The Difference Between Bleaching Dry vs Wet Hair Dying on wet hair, in general, will prevent the dye from sticking as well as it does on dry hair. If you are looking for maximum dye absorption and vibrancy, we do not recommend bleaching damp hair. Dying dry hair will allow the dye to effectively soak in better.
Damage Potential: Wet hair is more fragile and can be more susceptible to damage. Applying bleach to wet hair may increase the risk of breakage. If you want to bleach your hair, it's best to do so on dry, clean hair. Always consider doing a strand test first and follow up with proper aftercare to minimize damage.
Do you put bleach bath on wet or dry hair? As its name suggests, a bleach wash for hair is applied to wet strands. This allows the formula to spread faster and more evenly throughout the hair and dilutes the potent formula so that less damage occurs compared to a regular bleach process.
As with most beauty treatments, prep work is essential for a polished result. Bleach works best on dry hair; preferably dry hair that hasn't been washed in a while. First and foremost, says Walker, “Make sure to have brushed out your hair—no knots, please!”
Don't Overprocess
Using too high percent of developer will cause the hair color to lift too fast causing damage to the hair cuticle,” says Faye. Rez adds that leaving the bleach on too long—even with a lower volume processor—can also contribute to damage.
Lightening your hair more than three shades requires higher volumes of peroxide, which causes more hair damage. Editor's Note: Once the bleach starts to dry, it stops processing your hair, and your strands won't get any lighter from that point on.
Greasy hair is the recommended hair condition for bleaching, as your hair's natural oils are well-equipped to resist the bleaching process, and protect the scalp from chemical damage. We recommend bleaching hair at least 72 hours post-hair wash for ultimate protection.
If you waited 72 hours before washing your hair after it was bleached, you could use the purple shampoo the next time you shower. If it hasn't been up to 72 hours, shy away from the purple shampoo until your next wash day, so it doesn't potentially ruin your hair tone.
If you're applying bleach to wet hair, keep in mind that the color of your strands won't lift as much as it would if applied to dry hair. This is because the water on your hair will dilute the bleach, resulting in softer results.
Don't Shampoo Right Before Bleaching
While there is some debate around whether dirty hair is better than clean, most experts agree that you should not wash your hair for at least a day or two before your treatment. “Avoid washing your hair the day of chemical treatments,” said Canale.
Wash Your Hair Thoroughly: Before bleaching, always wash your hair to remove any product build-up. This includes dry shampoo, leave-in conditioners, and styling products that could react with bleach.
Here are a few important brushing guidelines to follow if you have bleached hair: Don't brush your hair while it's wet – Wet hair is more delicate and prone to breakage than dry hair. You can use a wide-tooth comb to gently detangle your hair when it's wet.
If your hair is healthy, meaning it's not fragile and damaged, technically, you can dye it when wet. However, we recommend coloring hair when dry so you achieve a look that aligns with your desired results.
Working through each section, saturate the mid-lengths and ends of your hair with your bleach mixture. Once you've worked through each section, it's time for the roots! The heat from your scalp accelerates the bleaching process, causing your roots to lift lighter, faster.
After bleaching, your hair needs some 'TLC', so be gentle and detangle your hair when it is still wet using a flat brush, as opposed to drying it roughly with a towel. And leave your hair to air dry whenever possible; it's time to decommission the dryer for the summer. Remember your oils.
If you leave purple shampoo in your hair for 30 minutes, the risk of over-toning increases significantly. While purple shampoo is designed to neutralize brassy or yellow tones, leaving it on for an extended period can lead to overly cool or even purple-tinted hair, especially for those with light or porous hair.
Blonde blends better with grey
Grey hair in blonde hair or grey roots in blonde hair blends better than with darker hair. So blonde is a good choice if you want to make your grey hair or grey roots less noticeable.
According to our experts, bleaching wet hair also results in faster processing. "If you towel dry your hair and it is still damp, the bleach will act stronger since the hair cuticle is already open when it is wet."
Don't shampoo immediately before dyeing your hair. Why? Because 1-2 days unwashed hair has a protective barrier on the scalp - it means there's less chance of any irritation and color pigment is better deposited. Also, just before dyeing, avoid using styling products (dry shampoo, hair spray, gels etc.).
Ideally, you should bleach your hair no more than once every three to eight weeks. All Over Bleaching: When bleaching all-over, Clark recommends waiting until new growth reaches ½ inch and only applying the bleach to new growth.
This is true, bleaching agents are hard on your strands. They can make your hair dry, brittle, frizzy-looking and prone to breakage. However, by adopting the right preventative steps, you can keep your hair healthy, hydrated and looking its best if you do decide to go lighter.
Developer choice going lighter with bleach
For up to 3 levels lift, use bleach with 20 Vol developer. For greater than 3 levels lift, use bleach with 30 Vol developer. For second time bleach applications, use only 20 Vol developer. Otherwise you will damage the hair excessively.
Foils are not necessary for all-over lightening but if you choose to use them they can help with sectioning and keeping bleached parts of your hair separate.. Foils can also help keep the bleach from drying out at which point it will no longer lift.