Article by Julia Antique

Bleaching your hair for the first time is like getting into a new relationship. Both are very personal aspects of your life and have the power to influence your outlook on future experiences. Having had my fair share of heartbreaks and hairstyle changes, I’ve noticed that a lot of the lessons you learn from relationships can be applied to bleaching hair and vice versa.

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5. You learn the importance of commitment.

Bleaching your hair is like getting into a serious relationship: you must commit to it. You have to be sure about what you want because bleach is permanent. A lot of people don’t know this and think that bleach will fade like dye, but bleaching and dyeing your hair are two separate processes. Bleaching lightens your hair by removing pigment, while dyeing deposits acidic dyes (color) into your hair shaft.

If you want to get your dark locks back after bleaching, you have to wait for your hair to grow. And yes, you can dye over bleached hair if you change your mind about going lighter. Just like the aftermath of any breakup, though, things won’t be the same. Your hair will not be its old healthy self because the process of bleaching chemically changes your hair and you may even end up with a new hair texture.

4. You need to be invested.

Like any long term relationship, bleaching your hair is a long, painful and expensive process: it requires time and investment. Unless you’re an expert on hair or you know someone who is, bleaching your hair at home is not recommended. I didn’t want to risk bleaching my own hair and I’m glad I didn’t. Even if the whole process cost me thousands of pesos, a whole day in the salon chair, and several scalp wounds because they had to bleach my hair 3 times in a day to get my desired level of lightness; I got the result that I wanted with minimal damage compared to the havoc I would have caused my hair if I had done it myself.

3. You can’t rush things.

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Take it slow. If I wasn’t in such a rush to get Tumblr hair, then I probably would not have gotten scalp wounds from all of the single-session bleaching and re-bleaching that I went through. Achieving pastel hair is rarely accomplished in a day. Everyone has different hair types and as much as you’d love to have pastel hair ASAP, it’s better to take your time than to end up with fried and damaged hair.

2. Effort goes a long way.

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Even after you’ve achieved your #HairGoals, there’s still a lot of work that goes into maintaining your fabulous new locks. Bleached hair is more porous and therefore more susceptible to breakage. Steer clear of hot water and avoid chlorine as much as possible to avoid damaging your hair. Eventually, your hair is going to become brassy, so invest in a good hair toner or purple shampoo to keep your desired tone intact.

Lastly, always be gentle with your hair. Just like a significant other, you don’t want to do anything that will cause them to break up with you. Avoid brushing your bleached hair when wet because that can lead to breakage and hair fall. And let’s face it: falling out can be painful.

1. Don’t care about the haters.

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Just like finding the one, finding the right color can change your life. After the long hours, the maintenance that comes with it, and all the expenses; I can confidently say that it’s worth it. Although I get a lot of criticisms from people about my hair choices, I get way more compliments than hate. What bleaching my hair taught me is that you have to do it for you. Everyone will have different opinions about your hair but you shouldn’t let those opinions influence your decisions. If you’re happy with your choices and how you look, then that’s all that matters.