Bleaching Dark Hair at Home: How to Go Light With Less Damage
Patience is a virtue.
When it comes to going blonder than blonde, the process can be a whole lot simpler for those with naturally lighter hair. But when it comes to bleaching dark hair, it’s a whole other story. Whereas lighter locks can easily be concealed, covering dark hair is pretty tricky.
Bleaching Dark Hair at Home with Minimal Damage
It’s harder to achieve the perfect platinum shade, especially when trying to do so at home. To avoid a real challenge, keep reading to find out how you can make this process more manageable while still achieving healthy-looking (and healthy-feeling!) tresses.
Check in on your hair health.
Have you recently dyed your hair? Is your hair super dry? Do you have split ends? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might not be the right time to expose your hair to the inevitable harsh damage that comes with bleaching.
The Good Stuff
The Good Stuff Complete Repair Balm
Consider getting a trim and repairing ends with The Good Stuff Complete Repair Balm before bleaching.
Give yourself a few weeks to complete the process.
Bleaching dark hair is much more of a process than bleaching lighter hair—the darker your hair is, the longer it takes to lift. Make sure you have a few weeks to bring the look to life, as the safest way to do this is in multiple sessions (think two to three weeks to make platinum magic happen!). It will take this long because waiting a couple of weeks between bleaching sessions is essential to let your hair rest from each chemical exposure.
Make a beeline for bleach powder and liquid peroxide.
As soon as you search ‘how to bleach black hair’ you’ll see you require the strongest combo on the market. To be specific, keep an eye out for 30-volume peroxide. And a word to the wise, if you think that 40 volume will bleach your hair faster so you don’t have to set aside as many days to get lighter, think again. If you try bleaching your full head of hair with 40 volume, it’s very likely that you could burn your scalp. Patience is a virtue!
Perform a strand test.
As with all hair dyeing processes, make sure you check the product on one strand of hair before applying it to your whole head. To get the most accurate bleaching results, set a timer for five minutes. Check your strand whenever the timer buzzes, and repeat until your desired blonde is achieved.
Moisturize your hair.
Bleaching hair, in general, is super-depleting, but it’s especially harsh when you’re bleaching black hair.
That said, treat your hair to a mask, like Dove Hair Mask + Minerals Smoothes + Pink Clay, beforehand. The more moisturized your hair is before the bleaching process, the less damage it will sustain.
Section your hair off.
Section your hair into three to five parts. Bleaching hair section by section allows your strands to be fully saturated so your entire head will be evenly dyed instead of some sections being splotchy or muddy.
Protect yourself.
Bleach is some harsh stuff! Wear clothes you don’t mind getting ruined, and always do it in a well-ventilated area. It’s also a good idea to use petroleum jelly to protect your forehead, ears, and neck to create a barrier between your skin and the bleach.
Begin bleaching.
After you mix the bleach, apply it evenly from roots to tips. Start about a centimeter away from your scalp. Make sure each section is fully saturated before moving to the next.
Once all of your hair is covered, put on the processing cap (or fold your foils) and wait for the magic to happen. It’s important to check your strands every five to seven minutes. If the maximum exposure time has buzzed, you must rinse the bleach. Be sure to rest your hair for at least a week before bleaching dark hair again.
Maintain with a toner.
Since you don’t want to expose your hair to too much bleach quickly, toners are here to save the day. Designed to help balance the look of dyed locks, toners will help eliminate the yellowish/orangy pigment left after the initial color lift.
Rejuvenate with a gloss conditioner.
When you need a vibrancy touch-up but aren’t ready to take out the bleach again, turn to a gloss conditioner.
TRESemmé Gloss Light Blonde Color Depositing Conditioner is designed to keep blonde hair bright with its color-depositing technology. Add this conditioner to your routine whenever you feel like your color is getting dull.
Bleaching dark hair at home can feel a little overwhelming, but following these steps closely will ensure you end up with the bright color locks you’ve been dreaming of.
