If you are tired of fried hair, then you are going to want to learn about using coconut oil before bleaching hair. As someone who has spent years bleaching my hair by myself, I can verify that this technique does actually work to minimize damage and frizz.
If you want to know the right way to use coconut oil for this purpose, though, here is your guide:
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So, what role does coconut oil play when bleaching your hair? Coconut oil comes into the equation well before the bleaching process.
When you bleach your hair, you end up stripping some of the proteins that help to protect and nourish the strands.
In doing so, you leave your hair lifeless, dull, and brittle. Many people will describe their hair as “fried” in such instances.
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Coconut oil, however, can help to limit the protein loss during the bleaching process. So, when you’re done lightening your hair, you will be left with softer, smoother, and healthier strands.
This is why you should apply coconut oil to your strands before you plan on bleaching your hair. Let your strands absorb the oils and minimize the damage to your strands.
If you are getting your hair professionally bleached, always speak to your colorist before treating your hair with coconut oil.
They may advise you to try this treatment several days before your appointment so that it doesn’t interfere with the bleaching process.
Now, let's get down to the specifics of applying coconut oil to your hair before you bleach it.
Best Coconut Oil for Damaged Hair
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The first stage of this process involves applying the coconut oil to your hair. To do this, follow these steps:
As coconut oil is typically available in solid form, your first objective is to liquefy it.
One way to do this is to scoop some coconut oil into your hands and rub it in between your palms until it melts.
Or, you can place a specific quantity in a heatproof bowl and heat it in the microwave. Do this in small intervals so that the oil can’t heat up too much.
The number of sections will depend on the thickness and volume of your hair.
If you have finer strands with less volume, then you can opt for a fewer number of sections. People with thicker hair may want to have more sections so that all the strands are coated evenly.
Your hair will need to be coated from the root to the tip. Pay special attention to the tips of your hair as these are more likely to get damaged during the bleaching process.
Don’t use an excessive amount of coconut oil. Instead, only use as much as you need to coat that particular section.
If you have fine hair, then you will only need to leave the coconut oil in your hair for a couple of hours.
On the other hand, if you have thick hair or if your strands are especially damaged, you may want to leave it in for longer.
In some cases, you may want to keep the coconut oil all night. If you do this, make sure to place a shower cap over your hair before you sleep.
This will help the coconut oil to set and prevent the oil from getting smeared over your pillowcases.
Some people will recommend bleaching over coconut oil. However, this will not work in many instances.
If you want the bleach to set in properly and for your hair to be appropriately lightened, then you need to wash the coconut oil out of your hair.
Make sure that your hair is sufficiently wet.
Try to rinse out as much of the coconut oil as you can.
Work the clarifying shampoo into your hair where you have applied the coconut oil.
Don’t use too much shampoo on the ends as this can dry them out.
Wash the shampoo out of your hair.
Examine your strands to determine if they feel greasy. If there is still a significant amount of coconut oil left, repeat the process.
Don’t over-shampoo your hair as this will undo all the protective elements of the coconut oil.
As mentioned, coconut oil can do wonders for your hair once it has been bleached as well.
You can apply less coconut oil to your hair after it has been bleached.
If you have oily hair, don’t apply the coconut oil too close to your scalp. Instead, start further down the hair shaft.
If your hair has been dried out or damaged by the bleaching, then you should leave the mask on for the whole night.
At the very least, leave the coconut oil in your hair for three to four hours for the best result.
If your hair isn’t all that dry, then you can leave the oil in your hair for an hour or so.
Since your hair may be rather fragile at this point, you need to be careful about how you remove the coconut oil.
If you feel that the clarifying shampoo may be too harsh, try using conditioner instead.
Work the conditioner into your strands and wash it out. The coconut oil should wash out with the conditioner.
In case your hair is quite damaged, you may want to repeat this treatment once every week until it is completely healthy again.
Otherwise, you can apply the coconut oil to your hair once every 10 or so days.
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Using coconut oil is helpful before you get your hair bleached. Well, what about after your hair has been lightened?
The evidence shows that coconut oil is an excellent remedy for hair that has been treated. This is because it works just as well as a post-wash as it does as a prewash.
Therefore, you can massage it into your strands once it has been bleached, allowing you to continue protecting your hair from future protein loss.
You may want to continue this until you are certain that your hair has completely recovered from the lightening process.
You may have seen people making certain claims on forums and personal accounts. They may say that coconut oil can be used to bleach hair.
They state various reasons but at the end of the day, you need to know that this isn’t true at all.
Coconut oil doesn’t have lightening or bleaching capabilities. Thus, using this oil alone isn’t going to impact your hair color in any way.
You will still have to lighten your hair the old-fashioned way.
So, there you go – this is how you can use coconut oil before bleaching your hair. What do you think? Is this a tactic you might consider before you lighten your hair in the future?
As you can see, coconut oil can help to mitigate the negative outcomes of bleached hair. This means that you will be able to enjoy lightened hair that is also healthy, shiny, and silky.
If you have a friend that’s looking for a safer way to bleach their hair, share this post with them.
