Ask the Experts

You’ve got a good thick head of hair so you’ve got plenty of options. Your hair thickness and quality is very workable! You need to talk to somebody who can give you options within your consultations and make the changes – it may be that you need to grow it prior to this so you’ve got more length to work on as this will give greater options too. Find a salon that’s expert with men’s hair and they can show you pictures as you discuss your options.

When bleaching you should only use 6% and below on the scalp – gentle lifting without heat is the key to the perfect blonde. There are products you can put on the scalp prior to bleaching that help coat the scalp itself and protect it while bleaching. Also, after the process of lifting, there is a procedure of using the correct shampoo, cool rinse and a product to rebalance the scalp’s PH. For hairdressers out there that aren’t knowledgeable in creating the perfect blonde there are courses with product houses that teach you how to do this in compliance with the proper regulations.

As far as I’m concerned, there should never be 12 vol applied to the scalp at any time. You would expect to see irritation to the scalp and in severe cases, burning, and you would lose elasticity and compromise the condition of the hair itself resulting in breakage. If you’re unfortunate enough that this has happened to you, I’d recommend seeing your doctor to treat a burn, then it’s a case of nourishing the scalp at all times with the right treatments. It’s impossible to comment on your hair without seeing it but in theory the root ball would still be intact so any hair that falls out will regrow after the damage is done.

To achieve such a cool colour on hair that is not only naturally coarse but also previously treated with chemicals and still maintain condition is a very big ask. I would advise against attempting a home care product to achieve this result. Consult a professional colour specialist and have the appropriate tenacity tests to see if you hair can handle this service and then have it done in salon. My initial feeling is that you won’t be able to achieve this until your hair is in better condition. I would recommend exploring other options till your hair is in better condition or has less chemical history on it.