Why is my hair red after bleaching?

Are you tired of seeing your hair transform into a vibrant shade of red after every bleaching session? Do you feel like you’re auditioning for the role of Ronald McDonald instead of achieving the perfect blonde locks that were promised on the box? Fear not, my follicly-challenged friend! We are going to delve deep into why bleaching causes redness in our hair and how we can avoid it.

The Science Behind Bleaching

Before we learn about why our hair turns red after bleaching, let’s take a quick trip down chemistry lane (or as I call it – Chemis-tree). When bleach comes into contact with your natural hair color (and I mean really contacts), one major chemical reaction occurs: oxidization. This process removes pigments from your hair using hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient.

Now, you may be thinking “I’m not trying to make a volcano here, I just want blondie vibes.” Yes, but bear with me.

During this oxidization reaction (oh no, she mentioned “reaction”), melanin compounds within your hairs’ cortex begin breaking apart at different rates. Melanin can either produce brown/black eumelanin or yellow/red pheomelanin pigments depending on genetics (nope, there’s no opting out) and environmental factors such as sun exposure.

When these pigment molecules break apart at various speeds during the exposure to bleach (please don’t skip time off package instructions)… boom! -You guessed it- our lovely pink hues appear!

Hydrogen Peroxide And Your Hair Goals

Nowadays everyone has access to everything they need online whether its new beauty gadgets or bizarre trends; however doing things yourself can lead wayward sometimes including without exparte knowledge about product/ingredient usage results in very random outcomes/consequences which might end up ruining your hair.

So pay attention. When using bleach or other hair lightening products one soon realises hydrogen peroxide is regularly included (maybe just a lil bit too much?). It aids the lightening process by breaking down melanin, leaving our natural pigment exposed. Hydrogen Peroxide comes in different concentrations– for example 10vol -3% up to 40 vol -12% and when mixed with bleach causes an oxidizing chemical reaction resulting in heat generation which then opens the cuticles allowing it to penetrate deep through cuticular layers reaching fibrous inner layers.

This can make hairs brittle and dry, leading to split ends or breakage (cue sad violin music) so ensuring you read package instructions carefully particularly regarding devoloper volumes, which needs consistency as excess/deviance could lead to unwanted outcomes .

Pheomelanin Was Always The Clown

When bleaching with a focus on avoiding red tones look out for that pesky pheomelanin (the molecule responsible for reddish pigment). While eumalenin breaks down easily when introduced into peroxide-based developers, which helps in toning down people’s fear of brassy yellow strands, there is no stopping pheomealanin from revealing its true colours!

Pheomelanine always seems like the hard headed kid who never gets anything right but ironically happens have better memory than those smart aleck sibblings- Unfortunately this time remembering ‘red’ was important.

Because everyone wants their hair coloration done industriously preventing these results where they’d rather be looking Northpole White instead of southern fry white; assessement should be made case by case depending on individuals pigmentation composition some factors such as skin tones etcetera while others relate more individaully aimed preferences.

Although traditionally African Americans tend not to use hair/lighteners containing hydrogen peroxide because of how strengthy/harsh the product can adversely affect hair type, with developments in product development African american women are starting to use lighteners containing lower dose of hydrogen peroxide- alternatively blow dryers might be a better option that is less damaging to your hair.

UV rays: The Sun Is NOT Your Friend

Oh sun how we love thee… but not when it comes at the expense of our freshly blonde tresses. Exposure to UV rays during or after a bleach session (just stay indoors for three whole days) can turn that perfect blonde delicacy into a luscious shade of rust (welcome back red).

Your newly bleached strands have temporarily stripped away any natural protection from these harmful rays and without enough conditioning (mind you, this does not mean duvet day), your locks could become as brittle as burnt toast (please no butter). To prevent sun damage ensure atleast 2 hours provision before getting out there under those sunny beams.

Look after your new modified look! It deserves all TLC hence choose shades suited for skin tones like platinum/ beige etcetera which tend to last longer than ash/golden hues too (who wouldn’t like their transformation achieve longevity anyhow).

How Do You Prevent Red Hair After Bleaching?

Now that we understand why our locks seem magnetically attracted to red pigments, let’s explore ways around this rather irritating outcome shall we? Here are some safe tips:

Perform A Strand Test Every Time

Before you go John Cena-ing with that bowl & brush , test some area behind-the-scenes first . This help us observe highlights(or lowlights) so every other result will come out cleaner everytime .

Don’t Go In With Dirty Hair

Dirty hairs get way more exposed once paintbrush goes over them turning reddish pretty quick .

Lower Developer Volume Can Be Beneficial

Depending on prior history devoloper volume may vary once either should stick closer same level(never should grossly misalign) .

Never Rub Bleach Mixture Into Scalp

I’m pretty sure you know about bleaching inducing scalp burns. Even towel dries can make it worse! (trust me on this) If bleach touches skin areas around face apply shielding like a layer of Vaseline on these areas before applying the mixture.

“Toner Is Mah Best Fren’… Toni-is mah only fren’ ”

When our hair has displayed those RED highlights (or lowlights), always use toner which removes unwanted colours to create the right shade without needing advanced chemistry(no lab coats here folks).

AS mentioned earlier with traditional harmful chemical methods gone with technological advancements and customers in mind; There is now an eco-friendly alternatives like glazes, demi-permanent colors or even pigment depositing shampoos conditioners that provide excellent non perpetual/sustainable results.

Final Thoughts

While red tones are often expected after bleaching sessions, they shouldn’t have excessive influences on your overall appearance so proper care could turn that dreade/expected unattractive result into something exotic hence most lighteners tend to involve lavender or violet pigments as counterbalance coloring agent.

Although there’s no guarantee that red hues will be absent from all future bleaching endeavors, following aforementioned tips while seeming straightforward enough can drastically improve outcomes/results by maximizing benefits for healthier glowing tresses.

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