Help me with my bleach disaster!

[Wellfuckmeinbothears]

I’ve just had a full head of highlights and it has left my hair ruined! It’s straw like and feels horrible plus tonnes of it is coming out when I brush it! I’ve already got olaplex and L’Oréal smart bond and I’ve stopped blow drying/straightening but is there anything else I can do? The ends are like candy floss ☹️

Oh no 😬 Did they use Olaplex during the bleaching?

Did you have a strand test beforehand? You really should go back to your hairdresser. This shouldn't have happened.

Could get get away with taking a few inches off, just to tidy it up? Maybe do a deep treatment and leave it on overnight.

No no olaplex in the actual bleaching! It just keeps snapping off ☹️

I've been there...

You're going to have to spend money on good quality hair care products now. No more L'oreal Paris £2 and the like.

The two best repair products I've used are Apogee protein treatment - disgusting and stinky to use but does make a difference, not easily available as from USA but Amazon has it. Philip Kingsley Elasticicer.

Swap your regular shampoo and conditioner for high end stuff. I started using Aveda Damage Control and Dry Remedy alternately. Got myself a Tangle Teezer. Loads of deep conditioning masks, Morrocanoil ones are good.

There's not much else you can do, I lost a huge load of hair and my hair went really stringy and elastic after using bleach on it 3 times in one day (my fault).

Have you called your hairdresser?

Kerastace ciment products in the green bottles. Always helps.

Second phillip kingsley elasticiser too.

A very good cut would probably be the besy thing for it. Definitely go back to the salon too it sounds like your hair was already damaged before they did it and they shouldn't have if it was really bad or should have just stuck to the roots.

I've just frazzled my hair with repeated bleaching. Just bought and used L'Oréal series lipidium repair mask and it's turned my hair into something resembling hair again, as opposed to candy floss. Kerastase is also good stuff.

Another good mask is coco and eve. I leave it on my highlighted hair over night twice a week.

Coconut oil for a cheap fix leave it on overnight in a shower cap

Get it trimmed

Another vote for Keratase Ciment (green bottle)

Took my naturally fair hair up to platinum 18 months/2 years ago and wrecked it and have spent this year taking it down to soft ash blonde and the Keratase has calmed it without making it greasy.

Olaplex, Apogee, Aveda and Palmers not as effective on my hair.

Costs a fortune however.

I called my hairdressers and she said it was due to being dry already which didn’t warn me about! I’ve ordered the hair elastic thing. What about shampoos and conditioners! But also what do I do about dying it in the future?! I don’t want to risk it being bleached again!

Try not to brush especially when wet and be gentle with a wide toothed comb instead

In future just have ur roots done @Wellfuckmeinbothears. The least the salon should have done is offered you a free treatment btw. They have admitted your hair was over processed before carrying out the highlights. They shouldn't have done them really or given you a choice based on you being given the information on the condition of your hair and what might happen.

Get the kerastase ciment shampoo and conditioner or phillip kingsley does them too. Ive not used the phillip kingsley ones but i suppose would make sense to try those if you have got his elasticiser.

Wet brushes are great for not pulling the hair too much. I would put something like moroccan oil on after washing and either let it dry naturally or dry it off a little with a hairdryer before brushing. The less you can use heat on it the better. Investing in a salt spray might be an option to manage the style whilst the condition improves. You can spray it on whilst hair is damp and it will dry in a tousled beach style.

Sigh
Tired of seeing olaplex being punted out like it will save your hair, it’s not a miracle worker and I’m not sure why salons keep touting it like it is.

Your hairdresser has a poor excuse. I’ve had to sign disclaimers for my hair because it was in poor condition and insisted on a colourant. Don’t take that excuse of your hair was over processed, if that was the case they shouldn’t have touched it.

Also please be careful with overuse of ciment, it’s only full of silicones and silicone build up will encourage more snapping as moisture can’t get in (for lack of a better explanation)

(Also Kerastase is just a more high end brand of L’Oreal, do people realise this?)

Redken Extreme Anti Snap shampoo & conditioner will be your best friend now. It's amazing.

Use a tangle tamer brush but the one fit wet hair (not wide tooth comb) and the extreme leave in conditioner before drying.

Make a hair mask out of:
A banana
Half an avocado
Tablespoon of honey
Tablespoon of oil (argon if you have it, or coconut or olive oil is ok)
Three egg yolks
Bit of yoghurt/water if it's a bit too thick

Blend well and strain

Apply to dry hair. Put in shower cap/wrap head in cling film leave for at least an hour

Rinse out in cool water and spray liberally/rinse with a 50:50 apple cider vinegar and water solution. Don't rinse out (the smell will go as it dries)
Best thing I've ever done to my hair.

You may need to get regular trims if the ends keep breaking. In the meantime, do not use foaming shampoos, use oily based shampoos and just wash twice, there's lot of good stuff out there from khiels and Aveda, and a cheaper brand called something like Shea Black Castor oil shampoo.

For conditioners, use hair masque style deep conditioners every time you wash, allow the time needed for this. Follow up with a good hair oil. I love the dry hair remedy from Aveda at the moment - I put it on when hair is towel dried, then put another lot on after I've dried my hair. I also love "Egyptian magic" at the moment for it's ingredients, but it's more of a pomade so has to be used sparingly.

Thank you for all the tips ladies. I used to have lovely long hair in reasonable condition and have been left with candy floss. I know it’s just hair and it’ll grow back but in so upset! I’ve just noticed the dress I was wearing has also been totally ruined with bleach all around the collar

The more I think about it the more I think you need to go back and complain. Do you have before and after pics?

No just after I could take. Is the bleach damage on clothing quite common?

OK. Calm. I've been here and it's horrendous so you have my full sympathy. You definitely should contact the hairdressers, particularly given the ruined dress.

The hair. You need protein, and moisturiser. Once a week you need to use a protein based deep conditioner, and on a separate day a deep moisturising conditioner. Try not to wash your hair every day, definitely do not straighten and try to avoid blow drying too much. If you do need to blow dry, wait until your hair is mostly dry and blow dry on a low heat setting. Smooth through some argan oil as a leave in which should minimise breakage and control the fluff.

I don't think bleach damage is normal. I would definitely ask for a refund/replacement for too if not everything else.

How was your hair beforehand? Have you been dying it for a long tome or is this the first time. It definitely shouldn't go from good condition to terrible in one visit. That is usually the result of years of bleaching/heat damage.

Highly unlikely you can fix or reverse the damage. It needs cutting off and you need a gentler approach next time.

No, your clothing should have been protected with a gown and towel minimum. In fact I’m surprised you got clothing damage if your hair was in foils/meche

Complain. For sure