Should I chop the bleach damage off again?

[malin_798]

Hi guys!

Ok, so I've been growing my hair out since June last year (after major cut from BSL) and I juuust got to APL. Because of old bleach damage I feel like it's been taking forever and just breaking off. I have come to the point where I consider chopping it off to almost shoulder length, a bit shorter, and with lots of layers to get all the bleach out. It looks as if the bleach is travelling up the hair because the demarcation line has barely moved on the top of the hair... And the layers just keep breaking off. I want to grow it out and I don't want to keep trimming it every 2-3 months any more (I take good care of it so I shouldn't need to). I also hate the rough, dry, and hay-like feeling of the damaged hair. I believe it will go a lot faster to grow it out to APL again if I cut it, then I don't have to trim any growth off for months.. I just want to start growing it all ready!! :rolleyes: :P

Any one who had this issue before? What did you do? Should I cut it off again? Or should I chop the bleach off the bottom and layer the heck out of the rest of the hair? I will need layers from the ears down.

[jacqueline101]

I'd trim it a little at a time until the damage is gone.

[buttercupmcgee]

I had this issue! I was blonde for years and when I dyed it back to my natural dark color, you could literally feel a texture difference with your hand where the bleach started as it grew out. I waited until it reached chin and hacked off the blonde bits, and the growth was much easier, because there much less breakage as there had been on the vulnerable blonde bits. It grew out more uniform which made it feel quicker.

[spidermom]

If it were me, I'd get the rest of the damage cut off. I have no patience for grow a bit/cut a bit.

[bunzfan]

When i had colouring damage i used coconut oil a lot like almost every day and it help massively but my hair felt so much nicer when i cut it out but were are only talking a couple of inches here.

What about maintaining for 6 months instead of chopping it all off again i'm sure you would be frustrated to start again.

[Covet]

I am going through the exact same problem! I've been growing bleach out since September (which was my last dye job, a horrendous full head of highlights) and I've even been tempted to shave my head because of the upset it's caused, it feels horrible. I totally understand the frustration.

Check this thread out here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51155) :)

ETA: to answer your question lol, I would chop. Only because your hair is long enough for you to comfortably pull it off without going for any extreme cuts. I would imagine it'd feel like a weight off your shoulders, and I can't wait to do it myself when my regrowth is long enough.

[Madora]

I'd get rid of all the damage, period.

Also, I would not get layers, if you intend to do any type of braids or updos.

Concentrate on restoring your hair to a healthy state first before thinking of anything else.

[lapushka]

If the bleach damage is easy to handle (hardly tangles, dryness), then I'd continue to grow & trim like you've been doing so far. If the bleach damage is too bad to handle properly, then yes I'd cut it off in one go.

[Amber_Maiden]

I'd chop off all the damage of I were you.

[leslissocool]

I was you, This (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=6166&pictureid=80557)picture is from when I chopped my long hair because of bleach damage to get it somewhat good.

I am now at TB. I have a about 2 inches bleach damage left. When I was starting to grow it out, I trimmed the most of damage off because it was breaking. I kept my hair shoulder to BSL until it wasn't breaking anymore, before I let it grow.

[honeydippedxo]

I'd get rid of the damage and be done with it. Also if you are going for layers just to get rid of the damage...I would forget about that too. You don't want to have the "should I grow out my layers or just chop it off and start over?" problem. But if that's the look you want then go for it.

[Java]

My hair has had some serious damage done to it, and I was able to grow it out with lots of deep treatments. I preferred that to starting short. At times, I was able to get the damage feeling pretty good! I would try the Caramel Treatment or some kind of treatment to see where that gets you first.

[malin_798]

Thank you for all your replies! :flower:

I think I'll do as most of you suggested, just chop it off. I'm not a very patient person. I don't think I can stand another year and a half growing the damaged hair out :P The difference in quality is huge..


I am going through the exact same problem! I've been growing bleach out since September (which was my last dye job, a horrendous full head of highlights) and I've even been tempted to shave my head because of the upset it's caused, it feels horrible. I totally understand the frustration.

Check this thread out here (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=51155) :)

ETA: to answer your question lol, I would chop. Only because your hair is long enough for you to comfortably pull it off without going for any extreme cuts. I would imagine it'd feel like a weight off your shoulders, and I can't wait to do it myself when my regrowth is long enough.

I know, I just wanted to shave it all off today. I'm soo sick of it right now.


I'd get rid of all the damage, period.

Also, I would not get layers, if you intend to do any type of braids or updos.

Concentrate on restoring your hair to a healthy state first before thinking of anything else.

I'm going to do that, get my hair healthy again and get rid of the damage. I'm not really a big fan of updos anyway, I have my two or three different ones and they work with layers because I have them now too :)

[PixxieStix]

glad to hear you've decided on a course of action that suits you. :)

[Alvrodul]

I hope your hair will feel better after you have introduced your hair to the scissors. I know mine did - I got rid of the last of the old dye damage last summer. :)

[malin_798]

My hair has had some serious damage done to it, and I was able to grow it out with lots of deep treatments. I preferred that to starting short. At times, I was able to get the damage feeling pretty good! I would try the Caramel Treatment or some kind of treatment to see where that gets you first.

Caramel Treatment? That sounds yummy! :D What is that?

[malin_798]

glad to hear you've decided on a course of action that suits you. :)


I hope your hair will feel better after you have introduced your hair to the scissors. I know mine did - I got rid of the last of the old dye damage last summer. :)

Thank you! :) You're lucky to have all healthy hair! :)

[Long_hair_bear]

Hi guys!

Ok, so I've been growing my hair out since June last year (after major cut from BSL) and I juuust got to APL. Because of old bleach damage I feel like it's been taking forever and just breaking off. I have come to the point where I consider chopping it off to almost shoulder length, a bit shorter, and with lots of layers to get all the bleach out. It looks as if the bleach is travelling up the hair because the demarcation line has barely moved on the top of the hair... And the layers just keep breaking off. I want to grow it out and I don't want to keep trimming it every 2-3 months any more (I take good care of it so I shouldn't need to). I also hate the rough, dry, and hay-like feeling of the damaged hair. I believe it will go a lot faster to grow it out to APL again if I cut it, then I don't have to trim any growth off for months.. I just want to start growing it all ready!! :rolleyes: :P

Any one who had this issue before? What did you do? Should I cut it off again? Or should I chop the bleach off the bottom and layer the heck out of the rest of the hair? I will need layers from the ears down.

No choppy! lol in all seriousness, you do what you like, but I didnt chop mine off. I bleached all my hair (pre LHC) to make it purple. However, now Im letting it grow out and am just trimming off the damage little by little. My hair was surprisingly resilient through the whole thing and still looks healthy, so the thought never occurred to me to wack it all off. I guess it depends on your hair's state.

[malin_798]

No choppy! lol in all seriousness, you do what you like, but I didnt chop mine off. I bleached all my hair (pre LHC) to make it purple. However, now Im letting it grow out and am just trimming off the damage little by little. My hair was surprisingly resilient through the whole thing and still looks healthy, so the thought never occurred to me to wack it all off. I guess it depends on your hair's state.

Haha, yes choppy ;) I think I just have to do it and get it over with. But then, no choppy!! :) After that haircut I will be able to go like a year without trimming.. I have to trim all of my hair every 2-3 months right now, because it doesn't look healthy like yours :/ I think it's more important to have healthy hair right now. I can hardly even look at my stupid multi-colored-orange hair :P

[barely.there]

I agree with the others that you should chop it all off, and perhaps even an extra one inch above the bleached parts. Reason being, is when I had bleached highlights, i had so many split ends it was unreal even though I was getting trims a few times a year. Doesn't work that way. the split ends up work their way up and into the healthy part damaging the rest of your hair. It must go.

[bubblyredhead]

I say if you are fine with loosing the length to get rid of the damage then go choppy AND do the treatments for healthy hair. I am extremely impatient I would be chopping it off already at home with scissors like i did before... I would avoid that and go to a salon and get a cut you like and that will grow out nicely and go from there.

[mzBANGBANG]

I had 3-4 inches of bleach damage that I managed to do away with over the course of 3 months, per recommendation of my friend and hairdresser. Her advice was that if I got the 4 inches cut off entirely, over time (since I don't like to trim) my ends would just end up looking raggedy anyway and I'd hate the length. I took off a little less than an inch a month and was able to grow a bit over an inch while trimming. I always put my hair into a high pony tail, flipped it over my head so I could see the ends, and "dusted" off the damaged looking ends maybe once a week. It was frustrating while waiting for it to get better, but now I am really happy. If you only have a couple of inches of damage, this could work for you, however if the damage is the length of the hair it might be a good idea to take off a bit more and continue dusting until it is all gone. I think no matter how you choose to cut it bit by bit or all at once, it will be doing your hair a favor. Just depends on how attached to having length you are.

ETA: Just read through completely and saw you have come to a decision... probably should have read that before replying, glad you were able to figure it out!

[Java]

Here is some info on the 'Caramel Treatment'
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=454

Best of Luck!

[malin_798]

Thank you all for taking time to help me :) :flower: I'm going to check out the caramel treatment..

and hopefully I will have virgin hair soon :D

[morrigan*]

I didn't chop mine of but i bleached it only once almost two years ago, and my under layer is almost grown out, only on canopy it's still few inches of damage, but i just s&d reguraly.

But if you bleached your hair several times, then i will chop most of damage off, or at least 2 or 3 inches.