Many of our clients want lighter, brighter hair.  However, they are scared to get any process that requires lightening.  People hear the word “bleach,” and they associate it with damage to their hair. Therefore, they want to avoid using bleach in any of their colorings.  

The good news is that you can get a color service that requires bleach safely.  A great stylist can use the right products and techniques to help you achieve your desired results.  

Using the Right Products

First, today’s bleach formulations differ from older bleach formulations.  Stylists have come a long way from the days of using super-strength peroxide mixes to achieve hair lightening.  Instead, modern stylists formulate custom bleach formulas designed to provide as much lightening as you need without overbleaching hair.  

At Salon Efrain, we use the bleach that we think is the best in the business.  It is a product named Blondor from the haircare company Wella.  With Blondor, we can achieve up to 7 levels of lift, which makes it great for any service requiring lightening.  Blondor is safe for color-treated hair.  It contains molecules designed to fight the brassiness or yellowing that often occurs with lightening.  It is also creamy, which means a precisely controlled application. 

We also choose the right developers.  You have probably heard people talking about 10, 20, 30, and 40 volume developers if you watch hair tutorials.  The number refers to the concentration of peroxide in the developer.  The numbers are not the percentages of peroxide in the developer.  Instead, each 10 refers to 3% peroxide.  So, a 10 volume developer has 3% peroxide, a 20 volume has 6%, a 30 volume has 9%, and a 40 volume has 12%. 

Generally speaking, stylists choose higher volume developers to create more lift.  Many people who tackle DIY hair lightening think that a higher number of developer means better results.  So, they choose a 40 volume developer.  While 40 volume developer will create light effects, it is harsher on hair.  It can not just damage hair but even cause chemical burns.  

In fact, at Salon Efrain, we prefer to use low-volume developers and more extended application periods instead of trying to rush a coloring process with a higher volume developer.  To help you understand how this works, we want you to think about cooking a roast.  If you try to cook a roast at very high heat for a short time, you end up with a charred outside and a raw middle.  However, if you cook a roast at low heat for a more extended time, the result is a perfectly cooked piece of meat.  Bleaching your hair is similar.  You want a perfectly cooked result, not a burned or damaged exterior.  

Preparing the Hair

We also take steps to protect your hair during the bleaching process.  We mix Olaplex with bleach and the developer to help protect your hair.  To understand how Olaplex helps protect your hair, you have to understand the hair structure.  Hair is composed of millions of disulfide bonds.  When these bonds break, the result is damaged hair.  The hair may be visible, such as split or fraying ends.  It may also be invisible, making hair weak and prone to breakage.  

Olaplex contains the ingredient Bis-Aminoproply Diglycol Dimealeate.  This revolutionary product permeates the hair to restore the disulfide bonds in your hair.  The result is hair that looks healthier, feels stronger, and is less prone to breakage and damage.  

Choosing the Right Hair Color Technique

Another essential element to using bleach wisely is choosing the correct coloring technique. Going lighter used to mean going blond.  It was a single-processor or double-process, and the results were overall lightening.  That meant that the identical strands of hair were impacted every time someone colored their hair.  It was a very demanding, very damaging process. 

Today, we can still do all-over blondes.  However, by carefully bleaching only the root area of your hair, we avoid constantly stressing the same sections of your hair.  That is how we can help you achieve platinum blondes or get your hair light enough for excellent fantasy color applications. 

Many of our customers want the lightness, youth, and brightness they suggest with lighter shades like blonde.  However, they may not want the maintenance required for an all-over blonde.  We can use different highlighting techniques to help you lighten your look while targeting fewer strands of hair.  

The Importance of Consultations

One of the reasons we offer free consultations is to get an expert colorist’s input about your hair goals and how to achieve them.  First, we want to find out what your hair goals are.  What look do you want to achieve?  It may not match what you are telling us you want.  For example, many people use the term balayage, which is actually a technique, to describe their desired hair results.  We spend the time to find out what results you want. 

Then, we talk to you about the best way to achieve those results.  For many people, a highlighting technique may achieve the results you want.  However, highlighting means less damage to your hair and a lower commitment to upkeep than an overall color.  Shatush, which creates an overall brightening effect while only actually changing the color of relatively few strands of hair, has quickly become a client favorite.  

In terms of color, the most important thing about the consultation is that we can see your hair’s condition.  What is your hair’s starting condition?  Is it in the right shape for a lightening process?  If not, what can we do to get it prepared for the color service you want? 

During a consultation, we can also discuss whether you need a pre-coloring routine.  We may recommend using Olaplex or a deep conditioning treatment before you get your hair colored.  We might also suggest combining a post-coloring service, like a keratin treatment to seal the cuticle and provide a healthier look for compromised hair.