How I managed to recover my bleach burned hair (a step-by-step solution)

Today I am going to tell you my personal solution to recover hair that has been burned by bleaching. And I’m talking about extreme damage caused by root bleaching wearing platinum blonde hair. It may sound as something vain, but for me, seeing my hair so damaged had a huge impact on me. Although in the photo you see my hair recovered, it has not always looked like this. I tell you my story and I hope it serves you.

Hair, for me, as you know is very important. And although now, years later I can talk about the subject openly, the truth is that at the time it caused me a lot of stress. Seeing that the hair stretches like chewing gum or that you have strands of hair that measure only 3 or 4 cm is something that impresses.

But the important thing is, after reaching a pretty extreme point of bleaching damage, today my hair is fully recovered. It has not been easy, I warn you. And there is very little information online that really tells what happens with bleaching. When I tried to find a solution to burned hair I could not find real cases. From the hand of someone who has experienced it in the first person.

So today I’m going to tell you my whole story, in case it works for anyone. First of all, I’m going to tell you how I came to have that hair so damaged by bleaching. Why the hair spoils so much, getting burned. And after that, I will explain to you what I did, step by step to recover my hair.

How My Hair Burned from Bleaching

From highlights to scalp bleaching

When I was in high school I started giving myself blonde highlights, and I was content with that for a while. But what I really wanted was the platinum blonde Barbie that you can only get with root bleaching. So, at the age of 21 I decided to get root bleaching and become platinum blonde.

My experience with scalp bleaching

At first I was delighted. My hair was fine and the color was beautiful. But I was a little bothered by the dark root. So I bleached every 3 or 4 weeks at most, religiously. For nothing in the world did I let myself be seen more root. Of course, I did it myself, so it was difficult to see if the bleaching was being applied only on virgin hair or on already treated hair. Especially in the back of the head.

Just to clarify: when I talk about bleached hair this means hair that has been treated with bleaching powders and developer. In this post I do not mean dyes, which are less aggressive.

As you know, hair can be bleached at the root or with highlights. With the highlights or streaks the hair is less abused, but it is also mistreated. The solutions I’m going to talk about in this post work for either type of coloring.

After a year of following my inexorable routine I began to see that my hair was incredibly dry. To a point you can’t imagine. My hair was so lacking in oils that washing it was a shame. He was also super brittle. In the photo you can see how I was running out of hair in the central back.

The situation went on like this until there came a point where I couldn’t mold my hair with the dryer, because the wet hair was so bad that I couldn’t pass the brush. It was so chewy that it stretched and broke. Of pity. I had to dry it a little without the dryer nozzle, wait for it to dry, and only then could I comb it.

My friends and my mother told me to forget about the bleaching. But I was obsessed. Being platinum blonde had become so much a part of my identity that I couldn’t give it up.

During that time I used the most premium products that were within my reach. L’Oréal Professional shampoos, for example, that helped me, but couldn’t cope with all the damage the bleaching had done to my hair.

In his day I made a post about the best products for hair with bleaching.

Gummy and elastic hair

At 25 years old, 4 years after my routine of bleaching my hair every 3-4 weeks, there came a time when I had to face the truth. My hair was so bad that I had only a few long strands. I’m embarrassed to describe it now, but it’s the truth. This is what bleaching does in your hair when you abuse it.

I always tried to hide it, but at a certain time, it was impossible. So I decided to cut my hair and stop bleaching at last.

I had to make a radical change of look . I cut my hair over my shoulder and started dyeing the growing roots. It seems silly to someone who hasn’t been through this, but it affected me so much mentally that not after 6 months did I have to do something to feel myself again.

What I did was put on light blonde extensions . And that, while maintaining soft highlights in my natural color, helped me to return to the length and color with which I felt most identified.

Since this moment I have been growing my hair naturally. I stopped wearing extensions for a while, and now I’m wearing them again. As for the color routine, I have never done the root bleaching again. Because I know it’s a love-hate relationship that’s going to end up burning my hair. Since I left her, all I’ve done is highlights.

I have a lot more to tell you about highlights and extensions, but it’s a different story. Now I’m going to tell you how I managed to recover my hair burned by the declaration.

My solution for bleached burned hair

I’m going to tell you the solution I applied to maintain bleaching for 4 years, which is no small thing. And I’m also going to tell you what I did to take care of my hair after bleaching.

In reality, there is no single solution to recover hair burned by bleaching. It was a sum of several actions that finally helped me to recover the health of my hair. But really, if you go follow common sense and all the steps little by little I am sure that you will get your beloved hair back.

1. Stop or space out the bleaching.

I know this is obvious, but it doesn’t hurt to remember it. If you can, leave the bleaching. There are other ways to get a pretty blonde less harmful to hair. You don’t have to leave the décor forever, but try to give your hair a break if possible.

For example, if you are doing root bleaching you can try giving yourself only highlights. If you are giving yourself only highlights you can try to make yourself less. Or give you just dye.

Another thing you can do is space out the bleaching sessions. If you do it, for example, every three weeks, try to do it every four. Or, whatever your bleaching routine is, try spacing it out a little more.

2. Choose a lower oxygen.

If you are using a water of 40 to make the decoration try to replace it with a water of 30. If you have very dark hair it is true that it will cost you more to lift it, but if you have hair already light or bleached underneath, try to use the lowest water you can.

Here is an example of developer of 30 volumes. High enough to lift a dark brown, but not as aggressive as a water of 40. This one from Wella is of very good quality within those I have tried and not excessively harmful. It is for professional use, so you will only find it in hairdressing commercials selling to professionals or on Amazon.

3. Use premium quality decoration powders and developer.

Don’t save on the products that are damaging your hair the most. Minimizes damage. Use only the best quality bleaching powders and developer you can find.

Some recommended products are those that contain keratin, as they will help repair already damaged hair. I noticed a big difference when I stopped using any decoration powders when I started using others that cost me much more expensive but were more respectful of my hair. For example, one of the things I started to notice is that at the end of the bleaching process the hair was less porous.

Also, when you finish using powder and developer, it is important to follow a hair treatment after bleaching that is specific to your needs.

If I had to recommend bleaching powders that were softer on the hair I think I would say the Igora Vario Blond from Schwarzkoft.

4. Apply hair masks in every wash.

Use masks at every wash. Move on from conditioners because they are not going to do practically anything to you. Imagine that you only have one chance in each wash to use a product. Try to make this opportunity with the product that your hair needs most.

There are many masks on the market. And although it is true that anything is better than doing nothing, there are some that will work much better. Because they are specifically designed to recover the hair fiber. Forget supermarket masks. If you want top results, you need top products.

One of the most effective masks for hair burned by bleaching is probably the Chroma Filler mask from Kérastase. Heaven sent!

5. Don’t comb your hair when it’s wet.

Avoid passing the comb when your hair is wet. Bleached hair becomes very tangled, and it is normal for it to break when it is in a state of advanced damage.

Instead, what you should do is this: dry your hair carefully with a towel. Next, dry your hair with drying with the lowest heat and as far away as you can. Make it finish drying in the air. And now, when it is totally dry, is when you can pass the comb or brush. In this way you will prevent it from breaking.

If you wear bleached hair it will be quite porous, so unfortunately you will have to use irons to hide frizz. There is no other choice. But try to minimize the damage, please.

Anyway, if you prefer to comb your hair when it is still wet, there are specific brushes for this. The most famous is the Tangle Tweezer, which has a compact version with handle. And in a lot of colors:

6. Always use heat protectant.

As soon as you have your hair ready for the dryer or iron, apply a heat shield. Today it seems that there are not many on the market, but they are useful. Some that I like a lot are GHD heat protectants, but use the one that best suits you.

7. Wash your hair as little as possible.

No, it’s not rude. Hair in this state urgently needs to absorb oils. And nothing better than the oils present in the scalp to do this job. Each person has his washing rhythm. Choose the one that works best for your hair depending on the damage.

8. Avoid nuance with dyes.

I know this is difficult. Especially if you bleach your hair to add a fancy color on top, but if you can, avoid using dyes to tone highlights. The developer it contains will damage the hair. Bleached hair can be dyed, yes, but this is only going to add more damage. Try to tone your blonde with a purple shampoo. Or even a purple mask. There are also toners or “toners”, which are used specifically to tone up the highlights. They are a variation of semi-permanent dyes and damage the hair much less.

An example of a violet mask would be Wella’s next. This is a mask for professional use and very effective. If in each bleaching, and also between treatments, we apply this mask, we will avoid burning the hair more by using dyes. In fact, we will no longer be damaging the hair burned by bleaching, but we will be taking care of and repairing it.

9. Use oils and serums but only dry!

You may have seen for yourself. If you use a product in oil on a very damaged hair when it is wet and then you pass irons or dryer it will fry like a potato. Literal.

So wait for it to dry and then use the appropriate oil or serum. You can use argan or macadamia oil. I remember using olive oil and almond oil for a while and I liked them a lot because they were natural remedies for bleached hair. Which is not easy to achieve. Shea butter also comes in handy.

Serums may come in better if you prefer a less oily texture, as they are not sticky at all.

The oils, in general, not only favor the recovery of the cuticles but also look more beautiful on the outside. In general, they are the best natural treatment for bleached and chewy hair if we think about repair.

10. The definitive solution to recover hair burned by bleaching: keratin.

Bleached hair and keratin are a winning combination. Elastic bleached hair or bleached hair that breaks is an indication that the fiber is completely destroyed. To repair it (at least in part), keratin can help. What it is going to do is seal the fiber. Actually, the problem is still there, but the hair looks prettier and solves the problem of gummy hair.

Hair that is broken is difficult to recover, but keratin products seal the outer structure to give the appearance that the hair is complete again. It’s as if the hair is a straw and we put some “super glue” in the broken area to repair it. The hair is still bad, but at least now it is complete and holds more.

For me keratin is the best solution to recover hair burned by bleaching, but you must do it in combination with the previous tips to get the best result.

You can use different products with keratin. Everyone is going to contribute something. But in my opinion, if you want a good shot, it is best to use vials of pure keratin. The most famous example is that of the Tahe brand. You basically use it after washing and conditioning your hair. Then untangled and dried.

Liquid keratin will not only help repair hair burned by bleaching, it will also bring softness and shine to the hair.

I hope this post has served you well if you are looking to repair hair burned by bleaching.

I know that is a more delicate moment than many people might think, but remember that you are not alone. The situation you are going through is already past many people and the hair burned by bleaching can be recovered.

You simply have to start treating your hair with care and patience. And be sure that weeks and months will start to notice the results. First of all, the most important thing is that you remember that there are other ways to get blonde hair less harmful and that you should consider them.

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Much love,

Deliria Rose