by Ashley Geary

Created on: February 26, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

Your hair is the first thing that people notice on you. Everyone likes for their hair to look good, thats why we visit the beauty shop, right? Sure its nice to get your hair done but you have to make sure you know how to take care of your hair if you get color, especially bleach. Bleaching is a chemical process to lighten the hair. You should be educated in this subject to really know the effects that it can cause. These are a few things i learned while I was in beauty school.

*First of all, bleaching involves the interaction of an oxidizing agent which in the this case is usually hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and also an alkalizing agent.
*When the process begins it raises the outermost layer of the hair shaft(the cuticle)
*Once the process is past the cuticle the alkalizing agent raises the middle layer of the hair (the cortex) where the chemical reaction and the bleaching takes place.

The cuticle(the outermost layer) protects the cortex(middle layer) and contributes 20% to your overall strength while the cortex contributes 80% to your overall strength and the elasticity.

The procedure that the hair goes through while in the process of bleaching is as follows:
*The melanin responsible for the hair color is found in the cortex. Which is the most important layer of your hair.
*The bleaching agents break down the melanin and the new color is now present.

Bleaching your hair will only result in damage if you do not take care of it. Bleaching leaves your hair very porous, dry, and brittle. In some cases bleaching can lead to hair breakage because the proper maintenance was not taken place. If you bleach to much your hair appears to look dead in that case you need to see a professional for PPT treatments which can be performed about every week to get your hair back in the condition it needs to be in. You should also make sure to use color treated shampoos and conditioners so that the proteins and essential vitamins your hair needs is put back into the follicle.

Blonde hair may be appear to be beautiful and simple but you should completely understand what your hair has to go through to get the look that your wanting and in most cases the end result is very harmful.

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