How do you get hair from dark brown to blonde without frying it? It's an age old question. Even professional hairdressers have ruined my hair during the bleaching process. Now days, many more brunettes have gone blonde thanks to a protective additive that can minimize damage during the process of lifting 8-10+ levels of colour.
I have been using Brite Organix to bleach and colour my hair for a while now, but I knew that my hair was suffering from all that processing. I've wanted to jump onto the Plex bandwagon, but when BRITE came out with BRITEPLEX, I knew I had to have it.
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OXYGEN IS A RADICAL
Why does hair get damaged from processing anyway? It's the same reason that some fabrics would degrade if you were to add a bleaching agent to your washing to get rid of a food stains.
Hair is made of keratin and the colour comes from melanin. Bleach works because it usually contains a basic compound (such as Ammonia) which opens the cuticles of the hair shaft and allows the activator, Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2, a strong oxidant, it loves to rip electrons off other molecules to return to a lower energy state) to get in and break down the melanin. The reaction changes the molecular structure and therefore what wavelengths of light it absorbs and reflects.
Because oxidants don't care what they rip electrons off, the structure of the hair shaft is also targeted, particularly the very strong disulfide bonds which keep everything together. When these bonds are broken, they sometimes won't reform properly, so hair strands lose strength and elasticity, leading to breakage and severe damage.
Bleach isn't the only process that alters these disulfide bonds. regular permanent colouring using pigment and activator, perming solutions, heat styling and just everyday hair maintenance will break these bonds.
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THE PLEX
More and more brands are coming out with their own version of a Plex Treatment. There's the professional-only component, used in colour and repair, and the complementary at home weekly treatment. The latter is what everybody talks about when they say they use a a plex treatment.
Lab Muffin went into really great detail into one brand of plex, with a patented ingredient.
BRITEPLEX
BRITEPLEX is the product released by BRITE Organix. It comes as a three-step system.
1. PROTECT 100mL
This is the "bleach additive". It is a clear liquid.
2. REPAIR 200mL
This product is applied immediately after the first. It is moderate thickness conditioner-like formula.
3. REBUILD 100mL
This is the weekly treatment product. It is a thick conditioner formula.
DURING BLEACHING AND COLOURING
PROTECT mixed with hair bleach reduces damage by aiding in reforming the bonds once they have broken. The REPAIR is applied generously after rinsing out the bleach and left for 10-20 minutes.
Recommended use is 5mL mixed into every 30g of powder bleach, or 50g of creme bleach. Exceeding this ratio may prevent bleach from working efficiently.
I tend to use about 25-30g of the BRITE creme bleach, as my hair is short and I am only doing roots, so I use about 3mL of PROTECT. I like to shampoo my hair after bleaching to make sure I get rid of any excess bleach. I follow by lightly drying my hair and applying REPAIR for 20 minutes. Afterwards, I rinse and just go in with a blue toner (it's a bit superfluous because I dye my hair blue anyway, but it helps figure out how much lift I actually got from the bleach). I then apply my colour.
DAMAGE REPAIR
The product can also be used alone to repair damage. PROTECT is mixed with water and spritzed onto clean, dry hair and left for 10-20 minutes. REPAIR is then applied generously and left for 10-20 minutes. This can be done once a month.
Recommended use is 15mL of PROTECT to 90mL of water, but because my hair is so short, I tend to use about 2.5mL of PROTECT to 15mL of water. If you have short hair, this kit will last almost forever.
I like to leave the REPAIR in for around 30 minutes.
WEEKLY TOP UP
REBUILD is applied to hair weekly and can even be left overnight. After treatment, hair is rinsed and cleansed as normal.
I rarely use this product because it is difficult to estimate when I'll be washing my hair, because hair has to be clean in order for it to work at maximum efficacy. The extra washing required strips my colour.
.
RESULTS
These before and afters. Let them speak for themselves.
.
Thoughts?
I am obligated to recommend this for anybody who is confident performing home bleaching and colouring (see a professional otherwise). I almost wanted to give up my colour so I could grow my hair out, but the amount of damage prevented during bleaching means my hair remains healthy after processing.
The biggest thing I noticed is that I get dramatically reduced post-bleach breakage. I can even bleach after I get a hair cut without worrying that my hair might snap further. I hope to achieve long, mermaid hair again!
Hair is made of keratin and the colour comes from melanin. Bleach works because it usually contains a basic compound (such as Ammonia) which opens the cuticles of the hair shaft and allows the activator, Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2, a strong oxidant, it loves to rip electrons off other molecules to return to a lower energy state) to get in and break down the melanin. The reaction changes the molecular structure and therefore what wavelengths of light it absorbs and reflects.
Because oxidants don't care what they rip electrons off, the structure of the hair shaft is also targeted, particularly the very strong disulfide bonds which keep everything together. When these bonds are broken, they sometimes won't reform properly, so hair strands lose strength and elasticity, leading to breakage and severe damage.
Bleach isn't the only process that alters these disulfide bonds. regular permanent colouring using pigment and activator, perming solutions, heat styling and just everyday hair maintenance will break these bonds.
.
THE PLEX
More and more brands are coming out with their own version of a Plex Treatment. There's the professional-only component, used in colour and repair, and the complementary at home weekly treatment. The latter is what everybody talks about when they say they use a a plex treatment.
Lab Muffin went into really great detail into one brand of plex, with a patented ingredient.
.
BRITEPLEX is the product released by BRITE Organix. It comes as a three-step system.
1. PROTECT 100mL
This is the "bleach additive". It is a clear liquid.
2. REPAIR 200mL
This product is applied immediately after the first. It is moderate thickness conditioner-like formula.
3. REBUILD 100mL
This is the weekly treatment product. It is a thick conditioner formula.
DURING BLEACHING AND COLOURING
PROTECT mixed with hair bleach reduces damage by aiding in reforming the bonds once they have broken. The REPAIR is applied generously after rinsing out the bleach and left for 10-20 minutes.
Recommended use is 5mL mixed into every 30g of powder bleach, or 50g of creme bleach. Exceeding this ratio may prevent bleach from working efficiently.
I tend to use about 25-30g of the BRITE creme bleach, as my hair is short and I am only doing roots, so I use about 3mL of PROTECT. I like to shampoo my hair after bleaching to make sure I get rid of any excess bleach. I follow by lightly drying my hair and applying REPAIR for 20 minutes. Afterwards, I rinse and just go in with a blue toner (it's a bit superfluous because I dye my hair blue anyway, but it helps figure out how much lift I actually got from the bleach). I then apply my colour.
DAMAGE REPAIR
The product can also be used alone to repair damage. PROTECT is mixed with water and spritzed onto clean, dry hair and left for 10-20 minutes. REPAIR is then applied generously and left for 10-20 minutes. This can be done once a month.
Recommended use is 15mL of PROTECT to 90mL of water, but because my hair is so short, I tend to use about 2.5mL of PROTECT to 15mL of water. If you have short hair, this kit will last almost forever.
I like to leave the REPAIR in for around 30 minutes.
WEEKLY TOP UP
REBUILD is applied to hair weekly and can even be left overnight. After treatment, hair is rinsed and cleansed as normal.
I rarely use this product because it is difficult to estimate when I'll be washing my hair, because hair has to be clean in order for it to work at maximum efficacy. The extra washing required strips my colour.
.
RESULTS
These before and afters. Let them speak for themselves.
 |
| Top: Before using BRITEPLEX Bottom: After using BRITEPLEX damage repair method and a following top up with REBUILD. |
 |
| After using BRITEPLEX with the bleaching method. |
.
Thoughts?
I am obligated to recommend this for anybody who is confident performing home bleaching and colouring (see a professional otherwise). I almost wanted to give up my colour so I could grow my hair out, but the amount of damage prevented during bleaching means my hair remains healthy after processing.
The biggest thing I noticed is that I get dramatically reduced post-bleach breakage. I can even bleach after I get a hair cut without worrying that my hair might snap further. I hope to achieve long, mermaid hair again!
BRITEPLEX - $49.99AUD is available from Priceline.
Have you tried BRITEPLEX? Let me know what you think!
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This product was purchased by myself, my thoughts are honest. For more information, please read my Disclosure Policy.
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