Imagine a tiny, angry lobster attacking each strand of your hair. That’s bleach on a molecular level. It uses chemicals like hydrogen peroxide to strip away your natural color pigments, melting the color out of the hair shaft.
Think of your hair cuticle as a set of roof shingles. Bleach pries them open, lifts them up, and sometimes never puts them back. That’s why bleached hair feels like straw—it’s literally missing its protective layers.
Why Your Hair Screams in the Shower
Ever notice how bleached hair smells like a science lab explosion? That’s not just your imagination. The chemical reaction creates a sulfur smell—your hair’s protein bonds actually breaking down.
Here’s a quirky fact: hair is about 90% keratin protein. Bleach doesn’t just remove color; it dissolves some of that protein. You’re basically giving your hair a chemical bath that eats its own foundation.
