36 citations
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October 2014 in “Langmuir” This study concluded that bleach treatment partly transforms the hydrophobic top layer of human hair cuticles into a hydrophilic surface with clustered cysteic acid, visualized at the nano-scale using dynamic Chemical Force Microscopy.
31 citations
,
June 2010 in “Journal of dermatology” In this study, hair bleaching with ammonium persulfate and hydrogen peroxide caused significant damage to hair structure and severe skin reactions in rats, highlighting the need for cautious bleaching procedures.
30 citations
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September 2018 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” In this study, researchers observed that cosmetic peroxide bleaching causes oxidative damage and protein loss in human hair, not only affecting the cuticle but also deeper cortical structures, correlating with bleaching severity.
29 citations
,
December 1998 in “European Respiratory Journal” This study found that exposure to hair bleach aerosols containing persulphates and hydrogen peroxide induced airway hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine in rabbits.
28 citations
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December 2011 in “Biocatalysis and biotransformation” This study found that a peptide treatment using Protein disulphide isomerase improved the mechanical and thermal properties of over-bleached hair by promoting deeper peptide penetration and attachment.
11 citations
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November 2016 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” This study describes the first known case of erosive pustular dermatosis of the scalp triggered by a burn from hair bleaching, which resolved completely with superpotent topical corticosteroids.
11 citations
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March 2005 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study found that the Bradford assay is a sensitive and reproducible alternative to the Lowry test for quantifying hair protein loss during brushing, with bleached hair releasing more protein than virgin hair.
10 citations
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September 2020 in “Biopolymers” This study found that bleached hair showed optimal protein structural integrity and tensile strength at pH 5, with significant changes in cross-linking, water content, and diameter at more alkaline or acidic levels.
8 citations
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January 2016 in “Journal of fiber science and technology” This study found that cysteic acid generation during hair bleaching is diffusion-controlled, increasing with the square root of bleaching time, in both cuticles and cortex of human hair fibers.
5 citations
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May 2022 in “Fashion and Textiles” This study found that Argan oil conditioner significantly enhanced tensile strength and retained hair color in bleached hair more effectively than Camellia oil.
5 citations
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July 2006 in “Contact dermatitis” This case report indicates that contact dermatitis on the face can result from using a bleaching ointment containing ammonium bisulfite during hair-dyeing.
4 citations
,
August 2014 in “Journal of molecular structure” In this study, the authors concluded that a hydrolyzed eggwhite protein treatment promoted the reconnection of disulfide bonds in excessively bleached hair, after reduction and oxidation processes in permanent waving.
3 citations
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September 2021 in “Data in brief” This study observed that bleaching brown human hair with persulfate salts and hydrogen peroxide induced significant conformational changes in keratin, particularly affecting disulfide bridges and oxidized sulfur species, which may inform the development of hair restorative treatments.
May 2026 in “Brazilian Journal of Hair Health” This study found that bleaching significantly damages hair structure and increases combing difficulty, while dyeing with emulsifiers can partially reduce damage and improve combability, yet both processes cause notable protein loss.
July 2007 in “Clinical Risk” A woman got severe scalp burns from a salon's improper hair bleaching treatment.
February 2021 in “Journal of the Korean Society of Cosmetology” This study found that applying castor oil to damaged hair increased tensile strength and decreased absorbance, indicating improvements in hair texture.
September 2025 in “International Journal of Cosmetic Science” This study found that for straight hair, friction mainly influences fragment formation during combing, suggesting no direct connection to tensile fatigue failure, while with textured hair, combing performance may be more complex.
August 2024 in “Cosmetics” In this study, a bleaching protocol was developed to evaluate hair repair products, revealing that K18® and Olaplex® improve hair brightness and lightness, with distinct impacts on hair fiber properties.
April 2023 in “Asia-pacific Journal of Convergent Research Interchange” This study found that treating bleached hair with a hair manicure improved several physical properties, such as tensile strength and elongation, compared to untreated hair, suggesting potential benefits for enhancing hair conditions cosmetically.
September 2018 in “University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London)” This study assessed three materials—L-arginine, hydrolysed keratin, and cystine-silanol copolymer—ex vivo for their potential to reduce undesirable effects of hair bleaching, such as damage to hair proteins.
June 2017 in “University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London)” This study compared the effects of three compounds on structural and sensory benefits for bleached hair when applied with or after bleaching, observing that their application may mitigate bleaching-induced damage.
Hair coloring and bleaching can permanently break down hair protein and temporarily change its properties.
September 2026 in “AlQalam Journal of Medical and Applied Sciences” This study found that a combination of Ziziphus lotus, Linum usitatissimum, and Opuntia ficus-indica extracts may reduce porosity and improve surface condition in bleached hair when used as a conditioner.
This study examined the effects of one-time versus two-time hair bleaching in people from Padang City, finding that two-time bleaching significantly increased hair dryness and reduced elasticity compared to one-time bleaching, emphasizing the importance of considering bleaching frequency for hair health.
March 2026 in “Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials/Journal of mechanical behavior of biomedical materials” In this study, researchers found that hair fibers exposed to bleaching and UV irradiation displayed significantly more damage, including increased adhesion and surface heterogeneity, compared to untreated hair, highlighting a synergistic degradation pathway affecting the hair cuticle's integrity.
2 citations
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June 2018 in “Cosmetics” This study found that using an aqueous solution of AMPD in hair bleach reduced both hair damage and odor compared to ammonium hydroxide.
In this experimental study, researchers found that using aluminum foil in hair bleaching significantly improves lightness and color uniformity compared to not using foil, indicating a more effective technique for achieving optimal hair coloring results.
December 2025 in “Journal of Forensic Sciences” This pilot study found that prebleaching either virgin or previously colored hair only slightly affects the SERS spectra of dyes applied afterward, without impacting the accuracy of dye identification, supporting the technique's robustness for forensic analysis of hair dyes.
October 2014 in “University of the Arts London Research Online (University of the Arts London)” This study compared hydrolysed wheat protein, L-arginine, and hydrolysed collagen for their effectiveness in enhancing the tensile strength of heavily bleached hair.
4 citations
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January 2011 in “Analytical Letters” This study demonstrated that a flow injection method using potassium permanganate for detecting minoxidil provided accurate recoveries and agreed closely with HPLC results, showing potential for effective analysis of commercial samples.