Protecting bleached natural hair

Bleaching hair is something that can be a fun, new way to spice up your curly look. It can even help you get those super bright or pastel colors to show up when you dye it, if you have dark hair. While bleaching could be a fun option, it can do a lot of harm to your curls and could potentially damage them to where the curls aren’t the same as they were before. Luckily, there are ways to still protect your curls and prevent them from getting a little too bleached.  

The first thing you want to do is prepare to your hair. Bleaching is something that is very harsh on the hair and can go poorly, especially if you choose to bleach it yourself instead of going to a professional. The best way to prepare your hair is to condition and moisturize your hair routinely, more than your normal hair care regimen. For me, I normally redo my hair every three days, moisturize once a day, and wash and condition once a week, sometimes every two weeks. Your normal regimen will vary for each hair type; however, preparation will need to have more moisturizing and conditioning. This conditioning should go on for a least a week before dying.  

When it comes to the bleaching, you want to make sure you get the correct developer for bleaching. If you get a developer that’s too strong, you could risk your hair falling out or other extreme damage. Stronger developers are usually for those with extremely dark hair. Unless you have 1B, or Jet black hair, try to use developers that are easier on the hair. When bleaching, be gentle on the hair and move relatively quick so that it does not sit too long on your hair.  

If you choose to dye your hair after bleaching to get a bright color on it, there are also ways to dye without completing killing your hair. One of these methods is the water dye method. You put some hair dye in a bucket, mix in water, and once you reach the desired color you can begin to dye the hair by thoroughly dipping the hair in the mixture. Repeat this until you get the desired color on your hair. You can add more dye as needed. When done, be sure to condition once the hair is dry. The other method is to mix the dye with a conditioner and then you can put the mixture directly on the hair. This will condition the hair while dyeing. When done, condition again. 

When bleaching is complete, make sure to follow up with heavy conditioning to put some strength back into the hair. Bleaching and dying routines are super repetitive and tedious, though it’s worth the process. Be sure to maintain good care of your hair. Be cautious that even if you follow a strict conditioning routine that your curls may still get damaged or your curl pattern may change. Make sure that fun doesn’t result in having to get another big chop.