Will strengthening hair defend against bleach damage?

I'm not really sure what you mean by strengthening your hair, it seems like a very vague term.

Having a good diet will certainly help the health of your hair, but only new growth. Anything that is already there will stay exactly the same.

Having healthy hair won't prevent damage, but the resulting outcome should be more a little more favourable. The real trick is using methods to prevent damage while bleaching.

- use coconut oil while bleaching. Apply at least an hour before and leave on whist bleaching.

- get some olaplex if you can to mix in with your bleach.

- get a good quality bleach, it makes a lot of difference. I like Blondeme, Indola or blondor.

- using a lower volume of peroxide. This will depend on how dark and resistant your hair is though. A strand test would help with that, if you don't already know. If you do get olaplex though, you need to go up one level in volume as olaplex dilutes it.

There might be more, I can't think of anything else right now.

Thank you for the information!

Sorry for being so vague; I suppose I meant things like keratin treatments and masks/conditioners claiming to "strengthen" the hair (3 minute miracle: strong, for example).

Could you maybe explain what you mean by "more favorable", if it doesn't prevent damage?

Thank you for the recommendations on bleach though! I didn't realize there was in fact a huge difference, and I'll be looking into Blondme, since I've been hearing much about it! : )

3 minute miracle covers the hair in silicone. It doesn't strengthen. It just makes the hair feel more silky and so better. It's fake though.

If your hair isn't previously processed (is it?) then keratin may make little difference.

I guess the question is now, why isn't your hair strong now? It'll make a difference in recommendations.

I avoid using 'less damage' and use 'more favourable' instead on purpose. There is the same amount of damage on healthy or damaged hair. The question isn't is there less damage. What you really mean is, 'will the outcome be better on healthy/stronger hair?'. Yes, the outcome will be better. It can still end badly if you do the wrong things while bleaching. I understand what you're asking, but the distinction needs to be made in my opinion.

Protein treatments and silicone based conditioners strengthen the hair by filling the holes or gaps in the cuticle. When people talk about protein loss, porous hair and damaged hair it is the same thing, parts of the cuticle are missing which leaves the hair vulnerable to drying out and further damage.
As soon as you put bleach on it will eat through this temporary outer coating, as it is only masking the damage; these treatments are not permanent. Nothing can actually repair the hair once it is damaged.

@Janineb, My hair is processed, yes. I'm originally an ashy brown and I'm now between levels 8 and 9 blonde after bleaching. My hair is in pretty good condition, but I have a few splits and breaks here and there (minimal, thanks to coconut oil). So, while it's not by any means horrible, I know my hair could stand to be stronger before I do another round of bleach (I do know to wait a few weeks before this, though).

I'm sorry, I'll try to be more precise in the future! ???

@Wicked Pixie, Thank you for the information! It's disappointing to learn that hair can't actually be repaired, but I'll keep it in mind from now on! : )

Thank you both for the information about 3 minute miracle, also. I planned on stocking up, but maybe not now. : P

So if it's dyed, you should have used colour removers before going anywhere near bleach. That will save you the most damage of all. Bleach just isn't designed to remove unnatural colour. It can, but it's not as efficient. And causes more damage.

Yes, as wicked pixie says, once hair is damaged, it's always damaged. There's ways of, How can I put it, 'propping it up' I suppose. It's helping, but it's temporary and can also be washed away as well as bleach eating through it immediately.

Having healthy virgin hair is not the same thing as damaged hair that has been helped with various products.

If you have some, even a tiny bit of breakage already, you might be in a position bleaching again is a bad idea. You need to wait a month and then wash your hair without conditioning. When it's dry you'll get a better idea of the true condition of your hair. If you've been using 3 minute miracle, you might be masking damage that is already there.

I see! I'll give that a try and see where my hair is at next month.

I learned the remover-before-bleach rule the hard way, but I was lucky in that my hair is still taking well to color remover, and the stained patch I have is fading noticeably after two rounds of Colorfix. I know it's not supposed to damage like bleach, but should I also wait a month before trying that again?

So I guess what I should ask now is, what is the best thing maintain the health of and/or strengthen undamaged hair for more favorable processing results in the future? CAN you strengthen undamaged hair, or is there a sort of "plateau" that you hit where it can't be any healthier?

I know it's not supposed to damage like bleach, but should I also wait a month before trying that again?

You can do it as soon as you like. Just make sure to use a good conditioner afterwards as it is drying.

Good diet is the best thing for new growth, as I said in my first comment. Undamaged is a little misleading in ways. All hair is damaged once it's starting to grow. Wind, sun, brushing and all those normal everyday things cause mechanical damage, but all you need for that is a good conditioner. Avoiding heat is always a good thing.

Really, it's just look after your hair and eat well. I don't believe in protein or anything like that for virgin hair. All you need to do is keep the cuticle in good nick, avoiding backcombing and heat goes a long way to that. Vinegar rinses are good for flattening the cuticle, this will help hair look nice and shiny and help prevent damage.

Last but not least, avoid over processing, obviously 🙂