Hair breaking after bleaching: what to do

If your hair is breaking after bleaching, the first step is to stop all chemical services and cut heat styling right down. Badly damaged ends will have to be cut off, because there's no way to glue them back together. The rest of the length is supported with care that balances protein and moisture, and the next lightening is planned only once someone has assessed the condition of your hair.

What happens to hair during bleaching

Hair gets its strength from the protein keratin and from the disulphide bonds between its chains. Lightener works in an alkaline environment: it opens the cuticle, and the developer breaks down melanin. The trouble is that pigment isn't the only thing being oxidised. Some of the cystine, the amino acid that forms those bonds, turns into cysteic acid, and the bond breaks. An ordinary mask can't put it back.

The more bonds are broken, the more porous the hair. It soaks up water like a sponge, swells, and in that state it's very fragile. That's where the feeling of hair turning "like elastic" after bleaching comes from.

An elasticity test at home

Take a single hair from the lengths, ideally one that has fallen out on its own. Wet it and gently pull on both ends.

Healthy hair stretches a little and springs back. Damaged hair stretches on and on like chewing gum and doesn't return, or snaps almost straight away. If your hair behaves like elastic when wet and turns brittle and splits along the length when dry, the problem goes deeper than dryness: the inner structure is damaged. Hair like that shouldn't be lightened any further until the weakest part has been removed.

Why it happens

I see a handful of scenarios most often, and they frequently overlap.

Overlapping lightener. When powder at a retouch goes not only on the regrowth but also on lengths that are already lightened, those areas take the load twice, three times, and get weaker each time. That's exactly why I don't do classic highlights: they're hard to retouch without going over previous strands.

Developer that's too strong, or processing that's too long, for that particular hair. Fine, already porous hair needs a gentler plan than thick virgin hair.

Metals and minerals in the hair. They build up from tap water, and when they react with lightener they can give an uneven result, extra yellow and more dryness.

Henna, indigo and box dyes. Plant dyes and dyes containing metallic salts react unpredictably with peroxide. Sometimes the hair heats up, breaks or turns odd shades. If henna is anywhere in your history, tell your colourist in advance.

If hair is breaking after Airtouch, it usually means the lengths were already damaged, the lightening went over previous blonde, or metals weren't removed beforehand. The technique itself doesn't weaken hair more than any other lightening.

What to do if your hair is breaking after bleaching

The list is short, but it only works if you stick to it for a few months:

• a break from chemical services: no new lightening or straightening until the lengths have stabilised;
• a cut: whatever snaps in the test is better cut off, otherwise it keeps breaking and drags neighbouring sections with it;
• a balance of protein and moisture: protein masks fill in damage, but too much makes hair stiff, so alternate them with moisturising ones;
• minimal heat: styling tools on a moderate setting and only with heat protection, and dry with cooler air;
• gentle detangling, starting from the ends, and no tight hair ties.

I explain what happens during salon care in more detail in the article on hair reconstruction. The home routine is covered step by step in blonde hair care at home.

If the breakage comes with itching, flaking, irritation, or hair falling out from the root, that's not a question for a colourist. Please see a dermatologist or trichologist.

How I plan lightening to keep your length

No lightening leaves hair completely untouched. But the risk can be reduced considerably.

Before every lightening I do chelation: it removes metals and mineral build-up that interfere with lightening and dry hair out under the powder. After lightening, reconstruction and toning happen in the same visit to even out porosity and close the cuticle.

I choose techniques that can be retouched in a controlled way: Airtouch, relief and contouring. They grow out softly, and at a retouch I work on the regrowth instead of lightening the same lengths again and again. From any of them you can gradually move to full blonde without losing length. I wear long blonde hair myself and test every product on my own head.

When to get in touch

If your hair is already breaking, message me on Telegram at @le2chris before booking any new lightening. Send photos in daylight, with close-ups of the lengths and ends, and tell me what you've done to your hair over the last two or three years. Sometimes the honest answer is "just a cut and care for now", and that's fine.

Once your lengths are ready, we can choose a technique. Airtouch with me starts from 3,200 UAH, relief from 2,500 UAH, contouring from 1,000 UAH, and toning with reconstruction from 700 UAH. Chelation, reconstruction and toning are included in each of these services.