Are you a woman of color? You know that girl who wants to try every color of the rainbow in her hair and still have healthy hair at the end of the day?
I will not lie to you, it is not easy to bleach your hair AND play with color AND keep your hair healthy. I cannot stress enough how diligent you have to be about your regimen and avoid anything that will further ‘damage’ your hair.
Bleach can be very drying because you strip the stand of its layers making it thin, porous and weak. I know that sounds bad and it can be if you do not know what you are doing to maintain your hair after bleaching it. If you plan to bleach your hair or use permanent dye you need to follow these three tips:
2. Avoid sulfates
Sulfates are the devil for curly hair generally but they are the devil times two for curly bleached hair. Sulfates are very drying and since your hair is naturally dry already from the bleach, there is no need to make things worse.
Invest in a high-quality sulfate free shampoo that can get your hair clean but not strip it. I have been absolutely loving Carols Daughter Black Vanilla Moisture and Shine sulfate free shampoo and I think it would be perfect for those of you who have chronic dryness and color treated hair.
2. Avoid heat
I would suggest that you do not use heat at all but that is unrealistic. If you do use direct heat try to use it very sparingly if at all is probably a better statement. Direct heat includes flat irons, curling wands, curling irons, crimping devices and blow dryers that can all damage the layers of the strand and cause breakage.
3. Use protein all the time
Deep condition your hair using a protein based conditioner after you cleanse your hair and also add a lot of protein to your pre-poo mixture before you shampoo your hair.
Proteins help to rebuild the strand and can make your hair very strong despite the erosion caused by bleaching. I would also invest in a protein based leave in conditioner that can help to keep your hair healthy. My recommended brand is ApHogee Keratin and Green Tea Restructurizer , it is awesome for color treated hair.
Now for those of us who like temporary color without the bleaching, there are some options on the market. For example, the Jerome Russell BWild Color Spray seen on @itsmyrayeraye on youtube:
If you want vibrant color without the bleach then this line is the one for you. The sprays are very versatile and the color deposited is very rich so you do not have to worry about it looking faded.
On the other hand, the spray does have a very strong smell so if you plan to apply it to your hair, you need to either do it outside or in an area that is very well ventilated.
Another thing you should consider is that the spray can leave your hair on the dry side so when you wash your hair out you should definitely hydrate your hair with a great deep conditioner.
These color options are awesome for a fun day festival or carnival or just a cool special occasion when you want to make a statement.
Feature image – @thasmartista
