Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Planning for a good result
• Part 2 of 3: Bleach your hair
• Part 3 of 3: Treating your hair with toner
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

For people with brown hair it is not that difficult to bleach the hair. However, if you have dark brown or black hair, getting the perfect shade of platinum blonde or white can be a real challenge. With a little hair toner and bleaching powder you can still pass for a real blonde.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Planning for a good result

1. See if your hair is healthy enough to be bleached. Bleaching it this strong can seriously damage your hair, and there's nothing you can do about it. Some hairdressers don't bleach hair that has already been dyed or chemically treated. Get advice from your hairdresser in advance to avoid ruining your hair.
2. Schedule enough time. To bleach your dark hair, you will have to treat your hair several times, with several days in between to give your hair a rest. This is especially true if you want platinum blonde or white hair. Don't expect to get gorgeous blonde locks right away. You will have to treat your hair slowly.
   • Be prepared to wear caps, hats and scarves and use hair accessories to cover your hair during the intermediate stages. Your hair can then have an orange tone, a coppery color or an almost blonde color.
3. Choose the right bleaching powder. You can buy different types of hair dye, and it is important that you choose the right type to get the hair color you want.
   • Look for a bleaching set that contains bleaching powder and liquid peroxide. This is a stronger mixture suitable for dark hair.
   • Peroxide is available in a variety of strengths, from volume 10 to volume 40. Be aware that a 40 volume product is too strong to bleach your entire hair as it can burn your scalp. Such an agent is only used for bleaching dark hair ends, without coming into contact with the skin. 30 volume peroxide will act faster than 20 or 10 volume peroxide.
   EXPERT TIP

   Before you start, test the product on a section of hair. This is very important because it will let you know how long to leave the blonde powder in your hair to get the hair color you want. Always read and follow the directions on the bleach kit package for testing the product on a section of hair. The steps are generally as follows:

   • Trim a few strands of hair from an inconspicuous area on the back of your head. Tie a string around them or tape them together at one end.
   • Mix a small amount of blonde powder with liquid peroxide according to the directions on the package.
   • Dip the strands in the bleach mixture so that they are completely soaked with it.
   • Set a kitchen timer or keep track of the time yourself during testing.
   • Check the strands every five minutes by wiping away the bleach with an old cloth.
   • Reapply the bleach mixture and repeat the process until the strands are your desired blonde shade. Now you know how long to leave the bleach in your hair.
4. Soak your hair in melted coconut oil overnight. Before bleaching your hair, massage unrefined coconut oil into your hair and scalp. This way you protect your hair against damage during bleaching. Let the coconut oil work for 14 hours to get the maximum benefit from it. You don't have to rinse the oil from your hair before bleaching it.
   • Wrap a towel around your hair or braid your hair and put on a shower cap to make sure your pillow doesn't get stained.

Part 2 of 3: Bleach your hair

1. Divide your hair into four sections if you have long hair. Use the pointed end of the hair dye brush to part from the center of your forehead to the bottom of your neck. Then divide the sections in half from the tips of your ears to the top of your head.
   • It is important to use non-metallic hair clips or bobby pins to secure your hair. The pins will not react with the chemicals in the blonde powder.
2. Protect your skin, your eyes and your clothes. It is best to take a few simple precautions when working with powder bleach. Put on plastic gloves and protect your eyes with safety goggles. Also, wear old clothes and put something on the floor to protect it if you spill any of the bleaching mixture.
   • You can also put a thin layer of petroleum jelly on your forehead, ears, and neck. When dyeing your hair, do this to avoid staining your skin. However, when bleaching, do this to avoid skin irritation should some of the bleaching mixture get on your forehead, ears, or neck.
3. Prepare the bleach mixture. In a non-metal mixing bowl, mix equal amounts of bleaching powder and developer. Stir until you get a creamy mixture.
4. Apply the bleach mixture to your hair. Apply the bleach mixture to your hair with a hair dye brush, starting about half an inch from your scalp.
   • Treat a small portion of one of the back sections first and make sure your hair is completely soaked in the mixture before proceeding with the next section. Take the section back and secure with a pin before starting the next section.
   • Do the two back sections first and then the front sections.
   • Work with the direction of hair growth, i.e. from roots to ends.
   • Work as soon as possible. All your hair should be bleached for almost the same length of time to get an even hair color. You can also use assets with different volumes to do this. For example, use a medium with volume 30 for the front, because this works faster. Use developer with volume 20 on the back.
   • When your hair is soaked with the bleach mixture, put on the cap from the bleach set.
5. Keep an eye on the progress. Check your hair every 10 minutes until it is the hair color you want.
   • Check the color by wiping the bleach off a small section of hair with an old cloth. If you want to leave the bleach in your hair longer, reapply some of the bleach to the section in question.
   • It can help to set a kitchen timer for 10 minutes so that you can work consistently.
6. Consider blowing warm air on your hair with a blow dryer to make it bleach faster. Just be aware that the heat will damage your hair more, so only do this if you are in a hurry.
   • This is not recommended if it is your first time bleaching your hair as it is important to see how long the process itself takes. If you choose to bleach your hair again, you can speed up the process by heating your hair.
7. After 10 to 20 minutes, apply the bleach mixture to your roots. Your roots will light up faster than the rest of your hair. That's because of the heat from your scalp, which makes the bleaching mixture work faster. If you want to bleach your roots, it is best to do this at the end of the treatment. Divide your hair into sections as described above and apply the bleach mixture to your roots only.
8. Rinse the bleach from your hair. When your hair has turned a pale yellow color or you have left it in your hair for as long as recommended on the package, rinse all the bleach mixture from your hair with lukewarm water.
   • Use a small amount of shampoo and preferably a shampoo intended for bleached hair. For example, a shampoo with purple toner will help remove copper and yellow tones from your hair.
   • Towel dry your hair and style as usual. If possible, do not use warm tools to style your hair, as this will put even more stress on your hair and can cause more damage.
9. Watch the result when your hair is dry. Only when your hair is completely dry will you be able to see how well the bleaching has gone. Remember, you will have to bleach your dark hair at least two or three times in a month to get light blonde or white hair.
10. Leave your hair alone for two to three weeks between treatments. Bleaching is tough on your hair. Resist the temptation to bleach your hair right away if you don't like your hair color. Instead, after each treatment, use a toner (see below) to balance out your hair color while slowly lightening your hair.

Part 3 of 3: Treating your hair with toner

1. Select a toner. This is an essential step in achieving beautiful, balanced hair color. By bleaching your hair, you remove the color from your hair pigment, so that a yellow shade eventually remains. This is the natural color of keratin, the protein in the hair. Most of the time, that's not what you're trying to achieve, which is why a toner is so useful. Toners help to remove unwanted shades, give your hair subtle nuances and ensure that your hair gets the blonde color you want.
   • Dark hair usually has red or orange undertones, so it turns orange when bleached. A blue toner balances the orange color, a violet toner the yellow color, and a blue-violet toner restores orange-yellow tones. In other words, you use a toner whose color in the color wheel aligns with the colors of the undertones in your hair to neutralize them. When in doubt, take a look at a color wheel to see what applies to you.
   • To get white hair, choose a toner specifically designed for white hair. You cannot bleach your hair white. You have to use a toner for that.
   • If you don't know which toner to choose, consult your hairdresser or a member of the drugstore where you buy your toner for advice.
2. Prepare and apply the toner. Below are some general guidelines, but make sure you at least follow the directions on the packaging.
   • Mix 1 part toner with 2 parts volume 10 or 20 developer. Consider using volume 40 developer if you have black hair. Keep in mind that such a developer can be very aggressive to your hair and skin. You can get burns if you get it on your skin. Get medical attention if you have a chemical burn.
   • Apply the toner evenly from roots to ends and divide hair into sections again, just like you did when bleaching your hair.
   • Most toners only need to be left in your hair for 10 minutes, so apply the toner as soon as possible and keep an eye on the time.
   • Check your progress every 5 to 10 minutes by looking at a specific section of hair, just like with a bleach.
   • Make sure not to let the toner sit in your hair for too long. Your hair may then turn yellowish or gray instead of white.
3. Rinse your hair. Wash it with shampoo and conditioner, then style it as you normally would.
   • Don't forget to throw out the bleach and toner residue when you're done.

Tips

• Stop leaving the bleach in your hair once your hair has turned a pale yellow color.
• Consider highlighting instead of bleaching your hair if you have short hair (shoulder length or shorter). That way you can avoid getting burns on your scalp.
• It is best to bleach unwashed hair.
• It can be very helpful if you have someone who can help you, especially if it's your first time bleaching your hair. See if anyone is willing to help to make sure you are applying the bleach evenly to your hair.
• A brightener for colored hair, a shampoo with toner and a shampoo for colored hair can help your hair maintain a balanced blonde color and keep it shiny.
• In between bleaching treatments, treat your hair with a deep conditioner to make up for the shortage of natural oils and proteins.
• Wash your hair as little as possible with shampoo between treatments. Shampoo washes out the oils your hair needs to stay soft and protected.
• Use as few hot tools as possible (hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron) to style your hair. You put even more stress on your already weakened hair.
• Treat your hair with coconut oil or argan oil once every two weeks. This is an excellent way to maintain beautifully bleached hair.
• Don't heat your hair right away when you're bleaching it. When the bleach mixture is dry, it no longer works. Put a plastic bag, shower cap, or even aluminum foil on your hair. Then use your hair dryer on a low setting to heat your covered hair.

Warnings

• Do not use bleaching powder to bleach your eyebrows or lashes.
• Developer with volume 40 is very aggressive. Only use this product when necessary and never mix it with toner.
• Never apply the blonde powder directly to your scalp.
• Read the instructions on the packaging of the products you use very carefully and follow them carefully.
• It is not recommended to bleach your hair completely within a day. This damages your hair too much.
• Rinse your hair immediately and ask your doctor for advice if you experience a burning sensation or irritation while bleaching.

Necessities

• Coconut oil
• Gloves
• Safety glasses
• Blonde powder
• Developer with volume 30 or 40 (volume 40 is not really recommended)
• Developer with volume 10 or 20 to treat the hair with toner
• Blue or purple base toner
• Non-metal mixing bowl
• Hair clips that are not made of metal
• Hair dye brush
• Cap or shower cap
• Hairdryer