Blonde hair is still a national preference - which is why more and more women are trying to bleach their hair to achieve the colors of the moment, especially platinum and pearly hair.
Whether it's highlights, balayages or all over bleached hair, the truth is that to achieve an attractive look it's essential that the professional knows the bleaching powder they're using very well, as well as the client's hair.
To help you, we've put together this complete article, explaining how bleaching powders have evolved, how they work today and other useful information. Check it out!
The evolution of bleaching powders
The first celebrities to show up with lighter hair were the pin-ups of the 1940s, especially the actress Betty Grable, considered the girlfriend of the officers of the Second World War. Her trademark was blonde hair with waves.
Since then, there have been many celebrities with blonde hair who have marked a decade, such as Marylin Monroe, Brigitte Bardot, Madonna, Jennifer Aniston and Gisele Bündchen - making this shade of hair desired by women all over the world.
In the beginning, however, making brunettes blonde was a difficult task for hairdressers. After all, there wasn't much technology for it. Oxidizing agents used to be very radical and were generally used all over the hair.
The result was a lot of scalp pain, a strong, unpleasant smell and enormous difficulty in achieving the desired color. The hydrogen peroxide of yesteryear was very concentrated and in minutes the mixture lost its potency, so the professional had to manipulate new blends in order not to leave the client with the well-known egg yolk tone.
In addition, it was common for women to leave salons with hair that was dry and prone to falling out due to breakage.
It was in the 1970s that the first bleaching caps began to be used. The bleaches could reach up to 3 tones and already had a little more technology and emollients, helping to treat the hair.
But it wasn't until 1980 that products began to appear to be used on laminated paper, giving rise to balayage. At that time, hairdressers started using toners to cover the strands in the shades they wanted. A lot has changed since then, and today bleaching powders are safer and less aggressive to the hair.
How does bleaching powder work?
The process of bleaching hair basically involves removing the color from it. In other words, removing the melanin from the hair - which is an arduous task, because the melanin is in the hair cortex, protected by the film.
To achieve this, you need two ingredients: bleaching powder and hydrogen peroxide. The powder is formulated with persulphate, while the hydrogen peroxide is based on hydrogen peroxide.
For the melanin to be removed, the chemical components must first break through the hair cuticle barrier. This is not very easy, as well-treated hair usually has closed cuticles.
In this way, the hydrogen peroxide helps to open the hair cuticle, allowing the powder to reach the cortex and solubilize the melanin, finally leaving the hair bleached.
Hair thinning and bleaching
However, this whole process is not perfect. This means that while these reactions act on the melanin, they also end up affecting the entire structure of the hair, including the proteins in the cuticle.
The good news is that bleaching reagents usually act more slowly on the protein than on the melanin molecules, but not slowly enough not to cause any damage to the hair.
It is therefore very important to first analyze the client's hair correctly, ensuring that it will withstand the procedure. And then use bleaching powders from a good source, avoiding excessive damage to the hair.
In addition to all this, another tip is to keep an eye on the volume of the hydrogen peroxide. Always remember that the higher the volume, the stronger the oxidation process will be and this means that the hair will take on more shades.
Platinum and Pearly: get to know these Yamá darlings
Platinum and pearlescent bleaching powders are already favorites among professional hairdressers because they guarantee safe bleaching in the desired shade.
They have been specially developed for bleaching processes that aim to achieve these shades and also have incredible differentials, such as:
- presence of pearl extract which helps to achieve the specific shade of platinum or pearlescent hair;
- specific components that act by neutralizing unwanted yellow, promoting a high whitening power, with incredible results and without perfume.
The line can open up to 9 shades and comes in 20g, 50g and 300g packs.
As you've seen, bleaching powders have come a long way - and today they are safe and interesting options for transforming any brunette into an incredible blonde, including platinum and pearly shades.
And don't forget to check out our bleaching powders at super special prices in our partner store: Perfumaria em Casa.
