How to Bleach Hair With Peroxide

Teenagers and young adults have been bleaching their hair with peroxide for many years. It's a very cheap and easy process compared to professional hair coloring. Peroxide can bleach, highlight or lighten your hair. Although it's not an instant change as conventional hair dyes are, it's still favored by many because of the natural color it creates.

Things You'll Need

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Spray bottle
• Comb
• Disposable plastic gloves
• Deep conditioning treatment

Instructions

1. Wash and detangle your hair. It is best to work with freshly washed hair. Any hair product that is in your hair may react badly with the peroxide and cause discoloration. After washing your hair, towel dry all of the excess water away. Use a comb to remove any knots from your damp hair.

2. Mist your hair with a peroxide mixture. For best results, fill an empty spray bottle with half cold water and half peroxide. Make sure to wear disposable plastic gloves when working with peroxide. Spray a thin layer of this mixture over the top layers of your hair if you'd like your hair to be colored in streaks. To lighten your hair a few shades, apply a thin layer throughout your hair from root to tip. To bleach your hair, you will need to drench you hair entirely with the peroxide mixture. Make sure to cover all roots and underneath layers. Use a comb to handle and separate your hair during the application process.

3. Rinse the peroxide from your hair. After you have let the peroxide mixture sit in your hair for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, rinse your hair. The longer you leave the peroxide in, the lighter your hair will become, but never exceed an hour in one sitting. Rinse your hair with shampoo to ensure that all the peroxide is removed to avoid damaging your hair.

4. Deep condition your hair. Peroxide can be very damaging, causing extremely dry hair. After every use of peroxide, apply a deep conditioner to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. Condition your hair regularly every time you shower for the next week.

5. Repeat until your desired color is achieved. Peroxide does a great job of lightening hair, but it's not instantaneous like common hair dyes. Repeat the process of applying peroxide and following it with a deep conditioning treatment. Reapply peroxide every day or every other day, depending on the health of your hair.

6. Speed up the process with heat. If your hair is healthy, you can use heat to speed up the bleaching process. Sit in the sun while the peroxide solution is in your hair to strengthen the bleaching effect. When in the sun, make sure your hair is combed normally, as the hair that reaches the sun will bleach the most. In addition, you may use a blow dryer to apply heat. To do this, bunch all of your hair up on top of your head. Wrap your hair in aluminum foil to create an enclosure that retains heat on your hair. Heat up the foil by applying high heat to your head, making sure to move the blow dryer back and forth. Heat the foil for the first 10 to 15 minutes after applying the peroxide.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution when using peroxide, making sure not to get any on your skin or in your eyes. To avoid excessive damage, never leave peroxide in your hair for more than an hour at a time.