How to repair bleached hair and what to avoid

If you've bleached your hair to the point of damage, follow these steps to begin the repair process: Leave your hair alone for as long as possible. If you can, go a week without washing your hair and use minimal products and manipulation. Harsh shampoos with sulfate detergents will exacerbate damage, and it's best to leave these until your hair is stronger. Avoid heat styling. Your hair may have been strong enough to withstand hot blowdrying and flat ironing before it became damaged, but once bleach has hurt your hair applying heat will only make it worse. When styling, avoid using dry or sticky products like texturizing sprays that can contribute to tangling and breakage. Instead, use products with a smooth consistency like balms and oils on your ends. Condition and moisturize. Because bleach damaged hair loses moisture easily, you'll need to replace it frequently with conditioning and moisturizing products. While you're laying off the shampoo, you can still condition your hair or use a cleansing conditioner to clean without drying. Leave-in conditioners, hair masks, and leave-in treatments can all help you put moisture back into your bleach damaged hair. Hair treatments. Salon treatments can help to fill in the open gaps left in your hair after it's been bleached. There is such thing as too much of a good thing, and doing some treatments too frequently can also lead to damage. If you're using a treatment that chemically affects you hair, check with a professional to see how often you should be applying.