the bleached hair is about a 9. So it isn't the worst it could be, but it still makes me annoyed. I hope this helps. Thanks!

https://www.google.com/search?q=levels+of+blonde&safe=active&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=u_Iw5uGvzz-khM%253A%252C_Tc2s6vXtVbUBM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kRbN3Mr_Yv3QmtvF7rVf8MybyqEqA&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwji0auRz-3dAhWPJnwKHbbKBzYQ9QEwA3oECAAQCg#imgrc=u_Iw5uGvzz-khM:

[Zesty]

If it bothers you enough I don't see any reason not to get it to where you feel comfortable with the look as it grows out. Your hair should be fun and make you feel pretty. :) Yes, your hair probably won't reach its longest possible length if you bleach it, but waist is *totally* doable with bleach, especially if your hair is already light. If *I* bleached to that color, that might be a different story. :p

Hopefully Ylva will chime in, she always has informative things to say about bleach.

[kikikhaleesi]

If it bothers you enough I don't see any reason not to get it to where you feel comfortable with the look as it grows out. Your hair should be fun and make you feel pretty. :) Yes, your hair probably won't reach its longest possible length if you bleach it, but waist is *totally* doable with bleach, especially if your hair is already light. If *I* bleached to that color, that might be a different story. :p

Hopefully Ylva will chime in, she always has informative things to say about bleach.

Thank you, Zesty, I appreciate your input! It makes me feel better getting some other opinions and the thoughts behind them. I see my self getting to waist and maintaining it there, but want it to be full and healthy. I still have some heat damage at the ends of my hair from a couple years ago and learned the hard way when I still have some breakage. I'm trying to keep it strong, but I think you're right - highlighting my roots a little shouldn't be too bad. And then hopefully that would be the end of it. :)

[Rowdy]

Could you get some lowlights pulled through the bulk instead?

[Zesty]

Thank you, Zesty, I appreciate your input! It makes me feel better getting some other opinions and the thoughts behind them. I see my self getting to waist and maintaining it there, but want it to be full and healthy. I still have some heat damage at the ends of my hair from a couple years ago and learned the hard way when I still have some breakage. I'm trying to keep it strong, but I think you're right - highlighting my roots a little shouldn't be too bad. And then hopefully that would be the end of it. :)

I think you've got it right. Especially if the stylist is good and can just do your roots in the way you're describing, it shouldn't be too detrimental. And it sounds like you're not too far away from waist? Anyway, doing this and then patiently growing it out and trimming your way to your goal of healthy (virgin?) WL hair sounds like a grand idea to me.

[akurah]

Also keep in mind that bleach on already light hair is going to be less damaging than bleach on darker hair because it doesn’t have to be left on as long.

[Ylva]

Hopefully Ylva will chime in, she always has informative things to say about bleach.

Zesty, that was a wonderful statement and it made me very happy indeed! How cool to hear that someone considers me informative! :D


Also keep in mind that bleach on already light hair is going to be less damaging than bleach on darker hair because it doesn’t have to be left on as long.

It's not as much about the time it's left on as it is about the strength of the developer, in my experience. I am naturally dark blonde (level 7) and bleach sits in my hair for nearly one hour. However, the developer is only 20 vol. and it has Olaplex mixed into it, so my hair comes out feeling pretty much like virgin.

If I were you, kikikhaleesi, I'd go ahead and have it done. Bleaching your hair once for a couple of levels isn't going to damage you much. You need no higher developer than 20, perhaps even 10 if you're having it done without Olaplex, but definitely do ask for Olaplex and hopefully the professional will determine the best developer for you, but I would feel super suspicious if he/she suggests anything higher than 20. I have this all planned out for myself. When - and I mean when, not if - I am done being platinum blonde, I will fade it out to my natural colour with highlights, and perhaps lowlights on the existing blonde. That way I'll feel much happier about growing it out and it won't feel like a drag, "I just want to get rid of this hair".

[esfand]

Get it done, and use Olaplex! Your hair will feel better than before the dye job.

[Rhoward]

Could you get some lowlights pulled through the bulk instead?

This would be my advice too, get lowlights in your natural colour, no bleach, minimal damage and no more upkeep after you've done it making it easy to grow out and still feel good about how it looks in the process.

[kikikhaleesi]

Thank you, everyone! I think you're all in agreement to just get it done! That really helps me. Ylva, yes, I use Olaplex every time and I trust this hairstylist so that's good! My hair seems to feel a little more dry after I get it bleached, but then in a week or two it goes back to normal again. And I totally get what you're saying - I want to enjoy my hair while it's getting longer and not be annoyed! You all have great ideas about how to grow it out (lowlights with highlights, etc.) so I think I will talk to my hairstylist and see what she says since they are all good options!

[Dark40]

I agree with akurah. You can still achieve waist length hair with doing the bleach. Since your hair is already light.

[lucid]

I would get it done. Waist isn't really super long, so your hair would probably not have much issues with color at that length.

[lapushka]

Highlights don't touch the roots, so it's not like "full-on" bleach. It's much safer for the roots of the hair. Yes, of course there's the hair itself, but if you're not as dark, they're not going to have to lighten it a lot.

I'd go for it, if you have the itch and especially if it will make you feel a whole lot better about your hair.

It's not the end of the world. :)