Bleach to Turn Hair BlondVeny Puspasari - Science 10 Essay

Blond or fair-hair is a hair color that a lot of people want right now. It is mostly referring to the hair though in real people use in many context like pale wood or lager beer. In these days, some part of the world believe that being blonde is equal to fun. In 1990s, there’s a popular term for this particular hair color, “dumb blonde”. It appears that mostly people (not only girl) with blonde hair are scatterbrain. They are fun but brainless. Alfred Hitchcock cast blonde woman in most of his movies as he said they were the least suspected Why would the idea of being “least suspected” stop people from dying their hair blonde?  Isn’t a good thing to not be suspected (of murders)?  . Somehow this idea doesn’t stop people from having blonde hair. Research suggest that blondes are featuring more in Playboy magazine than it is in women magazine. This is why people like to be blonde. This is how blonde is seen both socially and culturally. Put in text citation before the period. (Blond)Good, so the problem is that many people want to be blonde and they’re not.  

Hair coloring has been done since thousand years ago using plants and minerals. Some of the natural ingredients contain pigments such as henna and black walnut shells. While others contain natural bleaching materials or cause reactions that change the color of the hair such as vinegar (Hair Bleaching). To have a blonde hair is not easy. If you want to spend a whole day in the salon and all the money in your pocket, well then that is one option. But to have a DIY or Do It Yourself product is a dream for blonde addict who is economically challenged and this is when hydrogen peroxide introduced.

Hydrogen peroxide or H2O2 is a water molecule with an extra oxygen atom. It is often used with ammonia and a toner to both lighten and change the pigmentation or shade of your hair (Lighten Your Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide). Ammonia is a catalyst, which activates the greater effect of hydrogen peroxide on hair strands and it is ready to be used on hair. To lighten your hair, you can use 3% hydrogen peroxide with or without hair lightening formulas. If you use it without the formulas then the result will be fairer (Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Lighten or Highlight Hair).

Bleaching is basically a process of lightening the color of your hair. When applied on hair, hydrogen peroxide is absorbed into the hair cuticle and releases oxygen, which is attach with the hair pigments that can break the molecules of the hair pigmentation. This reaction makes hair less reflective to the UV light spectrum, and the hair appears lightly colored. This process is quickened by heat, from natural expended body heat, or external sources, which is why coloring and bleaching processes might use heat appliances to speed up processing time so as to avoid prolonged exposure to the chemicals (Hair Color Chemistry).

While bleaching can help to provide you with a countless different hair colors, changing your overall appearance can negatively affect the health of your hair. First of all, ammonia breaks down the internal disulfide bonds in the cortex of each strand that has contracted with. Disulfide bonds are molecular bonds to color hair and hold it together. Leaving the peroxide too long will damage the hair (How Does Peroxide Work to Bleach Hair?).

For some sensitive people, applying hydrogen peroxide will damage your skin, start from redness to blister and burning feeling. Hydrogen peroxide is a developer in your hair before coloring process. It opens up your hair and the cuticle to receive the color that you want. However, this also means that your hair is vulnerable to any substance that it’s contacted with such as chlorine from the swimming pool. That is why some people can suddenly have orange or green hair (The Effects of Bleaching Your Hair).

On the other side, bleaching your hair with hydrogen peroxide save your time since you don’t have to go to the salon. It is also really cheap, easy to use because you can always find the directions in the internet and easy to find because every pharmacy has it.

The chemical formula of the hydrogen peroxide that is used in bleaching creams or in antiseptic agent (to kill bacteria) Why are you talking about antiseptic agents? is H2O2 (aq) acting as an oxidizing agent in acidic aqueous solution, and the chemical formula for ammonia is NH3. Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia use oxygen to change the melanin structure. When hydrogen peroxide and ammonia react with melanin (hair tissue), it causes the hair to change its structures. Ammonia works as a catalyst for the hair. The longer you keep it in your hair, the more chemical reaction your hair will be affected. (Mubarik, Tazeen)

The equation for this reaction is: H2O2 + NH3 + O2 → COOH (Melanin). Which means Hydrogen Peroxide + Ammonia + Oxygen → different type of melanin.  

In conclusion, there is another way to dye your hair instead of going to the salon which is using hydrogen peroxide. Don’t they use hydrogen peroxide at the salon as well? It is a substance that develops your hair before the coloring process to help you getting the color you want. It is your best option when you want to change your look without wasting your money and time. It a must to read and research before you try the DIY products. Have a consultation with the expert and follow the steps to prevent any unwanted results.

Work Cited:

1. "Blond." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blond>.

2. "Hair Bleaching." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_bleaching>.

3. "Hair Color Chemistry." About.com Chemistry. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.<http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa101203a.htm>.

4. "How Does Peroxide Work to Bleach Hair?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov.

2012. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/58868-peroxide-work-bleach-hair/>.

5. "Lighten Your Hair Using Hydrogen Peroxide." BeyondJane RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

<http://beyondjane.com/beauty/hair/lighten-your-hair-using-hydrogen-peroxide/>.

6. "Melanin." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanin>.

7. Mubarik, Tazeen. "Bleaching Hair." Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Nov. 2012.<http://prezi.com/rx5ivx011x7a/bleaching-hair/>.

8. "The Effects of Bleaching Your Hair." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.<http://www.livestrong.com/article/70824-effects-bleaching-hair/>.

9. "Using Hydrogen Peroxide to Lighten or Highlight Hair." Suite101.com.N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://suite101.com/article/usinghydrogen-peroxide-to-lighten-or-highlight-hair-a365714>.