Do’s and Dont’s of Bleaching

One of the commonest ways of getting rid of unwanted hair is bleaching. This method is used on both body hair as well as facial hair. Strictly speaking, this procedure does not remove hair; it only lightens the color and matches it with the skin tone thereby making it unnoticeable.

Procedure- The bleaching chemical is applied on the hair and left for about ten minutes. As the hair slowly loses its coloring pigment, the bleach is washed off with cold water. Bleaching components like hydrogen peroxide are used on the head whereas gentler chemicals are preferred for the face and the body.

Advantages of Bleaching

- Bleaching creams are easily available and can be bought over the counter.
-The ingredients are inexpensive and convenient to use as the whole process take some minutes.
-Since there is no removal of hair, the person does not experience pain or ingrowing of hairs.

Disadvantages of Bleaching

- Bleached hair may be noticeable under bright lights or under sunlight. This method is more effective on the face which has fine hair but fails to disguise coarse body hair very well.
-Another disadvantage is that it may also cause lightening of the underlying skin color as well.
-Bleaching should be avoided by people who have a dark skin since the light colored hair will then out against the dark skin. In such cases, the whole purpose of bleaching is lost.

Moreover, bleaching is a temporary process and the result is not long lasting. The process has to be repeated at regular intervals in order to maintain a hairless look.

Some people may be allergic to bleaching chemicals and may feel a burning sensation on application of the bleach. Again, if the bleach is kept on too long, the skin becomes red in color and may break out in blisters.