Preparing to Bleach Your Hair
Use deep conditioner on coarse or curly hair for 1 week before bleaching. Hair that’s especially curly or coarse may be more prone to breakage during and after the bleaching process. Choose a deep conditioner that’s free from sulfates and uses oils such as Argan oil or coconut oil. Use the conditioner every night for 1 week prior to bleaching. Apply the conditioner generously to your hair while it’s dry, gently comb it through with a wide tooth comb, and allow it to remain on your hair for 30 minutes before rinsing it with lukewarm water.
Choose the right bleach powder for your hair. A bleach kit will typically have a packet of bleach powder and a bottle of liquid developer. The strength of the bleach is determined by the developer, but you’ll have a choice between blue, purple, or white bleach powders as well. The main difference between them is that white powder can leave more of a gold tint in your hair, while blue and purple powders are more neutral. Many white powders are considered “extra strength” and would be appropriate to use if your hair is very dark brown or has been colored frequently in the past.
Buy the strength of developer appropriate for your hair. The developer in your bleach kit will come in strength 10, 20, 30, or 40 volume, with 10 being the weakest. Your hair will lighten faster at higher volumes, and more slowly at lower volumes. If your hair is light brown, use a 20 volume developer. If your hair is medium to dark brown, you may need to use a 30 volume developer. If you don’t have a lot of experience bleaching your hair, stick to 10 or 20 volume developers for home use. If you feel that you need a 30 or 40 volume developer to get the job done, it would be best to have your hair bleached by a professional colorist.
Buy 2 bleach kits for very thick hair or hair that’s past shoulder-length. If your hair is very thick or long, you will need more bleach to cover all of it. Buy 2 kits of the same powder and developer once you’ve chosen the type you want. Some beauty supply stores offer bleach powder and developer sold separately. You can cut costs by purchasing a larger bottle of developer and 2 packets of powder instead of 2 separate kits.
Leave your hair unwashed before bleaching it. Bleach actually works best on hair that’s slightly dirty or greasy. Try not to wash your hair for at least 1-2 days before bleaching your hair. Don’t apply new products like hairspray or gel to your hair right before bleaching it, but if you have leftover product in it from the last couple of days that’s okay.
Bleaching Brown Hair
Do a strand test. Bleach will unavoidably cause some damage to your hair, and hair that’s already been chemically changed with relaxers or permanents may become extremely damaged by bleach. A strand test will tell you both how long it takes bleach to process in your hair, and if your hair is healthy enough to bleach at all. Isolate a small section of your hair about 1 cm (0.4 inches) wide where you can test the bleach. Mix a very small amount of powder and developer with a 1:2 ratio (1 part powder to 2 parts developer) in your plastic bowl. Apply the bleach to your section of hair with a dye applicator brush, and wait 5 minutes. Wipe the bleach off with an old towel to see how light the hair is. Reapply more bleach if the hair is not as light as you want it. Continue wiping it and checking every 5 minutes to determine how much time your hair needs to process bleach. Dispose of this test bleach when you’re finished with the strand test. If the hair strands start to break or become gummy, this means they are being burnt by the bleach. You should not bleach the rest of your hair if this happens.
Divide your hair into 4 sections and clip them. Brush out all of your hair, and part it from the middle of your forehead to the nape of your neck. Clip the right side with a large plastic clip, and make 2 more parts from your ear to the center part on the left side. Secure these 2 sections with large clips, remove the single large clip from the right side, and divide this section in half the same way. Never use metal clips when you are bleaching your hair, since the metal can react with the bleach and cause serious damage to your hair.
Mix your bleach and developer with a 1:2 ratio. Most bleach kits will already have the portions measured out for you, but if you bought your powder and developer separately, you’ll want to mix it with 1 part powder to 2 parts developer. An easy way to do this is by using a clear plastic container, dumping the powder in, and then pouring the developer in until its level is twice as high as your powder level. You can also check the amount of bleach powder on the packet, and measure twice the amount of developer with a liquid measuring cup. Most lighteners call for a 1:2 ratio, but check the instructions on your developer bottle just to be sure.
Cover your shoulders and put on your gloves. Bleach can stain your clothes, especially anything darker in color. To avoid getting bleach on your clothes, cover your shoulders in an old towel, or a hairdresser’s cape if you have one. Clip it at your neck to keep it attached. You want to avoid getting bleach on your hands as well, as it can irritate the skin. Use plastic or rubber gloves to protect your hands.
Brush the bleach on small sections in the back 1 cm (0.39 in) from your scalp. When your bleach is mixed, put on your gloves and remove 1 of your back clips, taking a small section from it. Using your tint brush, brush the section with bleach starting 1 cm (0.39 in) from your scalp all the way to the ends with a downward stroke. Flip the strand over to get the underside of the section. Wind the piece loosely in a circle and secure it with a small sectioning clip.
Cover and clip each section quickly. Continue brushing your bleach onto each strand in the first back quarter of your hair, clipping them with small clips as you go. Work quickly because the bleach will work quickly. Next do the same thing to the other back section of your hair, then move up to the front when the back is complete. By the time you’re finished with the last front quarter of hair, the back quarter that you started with should be significantly lighter.
Brush bleach onto the root areas last if you like. When you’re finished applying bleach to most of your hair, you have the option of applying it to the 1 cm (0.39 in) section of root that you left bare. Getting bleach on your scalp will cause it to tingle and itch at the least, or burn at the worst. Some people experience a very unpleasant feeling when bleach touches their scalp. Try it first on a small clipped section in the back where you first started. If you don’t like it, you always have the option of leaving your roots unbleached.
Check your hair for any missed sections and apply bleach to them. Starting in the quarter you started with, unclip each section and check to see that it’s lightening evenly. If you notice any brown spots, apply more bleach just to that spot and re-clip it. Use a large mirror and hand-held mirror to get the best view of the back as you’re checking for missed spots.
Check the front of your hair every 5 minutes to see if it’s light enough. Brown hair will first turn orange, then yellow, then pale blond when it’s bleached. If your hair is very dark brown to begin with, it may take longer to turn pale blonde than medium to lighter browns. After 20-40 minutes, you may notice that your hair is not lightening anymore. Bleach does stop working after a certain length of time, and your strand test should have determined how light your hair is able to get. If this happens, it’s possible that your hair will not get any lighter this time. You’ll need to rinse your bleach and decide how to proceed with adjusting the color if it is not what you wanted. Check the instructions in your bleach kit to see the maximum amount of time you can leave bleach in your hair. Most products will recommend no longer than 45 minutes.
Rinse the bleach immediately at the first sign of hair breakage. If you unclip a section of hair to check it and notice that pieces of the ends come off in your hand, it’s time to rinse your bleach immediately. Remove your clips and put your head under lukewarm running water to rinse the bleach out. Hopefully if you did a strand test, this will not happen. If it does, you may need professional assistance to adjust the color if it’s uneven, and to trim any broken ends of hair.
Rinse your hair thoroughly, shampoo, and condition. When your hair is as light as you want it, or before if it stops lightening or starts breaking, rinse your hair thoroughly with lukewarm water. Shampoo your hair with a hydrating shampoo, and use a hydrating conditioner to coat your hair before rinsing it in lukewarm water. Beauty supply stores often sell conditioners specially designed for after you bleach or color. Buy a packet of this strong conditioner and use it immediately after bleaching for the best results.
Maintaining Bleached Hair
Apply toner to remove brassiness from bleached hair anytime. Brassiness is the unwanted red, orange, or yellow color that often occurs from bleaching. The darker your hair was before bleaching, the more likely it is that you will have some brassiness in it afterward. Choose green, blue, or violet-based toner depending on which unwanted color you want to neutralize the most. Most people apply toner immediately after bleaching their hair, as this is the best time for your hair to absorb the toner. You can do it anytime, however. Follow the instructions on your brand of toner exactly, to avoid having your hair become too neutralized, or tinged with grey or lavender. Green-based toner neutralizes red brassiness. Blue-based toner neutralizes orange, while violet-based toner neutralizes yellow. If you’re unsure which toner to use, consult an employee at the beauty supply store where you’re buying it. When you buy toner, use a 10 or 20 volume developer for it, according to the instructions on the package.
Shampoo your hair with blonde-specific shampoo. Some shampoos that are specially made for blonde-treated hair actually contain toner in them to help you achieve a cool, neutral blonde look. You can find these shampoos at beauty supply stores as well as many pharmacies. Look for shampoos containing blue or purple tints. These shampoos are designed to neutralize orange or brassy tones in blonde, silver, or white hair. Check the bottle to find out how often to use these shampoos and how long to leave them on before rinsing. Be sure to avoid shampoos containing sulfites, as these are chemicals that are known to further dry and damage hair.
Use a strengthening conditioner daily. Because bleached hair is damaged to some degree, you want to take extra care to provide it with enough moisture. Use a conditioner especially for color-treated or blonde hair that’s labeled “hydrating” or “moisturizing.” You may also want to do a weekly deep-conditioning to maintain your hair’s health and keep it moisturized.
Try a protein treatment or natural oils to repair brittle ends. Your ends may begin looking especially dry, split, or brittle after bleaching. You can use either a protein treatment or an oil like Argan or coconut oil to help repair them. Smooth the product onto your ends and wrap your hair up into a hot towel for 30 minutes. Try doing this once or twice a week until you notice your ends looking healthier. You may also benefit from a trim to help especially damaged ends.
Touch up your roots in 4-6 weeks if you’re keeping the color. The best way to maintain your blonde hair is by re-bleaching most of your roots in 4-6 weeks. Avoid re-bleaching all of your hair, as each time you bleach there is further damage done to it. You can still leave bleach off the 1 cm (0.39 in) closest to your scalp to avoid getting bleach on your scalp. To touch up your roots, prepare half the amount of bleach you would use to dye your whole head. Brush it onto your roots, being careful not to overlap with the already bleached parts of your hair.
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