Baking soda fading method, need help bringing hair back!!!

[cat]

So, I decided I wanted pastel pink hair. Now I kind of sit here asking myself if this is worth it, almost in tears cause of the condition of my hair.

I bleached my hair once, and worked super hard in the span of a month to bring it back to life. My hair was sooo good in that month because of all the care I put into it. Then after a month, I bleached again. I did a bleach bath with coconut oil method. Even though it wasn't a pale blonde, I grew impatient and put some pink dye in it. It didn't hold and instead my hair turned into a marigold/strawberry blonde with pink streaks. I asked for help on here and someone said to try the baking soda method to get rid of the dye.

So I did and left it on for two hours even though they mentioned I should leave it on for one. I think that was my second mistake. It did get rid of the faded pink which I was so happy and grateful for. I was so afraid it wouldn't work.

Now my hair feels like straw and has felt like this for two days. I did a condition treatment already and let some coconut oil sit in my hair for hours. I have a leave-in conditioner that helps repair hair so I leave that in sometimes as well. I let my hair air dry. I don't do anything to it.

but my hair feels worse than when I bleached it a second time! It gets really tangled. It feels like straw when dry, really brittle. My hair stretches, some ends just feel flat out dead. In the shower it feels part gummy. I'm considering going in for a trim, I'm just afraid they'll cut off too much. I'm trying to grow out my hair. I have to bleach one more time. I don't know whether I should bleach (not now, but way later) first or go for trim first?

Also, what do I do!! My hair has literally never felt this bad before. It's kind of scary and disheartening. Kind of makes me want to say screw pink, shave my head! Haha

Any help ladies? Products, tips, techniques, natural remedies, weekly routine, everyday routine, anything!
And any kind words? Literally freaking out.

[BabyJ]

Aw hon, you have over processed your hair, and you have serious damage. First thing you need to do is cut it as short as you can stand (I know ) as this keeps the damage from traveling further up the shaft. Then you will need to do weekly protien treatments and deep condition often. Try and stay away from silicones as they prevent other products from penetrating. No more bleach until all the damage is grown out.

[Janineb]

You've learnt your lesson, never, ever leave bleach on that long. it actually stops working at some point (normally the time the instructions say) and then, all its doing is damaging with no lightening. I'm sorry this has happened.

Ow to deal with it. Get some joico kpak (ive gone braindead on the name of the exact thing you want, but I'll find it!) or some aphogee two step protein treatment. These can help a lot.

Stop any and all heat styling. When your hair is fried, this makes it a billion times worse.

Try taking up conditioner only washing, its much gentler on the hair. Well,and the scalp for that matter.

Be prepared though, you might have to get a good cut. If you don't then the damage can just run up the hair shaft and just cause you more and more problems in the future. A good hair cut now will actually help you to grow it. There's a good chance if you leave it now it'll just keep breaking and appear to not grow anyway. I know you don't want to hear this, but its really the only good fix for heavily damaged hair and the easiest to come back from. You will find it hard to get very damaged hair long as its so likely to break all the time. Getting rid is the best

[cat]

Okay, thanks! I will definitely look into getting a trim as soon as possible. Sounds really scary that the rest of my hair can get damaged! Salvage what I can. I guess I'll have to think of a nice hair style mean while.

@janineb - Ah, no, I didn't leave bleach on that long. I would never. It was baking soda that I left on too long and made my hair that way.

I looked into a few protein treatments, even natural ones. I think I'll try both. Generally how often can you do deep protein treatments? I've heard too much is bad, but how much is too much? Also how often for light protein treatments like natural ones?

[IceBear]

I'm no expert but I do know that baking soda (and bleach too for that matter) is very alkaline. Try using an apple cyder vinegar rinse to balance the Ph of your hair. I use baking soda to wash my hair but that's only because I'm dreading it and it helps it dread better, it can be very drying as you have discovered. I thought that I fried my hair from over bleaching. I went on here asking for help and got some wonderful advise to use a leave in protein treatment. It fixed my hair and I didn't need to chop it off  . Don't freak out until you have tried to get your hair healthy again and it just won't work..and even then don't freak out! Getting a big chop is a last resort and you don't need to do it unless your hair is totally trashed in my humblest opinion. I think a good trim would be a great idea and try to work on repairing it from here.  

[Janineb]

Ah, ok. Sorry, misunderstood you there. I was wondering where the baking soda came in!

Anyway, its not likely that the baking soda did this damage. What it is a LOT more likely to have done is uncovered damage already there. It did possibly make it a little worse, I have over done the baking soda thing myself and it does feel bad. Does it feel quite powdery when dry?

I still think you need a good cut though and to follow the other stuff. My hair doesn't respond well to protein unless its just been bleached, but others use it weekly, so its trial and error. It's much easier to come back from over use of protein though! A good conditioning treatment normally does the trick.

I'm not in agreement that cutting is a last resort, but I've had that argument with others before in my opinion it is the best way to fix the worst of the damage and help it grow (seemingly) fast as there is a lot less chance of continual breakage and damage going up the shaft. We can help damaged hair, but its still damaged and always will be until its cut off. But it's your choice.

[cat]

@IceBear - Apple cider vinegar won't damage my hair will it? >.< I've never heard of using that for hair.

@janineb - It does feel kind of like a weird powdery. It's not fun to rub your hands through your hair. At all. I think I will end up cutting my hair. I'd rather not waste product and try, only to possibly fail and risk damaging it more.

At least I know I can rock short hair. Thanks for all the input, everyone.

[IceBear]

You can do as you feel is best   I personally wouldn't throw in the towel just yet. You could have some remnants from the baking soda left in your hair which could be making feel powdery and worse than it actually is. I have been washing my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar for years. ACV rinses are great for hair! (ACV has many benefits and one of those is for hair) It removes buildup, balances Ph (which is why it is typically used after putting baking soda into the hair) kills bacteria, good remedy for dandruff and it closes the hair cuticle leaving you with shiny and soft hair. You can even leave it on and not rinse it out if you choose. It needs to be diluted! I use a capful in about 16oz of water. There is a ton of info about it if you do a search and you can see what ratio would be good for you. And no worries about smelling like a salad...once the hair is dry any smell is gone.
If you want to just cut your hair that's great and it's the best way to go if you want to get rid of all the damage. It seemed to me like you might want to try to save your hair so I was just saying that there are other options to cutting it off  

[Wicked Pixie]

I don't think your hair sounds that bad either. I wouldn't plan on bleaching it again though, that probably would be a step too far. Try leaving the coconut oil on overnight. You can also add it to your hair as a leave in treatment, it will make it feel softer and shinier. Other cheap natural treatments are eggs, mayonnaise, olive oil. I think the vinegar rinse will be really beneficial for you too.

[Janineb]

There are absolutely other options! Totally. Just, when growing out your hair, there's no point in actually eventually making it harder on yourself I totally understand the reluctance, it's bloody hard work growing out hair

But yes, I agree, if it's feeling powdery a lot of it will be the bicarb. I certainly wasn't saying, get all your hair cut off now, it's the only way. I was just saying, be prepared, it might come to that!

[cat]

@Icebear - Ah, okay! If you couldn't already tell, I freaked out so easily and so quickly. Hair is a girls pride and I've honestly never had my hair this bad. I will definitely take a shot at that. When I do, I will definitely get back to you. I believe I have some in my home now.

@WickedPixie - Thanks! I will be trying different combinations of eggs, mayo, and olive oil. Olive oil really helped pick up my hair for the first bleach.

@janineb - Alright, totally mentally prepared. I still think a trim may be needed. It doesn't change that a few areas on the ends are god awful. But I shall see, hopefully everything works out.

[TabithaBlue]

Bicarb often leaves me hair feeling terrible as well - a reconstructor or an overnight cocnut oiling can perk it up immensely, but a couple of weeks of just good old-fashioned TLC will help wonders too

[puerkz]

I have done this before. I didn't leave it for so long but i did two bicarb concoctions in three days. Your hair is just really dry.
No need to panic yet and chop it all off.
What i did was one joico k pak treatment. Left it on for an hour. That greatly improved the condition although it still felt a bit like straw.
I then started washing my hair again with sls free shampoo. I had been using clarifying as i was fading and that can cause more dryness. And i used a mix of superdrug almond and coconut intensive mask and Alberto balsam coconut conditioner after every wash, leaving it on for about 5-10 minutes.
I allowed my hair to air dry every time and only put a tiny bit of boots coconut leave in conditioner and coconut oil on the ends. After 5 washes, my hair was back to its silky soft self

ETA: i forgot to add, i do an apple cider vinegar rinse before i shampoo.

[cat]

@TabithaBlue - Thank you for your advice!

@puerkz - Okay, whew. I'm going to be looking at a few protein filled products and moisturizers to bring it back up. And when the rain stops, I'm going to run to the store and grab some apple cider vinegar.

[mandy658]

I don't know much but I know bi-carb is pretty drying my OH uses it on his dreadlocks to keep them clean, then does a apple cider finger rinse. I would try coconut oil on hair overnight (left mine feeling lovely) I also love osmo's deep conditioner too not sure ir would do much good but if it's only dry it might help. I would be the same thought I had over bleached mine I was in tears the thought of having to cut off my hair

[cat]

@mandy658 - I will leave coconut oil overnight today. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who had a somewhat similar experience.

Also, someone recommended joico k pak treatment. I'm looking through now and there are a few different ones that stick out. I'm not sure if they're the same thing or deliver the same job, but one is JKP Revitaluxe Bio-Advanced Restorative, JKP Revitaluxe Bio-Advanced Restorative, and JKP Deep Penetrating Reconstructor.

[ModifiedMomma]

Most of us use the Deep Penetrating Reconstructor followed by the Intense Hydrator.  Those two products together are like a miracle for damaged hair. 

[Janineb]

I'd be cautious about going headlong into the coconut oil over night, my hair hates it and it took me several weeks to get it feeling nice after over using it once.

[puerkz]

you dont want to do too many coconut oil/kpak/protein treatments as your hair can get over proteinated and will feel weird. oneor two should be enough and then continue with moisture treatments so conditioning masks and that sort.