Why is my hair stretchy like a rubber band

Originally posted by curliefro@May 16 2004, 01:06 PM
It is good that you comb your hair only when wet. If little hair comes out when you comb, it means your hair is not brittle and damaged. Hair should have good elasticity that is able to stretch to full length with little breaking or snapping.

Índice Show

• How to Save Your Color-Damaged Hair
• Talk to Your Stylist
• Don't Wash Your Hair
• Try a Hair Mask
• You Will Need
• Use Nourishing Hair Products
• Throw Away Your Brush and Use a Wide-Tooth Comb
• Hold Back on the Styling
• Trim Your Split Ends
• Is it normal for hair to be stretchy?
• What does it mean if your hair is elastic?

Yes. Curlie's advice sounds right. :thumbsup Sounds like your hair is stretching as it should because it's healthy and moisturized. Also since our hair is curly it WILL :razz catch and pull as you comb it.

Caleb Matthew arrived Feb. 17, 2005

I like sharing hair-care and styling tips with others by writing helpful articles with actionable advice.

How will you save your damaged processed hair?

Helga Weber, CC BY-ND 2.0, via Flickr

How to Save Your Color-Damaged Hair

It's happened to many of us: As summer approaches, we opt for a lighter (or totally different) hair color, only to get home from the salon feeling like our locks have been replaced by a pile of hay!

The process of bleaching hair opens the shaft of the hair and removes the color by reaching the melanin in the core of the hair and changing its composition. To penetrate the hair shaft, the process has to lift the hair's cuticle. If hair is over-bleached, the cuticle will not lay flat again once the process is complete, and this is what causes hair to feel coarse and to look dull and lifeless. Bleaching will also cause the hair strand to weaken, so it will begin to snap off like a weak rubber band, causing hair to look thin and stringy.

Here are some tips on how to limit the amount of damage caused by bleaching and some tricks to help restore hair once severe damage has been done.

Talk to Your Stylist

First, prevent damage before it happens. Don't be shy when talking to your stylist—if you've got fine or thin hair, chances are your hair is not going to hold up very well through the process. Ask your stylist to use a lower-volume developer on your hair. It will take longer to process, but the lower the developer number, the slower the developer processes and the less damage it causes. You can also ask your stylist to lighten your hair to a certain point and then use toner to achieve the actual level of blonde that you are looking for.

Most hairstylists don't want you walking around looking like you stuck your finger in a light socket because it makes them look bad too. They are usually more than willing to address your concerns and work with you to minimize the damage. Another tip to preventing damage is going from deeper colors to lighter blondes in steps—a little more blonde at each visit. The final tip is to try to schedule your appointment before a window when you can go several days without washing. I prefer Thursday evenings because I can go until Monday before I have to wash my hair. After the appointment, I brush daily with a wide-tooth comb and do a deep conditioning treatment Sunday night.

Bleach usually comes in a powder form and is mixed with a liquid developer. Developer comes in four strengths: 10, 20, 30, and 40 volume. Volume refers to the percentage of peroxide in the developer. 10-volume is the weakest level, and 40-volume is the maximum strength. If your hair is weak or unhealthy or does not tolerate processing very well, you may want to ask your stylist to use a 10 or 20-volume developer. It will take longer to process, and your hair will not turn out as light, but your stylist can use a toner to lighten your hair further without doing more damage.

Don't Wash Your Hair

If you've just gotten your hair dyed, don't wash your hair! At least, not immediately. Wait at least two or three days after processing before you wash your hair. This will give your natural oils a chance to regenerate and coat your hair follicles, which will help the cuticles lay flat. It may also help add a little shine.

Maybe you are reading this because you've washed your hair for the first time after having it bleached and have now lost your brush in the rat's nest that's been left behind. In that case, I've got plenty of tricks to help you out. I've had it happen a few times because stylists often assume my strands are thick and able to handle intense bleaching because I have a lot of hair. In reality, although I have very long, thick hair, the individual strands are very thin and delicate.

Try a Hair Mask

You can try a homemade hair mask using avocado, olive oil, and yogurt.

You Will Need

• 1–2 avocados (depending on the length of your hair)
• 1–2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of plain yogurt

Steps

1. Add all ingredients to a bowl.
2. Mash them up into a paste and coat hair from the ends up.
3. Put your hair up in a shower cap.
4. Wrap a warm towel over it or heat it with a blow dryer.
5. Let the mixture sit for any amount of time between one hour and overnight. This will help add oils back into your hair and relax the cuticles, making hair look healthier.

Use Nourishing Hair Products

Next, find a rich deep conditioner. My favorites are It's a 10 Miracle hair mask (which runs anywhere from $17.00–$22.00 on Amazon) and any of the Organix deep conditioners ( $6.00–$10.00 on Amazon). You can also use any product that is designed to be used in the shower and left in your hair for two to five minutes before getting washed out. Here's how to get the most out of it:

• Take your deep conditioner and slather it into your hair while it is still dry. Start from the ends and work up to the scalp and get a good thick coat on.
• Then loosely twist your hair up and put on a shower cap.
• Let the conditioner sit overnight and wash it out in the morning. This will help to coat hair and get the restoration process started.

Next, you need a rich shampoo and conditioner for everyday use. I love Joyco K-Pac color therapy shampoo and conditioner! They are guaranteed to repair your hair—just make sure you purchase them from an authorized salon. They are a tad expensive—usually around $30.00 each at my local beauty supply store. Of course, you can use whatever shampoo and conditioner you prefer, just try to get a conditioner that leaves your hair feeling soft once you've rinsed it out. This will help out with the styling process and will limit the amount of breakage that you'll end up with in the long run.

Lastly, you're going to need a good leave-in detangling product. Again, I like the It's a 10 Miracle leave-in product. It only takes a few spritzes and a few minutes to work its magic, and it can tame the most unmanageable hair. Plus it also has a heat protectant in it and it's really lightweight.

Throw Away Your Brush and Use a Wide-Tooth Comb

Use a wide-tooth comb when combing wet hair and when styling. These are the times when the most breakage is going to occur, and I'd guess that a wide-tooth comb reduces lost strands by more than 50%. Start by parting your hair into two sections down the middle of your head. Next, start combing from the bottom up, working in small sections. If you hit a major tangle, don't rip or pull at it. Use your fingers to gently separate the tangle and then carry on!

Hold Back on the Styling

Try to limit the flat iron for the first few weeks—at least until your hair no longer snaps off in a light breeze! Use big clips instead of rubber bands and pull hair up loosely instead of into tight ponytails. This also will reduce a lot of the breakage and will help prevent the "lion's mane" look that occurs when hair breaks off where the rubber band ties it.

Trim Your Split Ends

Try to get in for a good haircut two to three weeks after the initial bleaching. This will eliminate split ends, even out the layers that may become uneven with breakage, and allow you to concentrate on reviving the length of your hair instead of focusing on only the split ends.

Ultimately, your best bet is to choose a hairstylist who listens to your concerns, takes his or her time with you, and has a good track record and lots of experience with this type of process. A good stylist will do everything possible to address your concerns and will use high-quality products that don't cause severe damage.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Comments

Maz on November 30, 2017:

You haven't said when to use a toner, it have I missed it......

is this straight away after bleached or three weeks later...and does toning damage further, or does t help badly damaged bleached hair at all.

My hair is candy floss after over bleach ....but I want a pearl toner on it ....but scared I'll damage more.

gina on May 28, 2017:

You are so sweet and the positive uplifting words really are so kind.

thank you for the video

Victoria on October 30, 2016:

I bleached my hair, but only my tips that were pink. We used walmart products to remove it nothing worked good, my mon said lets try bleach. After we bleached it and washed it out we put dish soap over it. Now my hair is crusty and is like dreads. I wanted to go back to my natural hair color, blonde and its blonde but horribly damaged and I need help because its all bad!

Naomi Watson on October 13, 2016:

I loved your video,it had. Lot of good take away tips. Thanks Naomi

whitney c on June 16, 2016:

I have dyed and bleached my hair to a pulp over the years and I am trying to regain my natural healthy hair. As it has taken years of abuse I realise this will not happen over night. The Pureology Conditioner does work a bit, but the Somaluxe Argan Oil is what made my hair looks like I am 20 years old again! I massaged it into my scalp and hair and have left overnight and washed out in the morning, my pillow wasn't stained or greasy looking so thats a relief.

You can feel the difference, my hair doesn't feel as coarse and dried out. I blowdried it and it felt great, shiny and looked healthy and sleek. I do recommend the Somaluxe Argan Oil as a deep conditioning treatment once or twice a week to anyone who has dyed hair. The bottle isn't very big but you don't really need a lot, I would estimate this to last me atleast 3 months

jenny wasko on May 24, 2016:

My hair is seriously damaged from doing bleach and a few weeks later trying to do a perm. It's like rubber all over the crown of my head and dry everywhere else. I came very close to losing all my hair at the salon. The Stylist told me that this happened because I use multiple shampoos and conditioners and how to build up before she started on the perm. Regardless Kama it is ruined. Over the last week I have invested probably $400 on visits to get the Redken treatment and buying products. I did not know that you could leave those three to five minute masks on overnight. I've been using mayonnaise or coconut oil alternating for my overnight mask. I think it's coming along but I've got a long way to go.

Chavonne on September 10, 2015:

wow, that many products? I wonder if these blogs dont get paid by hair companies to showcase their products. I mean who has 10 hair products?

Kristy on April 03, 2014:

I have brittle dry hair from bleaching it. How sad my wedding is in 6 months so I'm panicking. I bought joico Kpac reconstructor and it works great. Keep up with as many deep conditioning treatments as u can. Wash your hair less so natural oils can do their job.getting a trim every 6-8 is very important ladies!!!!!!! I'm going back brown with my hairdresser. He said putting the color back in will help seal up my hair so it's not frizzy and a mess!!

Emily from Missouri on February 14, 2014:

There's this kit is called Pro Naturals argan oil system or something along those lines that comes with organic shampoo and conditioner designed to make hair soft, shiny and healthy especially if you use heat tools or hair dye. It also comes with a deep conditioning hair mask and an argan oil heat protectant that works miracles for frizz. You use it after a shower, it's not oily at all and it's actually real argan oil.

gina on January 20, 2014:

Hi I'm new to all this...I literally went from hair done to my bottom...to having above the shoulder length from over bleaching it....this happened 3 years ago.....my hair is still above my shoulders.....recently I started using vo5 hot oil treatment... But my hair is still the same length but its a lot shiner... And not so died looking ....I still dye my hair the slightest blond I can ..but no bleach or ammonia..... My concern and has me worried is will I ever have long hair again

Amanda on June 03, 2013:

How often do you suggest deep conditioning?

I'm hoping to ombré my hair,mbut am terrified to ruin it because of the bleach. My hair is a light to medium brown, it should be fine with a 20 vol right?

Is it normal for hair to be stretchy?

What does it mean if your hair is elastic?