Salons are our go-to almost every time we want to change our hairstyle or color. Stylists know how to bleach your hair without damaging it and apply the products for the best results. That said, if you get the “blonde hair” itch, you may not have the money or patience to set up an appointment at the salon. We care for your hair, which is why we’ll teach you how to properly mix hair bleach for safe at-home bleaching.
Steps to Bleach Your Hair at Home
The bleaching process takes about 45–60 minutes, depending on the length of your hair. Once you get the bleaching products, tools, and jump in a set of clothes you can sacrifice, it’s time to start lightening your hair.
1. Gather the Tools
Aside from the bleaching products themselves, get a mixing bowl and tint brush, sectioning clips, and gloves. Toner is optional, but it can get rid of the orange in your hair if you want more of an ashy color.
2. Choose the Right Bleach and Developer
Ideally, use professional-grade bleach and developer, mixing them based on the instructions. 20-volume developers lift the color by 1–2 shades, 30-volume goes up to 3 shades, and 40-volume offers significant lightening. Keep in mind that high-volume developers work effectively for dark hair but have higher risks of hair damage.
3. Do a Test Strand
An average of 40% of women damage their hair with bleach because they don’t take precautions. You should do a test on just one strand of hair from a concealed section. This is especially important if you dyed your hair before.
4. Apply the Bleach
Start applying the bleach in sections, but avoid the roots. Since they’re closer to the scalp, the bleach works faster because of the warmth. Start from the back, and once every section of the hair is covered, handle the roots.
5. Wait and Rinse
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and set the time. For the most part, it should be 30–45 minutes. Conduct strand tests on one section regularly to check the progress. After that, rinse the hair thoroughly with lukewarm water and follow with shampoo and conditioner.
Tips to Ensure Effective and Safe Application
Bleaching your hair like a pro requires some preparation steps, too. Here are some safety tips that could further improve your results:
- Don’t overlap the bleach on hair that was previously lightened (e.g., you had a balayage).
- Don’t wash your hair 24-48 hours before bleaching to keep the natural oils.
- Do a patch test two days before bleaching, as up to 7% of people in the US have allergies to bleach chemicals.
- Perform some deep conditioning and strengthening treatments before and after the bleaching.
- Keep your eye on the timer to prevent overprocessing.
- Do quick work, but make sure every strand is saturated.
Bleaching offers the best results on virgin hair that hasn’t been dyed before. If you already have box dye in your hair, consider using a color corrector remover a week or two before bleaching. This takes the color out while letting your hair recover before bleaching.
The Bottom Line
Bleaching your hair can be done safely, but only if you are careful with every step. Don’t rush the process and choose the products that work best for your hair.