How to Bleach Hair Blonde Without Damage?
It’s undeniable how striking blond hair is, and in some people, lighter hair can bring out their best features.
However, whether you’re a blonde who wants to go lighter or a brunette who wants to change their hair color, you will need to undergo a bleaching process.
While this is the fastest and most effective way of lightening your hair, it can also be the most damaging as it involves stripping off the natural pigment in your hair.
The good news is, there are ways you can reduce the damage or even outright prevent it from happening.
With that said, here’s how to bleach your hair blonde without damaging it too much or at all.
See also: How Long Does it Take to Dye Hair?
What is bleaching?
First, let’s discuss the process of lightening your hair, specifically the process of bleaching.
Bleaching is a complex chemical process that requires skill and finesse in order to achieve the results you’re aiming for.
It involves chemicals that essentially strip your hair of its natural pigments or colors, making it lighter and blonder.
The chemicals involved are alkaline ingredients (often in the form of ammonia) that help open up the cuticles of your hair and a hair lightener that breaks the pigment in your strands apart so that it results in a lighter appearance.
Things to remember when bleaching your hair blonde
Before we get into how you can avoid damaging your hair during the bleaching process, there are a few things you need to remember.
First, you need to be realistic about your expectations
The darker your natural hair color is, the more difficult it would be to lighten it to your preferred shade.
It is particularly true if you’re going for a platinum blonde look, which involves several bleaching sessions in order to get the results you want.
Consequently, your hair would be damaged. It is even more applicable if your hair is already dyed another color, as it can be more difficult to strip the color.
See also: How to Remove Toner from Hair?
Second, it’s best to have your hair bleached by a professional
This is especially advisable if you’re bleaching your hair for the first time.
Bleach formulas in salons are often gentler and less likely to cause damage. Moreover, even if they use a stronger formula, the colorists have the skill and expertise needed to carry out your wishes.
Doing it yourself, especially for the first time, is not recommended as it could end up in a botched bleaching job which will be harder to fix later on.
How to Bleach Hair Blonde Without Damage?
Now that we have established those two things, let us get into how to bleach your hair blonde without damaging it. There are a few ways you can do so.
Deep condition your hair every day for at least a week before bleaching
Using a deep conditioning mask daily for at least a week before you bleach your hair blonde can help minimize the damage caused by the bleach to your hair.
Bleaching involves depleting the hair of moisture. Therefore, if your hair is already dry and damaged before you bleach it, then chances are, the state of your hair will only worsen with bleach.
Deep-conditioning your hair will help restore some of its natural moisture, making it healthier and more prepared for the damaging task of bleaching ahead.
- Coat your entire head with the mask and allow it to sit as long as the instructions say.
- Once done, rinse your hair thoroughly with cool water to preserve its effect and make your hair look shinier and healthier.
- Repeat every day for a week before the first bleaching session.
Test the bleaching formula 48 hours before you bleach your entire hair
If you have any allergic reactions towards the formula, do a strand test on an inconspicuous part of your hair and a small patch of skin at least 48 hours before you bleach the entirely will be indeed helped.
Besides, the test also lets you know how long you need to leave the bleach on before you need to rinse it, but this is only applicable if you’re bleaching your hair yourself.
Furthermore, testing proves how damaging the formula could be to your hair before you coat your entire head.
- Mix 2 parts of the developer or peroxide with 1 part of the bleaching powder.
- Apply on a patch of skin as well as an inconspicuous strand of hair. Allow it to sit for around 30 minutes before rinsing.
- See if the resulting shade is your desired shade. If not, then more bleaching sessions may be needed.
- Check if the patch of skin had any reactions. If your skin became irritated from the bleach, then it’s advisable to either shorten the processing time or avoid bleaching your hair altogether.
Shampoo your hair only 24 hours before you have to bleach it
Your hair has natural oils in it and frequent shampooing can strip them off.
The natural oils in your hair can help prevent the bleach from damaging your hair too much. They can also protect your scalp from the damaging effects of bleach.
- Shampoo only 24 hours before you bleach to allow the natural oils to develop again in time for your session.
- After shampooing, condition your hair to restore some of the stripped off moisture.
See also:
- The 25 Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Color-Treated Hair
- The 19 Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Red Dyed Hair
- The 16 Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Purple Hair
Use several sessions to bleach your hair.
Bleaching is a damaging process and giving your hair time to rest in between bleaching sessions can greatly minimize the damage it causes to your hair.
Having an interval between sessions can help your hair build the natural oils again to protect it against further damage.
This is especially true for those bleaching dark hair as it can take longer to strip the pigment off.
- After your first bleaching session, wait for 7 to 10 days before bleaching again.
- If after the next session you’re still dissatisfied with the result, wait another week or so before undergoing another bleaching session.
Final Thoughts
Bleaching your hair is often a damaging process but this can be minimized by following the aforementioned steps.
By minimizing the damage the bleach causes, you can have healthier-looking locks that will be the envy of all.
Note: After bleaching, your hair can become more dry, sensitive, even damaged as I mentioned in the previous section, so prepare yourself a shampoo & conditioner for dry damaged hair, sensitive scalps right now.
You can also use the Keratin Shampoo & Conditioner, it’s so good for bleached hair.
And if you only bleach hair for getting Balayage highlights, the topic about 16 Best Shampoos and Conditioners for Balayage Hair I reviewed is everything you need, check it out!
You May Also Like:
- How to Fix Orange Hair with Box Dye? (Even You Bleached Before)
- How to Lighten Hair with Peroxide and Shampoo? (Lighten your hair without needing to bleach)
- How to Dye Blonde Hair Without It Going Green?
Aida
