If you want to add some color to your double-bleached hair, you are in the right place! Coloring hair that has been bleached twice can be a bit risky, and if you don’t use the right products and methods, you can end up severely damaging your already fragile hair. But if done right, coloring double-bleached hair doesn’t have to end in a disaster.
Before you even buy the color you are going to apply to the hair, keep a few important suggestions in mind. You don’t want to make a mistake just because you didn’t acquire all the facts first.
In this article, we will discuss the key dos and don’ts of coloring double-bleached hair so that you can be totally prepared for the color process. If you apply the suggestions below, you will be one step closer to achieving your perfect hair color without destroying your hair!
Key Things to Know:
Below is the list of “Do’s” and “Don’ts” of coloring double-bleached hair:
DO‘S
- Test the elasticity of your hair before applying color.
- Use a demi-permanent or semi-permanent color.
- Treat your hair after coloring it.
DON’TS
- Use a permanent hair color.
- Color your hair frequently with a demi-permanent color.
- Use heat to process your color.
The Do’s of Coloring Double Bleached Hair
There are three things that you must do in order to effectively color your double-bleached hair while still maintaining its health. After all, there is no use in having the perfect hair color if your hair is damaged, unruly, and altogether a mess.
These steps will ensure that you achieve your dream color while still caring for the health of your double-bleached hair.
#1. Test the Elasticity of Your Double Bleached Hair Before Coloring it
Before even buying the hair color that you are going to use, test the elasticity of your hair in order to discover just how much more it can actually take. Sometimes we have high hopes for our hair, but it tells us otherwise.
What Is the Elasticity of Hair?
Simply put, the elasticity of hair is its ability to stretch. You want your hair to have some elasticity, but not too much. When your hair has the proper level of elasticity, this is a sign that it’s healthy.
How Do I Test the Elasticity of My Hair?
In order to test hair elasticity, isolate a single hair strand. You will need good lighting for this, so make sure to conduct the elasticity test in a well-lit area.
Once you have isolated one strand of hair, hold the bottom end of the strand with one hand, and use your other hand to hold the strand about three inches above. Gently pull each side in opposite directions to create tension on the strand of hair. The hair should stretch a little bit, and then bounce back to normal when you release the tension.
If your hair breaks apart instantly, it is dry and brittle and needs some extra hydration and some serious care. If it never bounces back to normal, and instead stays stretched out and eventually breaks, your hair is severely damaged, and any additional chemical process will damage it even more.
What Do I Do Now?
The elasticity test you have done on hair should have given a good idea about its condition. If your hair is too brittle or elastic, you may need to postpone coloring your hair that is bleached twice already until after you have done some hydration and keratin protein treatments to build its strength back up.
However, if your hair has normal elasticity, meaning that it stretched a little and then bounced back to its original position, get ready to color your double bleached hair!
#2. Use a Demi-Permanent or Semi-permanent Hair Color on Your Double Bleached Hair
As your hair is damaged by previous chemical processes, select a type of hair color that will not cause excessive damage. These would include semi-permanent and demi-permanent hair colors.
What Is a Semi-Permanent Hair Color?
A semi-permanent hair color is one that simply coats the outside of the hair with pigment without opening up the cuticle or outside barrier of the hair. Simply put, semi-permanent hair colors are temporary.
If your double bleached hair is extremely damaged and you don’t think it can handle even one more color process, just apply a semi-permanent color. If you are antsy to color your hair but don’t want to apply any more chemicals to it at this point in time, applying a semi-permanent color will at least be a temporary solution.
In the meantime, you can continue applying moisture and protein treatments to your hair and eventually color it with a demi-permanent hair color.
What Is a Demi-Permanent Hair Color?
A demi-permanent hair color is one that penetrates the outer cuticle, or barrier of the hair, to deposit color. It doesn’t contain ammonia, so it does not penetrate through the core of the hair and it doesn’t remove any pigment from the hair.
(Note: You don’t really need any pigment removed from your hair if it has already been double bleached. Also, the great thing is that it usually lasts up to a couple of months!)
In order for a demi-permanent color to penetrate the outer cuticle of the hair, it’s mixed with a developer or processing solution. So it’s slightly more damaging than a semi-permanent color, which doesn’t open the cuticle of the hair at all.
But the developers used with demi-permanent colors that are not very potent, and therefore are minimally damaging to the hair.
Now it’s time for you to choose!
Whether you choose to use a semi-permanent or demi-permanent hair color is totally up to you, but you can be assured that either one is definitely a “DO!” for double-bleached hair.
#3. Treat Your Double Bleached Hair After Coloring It
The truth is, your hair has been through a lot! And just like you treat yourself with a nice bubble bath after a long, stressful week, your hair needs to be treated with some serious TLC.
After you color the double bleached hair, it’s absolutely necessary that you apply regular moisture and protein treatments to maintain its health. I suggest alternating these treatments every other week so that you can keep your hair balanced.
What Is a Moisture Treatment?
Moisture treatments contain certain oils, humectants, and other substances that hydrate the hair while sealing in moisture. Moisture treatments vary greatly. Some are lighter, which is great for thin, fine hair that needs to be hydrated without being weighed down. And, some are heavier, which is best for thick hair or extremely dry hair.
What Is a Protein Treatment?
Protein treatments strengthen and fortify the hair’s natural bonds, and thereby make it stronger and less likely to stretch and break. There are many types of proteins that are used in protein treatments, but most hair stylists will tell you that keratin is the most beneficial.
Keratin is the protein that naturally occurs in our skin and hair, so it is easily absorbed by the hair and is extremely strengthening.
It’s Time to Give Your Hair Some Tlc!
Treating your hair with regular moisture and protein treatments is a definite “DO!” after coloring your double bleached hair.
The Don’ts of Coloring Double Bleached Hair
Remembering the “Don’ts” of coloring double-bleached hair is just as important as remembering the “Do’s.”
Because your hair has been previously damaged, it is important that you avoid certain products and methods that will only damage it further. Keep reading to find out what you need to avoid when coloring your double bleached hair.
1. Use a Permanent Hair Color to Color Your Double Bleached Hair
In order to protect the health and strength of your double bleached hair, it is important that you do not use a permanent hair color, but rather, a demi-permanent or semi-permanent color as stated above.
What Is a Permanent Hair Color?
Permanent hair color contains ammonia in order to penetrate into the core of the hair and permanently alter its color.
Permanent hair color is different from demi-permanent hair color, because demi-permanent colors only deposit pigment underneath the cuticle of the hair, while permanent hair colors completely penetrate through the whole hair shaft and can both deposit or lift pigment from the hair.
Why Should I Not Use a Permanent Hair Color on My Double Bleached Hair?
The simple reason is this: it is more damaging to your hair than a demi-permanent or semi-permanent hair color. After bleaching your hair, it is already chemically altered. You have already broken down the bonds in your hair to lift color out of it.
And, if your hair is double bleached, you have done this twice. Therefore, it is best to just leave the core of your hair alone, and avoid altering it further. Your hair will thank you!
Skip the Permanent Hair Color Aisle!
Using permanent hair color on your double bleached hair is a definite “DON’T.” The core of your hair has been through enough, so it’s time to give it a break!
2. Color Your Double Bleached Hair Frequently (With a Demi-Permanent Color)
Even if you are avoiding using a permanent hair color and instead using a demi-permanent color, you must still keep in mind that there is a way to overdo it. (Semi-permanent hair color doesn’t contain chemicals, so it can be applied whenever necessary.)
While a demi-permanent hair color is minimally damaging to your hair, it still contains chemicals that open the cuticle of your hair, so it needs to be used with moderation.
How Often Should I Color My Double Bleached Hair?
If you are using a demi-permanent color on your double bleached hair, you are already a step ahead of the game. But, that doesn’t mean that you can apply it every week. First of all, it is important to read the directions for the color to see if it specifies how often you can use it. Many times it won’t, but it is always best to check first.
As a hair stylist, I recommend limiting your use of a demi-permanent hair color to once a month at the most. Coloring your hair once a month should be more than enough because demi-permanent hair colors last an average of 24 washes. That’s 12 weeks if you wash your hair twice a week!
It’s only Been Two Weeks…put the Color Down
Applying a demi-permanent hair color to your double-bleached hair more than once a month is a hard “DON’T.”
3. Use Heat to Process the Hair Color on Your Double Bleached Hair
You may have heard that heat can help hair color to process faster and more effectively. While this is sometimes true for certain types of colors, using heat should not be an option when you are coloring your double bleached hair.
Why Should I Not Use Heat When Coloring My Double-Bleached Hair?
The heat helps open the cuticle of the hair, making it more vulnerable to whatever product you have applied to it. If your hair is double bleached, chances are that the cuticle of your hair is already a bit weak and damaged, so it really is not necessary to use heat.
Your hair will soak in the color just fine, even if you are using a semi-permanent color that does not contain any chemical activators.
Additionally, most demi-permanent hair colors don’t require heat to process. By applying heat to your color, you are only making your hair more vulnerable to the chemicals that are contained in demi-permanent colors, and if your hair is double bleached, this is something that should be avoided.
This Is a No-Bake Situation
Applying heat while you are coloring your double bleached hair is a definite “DON’T.” Just let the color do its thing.
In Summary
Coloring your double-bleached hair can be a bit scary. But, it does not have to be. By using the right products and methods, you will be able to achieve your dream color while also maintaining the health and strength of your hair. If you follow the suggestions in this article, you will be showcasing your new beautiful color in no time!