Kayla Young
You bleached your hair, but it would be an understatement to say that you’re not happy with the final result.
This is because you had expected to now be rocking a Kim Kardashian platinum number, but instead your locks look more like Chucky’s from Nightmare on Elm Street.
Why did this horror show happen? And what’s the matter with your hair? Why won’t it lift?
Is bleach not working on your hair? And how you just want to hide under a wig and make it all go away?
Let’s take a look at how to escape your current hair trauma.
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Bleach Not Working on Your Hair
The most obvious thing that will have stopped your hair from bleaching as you had hoped is that your hair is very dark. If that is the case, then your very dark hair can pose a challenge to bleaching.
That’s because it usually takes very dark hair at least a couple of rounds of bleaching for the color to lift more than a few shades.
It usually takes very dark hair at least a couple of rounds of bleaching for the color to lift more than a few shades.
Because bleaching is such an intensive chemical process, you should leave at least a four or five days between the initial process and the next one, so that you don’t cause further damage to your hair. Yes, any kind of bleaching will leave your hair in need of more care and moisture.
Also note that if you’ve got dark hair and you’re bleaching, there’s a good chance you land in orange land if you don’t do it right.
Be prepared!
Of course, if your scalp is feeling very sensitive after the first round of bleaching, then you should definitely give it some more time to heal.
Scalp burns and blisters can cause infections in the hair follicles and hair loss. So, this is something you need to be mindful of — especially if you have dandruff, psoriasis, or dermatitis on your scalp.
Get The Balance Right
It’s not uncommon that bleach won’t work on hair, especially if you’re inexperienced with doing it at home on a regular basis. That’s because it’s really easy to make simple mistakes, like ignoring the instructions. Which you really shouldn’t do.
That’s because it’s really easy to make simple mistakes, like ignoring the instructions. Which you really shouldn’t do.
Bleaching your hair at home isn’t something to be taken lightly.
The harsh chemicals used can cause serious damage to your hair if they’re not used correctly. So, even something like using the wrong developer strength can result in a green or orange mess sitting on top of your head.
And even if you’ve followed the instructions to the letter, and have the correct bleach and developer strength, there’s still a chance things will go surreal if you haven’t done a strand test first.
And even if you’ve followed the instructions to the letter, and have the correct bleach and developer strength, there’s still a chance things will go surreal if you haven’t done a strand test first.
Although doing a strand test may seem unimportant and a waste of time, it is vital that you do so if bleaching your hair at home.
That’s because bleaching powders and developers work differently — and not all are created equal. Even if you’ve used the same products before, it’s possible that the formulations have changed between your treatments.
Doing a strand test is the only way to see how your natural hair color will lift during the bleaching process, as well as give you an idea of how long it will take.
And if your hair reacts badly, or doesn’t lift as you desire, then you have a better chance of hiding the mistake and remedying the situation.
Faster Disaster
If your hair is dark and you’re after blonder strands, then it’s more than likely that it will take more than one bleaching to lift your color how you want it.
And this will take time, because you’ll need to wait at least a couple of days, without washing your hair in between, before you can do a bleaching treatment again.
That’s just how it works.
Don’t be tempted to make this process faster by leaving the bleach on for longer. Doing so would be an inevitable recipe for disaster, even if it worked for your BFF.
Leaving bleach on for longer than the instructions tell you to has the potential of burning the skin on your scalp, as well as damaging your hair so bad that it will break off.
Leaving bleach on for longer than the instructions tell you to has the potential of burning the skin on your scalp, as well as damaging your hair so bad that it will break off.
How long you keep it on will depend totally on your hair color before application, and following the product’s instruction leaflet. You should check your hair every 10 minutes or so, even during the strand test.
Most bleaching mixes shouldn’t be left on the hair for longer than 40 minutes. If you are not happy with the resulting lift and want to bleach your hair again, then wait at least four weeks before doing so. Make sure that your hair is well conditioned, hydrated, and nourished during that time.
If after the second round of bleaching your hair is still a yellowy or orange hue, then you can either try again in another few weeks, while ramping up your moisturizing routine, use hair color on top to customize and blend your own color, or see a professional and have them fix it.
Make it Easy
So, whether it was using the wrong developer, you didn’t mix the powder as instructed or the bleach wasn’t left on for long enough, it’s not uncommon for bleach to not work on hair. It’s nothing to stress yourself about. It only means that if you want to bleach your hair at home, you need to follow all the instructions and make sure you have someone to help you to make things easier.
So, whether it was using the wrong developer, you didn’t mix the powder as instructed or the bleach wasn’t left on for long enough, it’s not uncommon for bleach to not work on hair. It’s nothing to stress yourself about
Otherwise, the even easier and safer option would be to get the color of your hair lifted by the colorist at your favorite hair salon! So, if you want to enjoy bleached blonde and healthy hair, leaving it to the professionals makes the most sense — both for you and your hair.
