“The process really depends on the hair type, but a bleach on virgin hair will need bleaching on the ends first leaving an inch or so regrowth, then allowing this to lift for up to an hour and then bleaching roots to match,” says Shannon Gallacher, bleaching expert at Nicola Clarke for John Frieda.
“Virgin” dark hair is easier to bleach than hair that's been previously colored. The bleach will also change your hair texture. 5. After dyeing your hair, the color will fade -- and you can either touch it up in the salon or at home.
Your hair could lose keratin
One of the last — and most serious — dangers of bleaching is the hair's loss of keratin, which is a type of protein that makes up the hair. Without keratin, the hair structure is compromised, making it brittle and difficult to style.
Typically, black hair needs to be bleached at least twice. That said, the number of bleaching sessions also depends on how light you want to go. Here are a few handy tips for bleaching black hair: It is easier to bleach virgin hair, i.e., hair that has never been bleached or colored.
“If you have virgin hair, it may take just one session,” Richardson says. “If there is previous hair color or chemical services, and the desired shade of blonde is super light, it can take two or three sessions… or even more if the color was put over preexisting highlights or bleached hair.”
Hair can be left discolored after bleaching. You may notice your locks are uneven in color. And maybe you'd think it's alright to go for another round. But while it's safe to bleach again after a while, please do not bleach your hair twice in one day!
Can I bleach it again? Repeated bleaching is not recommended since you're putting yourself at risk of overprocessing and breakage. If you do bleach again, make sure to wait 3 weeks to give your hair cuticle enough time to heal, close and lay flat again.
Bleaching wet hair is ideal for creating a subtle lightening effect. However, it's best to let a colorist do this to your hair. Since your hair is more fragile when wet, extra precautions need to be taken when applying bleach.
Even when it's done by a professional, bleaching your hair will damage it a bit. Because going platinum blonde usually means at least two rounds of a bleach process (and potentially a third or fourth process depending on how your hair reacts to bleach), it's even more damaging than the usual blonde highlights.
Virgin hair is a hair colorist's dream because it's also much easier to color hair that doesn't already have dye on it. Colorists also get excited over virgin hair because of its strength, which is due to the fact that it's never been damaged by chemicals.
Bleach does have its drawbacks, but luckily, it's not always necessary to use it. If your hair is light enough, it is possible to get blonde hair without bleach. You can use a high lift dye or even regular permanent dye in many circumstances.
Many people bleach their hair the next day or again the same night because they don't like how the color turned out or they need it lighter. I just recommend waiting maybe a day or two to ensure your scalp and hair can handle the irritation.
One of the lesser-known uses of coconut oil is to mitigate hair damage before bleaching your strands. Applying coconut oil before a bleach treatment protects hair proteins, nourishes the hair, and can even improve hair growth. Coconut oil can work wonders for your hair before or after a bleaching procedure.
Shampooing and Conditioning Your Hair. Avoid washing your hair for the first 48-72 hours after bleaching it. Give your hair ample time to seal in its new color. Because bleaching is such a volatile process, your cuticles remain open for longer immediately following a bleaching session.
While the peroxide may be ready to be mixed in for a year after you first start using it, the actual bleach you've just introduced into the mixture will spoil extremely quickly, as soon as 20 minutes after mixing.
Experts suggest you wait at least four weeks between two bleaching sessions. This allows your hair to regain its moisture and strength to withstand another bleaching session. Always follow professional guidance before you bleach or color your hair.
Bleach is a very harsh chemical and should not be used more than once in a 24-hour period. Serious damage can occur to the hair if it is applied more than once in a day. This includes breakage or severe damage that may cause permanent colour loss.
The first step is determining if your hair is healthy enough to bleach. If your hair is super-fine or you're experiencing any kind of porosity issues, such as frizziness, dryness, and breakage, leave the bleaching to your professional colorist, who can use the most appropriate products and strengtheners for your hair.
The smaller molecules will break down first, leaving broken pieces of the larger warm toned molecules. There you have it; your hair turns orange when you bleach it because the large gold molecules are the hardest to break down enough to get rid of them without breaking down your hair in the process.
This is dangerous, as it puts chemicals on top of chemicals. Overlapping bleach on hair is one of the worst things you can do for your hair because it can cause damage, breakage, or even turn while in the overlapped areas.
When it's time to touch up the bleach at your roots, apply it only to new growth and don't re-bleach your entire head. Repeated bleaching of your entire head will result in hair breakage and hair loss.
The best way to go from orange to blonde is to re-bleach your hair after two weeks to bring it down to yellow tones that are easier to neutralize. Once you reach yellow tones, you can let your hair be if you are happy with the color. You can also use an ash blonde box dye to neutralize and lighten your hair color.