Safest way of bleaching hair

2007-08-20T19:00:00.000+10:00

If you want to go blonde, try bleaching hair. Many individuals take the old cliché "blondes have more fun," to heart and regard the complete alteration from brunette to platinum to be daring and life changing. Going blonde is also a popular way to hide graying hair. Whatever the reason for bleaching your hair, you should make sure you do it safely as the chemicals used can be hazardous.

The safest way of bleaching hair is to have someone else do it for you. You can do it yourself but you must take extreme care.

First thing to do is ensure any cloths and towels that are to be used are old so you won't mind if you bleach them a bit.

It is important not to unnecessarily get the chemicals on your skin so wear some disposable latex gloves to wear.

If you're doing an all over blonde hair color, you'll have to apply hair bleach to the scalp, which can cause blistering and chemical burns. Now don't worry, that's an extreme possibility, but could happen if you're not careful. For on-scalp lightening processes, never mix bleach with a peroxide stronger than 20 Volume. Bleach just keeps on doing it's thing until it either dries up or gets washed off.

Prepare the chemicals as per the directions. When you are ready to apply the bleach, start at the back of the head, work around, and then move to the top with the supplied applicator brush. Work as quickly as possible to insure even distribution of the bleach. Again, avoid making contact with skin on face and eyes. If the solution gets on the face, wipe it off with a face washer soaked in warm water. Its a good idea to have one ready before you start.

When you bleach your hair, it responds really well to heat. To create a warm environment for your hair, use a plastic cap or some cling wrap. Be sure to cover all the hair. Use the guide on the back of the kit as to how much time it will take for your hair to lighten. Check your hair often when you get close to your recommended time so you don't over-process or damage your hair.

Pay attention to what's happening on your scalp. A normal hair bleaching process will cause a slightly uncomfortable tingle on the scalp, if the tingle progresses into a burning sensation, rinse the bleach off with cool water.

When hair is sufficiently lightened, rinse off the bleach. Do this with gloves on as the bleach is still reactive and can get into any cuts on your hand or burn off your skin layers. Get into a warm (not hot) shower and rinse until water is running clear. Shampoo with a very gentle shampoo to help clean up any bleach that is still in your hair.

Thats all there is to it. It's really not that difficult. Just remember to take care with the chemicals and avoid contact with skin.

If your hair is a little too yellow for your taste, you can either dye over it with a blonde shade of hair dye (but you will only need to leave it on for 15-20 minutes rather than 25+...do a strand test) Try to get a neutral or ash blonde...you have a lot of golden tones already and you want to conceal those. Or you can get a blonde toner.

As you can see, bleaching hair is fairly straight forward and you can get stunning results but remember to use care with the products

Bleaching Hair

Safest way of bleaching hair