How to Fix Bleach-Damaged Hair: 10 Tips for Care & Repair
Do you want to make your bleach-damaged hair soft and silky again? Getting back that radiant shine and softness your hair once had will take some effort, but don’t give up hope. The right care and repair strategies can bring your hair back to life!
Bleach is a necessary part of the process for achieving the perfect shade of blond or creating a blank canvas for vibrant colors. But it can also leave your hair feeling dry, brittle, and far from its silky best.
Below, we’ll guide you through 10 essential tips to fix and repair bleach-damaged hair so you can reclaim your silky, shiny strands. Here’s everything you need to know to transform your tresses!
10 Tips to Fix and Repair Bleach-Damaged Hair
Your hair’s color comes from a pigment called melanin, which is found inside the hair shaft. Each hair shaft is covered by a protective layer of protein scales known as the cuticle. When you bleach your hair, the bleach opens up the cuticle to alter the melanin.
This bleaching process strips away natural moisture and protective fibers, leading to high-porosity hair that loses moisture quickly. The cuticle can no longer lay flat, which gives it a puffy or frizzy appearance. It can’t hold moisture, so it becomes dry, brittle, and prone to split ends and breakage.
In order to fix bleach-damaged hair, you need to restore lost moisture and repair the cuticle. Here are 10 steps you can take to mitigate existing damage and ensure that your hair grows back healthier and stronger than ever.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
Bleach-damaged hair is starved for moisture, so this is the time to pull out all the stops! Adding moisture back into the hair will make the biggest difference in how it looks and feels.
Start by using our intensively nourishing Honey-Infused Hair Mask to deep condition your hair twice a week. It’s formulated with Mirsalehi honey, our favorite natural humectant, coconut oil, and flower extracts to deeply penetrate the hair shaft and provide much-needed hydration and nourishment.
After your shower, apply our Honey Infused Hair Repair Serum to your towel-dried hair. Clinically proven to deliver five times more moisture and smoothness, this keratin-rich formula repairs and strengthens damaged hair, seals split ends, and reduces breakage.
For intensive hydration and nourishment during styling, use our Honey Infused Hair Oil as the last step in your routine. The honey-infused formula contains nourishing oils from the Mirsalehi Bee Garden to instantly eliminate frizz and add luminous shine.
Avoid Chemical Treatments
It may seem obvious, but it’s important to understand that using chemical treatments on bleach-damaged hair will only lead to more harm. Chemical processes like coloring, perming, or relaxing can further weaken your hair, exacerbating dryness and breakage.
During your hair’s recovery process, steer clear of any additional chemical treatments. Give your hair the time it needs to heal and rebuild its natural strength and moisture balance. Embrace your current color and texture and focus on nurturing your strands back to health. Your hair will thank you for the break.
Use a Keratin-Rich Treatment
Getting your hair back to healthy and strong means repairing the cuticle. Keratin is a protein that makes up the structure of your hair, and using a keratin-rich treatment can help rebuild and strengthen damaged strands.
Incorporate our Honey-Infused Hair Repair Serum into your routine after every wash. The concentrated formula delivers natural keratin and nutrients to the hair shaft, reinforcing the cuticle and providing intensive repair, leaving your hair stronger, smoother, and less prone to breakage and split ends.
The serum should be applied to damp, towel-dried hair for best absorption. Focus on the mid-lengths to the ends where damage is often the most severe. Regular use will help restore your hair’s resilience and shine, making it look and feel healthier over time.
Be Careful with Chlorine
Bleach-damaged hair is particularly vulnerable to the drying effects of chlorine. Not only can chlorine give blond hair a green tint, but it can also dry your hair out even more, leading to more damage and breakage.
If you can’t resist a dip in the pool, take precautions to protect your hair. Before you dive in, thoroughly soak your hair with fresh water. This helps reduce the amount of chlorine your hair absorbs.
After swimming, rinse your hair again with fresh water to wash away any lingering chlorine. For adding protection, consider using a swimming cap while you’re in the water.
Replace Your Cotton Bath Towel
Replacing your cotton bath towel with a microfiber towel can help mitigate potential breakage caused by towel drying fragile, bleach-damaged hair. Microfiber towels are softer than cotton, so they aren’t as abrasive to the hair, which helps to prevent breakage and frizz.
When drying your hair, wrap it gently with the microfiber towel to soak up moisture. Avoid rubbing your hair with the towel, which can lead to breakage and frizz. Instead, gently squeeze and blot the hair to remove excess water.
Protect Your Hair from the Sun
UV rays can be very damaging and drying to your hair, especially if it is already compromised by bleach damage. To protect your hair from further harm, make a habit of wearing a hat whenever you’re outdoors. Wide-brimmed hats or scarves not only provide excellent protection but also accessorize your look!
Try to stay indoors during the middle of the day when the sun is at its brightest and most intense. If you must be outside, try to stay in the shade and keep your hair covered to protect it from the sun’s harmful rays.
Ditch the Heat Tools
Even though using a heat protectant like our Honey-Infused Hair Repair Serum does help to mitigate the damage caused by heat styling, it’s best to avoid using heat tools altogether while your hair is recovering. High temperatures from blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners can dry out your hair, leading to more breakage.
Opt for heatless hairstyles whenever possible to give your hair a chance to recover from the bleaching process. Allowing your hair to air dry and embracing its natural texture will give it a much-needed break from the stress of heat styling, helping it to recover more quickly and regain its strength and shine.
Avoid Restrictive Hairstyles
When you’re dealing with dry, frizzy, unmanageable bleach-damaged hair, it might be tempting to just throw it up in a ponytail and call it a day. But if you’re using the wrong hair ties or securing your hair too tightly, you might be doing additional harm to already fragile strands.
Traditional elastic hair ties pull on the hair and can break fragile strands. Instead, opt for looser, protective hairstyles that minimize the tension on your hair, and choose hair ties that are designed to gently grip the hair without breakage.
Spiral hair ties and hair ties made from soft, gentle fabrics like silk or satin are less likely to cause damage. Choosing your hairstyles and hair ties carefully can give your hair a break and allow it to recover more quickly.
Get Regular Trims
Regular trims are essential for getting bleach-damaged hair to look healthy again, even if you’re trying to grow it out. Trimming helps to remove split ends, preventing them from traveling further up the hair shaft and causing more breakage. This helps your hair grow stronger.
Aim to get your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Even if it’s just a light trim, removing the damaged ends can make your hair look healthier instantly.
Prioritize a Healthy Diet
Growing new healthy hair is essential for recovering from bleach damage, and one of the best ways to promote healthy hair growth is to eat a healthy diet. Most experts agree that a diet full of lean proteins, healthy fats, and lots of fruits and vegetables ensures that you have the nutrients you need for healthy hair growth.
Lean proteins and legumes provide the building blocks your hair needs for growth and repair. Healthy fats maintain moisture and elasticity. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to support overall hair health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bleach Damaged Hair?
Common signs of bleach-damaged hair include increased brittleness, excessive dryness, a rough or straw-like texture, breakage, and split ends. Your hair may also appear frizzy, lack shine, and have difficulty retaining moisture or holding styles. You may also notice that it tangles easily and that you have more shedding than usual.
Can Bleach Damaged Hair Be Repaired?
Bleach-damaged hair can be repaired and strengthened with consistent care. Regular use of deep conditioning hair masks and keratin-infused serums can restore moisture and rebuild the hair’s structure.
Minimize heat styling, avoid chemical treatments, and use gentle, sulfate-free shampoos to give your hair time to recover. Regular trims can also help remove split ends and promote healthier growth. With patience and care, you can recover from bleach-damaged hair!
Does Bleaching Your Hair Damage It Forever?
Bleaching your hair doesn’t damage it forever, but the recovery time can vary widely depending on the extent of the damage and your individual hair type. It may take several months to a year to see significant improvement.
Intensive moisturization, protein treatments, and regular trims can help to speed up the process. With diligent care, you can restore your hair’s health and vitality over time.
Bring Your Hair Back to Life Again
Recovering from bleach-damaged hair requires patience, care, and the right products. By following the ten tips outlined above, you can bring your hair back to life again!
At Gisou, we believe in the power of natural ingredients like honey, plant-based keratin, and botanical oils to restore and nourish your hair from the inside out. Our honey-infused hair care products are enriched with sustainable Mirsalehi Honey to hydrate and repair bleach-damaged hair and restore its natural radiance.
Discover the transformative benefits of Gisou’s Honey-Infused Hair Care for yourself and take the first steps to healthier, more vibrant hair!
Disclaimer
The information provided on our blog is intended for general informational purposes only. Individual results may vary. We are not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use of the information provided. Our blog may contain links to external websites. We do not endorse the content of these sites and are not responsible for their accuracy, completeness or reliability.
