A teenager was left devastated after her hair started to fall out in clumps as she attempted to relax her locks while filming the process for a livestream beauty tutorial.
Vlogger Lori Faith, 18, from New York, opened up the horrifying experience in a new YouTube video in which she revealed that she had been left completely bald after attempting to chemically relax her own hair at home, while admitting that she was ‘stupid’ for taking such a risk with such a risky procedure.
‘I did something stupid and impulsive because I thought I knew what I was doing but I actually didn’t,’ she stated in the video.
Time for change: Vlogger Lori Faith, 18, from New York had pink hair when she first bleached it
Aggressive approach: The bleaching experience went wrong, so she covered it up with blue dye. Then a few days later, she attempted to relax her newly bleached, and dyed, locks
Shock: The relaxer reacted terribly with her already damaged locks, and Lori’s hair started coming out when she combed through it
Oops: Lori showed followers how all of her hair was falling out from the chemical
Lori showed followers how she often dyes her hair a rainbow of colors depending on what she is feeling or her mood.
In the last three years, her hair has been dyed a rainbow of hues, including yellow, pink and blue.
So it was no surprise when the YouTuber confessed her hair was already damaged from the different chemicals she has used on her locks over the years.
But Lori’s hair took a turn for the worst after she attempted to bleach it last week in order to get rid it of the pink dye that was in it at the time, a process that she also filmed for viewers.
When that attempt to change up her hair color didn’t work, Lori decided to add blue dye into her hair to fix the color, before attempting to chemically relax her locks at home in order to make them look straighter.
She decided to livestream the attempt on her Instagram so other followers would get to see how the process is completed – however it was then that disaster struck.
After admitting that she hadn’t had her hair relaxed since ‘she was a kid’, Lori went on to confess that she was ‘f***ing scared’ about the prospect of doing it herself at home, while noting that the chemicals used in the process ‘sting’.
Lori then started to mix together two formulas that are thought to be both a bleach and a relaxer, thought to be the ORS Olive Oil No-Lye Normal Hair Relaxer, an at-home formula that is intended for use on coarse and resistant hair textures.
New hairstyle: ‘I’m f**king bald. Not on purpose, not my choice,’ Lori exclaimed in a YouTube video detailing the entire experience
Proof: During the video, Lori showed both sides of her head to demonstrate the extent of her hair loss to her subscribers
Upset: She confessed to feeling worried about leaving her house with no hair, but commenters helped Lori gain confidence for the new style
Cover up: Before unveiling her new bald style on camera, Lori concealed her head under a hat
The product also states that it contains ‘the nourishing benefits of olive oil’ and does not contain sodium hydroxide (lye), which can be incredibly harmful to the hair.
However, Lori’s decision to apparently combine the product with bleach is likely what caused her hair to begin falling out so quickly; bleach and relaxer both contain chemicals that weaken the hair shaft when used.
So if they are used together on already-damaged hair, it will only further weaken the locks – and in Lori’s case – cause hair to break away at the root.
Lori experienced just that disaster after she slathered her head with the relaxer over the blue dye.
While her hair quickly turned a pale blonde color while smothered in the chemical formula, any hope that she had of ending up with perfect platinum locks were shattered seconds after she started to comb the relaxer through her strands, prompting clumps to break away in the comb.
‘I’m f**king bald. Not on purpose, not my choice,’ Lori exclaimed in the video. ‘There is nothing wrong with being bald. But for me, I never thought I would go this far. I can’t even dye my hair. ‘
During the livestream, Lori rushed out of her room to inform other people within her home that her hair was falling out from the relaxer. She then filmed herself washing the chemicals out of her hair, but it was too late.
The YouTuber ended the livestream clip on Instagram by tearfully explaining to her mother what had happened, before demonstrating the extent of her hair loss.
Throwback: The vlogger has changed her hair often in the last three years
First mistake: Things took a disastrous turn when she first attempted to bleach it to rid it of its pink color. Then Lori made matters worse by dying the damaged hair blue before relaxing it
Shaking it up: Lori confessed in her YouTube video that she knew she shouldn’t have used relaxer on hair that was already damaged and bleached
She then further explained to her YouTube viewers exactly what had happened to leave her with no hair on her head.
‘I’m f***ing bald,’ she stated. ‘You heard it. I said it. I’m bald. Not on purpose, not by choice. There’s nothing wrong with being bald, but for me, I would have never thought I would have gone this far.’
She continued: ‘My hair was already damaged under the blue because it was fried from the bleach.’
Lori even confessed that plenty of people had ‘warned her’ not to use relaxer on bleached hair, admitting that she had been told to ‘wait a few weeks’ and chosen not to heed the advice.
‘My impatient a** was like, “No, let’s do it now!”‘ she said.
She decided to look at the positives of the experience by realizing going bald would give her hair the fresh start it needed.
‘I feel like this was a “good accident”. A “good mistake” because now my hair can grow naturally,’ she said.
Lori confessed, though, to feeling ‘scared’ to go out in public because she no longer has hair, noting that it has become ‘one of her biggest insecurities’.
‘I do have feminine features, and I have a good shaped head,’ she concluded. ‘I have a nice face, nice skin…
‘Lots of people have been making me feel better on Instagram, like lots of people. And it’s crazy because, I feel like without those compliments, I wouldn’t be as confident.’
‘Don’t put relaxer in bleached hair,’ Lori advised all viewers at the end of her video.
Celebrity hair experts reveal how to avoid bleaching disasters – and what to do if you experience one
By Charlie Lankston for DailyMail.com
Bleaching hair in order to get the perfect blonde shade can be a tricky process if you aren’t in the hands of a true professional who boasts years of experience.
But thankfully some of the world’s most seasoned hair experts are now offering up their thoughts on exactly how to avoid a dye disaster – and what to do if you are unlucky enough to experience one, just as Ellen DeGeneres did.
‘Platinum hair portrays the image of glamour and edginess, but it comes with several risks for imperfect results and damage,’ Matrix Celebrity Colorist George Papanikolas told DailyMail.com.
According to George however, there are several ways to ensure that the hair stays healthy even while be subjected to such a harsh chemical as bleach.
‘The best results come when you are starting with healthy virgin hair,’ he explained. ‘It’s really important for the stylist to stay a half inch off the regrowth and lighten the hair length first, then go back to do the 1/2 in from the scalp. The heat from the scalp will lighten the hair faster. You only go back and do the regrowth at the very end to get to even color.’
For those whose hair has been previously highlighted, attempting to create a uniform blonde color is not as easy as some might think, with George revealing that there is a lot of potential for a multi-colored end result, just as Ellen experienced.
Get it right: Matrix Celebrity Colorist George Papanikolas told DailyMail.com that it is ‘really challenging’ to give highlighted hair one uniform platinum shade
‘If the hair has been previously highlighted, then it’s usually a combination of light and dark pieces which need to be evenly lightened to create a uniform platinum look,’ he said. ‘This can be really challenging and is not really recommended as the potential for damage and uneven tone is very high. This is the case for Ellen.
‘Applying a platinum toner on hair that is not evenly lightened will take differently as in Ellen’s case. White pieces will take on a violet tone where yellow pieces will take on a different color.
‘Since toners are a very sheer delicate hue they tend to fade very quickly, so it’s very important for home care to include a Violet based shampoo like Matrix Total Results So Silver. Incorporating the violet toning mask once a week will give a heavier duty boost of violet pigment at home to neutralize any unwanted yellow tones. Five minutes is usually sufficient for most people but if you have a lot of yellow you can leave it on longer.’
In a previous interview with DailyMail.com, A-list color experts Rita Hazan – who takes care of A-listers like Beyonce and Madonna – and Sharon Dorram – who has dyed the locks of a host of stars including Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan – shared their top tips for avoiding dye disasters, particularly when it comes to bleaching the locks.
Both women agreed that caution should be taken when using bleach, with Rita noting that it is a ‘harsh chemical’ that can cause serious damage when not being used correctly.
‘[Dyeing hair blonde is not an easy process, bleach is a very harsh chemical that needs a trained eye and a skilled hand,’ she said. ‘There is a safe way to use bleach but you need to know where to start, how to apply it correctly etc. This is not a “slap on your head and pray” moment.’
Meanwhile master colorist Sharon, who founded Sharon Dorram Color at Sally Hershberger, revealed certain warning signs that people should look out for when working with bleach, explaining: ‘You should never feel or smell your hair burning when doing any sort of color transformation, especially when leaving on your hair for only 20 minutes.’
If you are unlucky enough to experience a hair dye disaster, like Ellen, both celebrity hairstylists advised that you seek professional help from someone who is experienced in correcting such damage.
Pros: Master colorist Sharon Dorram (left) and celebrity colorist Rita Hazan (right) both shared their top tips for avoiding a bleaching disaster
‘Stop and run into a salon that is known for corrective color,’ Rita suggested, before noting that most people at this point will have no other option but to cut their hair shorter in order to get rid of the damaged locks.
Sharon was in complete agreement, and she added that someone in this situation should also ask their hairstylist or colorist to take extra measures to look after the hair that they have been left with.
‘Call the best hair salon you have access to,’ she said. ‘Immediately cut off the damaged hair, or as much as you can, and have them apply a deep restorative conditioning treatment or mask.
‘Ask your colorist to apply a protein-based shampoo and conditioner. I’m love using Milbon’s line of Plarmia shampoo and conditioning treatments on clients with badly damaged hair. Adding it into to color itself will help treat the hair by adding proteins to increase the strength of the shaft.’
However, Sharon notes that the aftercare for this kind of damage cannot end after just one salon appointment, saying: ‘After such an intense chemical exposure, you need to make sure you’re doing weekly at home hair masks or treatments to help the hair more elastic.
‘You should also have a reoccurring trim appointment set up for every 6-8 weeks. Having those maintained trims will help the hair grow quicker so you can remove all of the dead hair.’