You Shouldn’t Even Try This On Recently Bleached Hair

Experimenting with vibrant hair colours is always exciting. But this means a bleaching treatment is mandatory considering our dark Indian hair types. Our natural hair colour needs to be lifted by many levels with the help of bleach so that it gets lighter and catches on vibrant hair colour hues like pinks and blues. Kudos to you if you have decided to take the plunge. Although, this means it’s time to understand what it really takes to maintain your hair health post a hair colour treatment that involves bleach. If you’re clueless and kind of weary about what to do with your freshly bleached locks, here’s the lowdown. There are certain hair care rules to follow. And that includes avoiding a few seemingly basic haircare steps. Read on

6 Things To Avoid Doing When You’ve Just Bleached Your Hair

Hair Wash, What?

Rule #1: do not wash your hair. We don’t mean don’t wash your hair ever, but just for the next 3 to 4 days. Water is a big no-no when it comes to freshly bleached hair. Water from the shower or tap contains metal trace elements that can deposit on your hair and ruin everything. Since your hair is freshly bleached, it is in a vulnerable state and it needs to maintain whatever natural oils it has. Water can make bleached hair very dry and therefore you should avoid a hair wash for at least 3 days straight after bleaching. When it is finally time to wash your hair, use sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners only.

Comb Out!

Another thing to avoid is combing your hair, period. Until your hair starts feeling healthier, you will have to detangle your hair with your fingers alone. Combs and brushes will cause too much friction for your now colour-treated hair to handle. Bleach makes your hair brittle and prone to breakage, so it is best to keep combs away and gently detangle them with your fingers after applying serum.

Too Hot To Handle

Do not heat style your hair at any cost. You don’t want to put your hair through heat damage even if you do use a heat protectant product. It’s best to avoid heat styling for a few weeks at least, during which time you should focus on nursing your hair back to a healthier state. Staying away from heat styling tools takes you one step closer to gaining back strength and elasticity in your hair.

Conditions Apply

Whether you’ve coloured hair at the salon or at home, it is time for some serious at-home haircare treatments. If you have only gone blonde without any vibrant colour over the bleach, you will need to use a purple shampoo to tone down any yellow tones in your hair at least once a week. Load up on hydrating shampoos and conditioners that also help protect your hair colour. Never skip conditioner. And it is strongly recommended to indulge in a hair mask once a week.

Don’t Let Me Down

In case you’re travelling, clip your hair up and cover it if possible too. The wind is your hair’s enemy now. You can of course let your hair down once you’ve reached your destination but it is best to use smart hair accessories and hair updos if it’s an open-air space. You best maintain this until your hair has recovered a bit. Even when it comes to air drying without heat, use a microfibre towel to dry your hair for the best results.

Oil Is A BIG No

Heavy oils like organic coconut oil are not a good idea when you’ve just bleached your hair. These kinds of thick carrier hair oils will weigh your hair down and cause breakage. If you really want to oil your hair, opt for argan oil instead as it is more lightweight. Argan oil is one of the best hair oils for bleached hair recommended by salon pros as well. Applying serum religiously multiple times a day in the first week of your new hair colour debut is in your best interest. A little goes a long way. So heat up a little serum in your palms and gently run your hands through your hair whenever you can to help your bleached hair get stronger.