So You've Overbleached Your Hair

i saw you can buy actual 'hair mayo' the other day. didnt see the price, but i bet it aint as good as helmans 😉

People mentioned not brushing your hair, but I personally need to brush mine smooth and straight rather than leave it all messy and then have to find someway of making it straight when it's dry - so probably some form of heat.
I use something called a Tangle Teezer, you can get them from boots etc, and I personally find it amazing. You gentley take it from the ends and work your way up gentley teasing the hair apart and for me hardly any hairs will get pulled out (normally the ones that are naturally ready to fall out as hair does). It's so good I can brush and manage my hair even after clarifying and no conditioner, and my hair is damaged. So I would recommend this to all ladies who have damaged their hair and are struggling to brush it  😉

Kitty: I hope it's okay for me to post in your thread, but I didn't want to make a new one and thought it might fit in here quite well!

Okay, so you all know we have a "horror stories" thread about the things that can happen if you overbleach your hair - we talked about chemical burns and I thought it might be wise to compile the information from that thread and post it here, so people won't have to go through several pages on the other thread 🙂

What are chemical burns, and what is the cause for them?
A chemical burn is a burn caused by a strong chemical - in this case, it would be bleach. 40 vol bleach can definitely cause them, but if your scalp is sensitive, it could be caused by a lower volume as well - it can also happen if you leave the bleach on for a long time!
The signs for a chemical burn are itching, discoloration of the skin, a burning sensation or a cracked/bleeding scalp.

What will happen to my skin and hair if I get a chemical burn?
The skin on your scalp, as I said before, might be itchy or lighter in colour, it might also burn or sting a lot. If you have a more extreme case, your scalp could split, bleed or get infected, so you might have scabs or pus or blisters.
If you don't treat it correctly, you might get an infection or experience permanent damage. The chemicals could also enter your bloodstream.
You might also get scar tissue on your scalp, in this case, you will most likely end up with a bald patch because the hair can't grow on scar tissue. If your hair does grow out, it could grow out in a different colour or still be very damaged.

How can I cure it?
You should seek medical help immediately. Your doctor will most likely give you a burn ointment, and it's important to use it as much as your doctor says to do, because chemical burns can be worse and possibly more dangerous than actual burns!
You should obviously stay away from any form of bleach (straight bleaching, bleach bathing, permanent and most semi-permanent box dyes) for a long time, and don't use any other dyes or irritating products (e.g. hairspray) until it's healed.

How do I prevent it?
You should never bleach hair that is freshly washed - at least 2 days unwashed should be a minimum! Also, using coconut oil before a bleach will help protect your scalp.
Don't use a bleach that is too strong, don't overprocess your hair and never leave it on for more than the time stated on the package!

Also, you should make sure that your hairdresser (if you don't bleach your own hair) uses the correct volume and doesn't leave it on for too long - a hairdresser gave me a chemical burn once, and the same thing happened to other members on here!

But I don't want to scare anyone on here into never bleaching again - if you follow the correct method, you will be fine!

That's great niaomi! 🙂

Okay, that's good then 🙂
I just hope it's understandable haha, since English is not my native language and most of the stuff in my post sounds kinda weird to me o.o

Very good information, and excellent English Naomi 🙂

Thank you 🙂
So I don't have to regret the fact that I chose English as one of the classes for my A-levels :')

Its great, hopefully the scare of bald spots is enough for most people not to do stupid shit lol 😀

Thanks 🙂
Yeah, I hope it is - my mum is not happy at all with her bald spot, and she doesn't buy cheap hair dye anymore, so I guess it would scare people off!

Thanks for that, Naomi!

No problem 🙂
I was really bored and decided to be productive for once!:P

A good tip if peoples semi-permanent doesn't last long or anything is to wear a wig ^_^ you can get cheap one on ebay 🙂 you can see if they look overly fake (shininess), no one noticed mine except family and close friends 🙂 xxx

I don't know, me personally, I can always tell if somebody is wearing a wig :X Unless they spent a fortune on fake hair

I don't know, me personally, I can always tell if somebody is wearing a wig :X Unless they spent a fortune on fake hair

I am going to be a pin and point out... you can't know that you always know. If you don't notice that someone is wearing a wig, you don't know that you don't know they're wearing a wig... Unless all wig wearers reveal themselves as a wig wearer and you got them all correct you don't know 🙂

I mostly say this as a friend a few years ago, not a good friend but a friend of a friend, told me she had problems with baldness. I obviously had a huge look of confusion wash over my face because she laughed and pulled off what I had thought was her hair! It was amazing! But she'd had this problem for so long was expert at putting it on. It wasn't even a wildly expensive wig. Before that, I'd always assumed I could tell a wig.

^ very true. I know this sounds very awkward and I hope not to offend, but I live in a primarily Jewish neighborhood and it's become relatively easy to spot who has real hair and who doesn't!

But I don't doubt at all that some people can find the perfect wig that can look so natural on them