How to bleach the right way?

Oct 2, 2012

Selina V.

I would like to lighten my hair to a white/ grayish mix. How can I do this the right way? And how can I with a little black hair dye still in my hair? Can I bleach my hair a couple times? Help please before I burn my self bald

Oct 2, 2012

Sidnee M.

Your hair is black now? If so, you'll probably have to bleach it 3-4 times. And you should definitely wait a week or so between bleachings. And condition your hair as much as possible! And be prepared to maybe have to trim your ends.

Oct 2, 2012

Lindsey S.

Use Paul Mitchell back track to remove the color that is on your hair, it is completely healthy and no damage, if you have not got all the color out do a bleach bath & then use Paul Mitchell's lighten up (lightening cream) & then you can put a toner on it to get your desired color!!! Hope this helps :) 

Oct 2, 2012

Selina V.

What if my hair was a turqoise? I put in a black/ reddish mix from Loreal so it's brown now and I've washed most of it out over the month but bits of my old bleach job and a little green are peeking through

Oct 2, 2012

Lindsey S.

If you have or know anyone who can buy salon products at a beauty supply store I highly recommend doing the Paul Mitchell back track, it will strip off the color on your hair and you can start new!  

Oct 2, 2012

Kayla F.

No no no ladies, go to a professional before your hair falls out, I see lots of clients do this and in the end it's really safer and cheaper to have a stylist do it.

Oct 2, 2012

Selina V.

Do you know a good place to go that doesn't charge an arm and a leg? Cause as a single working mother it's so far been cheaper to do it my self. My hair is long and every where I look it's like in the 100's just to color

Oct 2, 2012

Lindsey S.

Well when you are doing multiple services like striping the color , and putting new on it will be pricey, but I try to find a Paul Mitchell focus salon & I promise you will be satisfied :) 

Oct 2, 2012

Shelly T.

@Selina: If you can't afford the salon, try a local beauty school and see if you can get it done there. It'll generally be cheaper and you'll be helping aspiring hair stylists/colourists gain valuable experience at the same time.

Oct 3, 2012

Sydneydale A.

The hair goes through different stages of color as it lightens. The amount of change depends on the amount of pigment in the hair, the strength of the lightening product, and the length of time that the product is processed.
You're going to want to lighten your hair to a level 10 ( google it, if thats too obscure) , which is the safest light color you can achieve. DO NOT use above a 30 volume, and follow manufacturers instructions, add heat as you're processing. Then you want to get a toner to get the pale color you want. The key is to let the toner get you to the color you wish, not the bleach, the bleach is your base, and the toner will be your actual color you see. Go into Sallys and ask for help when choosing.
Extreme bleaching to give hair a white appearance causes excessive damage to the hair if you try to lighten it past the level 10. The result when wet is the hair will become mushy and will stretch and may even fall out. So be so careful!

It is an extreme task to do on your own, so just be aware of all the consequences, and it will require lots of maintenance. Just be prepared, and think twice about maybe going to a salon if this is absolutely what you want!!! Sorry for the super long explanation, it just can be super tricky on your own without causing severe damage, and i want you to be happy! Good luck!!

Oct 4, 2012

Sarah B.

Do not bleach yourself. If you have no education behind what the alkalinity of hair lightener can do... Beware. You should get it done professionally.

Oct 5, 2012

Mary P.

The right way is: Don't do it yourself, have someone with experience do this for you, such as a hairdresser/salon

Oct 5, 2012

Amanda O.

I agree with going to a professional as being one myself. Lightening hair from dark can be very tricky specially when you want it from dark to light right away. You can do steps and gradually lighten to save your hair. But please just don't do it yourself. 

Oct 5, 2012

Estefanie R.

Definitely agree with Shelly, a beauty school would be my best option. You would probably have to go a few times because they don't recommend bleaching your hair all at once. It's def damaging! Goodluck!

Oct 5, 2012

Natalie T.

I know everyone has said it before me, but I do recommend a professional. I usually do everything myself, including my own hair cuts, but bleaching (to achieve blonde) I always go to a professional. I know money was mentioned, but ultimately, you'll probably save money. I have a ton of experience lightening and dying my hair, but I always go to a professional when I'm going for a blonde color that will not be a base for a dye. When I have bleached my hair in the past I needed to buy more products to fix little mistakes or even go to professionals to get the color I really, truly envisioned that I personally could not achieve. So unless you have a lot of experience bleaching hair, I would go to a professional in the first place since chances are you will need to go to one to correct something you may or may not mess up on by yourself. Of course there is all the hair damage and everything, but achieving the right color is usually difficult with blondes, so for aesthetic reasons, a professional will save you a lot of stress and panic (which is the only reason why I'll dish out the money for someone else to do my blonde/white/grey colors).

Oct 6, 2012

Selina V.

I would love to get my hair done professionaly but sadly I can not maybe for xmas (hopefully my parents are reading this) but for now gna take Sydneydales advice and take it slow and steady. Thanks for the advice everyone!