If you colored your hair and now want some curls, you might be wondering

“can you jheri curl your bleached hair”.  Both these processes make a lasting impact on the hair so it is very important to get the facts.

The infamous jheri curl hairstyle has continued to exist under the radar for decades.  Many hairstylists

refuse to do it but there are people who like the ease it creates.  It changes the structure of the hair in a similar fashion to a relaxer but the product is not as harsh.  

These are the things to consider before deciding on what to do:

• If the hair is bleached to a light or white blonde, it is best not to do a jheri curl.
• It is always best to do the jheri curl process first.   You can do a few highlights after two weeks or later if the hair is strong.
• It is best to have a few highlights and not a full head.  
• The highlights should be at level 6, or darker. 
• If your hair was bleached beforehand, the timing  given by the manufacturer for the first stage of the jheri curl process will probably be cut to half. The hair will have to be watched constantly and the product removed as soon as the curl is gone.  The strength of the hair has already been changed with the bleaching(lightening) and this is an additional blow to the bonds.
• The hair should be maintained with the after care products and not allowed to dry out.

For the question “can you jheri curl bleached hair”, I would not recommend it unless you have professional experience in levels of color, how the jheri curl system works and hair integrity.   Another option is to use moisturizing products to bring out your natural curl.

By Paula Barker, Silkie Locks Hair Design

Books:  “Talking Hair”, “Filling My Head” & “Dreadlocks – A Hairstylist’s Manifest”.