How to Grow Out Bleached Hair: A 10-Year Journey to Healthy, Strong Hair

PUT THE BLEACH DOWN! CANCEL YOUR NEXT COLORING APPOINTMENT.

I know you want to have the blondest hair possible, but trust me it is not worth it! I have been on a hair grow out journey for over 10 years! I have the slowest growing hair of all time and if I can do it, you can too.

Flash back to a decade ago, where I thought blonde was better. I did highlights, ombres, balayages, all over dyes, extensions, anything that brightened up my hair. I was born with blonde hair and had an affinity for wanting to keep it that way. Naturally over time, my hair went to a darker blonde/ light brown, so I kept piling on the dye!

My hair became so beyond damaged. If I pulled the strands, they would stretch like elastic and snap off (IYKYK). I went to the hairdresser one day and she suggested I shave part of my head. Like literally shave MY HAIR OFF!!! But guess what, I did it?.. (seriously that’s insane looking back). I rocked a half head shaved like Barbie Skrillex (not my best look). Also, no there is no photographic evidence of said hair do (its for the best).

One day I decided, enough is enough, if I keep up at this rate, I will have no hair left. So I began the painstaking journey to grow my hair out. I didn’t opt into any transitional hair colors, I just went straight natural root on platinum hair. If you are really committed, I highly recommend cold turkey no color!

Along the way of my hair journey, I have tried everything imaginable. I have also invested a lot of money and time. I have tried hair growth gummies, oils, shampoos, conditioners, treatments, pillow cases, extensions, hair cuts, combs, tools, techniques, everything! Here is my method below of how I grew out my hair after bleaching it all off.

Step One: Ditch the Dye

This is the golden rule. No more hair color. You have to grow healthy hair from the root to form a firm foundation to prevent further damage. Your hair is in a fragile state, you can not afford to add more dye.

Step Two: Proper Products

I have truly tried such a wide range of products. I do believe in investing in salon quality products help to grow out damaged hair. The key is to find products that help nourish your damaged hair, but also promote your natural hair growth. My favorite shampoo/ conditioner combo is the Redken Extreme. This combo leaves your hair feeling soft and silky, even with the most damaged tresses. For a deep shampoo to remove build up, I use Ouai Detox Shampoo. This product helps me to go longer between hair washes without using dry shampoo.

One important weekly product to use is a deep conditioning mask. I use the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask. If you have the time, put on 30 minutes before your shower. This product is great for damaged hair. Keeps everything feeling soft and fresh.

Always use a heat protectant when styling your hair. I use VERB Glossy Shine Spray with Heat Protectant. This gives your hair shine and protection.

Step Three: Soft Detangling

The most important step of ALL! This step is what I call “Soft Detangling”. Once you have all your products saturated in your hair, you comb out your hair. I use a wide tooth comb and SLOWLY work my way from ends to root. If you catch a knot, remove comb and go below the knot, working your way slowly through it. Do not rip your hair out trying to remove knots. Wide tooth comb is the ONLY thing I use on wet hair. DO NOT USE A BRUSH!

Step Four: Minimal Heat

Now that we are growing out these lushes locks, we need to protect the new growth. As the ends are fragile from all the damage, we need to minimize use of heat tools. My favorite tool is the dyson airwrap. Is this an invest item.. of course! My favorite part about using this tool is that you can let your hair air dry to about 90%. This takes away a lot the heat exposure. This is the only tool I have found that works so well on almost dry hair. The cool function also allows you to set your hairstyle without over working the hair with heat.

I also opt 3/4 times to air dry my hair. This has made a huge difference to keep fullness in my hair.

*** NEVER SLEEP ON WET HAIR!! This is the absolute worst for damaged hair.

Step Five: Regular Chops

The last step is to regularly get your hair cut. Eliminating the over processed end pieces is essential. I cut mine every 6 months. I don’t subscribe to the super frequent haircuts, but twice a year works to keep things fresh.

Bonus Tip – style your hair different every night you sleep. For example, if you sleep with a braid one night, try a loose pony the next. Try to limit the same hair style multiple days in a row. This can cause damage to a particular area.

My overall advice for growing out hair is to treat your hair with love. Taking your time is what made the biggest difference for my hair growth journey. It was the regular consistency of the everyday

-Domay Pie