Hair falling out after bleaching roots

Unless you've seriously burned your scalp, your hair will definitely grow back. You'd know if that was the case, since that sort of injury would definitely require a hospital visit.

I'm not totally sure what you mean about the white thing on the ends, but it seems like your hair may be snapping close to your roots, in which case, your best bet is honestly to cut off as much as you can stand. Damage travels up the hair strand, and with the additional bleaching at the roots, you may have just stressed it to the degree that it's snapping with the smallest amount of pressure, even its own weight. Try to avoid brushing your hair and just use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers. After a shower, pat-dry your hair with an old t-shirt and let it air dry. Obviously, heat styling is not recommended.

There is no fix for damaged hair, but protein treatments may help alleviate the issue temporary by filling in the missing cuticle. Don't overdo it, though, as they can also make your hair brittle and even more prone to breakage. Also, deep conditioning can help you smooth done the roughness and make your hair look and feel a bit better. It won't be close to virgin hair, but it does make things a bit more manageable.

Hi Vivienne, thanks so much for your reply. The white part of the hair I mentioned is like a little bulb - maybe the root? So the hair is actually falling out rather than snapping off.

I'm hoping to get my hair cut this afternoon. I'm not exactly sure what my hairdresser will be able to do with my thin hair with shaved sides. I'm a bit scared she will cut it and it will keep coming out at this rate and I will have very noticeable bald spots.

If your hair is falling out from the root it is unlikely to have anything to do with you bleaching it. Hair loss can be caused by hormones, stress, dietary deficiencies and several medical issues, or could just be seasonal shedding. If you are worried and are definitely losing more than the usual 100-150 hairs per day you should see your doctor.

I wouldn't be so quick to cut all your hair off unless you are sure that it is severely damaged. I agree with wicked pixie that it sounds like normal shedding. Bleach damage usually takes time to become apparent unless it is extremely damaged. You should be able to tell if your hair is breaking off at the root by measuring it in comparison to the actual length of your hair. If you've ever had really damaged hair before, which you sound like you have, you should be able to tell if the pieces breaking off are full length hairs.

I would suggest dying your roots a darker purple and leaving the rest of your hair a light purple. This look will blend your hair that grows in with your bleached hair (if your hair is naturally dark). Plus, it will cover the unevenness without having to go dark. I am assuming your hair is purple based on the Kelly Osbourne reference.

Hair can break but does not fall out. For guys like myself, it just starts to grow in other places...lol. Overly dry hair can be brittle enough to break, and this is likely what is happening in my humble opinion.

Thankyou everyone for your replies!

My hairdresser had a good look at my scalp and found some scabs (some that I had apparently scatched at - yuck!) and she saw where hair had broken. It has definitely fallen out at the scalp as well - it is a lot thinner at the forehead and in other parts. She told me as long as I let it be for a little while (no bleaching etc) that is should be fine.

She did end up cutting it - but not as much as I thought she would have to. The back part of my Mohawk was in bad condition and felt a bit 'thick' so she trimmed it and thinned that out. She trimmed the rest and shaved the sides ( I had planned to get that done next week anyway). I feel a bit better with the length on top a bit shorter. I have to say though I was freaking out a bit while she was combing it. The last few days I have been scared to touch it let alone run a comb through it!

The back is itchy - I'm assuming because of the scabbing but I am being very careful not to touch it. I've been trying to find information on putting coconut oil on the scalp when it is in this condition but couldn't find much. Is it OK to use it on the scalp at the moment?

Kayvach yes I will definitely do the dark purple at the roots. I had actually done that last week and I put turquoise on other parts as some had turned green due to bleach hitting the purple. The haidressers in the salon actually commented on how nice my colour was!

Thanks again everyone.

Coconut oil is really good for the skin and can help heal, so it should be fine as long as it isn't an open wound (small print: I am not a doctor!) I don't know what your normal styling involves, but manipulating the hair roughly, repeatedly, and/ or into tight styles can cause traction alopecia, so that could be another issue. Fortunately with that once you stop whatever is causing it your hair will regrow.

Unfortunately my hair is still falling out. They are mostly long hairs and have the little bulb on the end. My scalp feels very sensitive still and that really concerns me.

Actually concerned isn't the word I would use - I am petrified it is just going to keep falling out until I have nothing left. I have never had hair this thin before. The hair that is coming out seems translucent if that makes sense - like it has no structure.

I'm thinking my hairdresser didn't know anything and I feel stupid for believing her when she said it would be fine.

I am going to the doctor tomorrow for another reason and my husband has told me I need to get him to check out my scalp while I am there. Surely though he won't be able to do anything to stop the hair coming out. I'm so scared.

Good that you are seeing a doctor, it really sounds like there might be an actual skin problem if you gave scabby sensitive scalp and hair coming out like that, a skin infection or something. Bad things happen.

I really hope the treatment isn't too nasty and doesn't mess with your appearance too much. Get well soon, and eat lots of pumpkin and carrots!

Thankyou still_larva

I think you are fine if all the hairs that have fallen off have the white bulb. I think its the root. I always examine the falling strands after harsh bleachings to check if they fell off or broke off. It means that its the natural shedding because bleach makes hair break off, I assume it wouldnt take the roots out like that. Someone correct me if im wrong.

I've heard that a lot of processing can weaken your hair roots over time contributing to shedding, but there's a good chance its something else. Hormonal fluctuations, genetics, skin issues, nutritional deficiencies, stress, certain medical conditions..... all can contribute to hair fall. Be kind to your hair for a while and definitely go see a doctor to rule out any medical reasons for the hairfall. I totally know the feeling, my hair went through a MASSIVE shed a couple of years ago, if it was wet I could hardly touch it without getting a handful of hair coming out. I saw the doctor about it and they ruled out thyroid/hormone/nutritional issues and my doctor told me it was just stress. Eventually it stopped!!

You might want to try taking a hair/skin/nails supplement including biotin, minimize washing/styling, and try hot oil treatments with castor oil - castor oil is supposedly excellent for hair growth. Hopefully your hair recovers soon!!

Edit: Sorry if the photos are too large. http://i.imgur.com/Zo9jLZt.jpg http://i.imgur.com/RWro23v.jpg These are photos I took yesterday. Apologies for the terrible shots and messy bathroom - I am not used to photographing my hair (or myself for that matter! Gee I look a bit like an alien in the one of my forehead!).
The hair is air dried and not styled. It's so thin and the style unfortunately is not what I had before as she cut the length a fair bit. I wish I could just buzz cut the lot but the bald spots would stand out and my forehead is looking so big I think it might make me look like more of an alien.

I went to the doctor and he didn't really have a clue. I don't think he knew what bleaching involved. He gave me a prescription for some Diprosone lotion but I don't think it is the right thing to use. I'm starting to think maybe my scalp had been previously damaged but I didn't realise it before. I had coconut oil on my head when I bleached both times and maybe that stopped me from realising it was burning?

I have started taking Swisse Hair, Skin and Nails supplements and bought some decent shampoo and conditioner. I discovered I had a small can of Thermal Spring Water spray in the cupboard and have been spraying that on some sensitive areas - seems to help so little.

http://i.imgur.com/lXeB3iL.jpg

Last one I promise! Sorry if they are too large.

As you can (hopefully) see from the photos my hair texture is awful and the colour has faded a lot everywhere except parts at the back. I'm wondering if a darker colour/ colours will help make it look better. Since I am going overseas next week I'm thinking a more uniform look? If anyone could please give me some suggestions on what I can do with the colour I would be so grateful. I have Directions Violet , Turquoise, Neon Blue, Silver, Carnation Pink. I also have Fire, Bright Daffodil and Mandarin which I had purchased a while back for further down the track. I'm wondering if maybe I should do turquoise all over? Would it take over the roots and uneven colour? I seem to remember reading somewhere about adding blue to turquoise - is this something I should do?

Anyway thankyou so much everyone for taking the time to post here.

I think your current colour is really pretty, i would be tempted to add more turquoise to the tips to contrast with the lilac roots. Did your Dr take any bloods? Your hair loss could be down to something as simple as anaemia, or a disturbance in your hormones. Are you pregnant or taking any hormone based contraceptives? That could also be the cause. If it is coming out with the root then it is not caused by dyeing your hair. Make sure you are eating a balanced diet, it is boring but its the only way to grow healthy hair.

Wicked_Pixie no I'm definitely not pregnant (I'm a bit past all that now). The Dr didn't take any blood.

My hair was fairly thick before I did this stupid thing. It only started coming out after I did it.

The colour in person is very uneven and looks very washed out. I am wondering maybe a much darker turquoise on most of it and darker purple roots. Or would a darker turquoise cover everything?

Thanks for your reply.

Most turquoise shades are pretty forgiving, it may go more blue over the lilac areas. I think the bleaching and the hair loss are probably coincidental. I don't mean to pry, but are you menopausal? That can also trigger hair loss, any huge change in hormones can. If it continues I would insist on a blood test.

Wicked_Pixie wrote: Most turquoise shades are pretty forgiving, it may go more blue over the lilac areas. I think the bleaching and the hair loss are probably coincidental. I don't mean to pry, but are you menopausal? That can also trigger hair loss, any huge change in hormones can. If it continues I would insist on a blood test.

Not prying at all - not menopausal yet. Though I know these things can come on early. I will see how it goes while I am away and will definitely go see the doctor again.

Thanks so much for your posts.

I was going to say use the vegan dyes that you have been using. It is ok for the hair and all. When I used to dye my whole head in the manic panic, man it left my hair feeling so healthy, shiny and soft. I noticed that when I did the MP after bleached hair it tend to help the hair just a bit.

I really hope you can find the problem or it stops soon. BTW I do like how the color is in the picture even though it is faded out a bit.