Breakdown of Mientras más decoloras el pelo, más lo maltratas.
el pelo
the hair
lo
it / him (direct object)
más
more
mientras
while / the more/less (in proportional comparisons) / as long as
Questions & Answers about Mientras más decoloras el pelo, más lo maltratas.
Can I use cuanto más instead of mientras más in this sentence?
Yes, you can say Cuanto más decoloras el pelo, más lo maltratas. Both mientras más and cuanto más are used to express "the more... the more...". However, mientras más is especially common in everyday Latin American Spanish.
Why do we use the indicative decoloras instead of the subjunctive decolores?
We use the indicative here because the sentence expresses a general fact or a universal truth. If you were giving a warning about a specific future or hypothetical action, you would use the subjunctive for the first verb: Mientras más decolores el pelo, más lo maltratarás (The more you bleach your hair [in this specific future instance], the more you will damage it).
Doesn't maltratar usually mean to "mistreat" or "abuse"? Why is it translated as "damage"?
While maltratar literally means "to mistreat," it is the most natural verb in Latin American Spanish to talk about causing physical damage or wear and tear to hair, skin, clothes, or objects. English speakers would naturally say "damage" or "ruin" in this context.
Why is it el pelo instead of tu pelo if the sentence is talking about something you do?