Why Bleach Bath Works

In a previous post, we went through the steps on how to remove tangles from human hair using a bleach bath. Now we are going to see why this detangling method works on human hair weave and wigs.

The key to this mystery is the power of hydrogen, or pH. You've seen this symbol used in chemistry class or when treating a swimming pool. The pH scale goes from 0 to 14 with 7 considered neutral. Plain water has a pH level about 7. Anything less than 7 is considered acidic, and anything above 7 is considered basic or alkaline.

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Human hair has a pH level of 4.5 to 5.5 which is slightly acidic according to our pH scale. As long as the hair remains at that pH level, it is considered stable. So what happens when we put bleach on the hair? Well, bleach has a pH of about 12.5 which is on the opposite side of the pH scale to hair. This makes bleach a basic solution. And hopefully we all remember from chemistry that mixing an acid and a base causes a chemical reaction. This reaction is the forcing of the hair cuticles to rise up and expose the soft cortex underneath.

During the 3 minutes in the bleach bowl, the bleach is opening up the cuticles so that they are no longer interlocking into one another like a jigsaw puzzle or a zipper. This is why we begin detangling with a comb once the hair begins soaking in the bleach bowl.

Removing the hair from the bleach within 3 minutes prevents the bleach from drastically changing the color of the hair. The shampoo and conditioner bowl helps bring the human hair back down to an acidic pH level of 5. This locks down the cuticles before the hair can re-interlock (or tangle back up).

So what is the ammonia for? After all, ammonia has a pH level of 11.5 which is still highly basic. Ever clean a bathroom or kitchen using bleach AND ammonia. Together? That is considered a no-no because bleach plus ammonia produces very toxic vapors including chlorine gas.

So can we kill this step and skip the whole toxic gas thing? You can but you risk leaving some bleach on the hair. If left alone, bleach will continue to react with the hair causing noticeable color change. Ammonia neutralizes the bleach. Ammonia can also reopen the cuticles which is why we dip the hair in the ammonia bowl rather than soak.

So be smart and bleach bath your hair knowing why each step is important.

Have a blessed weekend!

-Aly

Ask For Price Matching at Beauty Supply Stores

“What hair do you have on sale?”

It’s the top question asked by customers coming into most beauty supply stores. They ask because they are looking for a bargain. They ask because they want good hair, but cannot afford to pay retail price for it. They ask because they have been trained by years of retail shopping that the items on sale are the better deals.

In a previous post, we discussed how retail stores can fool you into thinking you are getting a great bargain but actually paying more than you should. Today, we are going to take it a step further than focusing on the final price. We will take that final price and negotiate an even better one.

Most retail stores, including beauty supply stores, are in a rough patch right now. With the economy still in slow-mo, these store need to turnover merchandise. They need to continue to purchase more inventory to replace the sold items while trying to sell those items that aren’t moving off the shelves. Each store has its pricing strategy. Stores with larger stock can buy at a better price (i.e. Walmart). These larger stores can therefore sell to you at a better price than marked.

Large stores with large inventory have large overhead. If they aren’t selling, they are dying. So ask for a better price. But make sure its fair and reasonable. (And don't be rude about it either!) An extra 10-15% off is better than watching you walk out of the store to buy it somewhere else, like down the street or online. When the cashier can’t help, ask for the manager. If the manager can’t help, ask them if the owner is willing to let you walk away without making a purchase.

Small stores are constantly fighting off the larger stores with their lower prices. They have more reason to keep you coming back and becoming a regular customer. They are very sensitive to the pricing wars and probably are already giving their asking customers price matching. So ask. Ask to match the price. Ask for a better price. Just ask.

So don’t ask what hair do you have on sale. Ask for a discount on the hair you came in to the store to buy instead.

Have a blessed week!

-Aly

For more, see NYTimes: More Retailers See Haggling as a Price of Doing Business

Tangled Hair? Bleach Bath It

It is getting close to the end of the year. You only got 2 more weeks of 2013, but Christmas is right around the corner and there is no more room in the budget for some new hair purchase at the local beauty supply store. Do you switch to synthetic, or do you find a way to revive that human hair weave or wig for one last go? Enter bleach bath.

Bleach bathing human hair can be great way to stretch its life just a few weeks longer. It is a process that involves the use of two household chemicals: bleach and ammonia. It is suggested that you use new bleach for better results and perform the following steps in a well ventilated area.

1. Fill up a large bowl with one gallon of hot tap water.
2. Add 1/4 cup of bleach to the hot water bowl.
3. Fill up another large bowl with one gallon of warm water.
4. Add shampoo and conditioner to the warm water bowl.
5. For 2-3 minutes, place the hair in the bleach bowl and begin detangling it with a wide tooth comb.
6. At the end of 3 minutes, remove the hair from the bleach bowl and place in the shampoo and conditioner bowl.
7. Pour out the bleach bowl and refill with one gallon of hot tap water.
8. Add 1/4 cup of ammonia to the hot water bowl.
9. Remove the hair from the shampoo and conditioner bowl and dip it 2-3 times in the ammonia bowl.
10. Place it back into the shampoo and conditioner bowl.
11. Pour out the ammonia bowl.
12. Squeeze out excess water from the hair.
13. Apply a deep conditioner to the hair and place inside a plastic bag for 20-30 minutes.
14. Rinse hair and air dry.

For more, please see sexibeach1's YouTube video below.

Have a Happy 13th and Blessed weekend!

-Aly