Any blonde will tell you that maintaining the color in your hair is a little more difficult than it looks, and that’s especially true when it comes to bleaching your hair. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to getting the perfect bleach wash for your hair in just a few simple steps. We hope you find it helpful.
What Is Bleach Washing ?
Bleach washing is a process to lighten your hair. Typically, it’s used by people who have blonde or gray hair and want to make their locks lighter. It can also be used on brunettes to get rid of any unwanted dark color in their hair (e.g., if you have brown roots).
Bleach washing is usually done with a mixture of bleach powder, peroxide, and conditioner (or another product that contains glycerin), but you could also use hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore instead of mixing it yourself—just be sure it’s at least 10% concentration.
Precaution Before Bleaching Hair
When it comes to bleach wash your hair, the most important thing is to be careful. There are some precautions that need to be taken before bleach wash your hair which we have discussed here:
- Before considering bleach, be sure to do an allergy test. This will tell you if your skin is sensitive or not. If you have sensitive skin, it’s best to avoid bleaching and instead use a hair color product.
- Wear protective gloves. The bleach can dry out your skin and damage it if you’re not careful.
- Your hair itself must be strong enough for bleaching before attempting this process, so if there’s any doubt about that, it’s best to choose another option.
- If you have long or thick hair, consider cutting it before bleaching as doing so will help prevent damage caused by breakage during styling later on down the line.
- Always use professional-grade bleach products. They contain more peroxide than drugstore brands and are less likely to irritate your scalp and skin. Professional bleaches will also last longer than drugstore brands because they contain more active ingredients like hydrogen peroxide and ammonia.
- You should avoid using these products on children under 12 years old; they are more sensitive than adults and can develop severe allergic reactions from some of these chemicals.
Do a Bleach Wash On Your Hair
1. Things You Will Need To Bleach Wash Your Hair
Things needed for bleach wash hair:
- Bleach powder or liquid – It is important to choose the right kind of bleach for bleaching your hair. The best bleaching powder should be a semi-permanent type that contains hydrogen peroxide as its active ingredient. However, you can also use a permanent one if you want to achieve a lighter shade.
- Color protection shampoo – it is essential to use color protection shampoo before and after bleaching your hair. This will prevent it from getting damaged and also maintain the color of your hair for longer period of time. We recommend using a sulfate-free shampoo to protect your color from fading after washing away the bleach wash.
- Developer – This is another essential ingredient required for making the bleach wash. The developer helps in opening up the cuticle layer of each strand of your hair so that it allows chemicals like bleaching powder or liquid to reach deep into them. It also helps in lifting up natural pigments present in your hair and giving it an artificial color change.
- Mixing bowl– This is where you mix your bleach with water to make sure that it is diluted and ready for application on your hair. You can easily find these bowls in any beauty supply store or online store.
- Towel– This is an optional item, but still highly recommended because it will help keep your clothing and hands clean during the bleaching process.
- Plastic gloves – Gloves are essential when applying bleach on your hair because they protect your hands from getting stained and smelling like bleach after washing it out. You can get these gloves from any beauty supply store or online store too.
- Plastic shower cap– A plastic shower cap is used to cover your head while applying the bleach on your hair so that it doesn’t come into contact with other parts of your body like your face or neck. This will protect them from getting damaged by the bleach while also ensuring that they don’t get stained during application process.
2. Mix Bleach And Developer
Mix one part bleach with two parts developer in a mixing bowl. The amount of developer will depend on how dark your hair is and how light you want it to be.
To lighten dark brown hair, use 10 volume peroxide. For black hair, use 30 volume peroxide. For blondes, use 40 volume peroxide.
3. Add Shampoo
Add shampoo to the bleach and developer mixture. Mix until it forms a smooth, creamy consistency.
The reason it’s important to mix in your shampoo is because it neutralizes the chemical reaction of applying the bleach. This prevents damage to your hair by stopping the breakdown of protein that can cause breakage.
4. Wet Your Hair With Cool Water
Wet your hair with cool water. This will help the bleach to penetrate the hair shaft better, and it will be easier to rinse out as well. You can also use a spray bottle filled with cool water to dampen your hair before applying the bleach.
5. Take a Towel To Cover Your Shoulder
Bleaching can remove the color of your clothes, so make sure you have a towel to cover your shoulder when you’re applying bleach.
Also, This will prevent any bleach from getting on that part of your arm, which can cause irritation if you have sensitive skin.
6. Apply The Bleach To Your Damp Hair
Apply the bleach to your damp hair using a tint brush or color applicator bottle. It’s important to always apply bleach from roots to ends; otherwise, you can risk getting splotchy spots throughout your hair.
Comb through the bleach until all of your hair is covered in an even layer of product for about five minutes (depending on how light you want your hair).
If you have stubborn areas that aren’t responding well to the bleaching process, gently massage them into submission with a comb until you get even coverage everywhere else on your head.
Once bleaching is applied, cover your hair with a shower cap. the shower cap is the most important part of the bleaching process. The shower cap helps keep the bleach in contact with your hair for as long as possible.
7. let It Sit
Your bleach mixture is done and ready to go. Now it’s time to let it sit and do its thing! If you are using a toner, let the mixture set for an additional 30 minutes. If you are using a color gloss, let the mixture set for an additional 15 minutes.
8. Wash Your Hair
You’ve just finished applying the bleach. Now, it’s time to rinse your hair and dry it. Rinsing thoroughly is essential so that you don’t leave any residue that could make your hair yellow or brittle. You can use a regular shampoo and conditioner if you’d like, but we recommend using a deep conditioner.
Bleached Hair Aftercare
#1. Use a shampoo, conditioner and styling products for chemically treated hair.
#2. Use a leave-in conditioner or hair mask once or twice a week to keep your hair soft and smooth.
#3. Avoid washing your hair every day as this will strip away the natural oils which help protect your hair color.
#4. Don’t use hot styling tools on bleached hair as they tend to dry out the strands and make them brittle, resulting in breakage and split ends. Learn more about how to hydrate your bleached hair
#5. Use heat protection sprays when using straighteners or curling irons on bleached hair to prevent it from getting damaged further by heat damage.
#6. Wear protective styles like buns and braids while sleeping if possible so that your bleached locks don’t get tangled up while you’re asleep.
Conclusion
With these simple steps, you can perform a beautiful bleach bath for your hair. Simply follow them and you will be able to achieve a silky smooth and healthy look of shine that only true blonde hair has. It’s also important to remember that bleach baths work best when done at least every 6 weeks, so make sure you don’t wait too long in between. If needed, use olive oil or castor oil as a moisturizer afterwards. It will help repair any damaged ends from over-bleaching, leave it shiny and hydrated all day long. Enjoy.