Bleaching Hair Advice

Bleaching hair to a lighter shade can be a lot trickier than you think. If you are not familiar with bleaching techniques and are attempting to bleach darker hair to a platinum hue, you might wind up with a brassy orange shade.

Bleach is used to help brunettes go blonde, prep hair for bright coloring, remove stubborn hair color and create highlights. With a little advice, you can lighten your hair to the desired color without damaging your tresses.

Avoid Bleaching Damaged Hair

Bleaching hair is a damaging process because it permanently changes the structure of your hair. Like perms and permanent color, it actually opens the hair cuticles. This makes the cuticles more vulnerable to breakage and other damaging effects. You will only do harm by trying to bleach damaged, overprocessed or thin, fragile hair. You should work to get your hair in good condition before you bleach it. This will help you to get the best results.

Use a pre-Lightener

If your hair is darker than dark blonde, you should use a pre-lightener to remove a majority of your hair's pigment before bleaching. This removes any red or patchy dark color. These patchy colors could be trouble if you skip the pre-lightening step. After using the pre-lightener, you can apply the shade of blonde you like best or any other shade.

Condition Hair After Bleaching

Even though your hair may feel soft and silky afterward, bleaching is a damaging process. Make sure to condition your hair after bleaching to smooth down the open hair cuticle. Use a conditioner containing keratin, a hair protein, for best results.

Have Someone Help You

Do not try to bleach your hair by yourself. You'll need another set of eyes to make sure everything turns out like it should. Ask a friend to help.

References

• Style Hair Magazine