How To Recover From Bleach Damage

You remember the horror stories we shared, right? We already answered your question whether bleach damages hair, and we also shared some of the (negative) side effects of bleaching hair.

Some of you may already have bleached hair though, and some of you may be experiencing this exact same problem. Here are some tips on how to recover from bleach damage!

1. Get a trim ASAP

Desperate times call for desperate measures. You may have been growing your hair for over a year now, but sweetie, it'll be better in the long-run to get a much-needed trim as soon as possible. Bleach-damaged hair can be really prone to damage, which includes pesky split ends that can further cause damage to your strands. Getting a trim can help minimize the damages resulting from the bleach.

2. Use hair masks often

One of the biggest downsides to bleaching hair is the extreme dryness that goes along with it. Since the process itself makes the hair more susceptible to dryness, it's pretty much impossible to avoid. The only way that you can at least recover from bleach damage is to find ways to combat the dryness. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to simply use moisturizing hair masks often!

3. Try to avoid shampoo

(c) Unsplash

Speaking of dryness, did you know that washing your hair too often can dry your hair out? That's why it's recommended to wash your hair only 2x-4x a week. If you've got hair that was damaged by bleach, try to avoid shampoo as much as you can. What you can use instead is a clarifying conditioner that can clean your hair without drying it out. If you insist on using shampoo though, make sure you mix it with a little bit of water first before putting it on your hair. This will at least lessen the amount you have to use, thus lessening the risk for further dryness.

4. Stop using heat styling tools

We say it again and again in our articles – heat is one of your hair's biggest enemies! Heat styling tools can already dry out perfectly healthy hair, so what makes you think your bleach damaged hair can stand a chance? To recover from bleach damage fully, make sure to stop using all heat styling tools. You can always try heatless curls or find ways to straighten your hair naturally, as an alternative.

5. Start using oils

Since the goal is to combat dryness, your job is to make sure that your hair is moisturized and hydrated all the time. Hair masks are good and all, but you need something else to leave on your hair the whole day. This is where oils come in. You can use different hair oils not just to moisturize your hair, but also to protect yourself from the harsh environment around you!

Got any questions? Ask away at the comment section below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can! And as always, for more hair care tips and tricks, feel free to check out the ZALA blog!