Dry, brittle, bleached hair? Look no further!

I'm no stranger to bleach.

As mentioned in my first blog, my hair has seen more colors than a pack of skittles. I've been  dirty blonde, platinum blonde, purple, blue, red, pink, chocolate brown, iced brown, frosted brown, black, black, more black, poo brown... the lot! And with my hair being naturally black I can only achieve a really dramatic result if I bleach the hair. The first few times I bleached my whole head (THIS IS A VERY BAD IDEA AND DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME) it lightened my hair so much that it gave me a lot more leeway  in what color I put on. Bleaching permanently removes the color pigment from your hair and the chemicals in the bleach opens the cuticle layer and once this happens it never fully closes again. This disrupted cuticle layer is what makes hair look brittle, weak and dull.

I learnt the hard way. Not using the correct protection and treatment products on my bleach hair caused it to split, it looked like cotton wool, and I had to have my locks cut off! Bleaching and coloring your hair is kind of like living with a big lie- it eventually catches up with you!

Six months later and I'm back on the bleach ( I definitely sound like an addict) except this time I'm using my secret weapons and my hair has never felt healthier! Its soft, shiny and glossy because now I know  what happens if I don't look after it when its bleach I take extra care of it. My favorite products to use on my hair when it starts to feel a little brittle after my heated rollers or a big fat blow dry is the Lee Stafford Argan Oil Nourishing collection. Argan oil has taken the hair care nation by storm often being labelled the 'miracle oil'- and people are not wrong! The collection by Stafford contains this gold bullet ingredient allowing you to protect and nourish your locks throughout all your routines by using the shampoo and conditioner (£10.99 each), heat protection spray (£12.99) and serum (£11.99). Compared to the Argan Oil treatments in the salon these products are great value for money and are available at Boots. Even if you just try one out you'll see an improvement in the look and feel of your colored hair as it is nourished, protected and nursed back to health!

Lee Stafford Argan Oil collection

I'm all for being adventurous and swapping my products around so when I finished my latest bottles of Lee Stafford I tried the John Frieda Frizz Ease night creme serum. I slap it on before bed, have a lovely nights kip then in the morning after my shower BINGO! Revitalized, healthy hair. Retailing at £6.59 at most stores you really can't complain although I prefer the consistency of the Stafford collection but my hair is extremely thick anyway!

 If you're looking for a lightweight option or your hair isn't in too bad condition try a heavy duty conditioner or treatment you can use in the shower to give your locks a little pamper. My favorite is the Aussie Three Minute Miracle Deep Treatment- the eucalyptus extract leaves leaves your hair with a divine smell and soft to the touch! With a microscopic price tag of £4.99 this treatment is ideal for any students out there looking to give their hair a little TLC!