Is bleaching still a thing? Sure, but careful

They say all good things come to an end. That’s not always true. Sometimes, if we’re like, even bad things come to an end. And luckily for us, 2020 will see the end of bleaching. Not all of it, of course. But you can say goodbye to those extreme, excessive, burn-the-hair-out-of-your-scalp, horrifying bleaching operations. Say hi to a new bleaching era!

Finally, people are starting to appreciate themselves, realizing that being unapologetically who they are is OK. And part of that is reflected in hair color. This year’s hair color trend definitely sparks from a place of self-consciousness and confidence in our own natural being, hair color included.

Let's see how much of a beauty guru you are: take our 5-minute quiz about all upcoming beauty trends of 2020-2021!

So, does that mean that bleaching is dead? Well, not really. I mean, YES: if you’re talking about that extreme Khaleesi-style kind of bleaching. That’s gone. No more Marilyn Monroe bombshell blonde or Kurt Cobain baby blonde.

However, bleaching is still in the picture, to some extent, where it’s considered useful, in order to get to the desired shade of color.

Why bleaching days are over

Darker, earthy, natural, richer colors are on the rise for 2020. This is due to the fact that we have used bleaching excessively over the past years. As a result, we are OVER IT and ready to move on.

But, if you’re familiar with hair coloring, you know that sometimes bleaching is just a necessary evil. In order to get to the desired shade of pink, copper or dark chocolate, you need to lighten up your hair to let the new color attach to perfection. You just have to. Otherwise, the color won’t come off as good.

What bleaching actually does to hair

But what is it that bleaching actually does to your hair?

Here it is: hair bleaching is a chemical hair dye technique that strips the color of your hair. First, the alkaline agent opens up the hair cuticle. Then, the oxidative agent penetrates the hair cortex and dissolves the hair’s natural color.

And just like that, gone.

And the longer you leave it on, the lighter the hair will get.

Also, bleaching changes the porosity and elasticity of the hair, making it weaker and prone to breakage. An open hair cuticle is like the Chamber of Secrets: once it’s been opened, you can never really close it again. It will continue to open, become a split end and eventually break off if left untreated. Terrifying.

So, if you really can’t escape some good ol’ fashioned bleaching, read this article first and be mindful of how to protect your hair from damage with plex hair products: Blessed be protective hair products: they will literally save your hair

Excessive bleaching does damage hair, and there are no ifs, ands or buts about it. So, when possible, I guess we’re just better off without it. If not, let’s make sure to protect hair with plex hair products, always.

Let's see how much of a beauty guru you are: take our 5-minute quiz about all upcoming beauty trends of 2020-2021!