Because bleaching your hair is a serious process that can greatly damage your hair if done incorrectly, it is best to visit a professional if you are looking for a drastic color change. If you don’t want to bleach your hair, you can use temporary color, demi-permanent, semi-permanent, or permanent color. These types of coloring only lightens your hair, so if you have very dark hair, it may not be very effective. However, the benefit of dyeing your hair versus bleaching it is that the dye won’t strip your hair of color. It will still damage your hair somewhat, though, so you’ll still need to take care of your hair in the same way that you would had you bleached it.
To counteract these warm hues you can add toner to your hair if you are going a very light blonde. This will counteract the remaining color in your air, thus removing those orangey, yellow tints in your hair. You can find the appropriate toner by looking at a toner wheel or asking a professional.
If you must use your flat iron, blow dryer, or curling iron, make sure to use a heat styling product that will protect your hair from excessive heat.
Wash your hair a few days before you bleach it, but try to hold off until after you bleach it to wash it again. Bleaching freshly washed hair can irritate your scalp, so it’s best to bleach hair that has more natural oils in it. You can use a few tablespoons of olive oil or coconut oil as an alternative to deep conditioner. These products will still condition your hair, giving it the moisture it needs.
The higher volume of developer will lift more levels of color out of your hair. A lower volume developer will lift less levels of color out of your hair, leaving it a darker shade after you have finished bleaching it. If you want to take it easy and bleach your hair slowly, it’s best to use a lower volume developer. Salons usually use a 20-volume developer. A bleach and developer mixture is what salons typically use to bleach hair. You can definitely a purchase a boxed-dye mix, but you can’t customize it to suit the needs of your hair. It’s beneficial to buy the items separately. The cost will be about the same and you’ll have better luck protecting your hair. [6] X Research source
If you haven’t experienced any reaction to the bleach you can proceed to bleach your hair.
Be careful not to get the bleach on part of your body or on your scalp as this can irritate your skin and cause a burning sensation. Make sure when you bleach the roots that you lift your hair up from your head so that you avoid brushing the bleach onto your scalp.
You don’t have to use the foiling technique, but it can be helpful because it keeps the rest of your hair away from the hair that you have already bleached or if you’re doing highlights and want to keep the bleach off of the rest of your hair. If you feel the foiling method may be too tedious, try using a plastic cap. It’s much easier on your scalp since the foils can get heavy and it’ll be easier to see how well the bleach lifts your hair.
To prevent any extreme hair damage, every 10 minutes, perform a pull test. You can do this easily by simply pulling gently on a few strands of hair from different sections. If any significant amount of hair breaks off or looks and feels “gooey” (it’s probably fried), rinse the bleach out of your hair immediately and wash with a gentle shampoo and condition. You’ll need to seek professional help from a colorist. Be sure to do your research before coloring your hair yourself! Because your brown hair has naturally warm hues, it will likely have a brassy color after you’ve bleached it. Purple shampoo helps remove the brassy color and neutralize yellow undertones. If you plan to use toner you don’t have to use purple shampoo, but it does help remove those awkward tints to your hair. You can find this shampoo in the shampoo or hair dye section of your local drug or cosmetic store. You can also likely find purple shampoo in the brands John Frieda and Clairol Professional in your local grocery store. [8] X Research source If you chose not to use foil, make sure you cover your head with a shower cap, or something else that will prevent it from being exposed to the air – you don’t want your bleach to dry out.
To find the appropriate toner you can look at a toner wheel. On the wheel find the color that most matches the hues in your hair, and then purchase a toner in the color that is on the exact opposite side of the toner wheel. The amount of toner you mix with the developer will depend upon the type of toner you buy. Consult the directions for that specific toner before mixing it together. Make sure that you don’t condition your hair before you apply the toner as that will make it more difficult for the toner to stick to your hair. If you plan to bleach your hair another time, wait to apply the toner until the last time you have bleached your hair.
The amount of lemon juice you’ll need to use varies, so start with half a cup and pour it into your tea for a few seconds, stopping when your tea becomes a cloudy mixture.
This method works slowly, gradually bringing out the highlights in your hair, so know that it may take several weeks, spraying your hair daily or every other day, before your hair really becomes blonde, especially if you have very dark brown hair.
