What happens When Hair Is Bleached ? ?

CHEMISTRY AND THE EFFECTS OF BLEACHING THE HAIR
Lets review what happens when bleaching the hair.

Everyone talks about it, but no one really understands what happens both chemically and aesthetically 
Bleach must go through the OXIDATION process in order for the hair strands on top of the head to have the color be removed from them.
By REMOVING the hair color that is in the hair strands it removes the "virgin color" and leaves a color that has become what we all know as the word "BLONDE".
That is why many times, I try to say that the color Blonde...is really not a color that we deposit onto the strands of hair..........we do NOT put BLONDE......."IN"......... in the strands, 
what happens chemically and aesthetically is :
Blonde is what is remaining............
once we remove the virgin hair color you were born with.

Oxidation in the de-colorizing process means the hydrogen peroxide is mixed with an alkaline product such as bleach. 
Once activated, the de-colorizing mixture changes melanosome structure and lightens the color of the hair. It does this by breaking the melanin into tiny fragments which are no longer able to absorb light to the same degree as before. The melanin does not immediately lose its color when oxidized. The hair goes through relatively predictable color changes as the pigment disperses and lightens the hair to a new level.
( these stages are Brown-----brown/Red-----Red-----Red/Orange------orange----orange-------yellow-----Gold----Yellow------Brass------Pale Yellow)
  The following table lists each level of hair color with its corresponding undertone, as well as shades that are achievable at each level.

Chemistry and Effect of Bleaching the Hair
 
Undertone
Level  Achievable Shades

Pale Yellow 
10 
platinum blonde silver ash blonde ultra pale pastel blonde

Yellow
 9
strawberry blonde beige blonde tan blonde taupe blonde

Yellow/Orange
8 
honey blonde light copper blonde dark strawberry blonde dark beige blonde

Orange/YellowOrange
7/6
copper redfire red dark blonde

Red/OrangeRed
5 /4
mahogany burgundy

There are no established times for de-colorizing the hair to any given level. 
 Processing time always varies, depending on:

• strength of the decolorizing mixture, 
• use of heat
• texture
• condition
• porosity
• type and 
• density of natural pigmentation. 

The best way to determine processing time is to perform a strand test and to follow manufacturer's directions.
TYPES OF DE-COLORIZER

There are three general classifications of de-colorizers used in the salon: oil, creme, and powder. Each performs a specific function, and has unique characteristics.

OIL DE-COLORIZER

These are frequently used for on-scalp applications when a mild lightening action is desired. Oil de-colorizers are part of a 3-component system including powder activator(s) and hydrogen peroxide developer. Oil de-colorizers have a pH of approximately 10.

CREME DE-COLORIZER
De-colorizers also include developers and may also include powder activator(s). They are formulated to stay moist during processing in a no-drip consistency. They are popular for their versatile application techniques and are used in both on and off-scalp methods.

POWDER DE-COLORIZER
 Powder de-colorizer are often selected when lighter blonde results are desired on darker natural hair colors. Most powder de-colorizer are for off-scalp techniques, although some do provide the flexibility for on-scalp applications. The pH of powder de-colorizer is approximately 10.5.

There are two basic classifications:
1. On-scalp: Used on-scalp for double processing and off-scalp in highlighting and creative color techniques.
2. Off-scalp: This type of bleach is usually stronger and faster-acting than on-scalp bleaches due to the higher pH and stronger peroxide activity. 

Off-scalp is considered highlights, Balayage, etc.. type, techniques.

Please check-out our Violet/Blue based Oil-Bleach Kit in the store..... it is a one-of a kind. There is NO Violet/blue tinted Oil Bleach in the world, ONLY at Killerstrands and I developed this to fight the brass I hear so many of you complain about and I am prideful that it is my single most unique and effective product out of the 10 products I have developed.

Soon we will have a 'Salon Version' of the Oil Bleach Kit it should be ready for photos and on the website in about 1-2 weeks so pay attention !

Double Process Blonding and What it Is.

Double Process Blonding is a very popular topic in our Group lately, so I thought one more Post would be helpful to them in coming up with their game plan for their new formula.

Level 12 color or High-lift Blonde is made by every company and they are sold as colors that lift 5 levels....which is an outright and complete lie. I challenge all companies to tell me which line they feel does that and I would be happy to run a test and eat my words.....and take a photo of me eating my words !! ! ! "take-my-words" back ! It just isn't so, so what happens and gets...........so many of you, in pickles is... these Stylists that are "guessing" how hair color works, listen to you being emphatic over the words , "please don't use Bleach". So they use the high-lift that claims it lifts 3-5 levels and you end up with BLORANGE roots and or hair.

Apparently that damn Sally's has come out with their own version of my Oil Bleach Kit, nice to see my preaching is reaching large corporations - Sally's is the largest beauty supply in the world and it single-handedly ruins more women's hair than any other company. L'Oreal runs a very close 2nd btw. The Kit has only been out a short time and I already have countless women asking me why their oil bleach didn't work.......AND THE REASON IS ...THEY USED SALLY'S - - NOT MINE. SALLY'S HAS POWDERED BLEACH IN AN ENVELOPE.  The whole kit is $5.00 - come on women you get what you pay for.......... How many times have I said this. NO-DAMN- SHORT CUTS.

My Kit has Creme Lightener with Gleam added in the container so more oil seeps in the creme lightener as it sits to be sold.....then you add even more oil (glammor) and we use a special Violet tinted Developer - the amount of lipids and oils in my Kit is simply OFF THE CHART !!!!!!!!!!!  Plus I have been using it for over 10 years with Amazing results.

 High-lifts on their very best day lift 3 levels "3"  and that is rare, therefore the question to you is one of REALITY.

So if you are anything darker than a VIRGIN Level 8-9....which is pretty much every single one of you, well you will end up with either brass, blorange or Gold hair at the end of a very expensive Coloring session. 

Now I am here to teach you how to avoid that. 
HOW?
By listening to this Post and learning how things work and what you must do to have the beautiful blonde that is possible on every single one of you. You might not like the rules, but I promise you, but I didn't make them up.


Every color company states that high-lift lifts 4-5 Levels when they do not. 
Beyond that the next in a great Colorists' arsenal is what we refer to as  "Double-Process-Blonding" .  
That is how you obtain this hair color:

The one and only way to do this and end up with healthy shiny hair when you are finished is by purchasing our OIL BLEACH KIT, I do not mean to sound like a used car salesman, what I do get tired of hearing and doing is .....listening to so many sad stories of how you were led awry - its not your fault and I thought after I wrote this Blog and a few years went by that the problem would be solved. But to the contrary......... it seems to have grown for some reason. Maybe because having platinum hair has grown so much - especially this year........I have so very many email and consultation requests for platinum hair.

This is a double Step of a BLEACH and Tone........which is necessary..... when you do this for so many years on every color from Level 1 to Albino hair, you completely understand hair color ! 
This double process Step is called: Bleach & tone.
First you bleach and ONLY with our OIL Bleach Kit....in our Oil Bleach Kit Unlike the crappy Sally's ones (Please I beg you to not use those or you will be knocking on my door tomorrow)
The mistakes I hear the public & Hair Stylists making all the time in trying to achieve platinum hair are the following :

• They do not remove the "old" hair color first.....bleach is a lightening agent....NOT a color remover. - Remove old hair color with our VANISH KIT - first. 1 box is enough on most people unless you have Black hair color in that case you realize the change you are trying to make and they do not call platinum hair the epitome of the term "high maintenance" that is actually where the term was derived - back in the Marilyn Monroe days !
• Do Not use powder lightener, that was designed only for small pieces of hair such as highlights ( I never use powder lightener - rarely do you need it with cream and oil lightener in existence).
• the lightener  must be applied multiple times and it depends on the color Level you are beginning with as to how many applications of Oil bleach you will need. In the future you will only be using 1 application to re-touch your roots.
•  All bleaches only process for 55-75 minutes - period, so at that time ity is time to remove it and apply another application.
•  At that point you take the lightener OFF, rinse in luke cool water for 5 minutes
• Apply INTENSIVE for minimum 30 min. rinse dry hair and Apply 1 more time. You don't stop when the hair is Gold or Blorange, that means you need another application to achieve the platinum hair. You do this until your hair reaches the color of frozen butter or the inside of banana.
• Then when the lightness is achieved........ go through the process with the INTENSIVE and rinse, then apply THRIVEN OVERNIGHT.......that is a pure miracle worker I promise you. Tone the hair the next day. Its always best if you can wait 24 hours before that, if you can't then proceed that way.
• Be sure you are using a Toner so that means a demi-permanent color line ONLY - and never more that a 13Volume developer for a toner on platinum hair I prefer 6 Volume Color Touch and 10/6.

James Blonde Series - Bleaching Your Hair At Home

How the State Board Outlines: 'How to Lighten Virgin Hair'

First we will learn the manner in which the State Boards of Cosmetology require this technique be accomplished. Yes, each state may have little variances from this exact description....but the California State Board is "supposedly" the toughest in the USA. We have some absurd amount of hair stylists here - over 100,000 - is the figure I'm pretty sure I remember hearing, so they try to keep the standards up.

 It is my opinion, after running this Blog/Group and Store for 5 years, that this battery of test include NOTHING in how to formulate hair color. I mean, that should be the number 1 thing they teach them (in my opinion). So I don't put a whole lot of stake in their Tests and the Hair Stylists that become licensed any longer. 

Implements and Materials

• towels
• comb
• gloves
• plastic clips (not metal - bleach & metal do not go together)
• tint cape
• plastic tint bowl
• shampoo
• peroxide
• finishing rinse (Intensive)
• cotton
• note card - for recording times/results
• tint brush
• lightener
• timer
• protective cream

Preparation

• Perform a preliminary Patch Test, 24 hours prior to Lightening procedure. ( See its required by law !)
• Perform a Strand Test ( this is the best advice the State Board has ever come up with)
• Apply Protective (Barrier ) Cream around hairline and over the ears
• Record the results from both Tests and log on computer as well.

PROCEDURE

• Divide hair into 4 sections
• Put on protective gloves
• Prepare the lightening formula you are using for this procedure, which in real-life would be the Oil-Lightening Kits found in the store http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/killerstrands-oil-bleach-kit 
• Apply the lightener. Begin the application where the hair seems the resistant, which would be in the back quadrants. First outline the quadrants with the lightener, moving quickly, proceed by starting with 1/2" OFF-OF-THE-SCALP and then along the parting and up "to" but not  through the ends. The ends have nothing on them - Zippo ! Apply the lightener to the top and underside of the subsection in quick, rhythmic movements.
• Place strips of cotton at the scalp area along the parts to prevent the lightener from touching the base of the hair. Complete all four sections in this manner.
• Continue to apply lightener, double check the application, adding more lightener where needed. Do NOT comb lightener through the hair. Keep the lightener moist throughout the application by reapplying as the mixture dries. Many Stylists don't understand that concept, but, Lighteners dry out very easily -so using more developer help keep the mixture moist....which then keeps it working steadily.
• Check for lightening action about 15 minutes before the time indicated by the preliminary Strand Test. Spray a hair strand with water and remove the lightener with a damp towel. Examine the Strand. If it is not light enough, then reapply the Lightener and continue with the application until all hair is as light as desired.
• Remove the cotton from the scalp area, prepare a fresh batch of lightener to apply to the base (scalp area) Apply the lightener to the Scalp area (NOTE: there has been NO lightener on the first 1/2" to 3/4" closest to the scalp - until this time) with a 1/4" parting. Process. According to your strand Test, if needed apply whatever is needed to the ends to bring all 3 area's of the length of the hair to the same color. 
• Rinse the hair thoroughly with lukewarm water , many people will have a tender scalp after this procedure so go forward carefully . . be gentle and using cool water  to help soothe the scalp and hair. Use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo and perform a light and quick shampoo. Rinsing thoroughly. Apply a pH balancer (Intensive - which uses many oils and plant extracts to calm the hair and scalp after that procedure is perfect - athough it is not mentioned in the State Board Description of this procedure.)
• Neutralize the alkalinity of the hair  (by using INTENSIVE - OOPS !) Then use THRIVEN ...overnight ........creates both a healed scalp and hair color.
• Towel-Dry the hair, or dry it completely under a cool dryer. If you must style and go.

• Examine the scalp for any abrasions. Analyze the condition of the hair.
• Proceed with a Toner application if desired, needed or wanted !
• Perform clean-up of entire area and check to be sure client is clean and perfect !

Now that is the technical and stuffy directions with have loosened up TREMENDOUSLY from when I went to school, let me tell you .
Now, I will be back to explain How to Lighten Tinted Hair in a day or 2.
Plus all about Toners and any other subjects having to do with Blonds.

Killer Chemist

To Bleach Or Not To Bleach: That Is The Question

Level 12 Hair  =  Platinum Blond Hair

The fascination that comes with Platinum Blond Hair is something that I believe has more to do with the fact that for hundreds of years – that color of hair did not exist on people of either sex . Yes, many children are born as “tow-heads” . .  but as they age I would say 88% gradually darken to brunettes before 18 years of age, about 10% will remain a Level 7/8  and a mere 1-2% will make it to adulthood as natural light blonds. About 1% make it to adulthood as a “light” Blond and ‘none’ make it as the toe-head <> platinum blond we are talking about in this post.  I don’t ‘make up’ the statistics – I merely observe them. When things are “rare” they are more treasured. Its that way with anything …….cars, furniture, skin, jewelry, clothing – everything. . Especially beauty items such as  hair & haircolor  . . . platinum hair to men to women & to everyone… is just striking - - it is sexy – plain and simple. The Bleach and Tone process is what this process is called.
Hair Coloring just happens to be one of the oldest beauty procedures – it was used by various ancient cultures as a sign of affluence, much like it is today. When I was working the Salon in Malibu all those years, I would watch the 14 – 18 year old children of celebrities – ask for $200. – $600. procedures - - frequently. There is no way I am condemning a process in which my own children partake in as well, so please do not think I was judging.

The use of hair coloring was shown in records of ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Hebrews, Persians, Chinese, and early Hindu peoples all mention the use of hair colorings.. Early hair dyes were made from plants, metallic compounds, or a mixture of the two. Rock alum, quicklime, and wood ash were used for bleaching hair in Roman times, and herbal preparations included mullein, birch bark, saffron, myrrh, and turmeric. Another early method of coloring hair was to apply powder. Pure white powder for hair or wigs was the show of high-class dress in Europe during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. White powder was made of wheat starch or potato starch, sometimes mixed with plaster of paris, flour, chalk, or burnt alabaster. Similarly colored powders were sometimes used as well.Think of how we have come full-circle, have you seen the products that all resemble TOPPIK ? ? For some reason since the dawn of time we have been compelled to alter our hair color. . .personally I simply find it ‘fun’ – a very non-interesting reason I suppose. When I first began my full-blown practice in the Salon (stopped educating) – I would think and I would actually tell people. . .” the joy I receive from transforming people’s lives with just their hair… is so rewarding that I wish I could do their hair free of charge”.



The reason for the admiration of this color? . . . because it is RARE. . . it is not easy to get, it is expensive to have (done correctly) and to keep up on.This is the hair color that the term “high maintenance” was developed. It is truly the most expensive hair to keep up on, people like Ms.Stefani, Ms. Aguilera will have their base re-done about every 10 -12 - 14 days in order to keep it fresh, new although mainly so there are NO ROOTS in any photos.Think about it . . . ever seen 1 photo of Gwen Stefani with roots showing? Christina?  When bleached roots are re-touched very frequently like that it must be done by skilled hands so there is no “overlap” taking place and there is a sufficient amount of pH balancing and Conditioning going on to keep the hair in “tip-top” shape. So no breakage takes place and the process can continue. All you need is the education this Blog exhibits and I am happy to announce we are finally working on a book in which all “like” Posts and all “like” Demo’s will be in the same Chapter. . . how about that prospect? Regardless of that, all the information is already here. Just do some sincere studying, reading and reviewing of all pertinent Posts to this topic. I have found many members who are truly trying to educate themselves in the Art of Hair Color, as a wonderfully challenging hobby to take up, are purchasing 1 even 2 mannequins to test their prospective hair colors on. 

I can tell you there is a completely different outside ‘visual’ assessment of a person when they have brown hair versus blond. I wish it wasn’t so, just like I wish there was no judging, no prejudice, or bias’ BUT Every single person I have ever changed from a dark hair color to …Platinum ( or any shade of LIGHT Blond, for that matter). . . has told me that their life has been completely transformed by the process. Just know that, keep that piece of information in your pocket - - because I do feel that every person should be a blond, at least once in their life. If for no other reason than for plain and simple FUN ! My one exception is natural born red-heads . . . they should NOT go platinum . . . a pretty widely known hair coloring rule that I am 100% behind.
There are so many hair stylists that will have a bad experience with the Bleach and Tone process, by leaving the bleach on too long and therefore creating lots of breakage (100% completely avoidable - btw). So many of you are afraid of bleach and there is no need to be. What IS necessary is learning how to properly use it. I am of the school that there is no better coloring tool than Bleach and I find different needs for all 3 types of Bleach: 1) Cream Bleach  2) Oil Bleach and last but not least 3) Powder Bleach. All 3 have different purposes and different consistencies . There is just no way to lighten most people’s hair “past” that God-awful stage of brass without Bleach, those hair stylists that bad-mouth Bleach and attempt to lighten hair with Tint, leave the mark of a poorly trained Stylist in most cases. So many of the people who end up on Killerstrands are the product of this situation and want to take back control of their hair and hair color - - by learning exactly how hair color works. Until I decided to open up the previously “closed” books of professional hair color rules, there was no where to go to learn this information.
 

Left side Bleach and tone . . . Right-side Bleach and NO Tone

This rare and wonderful treat of platinum hair, the next step is for me to teach and explain how to get this rare commodity in the most safe and correct method there is.
The Technical Names for the Oil Bleach System :

• 2 Step process
  
• Double-Process &
  
• Bleach and Tone

Its funny in the Vidal Sassoon Hair Academy we were taught to never use the word “bleach” – that people are afraid of that ‘specific’ word, to use the word “lightener” instead. That the fear comes from not knowing what “bleach” is (I have tested this theory out with my clients as to what they think and picture). People picture in their head the only thing they know to be Bleach…. You know > that weird clear liquid that smells horrific, which can only be put in with ‘whites’ when you do your Laundry, and if it drops on anything it removes the color immediately. . . so, understandably, its a scary concept to the public.That bleach and the bleach we use on the hair are completely different products, which is what needs to be firmly taught to everyone. They just happen to have the same name, although truly within the hair color world we always call it Lightener. . . except when referring to Oil and Cream Bleach
Hair Stylists do nothing ( I have observed) to alleviate that unknown fear – as most like to leave their clients in the dark. They act as though they have some super power knowledge of hair chemicals that they are not allowed to ‘share’ - - I continue to work towards the opposing theory of this… that has been prevalent for the last 50 years. I want the client…the public…the young and old hair color client… to have the complete knowledge of how hair color works. KNOWLEDGE ELIMINATES FEAR. I want to empower the public to: want to learn how hair color works :it is one of the most important topics to me: and is the goal of this BLOG.
No Colorist can deny the pleasure of turning hair that is dark into gorgeous – beautiful PLATINUM – TONED, hair. That transformation is absolutely the best feeling I have found in coloring hair. Why? It is taking the hair strand through all the stages of the Level System and basically hitting the GOLDMINE of not having any color left in the strands. Learning how to Bleach & Tone is the mark of a true master of Color, in my book.

This is Part 1 of my 2 part series on the Double Process of Bleach/Tone http://killerstrands.myshopify.com/products/oil-bleach-kit-exclusive-to-killerstrands
Killer Chemist