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How do I Bleach Hair Blonde?

Jessica Reed
Jessica Reed

Women and men alike who wish for blonde hair can often achieve this look by bleaching the hair and applying a blonde hair dye afterward if necessary. Someone who wants to bleach hair blonde should first do a quick analysis to determine what state her hair is currently in, and what product will work best. The right product to bleach hair blonde depends on the user’s current hair color and the shade of blonde she wants to achieve.

The user should start by determining if her hair has been dyed or otherwise chemically treated within the past three months. This includes perms or chemically straightening the hair. Weak or damaged hair also spells out potential problems when it comes to bleaching. Those with dry hair that breaks easily or who have chemically treated their hair should have their hair dyed at a salon or wait until the hair is healthy and chemical-free before attempting to bleach hair blonde.

A hair bleaching kit.
A hair bleaching kit.

Next, the user should determine what shade of blonde she wants and what shade of hair she has. If she has dark brown or black hair, it’s best to let a professional either bleach the hair or give the user recommendations of what colors will not work. Going from black to blonde is not a simple process and often results in an unexpected shade the user may not like. If the user only wants to lighten her hair, she can simply bleach it and see if she likes the results. If she wants a different shade or does not like the results after bleaching, she will then add the blonde hair dye of her choice after the bleach.

The safest method of bleaching hair is to have it done at a salon.
The safest method of bleaching hair is to have it done at a salon.

When bleaching and dying hair, it’s important for the user to follow the instructions on the box. She should start by performing an allergy test and a strand test as directed by the instructions. The allergy test will let her know if she is allergic to the product, which can happen even with a product she has used before. The strand test allows her to dye a single strand of her hair to see how long she should leave the mixture on her hair.

Visiting a professional hair salon is the safest way for a person to bleach their hair blonde.
Visiting a professional hair salon is the safest way for a person to bleach their hair blonde.

Once the woman is ready to bleach hair blonde with a bleach kit she should mix together the ingredients in the kit as directed. After putting on gloves to protect her hands and wrapping an old towel around her shoulders to protect her skin, the woman applies the bleach evenly throughout her hair. She waits the amount of time listed on the bleach kit before rinsing the bleach out.

Using laundry bleach is not recommended when bleaching hair.
Using laundry bleach is not recommended when bleaching hair.

After the bleaching is complete, the woman proceeds to follow the instructions on the blonde hair dye kit if she wishes to dye her hair after bleaching. Certain kits may include bleach and dye. Once the process is finished, she should give her hair a day or two to recover and see if the color changes. If she is unhappy with the results, she can visit a professional for help with altering or removing the color without damaging the hair and causing it to break off.

Discussion Comments

anon994671

When bleaching hair, it will always have and orange, brassy result unless you are lifting to the lightest color possible, in which case the result will be a pale light yellow. If lightening your hair to the lightest level (level 10) then I strongly suggest a professional's assistance. It's almost always a certainty that you won't reach your desired result with bleaching alone, due to the orange result, and that is why they make toners for beautiful blondes.

Toners are your new BFF's and Wella's T18 is a long standing favorite with great results on banishing brassiness. Can be purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply.

chrisinbama

@cellmania:

In my opinion, I would start counting my money out because bleaching at a salon is your best bet. Because your hair is so thin, the chemicals in the bleach will cause breakage to your hair follicles. This could result in hair loss.

Also, since your hair is darker, you would need to leave the bleach in longer. That alone would cause breakage and you could possibly break out, have an itchy scalp, or feel a burning sensation on your head. Obviously, that isn’t the reasonable route to go.

My advice you to would be to spend a few extra dollars and let a professional handle it.

CellMania

I have really dark brown hair, but I want to dye it bleach blonde. My hair is also really thin. Is this going to damage my hair greatly or is it okay? I don’t mind spending a few extra dollars at the salon if that is the best solution.

I have looked at some pictures of bleach blonde hair on people that had natural dark brown hair. It looked okay.

christym

Bleaching hair blonde at home is a hard task to accomplish. Most of the time hair turns an orange/blonde color. It is best to let a professional do it.

However, there have been success stories with home hair dying. If your hair is dark you may want to dye it twice. It is unhealthy for your hair, but it can be done, especially if your hair is already healthy or thick. Otherwise, your hair will probably just turn orange. I strongly suggest getting your hair bleached professionally if you are not already a blonde. If you already have blonde hair then the success of your bleaching will be greater.

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    • A hair bleaching kit.
      By: Tim
      A hair bleaching kit.
    • The safest method of bleaching hair is to have it done at a salon.
      By: Valua Vitaly
      The safest method of bleaching hair is to have it done at a salon.
    • Visiting a professional hair salon is the safest way for a person to bleach their hair blonde.
      By: gemenacom
      Visiting a professional hair salon is the safest way for a person to bleach their hair blonde.
    • Using laundry bleach is not recommended when bleaching hair.
      By: WimL
      Using laundry bleach is not recommended when bleaching hair.
    • When bleaching hair, it's necessary to wear gloves to protect the hands.
      By: steinerpicture
      When bleaching hair, it's necessary to wear gloves to protect the hands.
    • Going from black to blonde hair can do the most damage to hair.
      By: Valua Vitaly
      Going from black to blonde hair can do the most damage to hair.