Bleach Brown Hair
Are you tired of your dull, brown hair? Ready for something bright, blonde, and exciting?! Read HERE!!
Steps
- Buy the correct bleach! Go to a supplier and buy bleach powder and peroxide. For a darker brown/brown black, you will need a higher volume peroxide, like a 30vol 9% peroxide. If your hair is dark brown or black, still use 30vol but leave it on until the desired shade is achieved. For a lighter or medium shade of brown, follow the times on the box as lighter hair doesn't withstand the damage caused by bleach. Do not use supermarket bleaching kits. They are generally inexpensive but cause unnecessary damage and can cause brassy tones.
- Prepare your hair. Buy a deep conditioner or repair treatment for use afterwards. You are not to condition your hair prior to bleaching as the particles from the conditioner get in the way of the oxidation of the melanin in your hair.
- If you don't plan to colour your hair after lightening, buy "Provoke silver shampoo" it will seal the hair and remove unwanted brassiness.
- Wear old clothing. Bleach will stain (remove the colour from) the majority of clothing and cause the fabric to weaken, so it is important to wear something you don't mind getting wrecked. Be careful if you wear shorts or short sleeves, as bleach can affect your skin if you spill some on it.
- Wear gloves. Bleach is rather harsh on skin. You do not want to get it on your hands. Gloves are cheap, so buy some.
- Mix your bleach and peroxide. You will need to weigh out your bleach and peroxide to achieve the correct ratio. Kitchen scales are useful. A proper mixing tub and application brush are also essential to achieve the best results. After weighing, mix until smooth then leave for 1 minute so that the mixture can combine correctly.
- Put it on. Evenly distribute the mixture onto hair. It is easier if you section your hair first. Start by applying to the ENDS first and then apply to the roots and smooth all over. Your roots will bleach faster because they are so close to your scalp and therefore much warmer. Heat speeds up the bleaching process.
- Time it. The instructions should outline a correct timing. If not, most bleach takes between 20 - 50 minutes to achieve its highest level of lift.
- If in doubt, let the bleach sit on the hair for 15 minutes, then check a very small strand by gently wiping it off with a warm washcloth. If it is not as light as you want it, wipe the bleach back onto it and wait another 15 minutes. Repeat this until the hair appears as light as you desire it.
- Rinse it. Using warm water, gently rinse all residue from the hair. Do not use shampoo, just condition your hair with a product of your choice. Generally, conditioning the hair, drying and then going back and washing in your normal way leaves it very manageable.
- Take very good care of your hair for the first few days or so. Do not use a lot of heat tools or styling products on hair. This can cause excessive damage and breakage. Let hair air dry, rather than blow drying it for a few days. Deep condition it daily for a few consecutive days. It should begin to regain it's softness and sheen soon if it was in good condition before you bleached.
Tips
- Remember, because bleach lifts pigment from hair, causing hair to go through different color stages, the results may very likely come out slightly orange. Here are some tips to correct/minimize orange or yellow tones in newly bleached hair:
- For yellow tinted hair, try a purple shampoo. The depositing of purple pigments onto hair will gently counteract the yellow tones, giving a more neutral effect.
- For orange tinted hair, try a blue shampoo. The depositing of blue pigments onto hair will gently counteract the yellow tones, giving a more neutral effect.
- Using an ash-tinted hair color on bleached hair almost always eliminated orange or yellow tones. Because ash-tone hair colorants contain blue and green colors, they cancel out the warm tones of your current hair color. A good idea is to use a light or medium ASH blonde on bleached hair. That way, the hair will still be desired light blonde, but the unwanted tones will be canceled out for the most part.
- These shampoos run at a fairly inexpensive price and can be found at most beauty supply stores and supermarkets.
- Using a toner to deposit opposing tones onto orange or yellowish hair can neutralize these unwanted tones to bring blondes to a purer, cooler platinum. These toners can be found at beauty supply stores and salons. They are generally not very expensive at all, and rarely cause damage to hair, since they are semi-permanent.
Warnings
- Do not wash your hair right before you bleach it. Your hair will be significantly more damaged than if you hadn't washed it for 24+ hours before bleaching.
- Do not get the bleach too rubbed into your scalp. It will burn it.
- Do not get the bleach too rubbed in to your skin. It will burn it.
- Always remember that bleach is one of the most damaging chemical processes you can use on your hair. If your hair is very damaged already, you may want to opt for other less damaging options, such as using lemon juice soaks to gradually lighten. Trust me, it will work out for the better in the end.
- Do not get bleach on any fabric you do not want to be splotchy and stained. It will burn and stain it.
Things You'll Need
- Bleach kit
- Gloves
- Bleach safe outfit
- Healthy hair
- Deep conditioning or natural oil treatment
- Gentle shampoo
- Water
- Washcloth
- Things you may also need:
- Toner
- Pigment-adding shampoo
- An ash-blonde hair color for later on
